Category: news

The power of storytelling is well-known to Belarusian post-black outcasts Dymna Lotva. Their previous album, The Land Under the Black Wings: Blood, progressed that series through tragic true and folkloric tales, its overt tragedy in this sense bringing the real devastation wracking their native and settled home countries.¹ Vyraj sees Dymna Lotva continue to communicate with stories. Taking its name from the Slavic mythological realm to which both migrating birds and the souls of the dead travel, there’s an explicit parallel with the members’ own emigration as well as themes of personal journey, life, and death. But there’s always been more to Dymna Lotva’s music than their symbolically powerful concepts, and Vyraj makes no exception.

Dymna Lotva already had somewhat of a winning formula in a uniquely executed blend of black, folk, and post-metal. They evolve anyway, bringing in and emphasising further an electronic side that ranges from shimmering, chimelike keys to soft symphonics. It’s never enough to overshadow the metallic and, at its best, amplifies the (melo)drama of the climaxes and adds more layers to the band’s nuanced and emotional sound. This new direction brings with it something of the anthemic, with songs reprising uplifting melodies, stepping into steady sways, and being narrated more often by a duet, if not a chorus of voices.² Leading those voices is the force of nature Katsiaryna Mankevich, who once again absolutely kills it with her wrenching screams and solemn classical cleans. The music is more direct, due to all the above as well as a comparatively shorter runtime, with fewer tracks, each of which references the others through recurring motifs.

Vyraj condenses and concentrates Dymna Lotva’s characteristic potency and poignancy, which this time are tinged a touch more with the blush of hope than the blackness of rage. The urgent, cascading melodies ring with a thrilling solidarity (“Zory,” “Viedźmieragina,” “Ustań Za Mianie”) and the mournful soaring solos with bittersweet sadness (“Niama Darohi,” “Return my Coffin Home”). The highlight here, and also the crowning jewel of the album, is the centrepiece “Niama Darohi,” which practically hums with longing for freedom. It’s in these places that the new electronic elements work the most magic, spinning glittering counter-melodies or supporting the climax with subtle strings and fluttering keys. The atmosphere they bring is deepened by the way Dymna Lotva use the dynamics of rhythm and intensity to deepen their compositions and make them still more compelling. Variously whispered, spoken, rasped, screamed lines circulate spells amidst shifting tempos (“Veha,” “Viedźmieragina,” “Niama Darohi”); sung and screamed male and female voices call and respond and join together (“The Boat of Despair,” “Ustań Za Mianie,” “Return my Coffin Home”); and both the graceful lull of cleans and the vicious snarls of harsh vocals move in synchronisation with those of the lead guitars. This also serves to bring the fierceness into sharper focus, through emphasis and contrast alone, or the dramatic turn from this graceful tension into a building explosion of passion and electricity (“Zory,” “Veha,” “Viedźmieragina”).

All of Vyraj has a somewhat magical aura, thanks to the use of (children’s) group vocals and xylophone-esque chimes and ambience amidst the savage or sombre. At its most vibrant, it sings with so much feeling that I long desperately for a lyric sheet and the ability to speak the language(s) these songs are written in.³ The brightness of these highs also obscures the comparative dimness of the lows, where that fire seems to be missing, and mellowness and ambience win out (“The Boat of Despair,” “Bu Samoje”). This is some feat considering the fact that the overall production seems tailored to the increased electronic emphasis, which presses the beautiful layers together, and so the very aspects that lend Vyraj some new magic also weaken that magic’s power. Just a bit more space would do wonders.

But Dymna Lotva are not ones to fade into the background. They care about their stories and delivering them in a way that forces you to listen. Despite any unevenness, Vyraj has an intangible specialness to it that irresistibly pulls the listener back. This is a lovely, sad, empowering piece of art that deserves more than the length of its runtime to weave its world around you.

Rating: Very Good
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Prophecy Productions
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: August 7th, 2026

The post Dymna Lotva – Vyraj Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

These Go To Eleven Records [Release date 26.08.26] Thorns. Thrash. They sound like ‘Tallica. More accurately ‘Kill ‘em All era ‘Tallica. Hetfield vocals, Lars drum sound, Kirk soloing from…all over . Yes, they sound like ‘Tallica”…..EXCEPT…..don’t be so lazy! Thorns … Continue reading →

The post EP review: THORNS – Ready to Strike appeared first on Get Ready to ROCK!.

Interview: Gurt @ Bloodstock Festival

Interviewed by Cat Finch

Gurt are back, chatting with us at Bloodstock!

