Category: news

  • BUTCHER BABIES Announces New Album “Nightbloom” & Shares Music Video For “Blame It On The Wind”

    Butcher Babies has locked in October 2 as the release date for its new album, Nightbloom, out via Judge & Jury Records. Along with the album announcement, the band has shared its newest single, “Blame It On The Wind”.

    Nightbloom comes courtesy of producer Howard Benson, whose resume includes work with My Chemical RomanceSkilletDaughtry and Halestorm, among others. Joe RickardNeil Sanderson and Henry Flury handled co-production duties, while Cameron Pierce Mizell and Evan McKeever contributed additional production on “Songbird.”

    Butcher Babies frontwoman Heidi Shepherd had this to say about the album: “A couple of years ago, I found myself in a web of darkness that I couldn’t shake. A vicious cycle of self-loathing and doubt, all while my support system did everything in their power to remind me of who I am. I desperately wanted to see in myself what they saw in me. I needed a way to look in the mirror and find love for who was looking back at me. So, I shut off social media, and for the first time in my life, I started therapy.”

    “Therapy sent me down a rabbit hole that I didn’t know existed,” she continued. “Over the course of a year, I was flooded with memories of trauma and emotions that I had suppressed. I started to feel that in this overwhelming darkness, these memories needed a way out. So, I started writing. I wrote about my failure of a ‘perfect’ marriage over 20 years ago. I wrote about the stormy canyon road that sent us to divorce. I wrote about watching the love of my life fall in love with someone else in front of me. I wrote about a one-night stand that has haunted me for decades. I wrote about a former boyfriend who took his own life. I wrote about Mormon religion ostracizing me while their members, and my neighbors shamed my family for supporting me. And even more currently, I wrote the abandonment of losing a best friend of 20 years. I wrote about moments that I didn’t realize held so much weight on my heart until we tore that fucker open in therapy.”

    “While reliving and experiencing some of my darkest moments, I started to finally bloom,” she added. “These songs grew and took on life in the dark. In writing these songs, I was able to turn negative experiences in my life into something positive, which in turn gave these memories a new place to live. Moments that I can look at and think ‘Wow, I survived that. I bloomed in the darkest moments of my life. My Nightbloom.’”

    “This new album isn’t about the suffering; it’s about the survival. These songs were born from memories of heartbreak, uncertainty, betrayal, and pain. But they’re not just about those subjects, they’re more about what grew because of them. This album, Nightbloom, is a reminder that not everything beautiful needs perfect sunshine to flourish. Sometimes the most meaningful parts of life begin in the darkest seasons.”

    Butcher Babies guitarist Flury added: “Writing with purpose. That was the overall theme of this album. Each part, layer, and lyric was crafted with purpose and focus. Nothing was unimportant. Every detail was created to tell a story with a singular voice. Nightbloom is our most important work we’ve ever done in Butcher Babies.”

    Nightbloom finds Butcher Babies at its sharpest, pairing the band’s trademark aggression with bigger melodic hooks and a sleeker modern production that pushes the sound in new directions. The record captures a band still evolving while holding onto the unapologetic energy, powerhouse vocals and pummeling instrumentation that have defined its run so far.

    “Blame It On The Wind” is already picking up steam at rock radio, with strong airplay from SiriusXM Octane helping build buzz ahead of the Oct. 2 release.

    Butcher Babies will keep its 2026 world tour rolling with a U.S. run alongside Chad Gray (MudvayneHellyeah) starting in late summer and running into fall, plus a stop at Louder Than Life in Kentucky. The band’s live show has long been its calling card, earning it repeat festival bookings and a devoted fanbase around the globe.

    Butcher Babies has spent more than a decade cutting its own path through heavy music. Formed in 2009 and based out of Las Vegas, the band has built its name on explosive live shows, fearless experimentation and a sound that resists sticking to one genre, folding thrash and groove metal aggression together with soaring hooks, punk-rock swagger and a constantly shifting set of influences.

