Category: news

This weekend, Iron Maiden‘s biggest ever event takes over the historic, storied grounds of Knebworth as the first ever Eddfest hits the UK for a two-day spectacular. Featuring a headline performance from Iron Maiden as part of their epic Run For Your Lives 50th anniversary world tour, the festival will also see the world’s first open air Iron Maiden museum, featuring rare, unearthed stage props and costumes from across the band’s history, as well as an on-site Eddie’s Dive Bar, sets from The Darkness, Airbourne, The Hu, Blaze Bayley and others, a dedicated ‘Maidenville’ area and more.

You can read all about it courtesy of brand new interviews with Bruce Dickinson and Steve Harris in the latest issue of Metal Hammer, and now, you can bag a copy of the magazine with a special alternate cover and exclusive Iron Maiden t-shirt, only via the official Metal Hammer store. The shirt glows in the dark, too!

This limited edition Iron Maiden bundle cannot be got hold of anywhere else in the world, so grab yours now while you can. Order your Iron Maiden t-shirt and alternate cover bundle here.

And don’t forget, you can pre-order the official Iron Maiden Eddfest tour programme and museum guide, also via the Metal Hammer store, to ensure you get a unique souvenir of what is shaping up as one of the most memorable Maiden events in history. Please note that pre-orders will not arrive before Eddfest itself, which takes place this coming weekend, July 10-11, at Knebworth Park, Hertfordshire.

Tickets are still available via the official Eddfest website.

For a brief moment, it seemed possible Roth could capture the "King of Hard Rock" title all for himself. Continue reading…

The post Album Of The Week: Kelela <em>new avatar</em> appeared first on Stereogum.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ELEMENT OF FATE UNVEILS CINEMATIC LYRIC VIDEO FOR “FIRE BIRD” FROM UPCOMING ALBUM DREAMFALL
Melodic Heavy Metal Duo Continue Their Epic Journey With New Visual Release, Exclusive Kickstarter Late Pledges, and a Fully Immersive Artistic Vision
Washington, DC / Portland, OR — Melodic heavy metal duo Element of Fate are continuing the journey toward their highly anticipated debut full-length album Dreamfall with the release of their official lyric video for “Fire Bird,” offering fans another glimpse into the cinematic world they have been building through music, fantasy, and visual storytelling.
Watch “Fire Bird” here:

Blending soaring vocals, intricate instrumentation, and an atmosphere rooted in gothic, symphonic, and progressive metal influences, “Fire Bird” showcases the emotional depth and dramatic scope that define Element of Fate’s upcoming album.
Following the release of their dark and captivating visualizer for “Warhorse,” the duo continues expanding the Dreamfall universe with a steady stream of visual content designed to bring listeners deeper into the story behind the music.
Fans who want to support the creation of Dreamfall can still participate through Kickstarter late pledges, helping bring the album and the band’s ambitious in-house produced cinematic music projects to completion.
Support Dreamfall here:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/carolphillipsart/dreamfall
At its core, Dreamfall represents more than just a collection of songs. It is a complete artistic vision combining heavy metal, fantasy, and immersive storytelling.
“Dreamfall is the most personal and ambitious project I’ve ever created as an artist.”
— Madame Crol
“This project is about transformation, finding light even in darker places.”
— Element of Fate
“We wanted to create something that feels epic, emotional, and real.”
— Element of Fate
The album’s creation has been fueled by a dedication to craftsmanship and independent artistry, including a cinematic music video produced entirely in-house by vocalist and visual artist Carol Phillips through her studio, Inlumined Arts.
Supporters of the project have also had the opportunity to claim exclusive rewards and handcrafted collectibles inspired by the mythic themes of Dreamfall , including limited bronze key and coin pieces created as collector-grade works of art.
Formed between Washington, DC and Portland, Oregon, Element of Fate are carving out a unique space within modern metal by combining classic heavy metal foundations with cinematic arrangements and a powerful visual identity. With Dreamfall , the band invites listeners into a world built not only to be heard, but experienced.
“Fire Bird” is another chapter in that story.
Follow Element of Fate, watch the new lyric video, and become part of the creation of Dreamfall as the band prepares to bring this ambitious vision to life.