We discuss their set opening the S.O.P.H.I.E. Stage, how the band have evolved with the festival, special merch exclusive for this weekend, how Simon Hall and M2TM helps grow younger bands, they shout out to Gav for a booking at Damnation Festival, call out their weekend highlights and so much more!

You can listen to the interview below, or jump over to any of the usual streaming services!

Youtube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Youtube Music

Check out all of our interviews on the usual podcast channels!

Youtube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Youtube Music

For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.

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New album out September 25, 2026 via Escape Music

Finnish melodic heavy metal band Invincia unveil “Unite”, the first single taken from their forthcoming debut album, Echoes From the Past, scheduled for worldwide release on September 25, 2026 via Escape Music.

Watch the official video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlSW00ARH9s

Listen to “Unite”: https://ffm.to/invincia-unite

Following the enthusiastic response to their independently released EP The Enemy Within, Invincia return with a song that show the essence of their musical identity, while opening the door to the band’s next chapter. Inspired by the Melodic Power and emotional depth of Savatage, Queensrÿche, Helloween, Judas Priest and Dio, “Unite” combines memorable songwriting with the unmistakable spirit of classic Heavy Metal, approached through a fresh and personal perspective.

The single is the first taste of Echoes From the Past, an album written over the last two years and conceived as a collection of songs where melody, atmosphere and storytelling take center stage. Rather than chasing trends, Invincia have focused on crafting music with lasting character, songs built to resonate beyond the first listen.

As with the band’s debut EP, Echoes From The Past was mixed and mastered by acclaimed producer Erik Mårtensson (Eclipse) at Mass Destruction Production, whose production enhances every nuance of the performances while preserving the band’s natural energy and approach.

Formed in Vaasa, Finland, in 2024, Invincia made an impressive debut with the independently released EP The Enemy Within. The release attracted attention from international media, earning reviews and interviews with publications including Sweden Rock Magazine and Kaoszine, while all the singles found their way onto Spotify’s official Finnish metal playlist Metallia Suomesta, helping the band reach listeners far beyond their home country.

With Escape Music now backing the release of their first full-length album, Invincia are ready to introduce their music to an even wider audience. “Unite” is an invitation to discover a band deeply rooted in the traditions of Melodic Heavy Metal, yet determined to write its own story.

Echoes From the Past will be released worldwide on September 25, 2026, via Escape Music.

TRACKLIST:

1. Prelude (00:54)

2. Unite (03:15)

3. Tonight We Ride (06:20)

4. Echoes From the Past (05:05)

5. Darkness In Us All (04:36)

6. Awakening (01:08)

7. Call Of The Wild (04:41)

8. Edge Of The Universe (06:17)

9. Time Flies (04:36)

10. Zeal (04:55)

11. A Wayfarers Toast (04:48)

12. After The Final War (06:45)

INVINCIA;
Kenneth Nylund – Lead Vocals
Joel Karlsson – Guitar
Alexander Södergård – Guitar
Oskar Packalén – Bass
Mikael Ahlholm – Drums

INVINCIA CONTACTS

invinciaband.com

Facebook

Instagram

Youtube

ESCAPE MUSIC

https://www.escape-music.com/

Our Top 10 Tony Bennett songs list looks back over the career and songs of one of the greatest and most loved singers of all time. Who doesn’t love Tony Bennett? The man was around forever, and he stayed relevant, connecting with young and old audiences through every decade he recorded. Even rock stars loved him as they all jumped at any chance to work with him. From Billy Joel to Lady Gaga, from the late Amy Winehouse to the wonderful Diana Krall, all these talents performed with Tony Bennett. Sadly, Tony Bennett passed away on July 21, 2023, in

The post Top 10 Tony Bennett Songs appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

Abbath’s set at SaariHelvetti Festival in Tampere, Finland ended almost before it started on Friday. The Norwegian black metal frontman took the stage without his corpse paint or costume while the rest of the band were in full stage attire, played one song — “To War” — and left. Drummer Ukri Suvilehto then addressed the crowd himself, apologizing and saying it probably wouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that the band’s singer is struggling with health problems.

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What happened at SaariHelvetti

The first sign something was off came before a note was played.

As reported by Inferno, Abbath — real name Olve Eikemo, 53 — walked out with no corpse paint and none of the stage gear he’s worn for the better part of thirty-five years. His bandmates were in full attire. For a man whose entire visual identity is that face, showing up without it is not a small detail. It’s the thing everyone in that field noticed first.

The band got through “To War.” Then he left.