    The band made its mark early with 2013 debut Goliath, then kept building with Uncovered (2014), Take It Like A Man(2015), Lilith (2017) and the 2023 double album Eye For An Eye… / …’Til The World’s Blind. Each release has pushed Butcher Babies further, embracing heavier extremes, bigger hooks and increasingly personal songwriting along the way.

    Now the band is stepping into arguably its most exciting chapter yet. The new singles arriving via Judge & Jury Records offer an early look at a bolder era, one that sounds heavier, more melodic, more vulnerable, and more fearless than anything that’s come before. Each release peels back another layer of what Butcher Babies has become, hinting at what could be the band’s most ambitious record to date.

    More than 15 years into its career, Butcher Babies shows no interest in repeating itself. The band keeps evolving, keeps taking risks and keeps challenging what people expect from it. Judging by the new material, the next chapter isn’t a continuation of the story so far; it’s the start of something new entirely.

    The post BUTCHER BABIES Announces New Album “Nightbloom” & Shares Music Video For “Blame It On The Wind” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

  • Dee Snider Apologizes To Kelly Osbourne Over Ozzy Remarks

    Dee-Snider-Kelly-Osbourne-feud

    Dee Snider has apologized to Kelly Osbourne. Six days after a set of comments about who actually wrote Ozzy Osbourne’s lyrics turned into a very public argument with Ozzy’s daughter, the Twisted Sister frontman posted a short, direct apology on X and tagged her in it. What’s unusual is how he got there — he’d spent the previous night openly admitting he couldn’t find the right words, and the phrasing he eventually used wasn’t his own.

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    The apology, and the stranger who wrote it

    Late on Monday night, Snider shared a post from a fan on X. That fan had laid out the situation for him plainly: Kelly seemed hurt because she read it as diminishing Ozzy’s legacy, not because the songwriting history was false. Text strips away tone. If it were me, the fan wrote, I’d simply say — I’m sorry it hurt you. That was never my intent.

    Snider’s reply: thanks, he’d been looking for the right response.

    The next morning he wrote it. Tagged Kelly directly. Said he was sorry that what he’d said hurt her, that it was never his intent, and offered his sympathies on the loss of her dad.

    That’s it. Four short lines, no self-defence, no relitigating the facts, no “if anyone was offended.”

    And here’s the part I keep turning over: he took a script from a stranger on the internet, said so publicly, and used it. Most people in this position hire a publicist and produce three paragraphs of nothing. Snider — a man who once challenged an entire band to a fistfight in Covent Garden — admitted he didn’t know how to say sorry properly and let someone else show him.

    There’s more grace in that than in a perfectly worded statement.

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    What he actually said about Ozzy

    Now the part that everyone’s arguing about, which is worth getting right.

    On August 12, a fan raised the subject of musicians who co-wrote Ozzy’s material — Lemmy Kilmister and bassist Bob Daisley among them. Snider, who lives on X and answers everything, jumped in.

    His reply, in substance: not a load of the lyrics — all of them. Ozzy always had bass players write his lyrics. Geezer Butler wrote all of Black Sabbath’s. Daisley wrote lyrics for the first two solo albums, and Snider suspected he was paid to write on later records without credit. Lemmy wrote lyrics too.

    He followed up with a broader point: many singers don’t write their own songs but make them their own.

    And here’s what almost nobody covering this story is saying out loud — he isn’t wrong on the facts.

    Geezer Butler wrote Black Sabbath’s lyrics. That’s not a hot take, it’s the historical record, and it’s on the sleeve of every Sabbath album we’ve ever ranked. Bob Daisley wrote lyrics on Blizzard Of Ozz and Diary Of A Madman. Lemmy co-wrote for Ozzy, including some of his biggest solo material.