 Connect with the band: 
https://linktr.ee/element.of.fate

Contact: element.of.fate@gmail.com

Simon Green, the veteran UK producer and DJ who records under the name Bonobo, is getting ready to release Distance In Static, a new album that includes appearances from artists like Nilüfer Yanya, Nicole Miglis, and Arooj Aftab. We already posted lead single “Me And You,” and now Bonobo has two more new tracks, including the one that he recorded with Aftab.

The post Bonobo – “Fire On The Water” (Feat. Arooj Aftab) & “Drift” appeared first on Stereogum.

Ben Folds Five released their self-titled debut album back in 1995, introducing the trio’s distinctive sarcastic/saccharine, raw/technical Gen X piano-rock sound on compact theatrical epics like “Philosophy” and “Best Imitation Of Myself.” But before teaming up with producer Caleb Southern that winter, they’d taken an initial stab at recording with Dave “Stiff” Johnson for sessions that were never released.

The post Ben Folds Five Releasing Shelved First Attempt At Debut Album For Its 30th Anniversary: Hear Their Original “Underground” appeared first on Stereogum.

Finnish black metallers BLOODMOTHER will release their debut album “Militant Black Magic” on September 25th, 2026, via Time To Kill Records. A sharp and uncompromising record, it refuses shortcuts and avoids hiding behind pretentious structures or overly foggy atmospheric detours. Instead, it focuses on pure impact and precision, built entirely on riffs that cut deep and leave no room for distraction. […]

Source

Arizona’s Little King shares ‘Opus Perficit‘, a haunting new standalone single that reveals a quieter, more introspective side of the progressive rock band as they celebrate 30 years of making music. Released just days before the group hits the road for a nine‑date Southwest and West Coast tour, the track offers a striking contrast to […]

The post Little King Shares New Single ‘Opus Perficit’ To Kick Off July West Coast Tour appeared first on ROCKPOSER DOT COM.

– July 7th, 2026 –

New Video/Single Now Playing + Pre-Orders Available

Watch/stream HARLOTT’s “Trial By Liar” HERE

Australian thrash titans will unleash their Exsequiis full-length on September 11th via Metal Blade Records!

It’s now 20 years since four teenagers from Melbourne assembled under the name HARLOTT – chosen largely because it would look good on a black T-shirt. After a scorching debut with Origin in 2013, the band carved their path through Proliferation (2015), Extinction (2017), and Detritus Of The Final Age (2020) sharpening their brand of breakneck, high-tension thrash with every release.

Photo by Rob Brens

Now, after a six-year gap, Exsequiis marks the boldest leap forward in their career. Denser, harsher, and more confident than ever – a razor-sharp sound picture built on world-class guitar work, relentless momentum and lyrics that cast a jaundiced eye over our bitterly divided world. The death of the gods, delivered by thrash metal artisans in the prime of their lives.

“Detritus… was a great experience in digging out sounds and ideas that we would have been too trepidant to explore,” explains the band. “For Exsequiis, we went further into that, but with the confidence that it would work as it had done before.”

Examples of this confidence rain down from the outset, with intro “Incipiam” acting as a guitar fanfare of sumptuous melodies that would make Dave Murray green with envy, cueing the haywire carnage of “Void.” Blastbeats and trebly guitars add a black metallic intensity to “Messiah Simplex,” while the scampering riff patterns of “Vice Borne” give way to a mighty bouncing earworm of a chorus. This song, and many others, become a glittering showcase for the guitar solos of guitarist/vocalist Andrew Hudson and guitarist Leigh Bartley, another feature of the HARLOTT sound by now mastered to world class levels, a perfect blend of precision and spontaneity.

Lyrics remain in the depressingly real world, the band preferring not to embroider some supernatural phantasmagoria but instead casting a jaundiced eye over our bitterly divided current climate.

Comments the band on Exsequiis‘ lead single, “Trial by Liar,” “Truth doesn’t appear to matter anymore and there aren’t any consequences for anything. There is a war on information raging and we yearn for the day when judgement is met on these perpetrators.”