Suvilehto stepped up and spoke to the crowd rather than leaving them to work it out for themselves. His message, in substance: it probably won’t surprise anyone that their lead singer is struggling with health problems, so he’s very sorry if the gig has been interrupted. They’re professionals and they’re prepared for anything, so they’ll see what happens. And thank you, and sorry — they’ve done everything they can.

That’s a drummer doing a job nobody should have to do, and doing it with more grace than most bands manage in a press release.

No cause has been given beyond that. Abbath himself has not commented, and neither has the band.

The history, and why we’re being careful with it

Here’s the part that needs stating plainly, because a lot of coverage this weekend is going to skip straight past the nuance.

This isn’t the first time an Abbath show has ended early. In 2019 the band cut a performance in Argentina after two songs and cancelled the remainder of a South American tour, attributed at the time to health issues. Those were later confirmed to relate to Abbath’s struggle with addiction.

Later that year he entered a rehab program and spoke about it openly, saying it was no secret he’d been battling addiction and that it was time to pick a fight with it. In early 2020 he checked in publicly to report two months sober and said he was in good shape.

That’s the public record, and it’s fair to include because he put it there himself.

What is not on the record is any statement connecting Friday’s incident to that history. His drummer said health problems. That’s all anybody has. Anyone telling you more than that this weekend is guessing, and guessing about someone’s health in public is a rotten thing to do to a man who has already been honest with everyone about the hardest part of his life.

We’ll report what he or the band says if and when they say it.

The man on the other side of it

Worth remembering who this is, because “frontman walks offstage” flattens a genuinely enormous career.

Abbath co-founded Immortal in Bergen in 1991 and spent two and a half decades making some of the most influential records the genre has — Pure Holocaust, Battles In The North, At The Heart Of Winter, Sons Of Northern Darkness. He played bass, guitar and, on two of those albums, all the drums. He is one of the reasons Immortal sit on our list of the most influential black metal bands ever made, and the icy, fantasy-driven strain of the genre he and Demonaz built out of Blashyrkh is still being copied by bands who weren’t born when they invented it.

He left Immortal in 2015 and launched the Abbath band immediately, releasing the self-titled debut in 2016, Outstrider in 2019 and Dread Reaver in 2022 — a record that closed with a Metallica cover and earned him, not for the first time, the tag of black metal’s Lemmy.

The current lineup has been through plenty of turbulence of its own, including bassist Mia Wallace’s exit and later return. And the band have kept working — they were out on the road alongside High On Fire and 1349 in recent cycles, still one of the bigger draws in extreme metal.

That’s a thirty-five-year career built on being one of the most charismatic and instantly recognisable performers this music has produced. One bad night in Tampere doesn’t change that, and the response across the scene since Friday has been noticeably more protective than gleeful.

Here’s hoping he’s alright.

We Also Recommend – SONIC TERROR: The 13 Most Insane Extreme Metal Subgenres You (Still) Haven’t Heard

TL;DR

• What happened: Abbath left the stage roughly two minutes into his band’s set at SaariHelvetti Festival in Tampere, Finland on Friday, after performing one song, “To War.”
• The visual detail: he appeared without his corpse paint or stage costume, while the rest of the band were in full attire.
• What the drummer said: Ukri Suvilehto apologised to the crowd, saying it probably wouldn’t surprise anyone that the band’s singer is struggling with health problems, and that the band had done everything they could.
• What we don’t know: no cause has been specified. Abbath and the band have not commented.
• Prior incident: in 2019 the band ended an Argentina show after two songs and cancelled the rest of a South American tour; Abbath subsequently entered rehab and spoke publicly about battling addiction, reporting two months sober in early 2020.

FAQ

A rough night for one of black metal’s true originals, and a drummer who handled an impossible moment about as well as anyone could. Send some good energy his way in the comments, and keep it locked on the Loaded Radio stream — follow Loaded Radio for daily rock and metal news.

The post Abbath Showed Up At Finland’s SaariHelvetti With No Corpse Paint, Then Stormed Off Stage After One Song appeared first on Loaded Radio.

On 26 July 2026, DC’s legendary 9:30 Club was packed as Tomahawk took the stage for a sold-out stop on their “A Huge Waste of Your Time and Money” tour, celebrating their 25th anniversary as a band, with support from Melvins and Ni Maîtres, Anticipation was high as fans lined up hours before doors opened, eager to witness the Tomahawk’s long-awaited return and an unforgettable night of explosive performances. This was Tomahawk’s sixth show of their 22-date tour and amongst their first live performances in 13 years.