    The second comment is the real point, and it’s the one that got buried: many singers don’t write their own songs but make them their own. That’s not an insult. That’s a fifty-year veteran describing what an interpreter does, and Ozzy was one of the greatest interpreters heavy music has ever produced.

    But this landed on a platform where nobody reads the second comment.

    DeeSnider

    Why Kelly responded the way she did

    She hit back hard, on Instagram Stories, and I’d struggle to blame her.

    Her position: there’s something classless about trying to diminish her father’s abilities and achievements when he isn’t here to answer for himself. And if Snider wanted to invite a career comparison, she argued, that comparison speaks for itself — a brief run of mainstream success forty years ago against a career spanning nearly six decades, from helping define heavy metal with Black Sabbath through an extraordinary solo run. His music, she said, will keep influencing people long after all of them are gone.

    Sharp. Deliberately so.

    And the context matters more than the wording. Ozzy died on July 22 last year, seventeen days after his final show at Villa Park. Kelly has spent the last thirteen months grieving in public, on a platform that hands her every stray opinion about her father whether she wants it or not.

    Somebody breaking down the songwriting credits on Ozzy’s catalogue would read very differently to her than it would to a metal historian. That’s not fragility. That’s what grief does to context.

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    Why this one ended better than most

    Rock and roll social media feuds almost never resolve. They calcify. Somebody doubles down, the fans pick teams, and eighteen months later it’s still being brought up in interviews.

    This one didn’t, and both people are responsible for that.

    Snider didn’t argue that he was factually correct — which he was, and which would have been the easiest and worst possible move. He apologized for the effect, not for the facts. That’s a genuinely difficult distinction to hold, and most people fumble it into a non-apology.

    Kelly said what she needed to say, publicly, and it clearly landed.

    Nobody had to pretend the underlying history was wrong. Nobody had to pretend nobody was hurt.

    Check This Out – Ranking the 13 Ozzy Osbourne Solo Songs That Built a Heavy Metal Throne

    Where Dee Snider is right now

    Worth noting because it colours this whole thing.

    Snider is retired. He confirmed Twisted Sister’s 2026 reunion after years of insisting he was done, then cancelled the reunion concerts when degenerative arthritis and mobility issues made performing at full strength impossible. Rather than kill the shows entirely, he gave Sebastian Bach his blessing to front the band for select 2026 dates.

    For a guy who spent years saying that when people retire they should leave the stage and that he was sick of buying “No More Tours” shirts, stepping aside and handing the microphone to someone else is a fairly consistent act.

    Which is the same instinct on display this week. He got something wrong, somebody told him how to fix it, and he fixed it.

    dee-snider-apology

    TL;DR

    • What happened: Dee Snider publicly apologized to Kelly Osbourne on August 18, tagging her on X and saying he was sorry his words hurt her, that it was never his intent, and offering sympathy for the loss of her father.
    • How he got there: he shared a fan’s post the night before suggesting exactly that phrasing, thanked them, and said he’d been looking for the right response — then used it.
    • What started it: August 12 comments about who wrote Ozzy’s lyrics, naming Geezer Butler, Bob Daisley and Lemmy Kilmister, plus a follow-up that many singers don’t write their own songs but make them their own.
    • The overlooked part: the songwriting facts aren’t in dispute. Butler did write Sabbath’s lyrics; Daisley did write on the first two solo albums; Lemmy did co-write. The issue was timing and tone.
    • Kelly’s response: she said it was classless to diminish her father when he isn’t here to answer, and drew a career comparison she said spoke for itself.
    • Where it stands: resolved. Snider apologized for the hurt without relitigating the facts.

    FAQ

    What did Dee Snider say about Ozzy Osbourne?

    On August 12, 2026, responding to a fan discussion on X about who co-wrote Ozzy’s material, Snider said Ozzy always had bass players write his lyrics — naming Geezer Butler for Black Sabbath, Bob Daisley for the first two solo albums, and Lemmy Kilmister. He followed up by saying many singers don’t write their own songs but make them their own.