Watch HARLOTT‘s video for “Trial by Liar” HERE.

HARLOTT‘s Exsequiis will be released on CD and digital formats as well as vinyl in the following color variants:

“Coagulation” ASideBSide (EU – Ltd. 500)

Find pre-orders at: metalblade.com/harlott

Exsequiis Track Listing:
01. Incipiam
02. Void
03. Messiah Simplex
04. Trial by Liar
05. The God That Knows No Name
06. Kleptogenesis
07. A Still More Glorious Dawn Awaits
08. The Joyful Stain
09. Endling
10. Vice Borne
11. Exsequiis

HARLOTT Live:
9/11/2026 Juz – Burghausen, DE
9/12/2026 Nuclear Intervention Fest – Kadov u Blatné, CZ
9/13/2026 Garage Pub – Krakow, PL
9/15/2026 Music-House – Graz, AT
9/16/2026 Escape – Vienna, AT
9/18/2026 MK Bar – Esch-sur-Alzette, LU
9/23/2026 Bambi Galore – Hamburg, DE
9/24/2026 Mukkes – Leeuwarden, NL
9/25/2026 Musicon – The Hague,NL
9/26/2026 Hellfort – Bruges, BE

“Our mates keep pumping out some heavy fast riffs. Crushing grooves, some super tricky right hand speed picking, catchy melodies with ripping leads, and raw AF vocals. Thrash metal doesn’t get much better than this!” – Brian Hopp, Cephalic Carnage

HARLOTT:
Andrew Hudson – guitar, vocals
Tom Richards – bass, vocals
Leigh Bartley – guitar
Glen Trayhern – drums

https://www.instagram.com/harlottofficial
https://www.facebook.com/HarlottOfficial
https://harlottmetal.bandcamp.com/music

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In 2000, the Philadelphia-based hardcore label Too Damn Hype released a tribute album to The Cure titled Disintegrate. Opening with Cave In’s take on Plainsong, the opening song on The Cure’s 1989 album Disintegration, the album featured contributions from Chimaira, Voice Of Reason, Where Fear And Weapons Meet, Together We Fall and more, with the biggest talking point for hardcore fans being Converge’s interpretation of the title track from Disintegration.

Converge frontman Jacob Bannon also contributed the album’s artwork, and in a recent interview with The Quietus, he revealed that The Cure had a seismic effect on his life and his band’s music.

Bannon admits in the interview that, although many of his friends in high school raved about Disintegration he had decided, without listening to the record, that it wasn’t for him.

“That record was gushed over at the time, and I was like, Nah, I can’t do it,” he said. “And I didn’t give it a chance. I judged it.”

The singer’s conversion began with a viewing of the video for the album’s second single, Fascination Street.

“I would tape videos from TV late at night when they would play good stuff,” he said. “I was watching back some stuff that I taped one Sunday morning, and the Fascination Street video was on there. I took some time with it, and I was like, wow, this is not what I thought it was. Because I thought it was going to be Boys Don’t Cry. I thought it was going to have more of a pop sensibility to it. I didn’t really fully understand the band because I never gave it a chance.”

When he finally got around to giving the album a fair hearing, “it changed everything,” he told writer Dan Franklin.

“For me, it was such an emotional listen, such a personal and heartbreaking listen,” he said. “I looked at that and I said, this person is speaking with honesty and this band is writing with honesty and openness and vulnerability that, at the time, as a kid, I was fearful to have. I was trying to get there. I was trying to learn. I was trying to write about my life. But I would do it in veiled ways. I wasn’t really fully doing that. When I heard that record, it made me feel like it was okay to do that – where I could write from a personal perspective and not feel like the world was going to end, because I put out all of the things that were weighing on me as a person.

“I go back to that record over and over and over again,” Bannon continued, “and every song has connected with me in a different way at different parts of my life. And I listened to it from that point on basically throughout art school, nearly every day. And it just became a presence in my life all of the time, musically. I’m so thankful that my stubbornness went away and I allowed that band in. I dug in deep after that, but that was really the album that specifically got me and really opened my eyes to that band and how they were doing things, and it definitely shaped the way we are as a band.”