At approximately 7:10 PM, Melvins tour manager, Gareth Turner, took the stage as Ni Maîtres and opened the show with a roughly 15-minute set of dark, experimental, electronic noise with his programmed drums, synth, and theremin. Many in the crowd saw Turner wearing his black Rudimentary Peni t-shirt and Stooges ballcap as he was moving around the venue and setting up the stage. To obscure his identity, Turner donned a white mask, but it wasn’t enough to fool the crowd as they quickly figured out who he was. He wrapped up his set around 7:25 PM and set the tone for a wild night of sonically eclectic rock and roll.

Melvins took the stage around 8:00 PM wearing their signature psychedelic eyeball motif uniforms – King Buzzo (vocals/guitar) with this wizard-like, eyeball tunic, Dale Crover and Coady Willis (drums) with their eyeball t-shirts, and Steven McDonald (bass) with his white eyeball suit. The band plowed through an hour of their signature blend of sludge and high-octane rock and roll. As their conductor, Buzzo set the tone and leaned into the heavy, rocking out near his amp and lunging forward to the audience. The powerhouse drum duo of Crover and Willis delivered an earthmoving percussive assault with well-choreographed playing. McDonald owned the stage rocking, running, and rampaging from one end to the other. Longtime friend, band member, and collaborator Trevor Dunn (bassist for Tomahawk) joined Melvins playing second bass on Night Goat to close out their set around 09:00 PM.

Melvins Setlist

• Working The Ditch
• Never Say You’re Sorry
• Sway (The Rolling Stones cover)
• Evil New War God
• Civilized Worm
• It’s Shoved
• A History of Bad Men
• The Bit
• Blood Witch
• Hag Me
• Honey Bucket
• Night Goat (with Trevor Dunn)

At around 09:30 PM, Tomahawk took the stage and began their nearly 90-minute set. Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle) on vocals, keys, programming, Duane Denison (The Jesus Lizard) on guitar, John Stanier (Helmet, Battles) on drums, and Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Fantômas, John Zorn) on bass delivered their blend of rock, punk, metal, country, and noise to a crowd eager to hear this band perform for the first time in DC since 2013. From the first note, the crowd was hooked, with Patton screaming, singing, and tearing around the stage. Denison, Stanier, and Dunn kept it funky, loud, and unpredictable, jumping from crushing riffs to weird noise. The band ended their set around 11:00 PM, giving their fans a healthy dose of their unique brand of rock. After 13 years away, Tomahawk’s return to DC was loud and long overdue.

Tomahawk’s Setlist

• Flashback
• SHHH!
• Predators and Scavengers
• Business Casual
• Doomsday Fatigue
• Capt Midnight
• Rape This Day
• Eureka
• Birdsong
• Howlie
• Recoil
• South Paw
• I.O.U.
• Fatback
• Point and Click
• Just One More (George Jones cover)

Encore

• White Hats / Black Hats
• God Hates a Coward
• Stalkin’ (Duane Eddy cover)
• Sidewinder
• Totem

A comment attributed to Slipknot guitarist Jim Root has been circulating through the band’s fan communities since Friday, addressing the post he made two weeks ago telling people not to believe everything they read about Sid Wilson’s exit. In it, Root reportedly says that at the time he wrote it, he didn’t know what to believe — while standing by the sentiment and acknowledging the post didn’t age well. It follows Slipknot’s own confirmation on Friday that Wilson is out after 28 years, in a statement they deleted the same day.

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What the comment says

First, the sourcing, because it matters and most outlets are glossing over it.

This is not a post from Root’s verified account. It’s a comment attributed to him that has spread widely through Slipknot fan communities — traced back to a Reddit thread — in the hours after the band’s announcement. It has not been independently confirmed.

With that stated plainly, here’s the substance of it: you couldn’t even believe what he wrote. At the time he wrote it, he didn’t know what to believe. He stands by it anyway. He still doesn’t think anyone should believe everything they read. Time will tell — as it did for his post, which he concedes didn’t age well.

If that’s genuinely Root, it’s a more honest position than most bands manage in this situation. He wasn’t lying to fans two weeks ago. He was a guy inside a mess that hadn’t resolved yet, telling people to wait, because he was waiting too.

Worth remembering these two go back a long way beyond the day job. Root and Wilson were half of the four-man core — with Corey Taylor and Clown — behind Look Outside Your Window, the experimental 2008 side record that finally saw daylight this year after more than a decade of delays. Whatever this is, it isn’t a distant colleague reacting to a headline.