    Why was Kelly Osbourne upset with Dee Snider?

    She interpreted the comments as diminishing her late father’s abilities and achievements at a time when he isn’t able to respond. She called it classless, and argued that a comparison between the two men’s careers spoke for itself — Snider’s mainstream success being brief and four decades ago, against Ozzy’s near-six-decade career with Black Sabbath and as a solo artist.

    Did Dee Snider apologize to Kelly Osbourne?

    Yes. On August 18, 2026, he posted an apology on X tagging her directly, saying he was sorry that what he said hurt her, that it was never his intent, and offering his sympathies on the loss of her father. He apologized for the impact rather than retracting the underlying songwriting claims.

    Was Dee Snider right about who wrote Ozzy’s lyrics?

    Broadly, yes. Geezer Butler is credited as Black Sabbath’s principal lyricist. Bob Daisley wrote lyrics on Blizzard Of Ozz and Diary Of A Madman. Lemmy Kilmister co-wrote several songs for Ozzy. The dispute was never really about factual accuracy — it was about raising it a year after Ozzy’s death.

    Is Dee Snider still performing?

    No. Snider stepped away from performing due to degenerative arthritis and mobility issues, which led to Twisted Sister cancelling their 2026 reunion concerts. He gave Sebastian Bach his blessing to front the band for select 2026 shows rather than cancel them outright.

    A public argument that actually ended with somebody saying sorry and meaning it — rarer than it should be. Was the apology owed, or was this all overblown? Tell us in the comments. And keep it locked on the Loaded Radio stream — follow Loaded Radio for daily rock and metal news.

    The post Dee Snider Apologizes To Kelly Osbourne Over Ozzy Remarks appeared first on Loaded Radio.

  • Ellie Goulding Sues Former Managers Over Live Nation Ties

    The UK pop star Ellie Goulding has filed a lawsuit against her two former managers, Ben Mawson and Ed Millet of TaP Management, claiming that they didn’t disclose that their management company was owned by the giant touring company Live Nation, first partly and then fully. Goulding’s lawyers claim that the managers’ Live Nation ties prevented them from properly representing her and that they pushed her into deals with Live Nation whenever possible.

    The post Ellie Goulding Sues Former Managers Over Live Nation Ties appeared first on Stereogum.

  • ANDI DERIS On Having Both MICHAEL KISKE & KAI HANSEN Singing In HELLOWEEN: “Sharing Means More Luxury — That Probably Gives Us a Free Ticket To Go On Another 10 Or 15 Years”

    In a recent interview with Mr. Music’s “Meet My Guest” podcast (transcribed by Blabbermouth), Andi Deris spoke about how he had to adapt his voice when he first joined Helloween as the replacement for Michael Kiske more than three decades ago. “Well, the majority of the songs we decided to detune half a tone down. I think from [2000’s] The Dark Ride on, we had these low tunes, like a half tone or even a full tone down. Back in the day, it was not so easy technically. You would have to change the guitars again and again and again. So we said, ‘Okay, the compromise is we don’t play The Dark Ride in drop D, but we find a middle way,’ and we just dropped down half a tone, and we played everything half-tone D. So The Dark Ride itself on stage was higher performed.

    “But nowadays it’s much easier. Nowadays with the [technology], we go back to the normal tunings again. Because it’s just a push of a button and you are half a tone lower, half a tone higher. So now we are capable of playing everything in its original [tuning] again.”

    Asked if he ever lowers the key of a song on a night when his voice isn’t feeling right, Deris said: “Oh, no. You shouldn’t do that. Because during a tour, you are completely used to changing your technique in between the songs. So when you suddenly push it down a half a tone, then the bridge to switch is lower as well, so you’re not doing yourself a favor. So it’s even worse, actually, because your routine is completely f***ed up then. So no, we would never do that. If you would realize, let’s say a few weeks before the tour, that something is not fine with me or [current Helloween co-vocalist] Michael [Kiske], then you could decide to put everything one tone down and rehearse like that to get the routine. But so far, thank to God, we never had to do that.”

    Referencing the luxury of having both Deris and Kiske — as well as original guitarist/vocalist Kai Hansen — sharing vocal duties, Andi said: “[Having more than one singer] helps a lot, because sharing means more luxury. Sharing means a little bit more breaks to calm down, so let Michael sing his song and I’m fine after five minutes again and can perform much better than if I would have to go on without a break. This is the luxury of two singers. Well, Michael always says we have two and a half singers.

    “That probably gives us a free ticket to go on another 10 or 15 years even without pissing off the people because we can share. And in the rehearsal room you check it out, and you say, ‘Maybe the running order is not working because I need a break here. Otherwise, my voice is f***ed up.’ All that sh*t you can do because you have two singers [or] three singers.”

    Helloween’s latest album, Giants & Monsters, arrived in August 2025 via Reigning Phoenix Music. The follow-up to 2021’s Helloween was mixed at the legendary Wisseloord Studios in Hilversum, Netherlands, which has hosted sessions for Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Def Leppard.

    The 2021 self-titled album was the first to feature the band’s expanded reunion lineup consisting of Deris, returning members Kiske and Hansen, guitarists Michael Weikath and Sascha Gerstner, bassist Markus Grosskopf and drummer Daniel Löble. Upon its release, Helloween landed in the Top 10 in more than 10 countries, including Germany, Spain, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland and Austria.

    The post ANDI DERIS On Having Both MICHAEL KISKE & KAI HANSEN Singing In HELLOWEEN: “Sharing Means More Luxury — That Probably Gives Us a Free Ticket To Go On Another 10 Or 15 Years” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

  • Bloodstock 2026: Saturday Review – S.O.P.H.I.E. Stage

    Bloodstock 2026: Saturday Review – S.O.P.H.I.E. Stage

    8th August 2026
    Words: Dan Barnes
    Photos: Tim Finch

    The reptiles had their moment on Thursday so now it’s the time for the amphibians of Froglord and their dedicated frog-attired fans. Heavy, doom-inspired swampy drones attract a large following for so early in the morning rituals; Croak, They Came from Saturn, and some harmonica for the tribute to the Marshy god in Herman. Seems redundant to say, but the Sabbath influences abound and are enjoyed by all.

    Nottingham’s Outergods cover all the extreme metal bases with their Blackened Death meets Grindcore sound. Graduates of the New Blood Stage the band have taken their opportunity to showcase themselves on a bigger stage to great affect this morning. Spat vocals and edgy riffs are a world away from the Swampy Doom of Froglord, but the combinations of deathcore energy, brutality and sheer musical destruction had me checking out their Bandcamp as soon as I was able to get a signal.

    London-based modern metal machine, Imperium, brought snappy Pantera grooves and rapid riffing to their S.O.P.H.I.E. stage appearance; utilising the same confrontational approach found on this year’s Exodus Unknown album, issued less than a month ago. They even have Venom Inc main man, the Demolition Man himself, Tony Dolan as guest on the raging Tread the Serpent.

    Bound in Fear‘s down-tempo deathcore is all about servicing those big breakdowns and mammoth drops. New record, A Mind too Sick to Heal, is the most visited; Hands of Violence is for the Moshers, who are here for circle pits and crowd surfing. Sentenced comes with the call to create the biggest pit of the weekend and features some monstrous growls. The set ends with a heavy as F- Hate Circuit.

    Raging Speedhorn-adjacent Corby Sludgecore merchants, Viking Skull, never fail to disappoint with their fuzzed-up Motorhead riffs and rock n’ roll attitude. Taking stomping riffs and a classic metal approach, the Skull are unlikely to win any subtlety awards on Beers, Drugs and Bitches, but it makes for a whole heap of Saturday afternoon Metal Festival fun. Double or Quits is driving biker rock to its core and Skull Heaven is as close to Orange Goblin as we’re likely to get now that band has retired from touring.