Rewind: what he actually posted

On July 31, the day TMZ first reported Wilson’s removal, Root posted to Instagram Stories soundtracked by Slipknot’s “‘Til We Die.”

The message: don’t believe everything you read. Stop. Think. Take a breath. Sit with it for a while. Maybe even wait until there’s more information.

A large chunk of the fanbase read that as a flat denial — as Root telling everyone the TMZ report was wrong. Read again now, it says something narrower. It says wait. It never says it’s false.

That distinction is the whole story of the last two weeks.

It also fits the pattern of a band that has never handled member news cleanly. Wilson himself was the one teasing fans to say goodbye ahead of the 25th anniversary era, and the rollout of the new masks and the two unnamed members played out the same way — drip-fed, half-confirmed, and largely decoded by fans before the band said anything.

The Ferris Bueller detour

The other piece of this involves Stacy Thomson, wife of Slipknot guitarist Mick Thomson, and unlike the Root comment, these posts are verifiable — they came from her own accounts.

In the immediate aftermath of the TMZ report, she posted the famous rumour-mill monologue from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off — the one about a best friend’s sister’s boyfriend’s brother’s girlfriend hearing from a guy who knows a kid. Then she followed it with a note telling people not to believe everything they read on the internet, and a defence of the film’s quality.

After Friday’s confirmation, she got called out for it. Her reply: it wasn’t true when TMZ posted it, and she assured the person that the guys always give chances.

Which is its own kind of answer. The suggestion isn’t that the report was fabricated — it’s that at the moment it published, the outcome hadn’t been finalised. Read alongside the Root comment, a picture forms of a band that hadn’t landed on a decision when the story broke, and lost control of the timeline from that point forward.

TMZ themselves reported that Slipknot had been planning to announce it in the first week of August and lost the rollout when the story landed first.

We Also Recommend – Slipknot Members 2026: Current Lineup And Who’s In The Band Now

The one voice still missing

Sid Wilson hasn’t said anything.

He brushed off questions when approached in person. He promoted a merch store. On Wednesday he stood at the World Scratch Invitational and introduced himself as Sid, DJ Starscream, number zero, from the world famous Slipknot — present tense, two days before the band said otherwise.

Since Friday’s announcement, nothing.

There’s also been a separate strand running through this involving pointed social media posts from his former fiancée Kelly Osbourne, which many have assumed were aimed at him. Neither has confirmed that, and it’s personal territory rather than band business, so we’ll leave it there.

What’s left is a 28-year member removed with no public explanation, a guitarist walking back a post he says he never fully believed himself, a bandmate’s spouse arguing the report was premature rather than wrong, and the man at the centre of it saying nothing at all.

Slipknot haven’t played live since Inkcarceration in July 2025. At some point somebody in that organisation is going to have to say more than one sentence.

Wilson’s exit is the fourth departure since 2019 — after Chris Fehn, Craig Jones and Jay Weinberg — and it leaves only four members of the original numbered #0 to #8 lineup still in the band: Root, Clown, Mick Thomson and Corey Taylor. Our full breakdown of who’s actually in Slipknot right now has been updated to reflect Wilson’s removal, and if you want the longer arc, we’ve traced every lineup change in the band’s history from the Des Moines days forward.

Check This Out – Slipknot Albums Ranked: Every Masked Masterpiece From Worst to Best

TL;DR

• What’s new: a comment attributed to Jim Root, circulating in Slipknot fan communities, addresses his July 31 “don’t believe everything you read” post — saying he didn’t know what to believe when he wrote it and that it didn’t age well.
• Sourcing caution: the comment has not been confirmed by Root or any verified account. It surfaced via fan communities and Reddit.
• What his original post said: don’t believe everything you read; stop, think, wait for more information. It never stated the TMZ report was false.
• Stacy Thomson’s role: the wife of guitarist Mick Thomson posted a Ferris Bueller rumour-mill quote after the initial report, and later said it wasn’t true when TMZ posted it, adding that the band always give chances.
• Still silent: Sid Wilson has not publicly addressed his removal.
• Unchanged: Slipknot’s own statement gave no reason, and was deleted the same day it went up.

Also – The 13 Most Brutal Slipknot Songs Ever Recorded (Ranked)

FAQ

Two weeks of cryptic posts and one deleted statement, and the only person who hasn’t spoken is Sid. What do you think actually happened here? Tell us below, and keep it locked on the Loaded Radio stream — follow Loaded Radio for daily rock and metal news.

The post Slipknot’s Jim Root Says You Shouldn’t Have Believed Him Either On Sid Wilson appeared first on Loaded Radio.