    Cambridge old school death metal mob, Celestial Sanctuary come with a big and bombastic opening salvo, blending technicality into their brutality with seamless ease. Killer riffs and stomping aggression account for much of the show, but it’s not without its slow and brooding, headbobbin’ moments. New tune, They Worm Their Way In, with its solid riffs and ripping solo, hints that the most recently written material isn’t straying too far from the band’s tried and tested model.

    Continuing their tour of every UK festival, Stampin’ Ground arrive at Bloodstock for the first time attracting a tentful of people to experience their abrasive metallic hardcore assault. Frontman Adam Frakes-Sime is his usual unstoppable ball of energy as he must cover every square inch of the S.O.P.H.I.E. stage this afternoon. Pain is Weakness (Leaving the Body) is equally unstoppable and an exhausting way to open the set, with its bouncing breakdown and confrontational attitude. Dead From the Neck Up comes with big double-bass kicks and oceans of bodies over the barrier, Outside Looking In is introduced by the statement Biohazard were the best band of yesterday, and Everyone Owes a Death comes with the obligatory Wall of Death. By Whatever Means Necessary, has a jumpdafuck up moment, Symmetry of Hatred rips and tears, while the now official set closer, Officer Down, could have the riff of the weekend.

    For their third trip to Catton Park, Eighties thrash legends Death Angel have moved from the main stage to a more appropriate higher billing in the S.O.P.H.I.E. tent. Never having really been given the full credit for their blending of hard-hitting thrash riffs with their native Filipino heritage, Rob and Mark have been one of the genres most effective bands since the release of The Ultra-Violence back in 1987. Those of us on long-lists of medication pack the tent and knees be damned as the Angel takes the stage.

    Mark tells us the set is being filmed and is keen on making the orange-shirted security earn their corn for the next half-hour or so. And do they…! Fuelled by a solid, grooving rampancy, Death Angel level the tent with the likes of Claws in So Deep’s dirty speed, Evil Priest’s scolding chugs and 2004’s Thrown to the Wolves reminding us that, even after a fourteen-year hiatus, the band is and always will be absolutely dedicated to thrashing chaos. Mark promised a return sooner than the seven years since the last show in 2019 – looking forward to that already.

    Looking for introspective progressive journeys of spiritual discovery? Well Columbus, OH, brutalists, Sanguisugabogg, may not be the best place to start searching. With albums titled Tortured Whole, Homicidal Ecstasy and Hideous Aftermath, you can guarantee the quintet out Cannibal Corpse Cannibal Corpse. “We are not Of Mice & Men” confirms Devin Swank, before cranking into Rotted Entanglement, Feening for Bloodshed and Skin Cushion, all coming with calls for circle pits, crowd surfers and little mercy for the security staff. Felony Abuse of a Corpse arrives with a big breakdown and you wouldn’t think this level of brutality would be so much fun. Faces Ripped Off does not lie as it assaults with weight and intensity, A Lesson in Savagery is slow and vicious, and the filthy sludge of Abhorrent Contraception comes over like some savage death doom. Mortal Admonishment is dedicated to family, Dragged by a Truck slams and blasts, while closer, Dead as Shit, brings an end to one of the best sets of the whole weekend.

    It’s a debut appearance at Bloodstock for Norwegian progressives, Leprous, who came to prominence as Emperor mainman, Ihsahn’s live band. Influenced by the likes of King Crimson and Pink Floyd, Leprous’ S.O.P.H.I.E. headline show is in stark contrast to Alex Terrible and the sheer blitzkrieg power Slaughter to Prevail have just unleashed on the main stage. Pulling tunes from seven of their eight full length record, the Norwegians offer up a treat for the ears and a cerebral trip, commencing with Silently Walking Alone from latest record, Melodies of Atonement. Nightmare Disguise is impossibly theatrical, Forced Entry seems to take a leaf out of Shining’s book from yesterday and revel in eccentricity.

    Below is halted due to a fan needing some medical attention, the back-to-back duo of The Price and Slave, from The Congregation, take the show into almost Muse territory and the closing Atonement takes us right back to the Melodies… album.

    Saturday has been a thoroughly mixed bag of bands on the S.O.P.H.I.E. stage, but where else could you go from Amphibious Swamp Sludge to mind-bending progressive metal without having to move your seat?

    Photo credits: Tim Finch

    For all the latest newsreviewsinterviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebooktwitter and instagram.

    The post Bloodstock 2026: Saturday Review – S.O.P.H.I.E. Stage appeared first on The Razor's Edge.

  • Bloodstock 2026: Saturday Gallery – S.O.P.H.I.E. Stage

    Bloodstock 2026: Saturday Gallery – S.O.P.H.I.E. Stage

    8th August 2026
    Photos: Tim Finch

    Sanguisugabogg

    Death Angel

    Stampin’ Ground

    Viking Skull

    Bound In Fear

    Imperium

    Froglord

    Photo credits: Tim Finch

    For all the latest newsreviewsinterviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebooktwitter and instagram.

    The post Bloodstock 2026: Saturday Gallery – S.O.P.H.I.E. Stage appeared first on The Razor's Edge.

  • 5 questions for Filippa Nässil (Thundermother)

    During Wacken Open Air we had the opportunity to have a brief chat with Filippa Nässil, guitarist of Thundermother. We talked about their guitar tech and more! Interview done by Laerte Ungaro (Il Chitarrista Nerd).

    The post 5 questions for Filippa Nässil (Thundermother) first appeared on FemMetal – Goddesses of Metal.

  • Iron Maiden Put To The Test On Mastermind

    Iron Maiden - Malahide Castle, Dublin - 25 June 2025. Photo: Steve Ritchie/MetalTalk

    Yesterday evening’s edition of Mastermind, the long-running British television quiz show in which contestants answer questions on a chosen specialist subject before tackling a round of general knowledge, included the topics Transport for London moquette, the films of Paul Newman, the Tintin books of Hergé and Iron Maiden.

    Investment adviser Fernanda Partridge chose Iron Maiden, the Heavy Metal band formed in London in 1975, as her specialist subject and faced a round that reached considerably deeper than the band’s albums and best-known songs.

    Partridge began strongly, correctly naming Paul Di’Anno as the singer on the 1979 EP The Soundhouse Tapes. She also identified Margaret Thatcher as the politician depicted alongside Eddie on the artwork for the early singles Sanctuary and Women In Uniform.

    Her knowledge extended across several eras of Maiden history. She knew that The Trooper was partly inspired by Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s poem The Charge Of The Light Brigade, and that Iron Maiden supported Kiss on their first tour of mainland Europe in 1980.

    She also correctly named The Sheriff Of Huddersfield, the affectionate send-up of manager Rod Smallwood released as a B-side to the 12-inch version of Wasted Years, and remembered the band’s 1982 appearance on the children’s television programme Tiswas.

    More recent Maiden history was represented by En Vivo!, the 2012 live album recorded at Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile, during the previous year’s Final Frontier World Tour.

    One of the more difficult questions concerned the inspiration behind The Clairvoyant. Steve Harris began writing the song after reading about the death of spiritualist and professional medium Doris Stokes. Partridge answered Aleister Crowley.

    She was also caught out by a missing phrase from the lyrics to the 1995 single Man On The Edge, answering “chemical state” rather than “carnival state”.

    Partridge recovered to identify Fear Of The Dark as the album whose artwork depicts Eddie fused with a tree. Released in 1992, it was the first Iron Maiden studio album not to feature cover artwork by Derek Riggs.

    Her final correct answer was New Frontier, from the 2003 album Dance Of Death. The track is unusually co-written by drummer Nicko McBrain and reflects his concerns about human cloning.

    The only question Partridge passed asked for the false name Iron Maiden used for a series of secret warm-up concerts in 1988, including a show at Queen Mary College in London. The answer was Charlotte And The Harlots.

    Partridge scored nine points in his specialist-subject round. After the general-knowledge round, she finished second with 19 points, just one behind winner Donald, who progressed to the semi-final with 20.

    For most Iron Maiden fans watching at home, of course, only one question really mattered. How many would you have answered correctly?

    The post Iron Maiden Put To The Test On Mastermind first appeared on MetalTalk – Heavy Metal News, Reviews and Interviews.
  • ANBERLIN Announces Ninth Album “Currency” & Unveils New Single “Neverafter”

    Anberlin has confirmed Currency, the band’s ninth full-length and the first complete record to feature Matty Mullins on lead vocals. The announcement builds on the momentum of 2024’s Vega, which introduced Mullins‘s voice to the band’s catalog across two tracks, and points to a fresh creative chapter for a group that has spent nearly 25 years reinventing itself. Kellen McGregor of Memphis May Fire joined the band behind the boards for the 11-track effort, which leans into Anberlin‘s history while pushing toward something new, proof that evolution and identity don’t have to be at odds.

    Alongside the announcement, the band unveiled its first single from the upcoming release, “Neverafter,” backed by a music video helmed by Anberlin drummer Nathan Young and Jacob Moniz.

    On the themes running through the record, Mullins shared: “The overall theme of Currency is what happens after everything you built your identity on falls apart. It’s a journey through heartbreak, loss, addiction, shame, and the lies we tell ourselves.

    “Instead of staying in the wreckage, it’s about finding the strength to face the truth, let go of what was killing you, and become someone new. I believe that healing doesn’t begin when the pain ends, it begins when you finally stop running from it.”

    Rather than shying away from its past, Anberlin moves forward with certainty on Currency. Built from a batch of long-unfinished songs, the album gives Mullins room to leave his own artistic fingerprint while balancing anthemic rock moments with more introspective passages, touching on resilience, vulnerability and hope throughout. Standouts include “Neverafter,” “Highstakes” and “Trenches,” the latter featuring Switchfoot, each reinforcing Anberlin‘s knack for turning honesty into hooks. More than another entry in the discography, Currency reads like a statement of renewal, one that honors where the band has been while looking ahead to what’s next.

    Anberlin will hit the road later this year alongside longtime friends and genre stalwarts Switchfoot for an extensive run of shows. The pairing brings together two of alternative rock’s most durable acts, giving fans a chance to hear the new material live while revisiting a catalog that has held up for nearly 25 years. Expect a setlist that blends fan favorites with fresh cuts from Currency as Anberlin enters this new era.

    Currency is available to pre-order here.

    Anberlin is: 

    Matty Mullins / Vocals
    Christian McAlhaney / Guitar and Vocals
    Joseph Milligan / Guitar
    Deon Rexroat / Bass
    Young / Drums

    The post ANBERLIN Announces Ninth Album “Currency” & Unveils New Single “Neverafter” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

  • Complete List Of Descendents Songs From A to Z

    The Descendents Songs from A to Z

    This Complete List Of Descendents Songs From A to Z presents the band’s officially released studio-album songs along with tracks from EPs, singles, B-sides, split releases, and selected compilation appearances. Descendents were formed in Manhattan Beach, California, in 1977. The band’s early history developed around guitarist Frank Navetta, drummer Bill Stevenson, and bassist Tony Lombardo, with vocalist Milo Aukerman joining soon afterward and helping shape the fast, melodic, humorous, and intensely personal punk rock sound that became identified with the group. Descendents became one of the most influential bands to emerge from the Southern California punk scene. Their music combined

    The post Complete List Of Descendents Songs From A to Z appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.