Cherry Red [Release date : 21.08.26] The unquenchable flame that is Tokyo Blade is about to release its 14th studio album in a career lasting the best part of 50 years. Hows that for durability? Hoist The Colours High is … Continue reading
The post Album review : TOKYO BLADE – Hoist The Colours High appeared first on Get Ready to ROCK!.
It has been a voyage. A trip of a lifetime to Toronto. For me, a lifelong Rush fan, this was something that I had never expected. In October 2025, the announcement that Alex and Geddy were intending to go back on the road with their 50-Something tour set the proverbial cat amongst the pigeons.
Words And Photography: Paul Hutchings
Like many European fans, 2015’s R40 North American tour was observed with the expectation of a UK/Euro tour to follow. It was the blueprint for the band for many years. And then it ended. Abruptly. Unedifying. Bereft? Absolutely.
Scroll forward five years, and we lost Neil Peart. Heartache for so many, yet an understanding that the great man, the lyrical engine of the band, had so little time with his family before his untimely passing. We could feel nothing but guilt that our expectation ate into his precious final years with his family. That R40 Euro tour that never was? The annoyance had faded.
The Time Stand Still DVD release made it clear that those final dates were the last. My only regret? That I had not headed across the pond to catch one of those last shows.
But back to October 2025. A few dates. Seven cities of Gold. The scramble for tickets. Golden tickets indeed. I bagged a brace for the two hometown shows in Toronto. Possibly the best shows to be at, apart from the opening duo in LA.
And then more dates added. Should I have added to my haul? Too late.
Flights and hotels booked. Mrs H, a willing companion. We go big. Business class flights, phenomenal hotel in the centre of the city. A true trip of a lifetime.
There are add-ons. RushFest Canada. Rush Day at Henderson Brewery Co. The inevitable haul of merchandise, which is extensive. Not to mention food and the odd beverage.
We land at YYZ a couple of days ahead of the first show. Time to explore a city that holds double the population of my country. The sheer size is incredible. Skyscrapers everywhere, towering above us. 30-50 stories high. The city is amazing. The folks are friendly. Service brilliant. Food fantastic.
We spend our first full evening above the city, dinner at the revolving dining room at the CN Tower. What an experience, and great food too. Thursday sees us head to the El Mocambo. Home of live albums by Stevie Ray Vaughan, Elvis Costello and Blondie. The venue is steeped in history.
Rush fans assemble. Three smashing live sets, a glorious acoustic show from Jacob Moon and Q&A with Hugh Symes, Terry Brown and Neil’s sisters, Judy and Nancy. A raffle, beers, merchandise. And fans from across the globe. Watching my wife spend half an hour chatting with Judy without any clue who she was will live with me forever.
Friday. Show one. We meet up with Gerry and Steve from the fantastic Something For Nothing podcast. A couple of other fans join us before we head to Scotiabank Arena. It is time. 14,000 souls packed into what are very small seats. But the excitement is rich. You could cut it with a knife.
The intro video plays. Where’s Rush featuring our friends from the interview back in June. And then Toronto erupts. Xanadu is imperious. Alex and Geddy are shrouded in mist as they wield their double necks. It is hairs on the back of the neck time. Introductions amidst an ovation that rolls throughout the evening.
Rush fans are loud tonight as Limelight follows. We sing along, air drumming by virtually every other person, much to Mrs H’s amusement. It is sublime, even if the sound in the upper level is a bit muddy.
By the time we get to Headlong Flight, the arena is ready to explode. The first set ends with a rip-roaring The Spirit Of Radio. Geddy sounds brilliant. His vocals on Freewill amazing. The first Neil tribute works fantastically well. Are those tears or something in the eye? You must be there to experience it.
The second set begins with a dystopian countdown clock that races to 2112. The arena goes nuts as the band smash through three parts of their legendary song. The sound has improved, and the experience gets even better. The band sound powerful, the smiles on stage heart-warming.
Anika is just superb, and each roll or fill gets a rich roar from the audience. Her performance on YYZ and Tom Sawyer sees the adulation escalate further. With Loren Gold adding layers to backing vocals and keys, this is Rush unleashed. Geddy is bouncing around the stage, Alex’s playing magnificent.
The second Neil tribute comes. Another beautifully curated montage of pictures, video and narration. It leads into Time Stand Still, and we get another treat. Aimee Mann joins the band on stage to add those iconic vocals. Wow!
Red Barchetta sees Rush hitting the harder edge of their sound, Alex throws in a screaming lead burst. Suddenly we are at the encores. Tom Sawyer, complete with the Lil Rush intro, is followed by By-Tor. The whole arena is on its feet as we are transported to 1975 and Fly By Night once more.
Then the finale. A massive Working Man, which sees the band expend every ounce. Breathlessly, we leave the arena. Overjoyed at this night, the sheer intensity, the spectacle of the screens and lighting, and above all, the performance of the band.
There is no let-up, though. The following day we are off to Henderson’s Brewery for Rush Day. The fourth one to be held. It is scorchingly hot. Just the weather to spend five hours in a car park. But the Rush beer is cold, the fans from across the world engaging and interesting, and the guests also catch the ear.
Stories from Bruce ‘Frenchie’ French, the band’s chef, and Tony ‘Jack Secret’ Gernaios, long-term keyboard tech, are among those who tell compelling anecdotes. It is a real treat to attend, and we leave contentedly, albeit many Canadian dollars lighter.
It is showtime again, and the second night at Scotiabank Arena not only exceeds Friday night, it blows it out of the water. An early dinner in the Scotia Club overlooking the arena makes for a leisurely and highly recommended start. No queuing in the heat this time around. We take our seats in good time, slightly more central this time. No issues with the sound, the show is spectacular and the set list even better in many respects.
The band are on even better form, relaxed and smiling from the start. But the difference tonight is the crowd. It is electric, with roars of approval from the opening Xanadu to the final notes of Working Man, which sees the latest in the Anika comedy moments.
The Spirit Of Radio comes early. It is THE song to get the crowd bouncing, and bounce they do. We get a superb The Analog Kid, The Trees and Caravan, the latter with ample pyro. The tributes to Neil are the same but no less heartfelt, and the audience is beautifully respectful.
Leave That Thing Alone kicks out the jams, Geddy in sparkling form. And then Set two. The clock hits 2112, and the band roll into the entire song. All 20+ minutes of it. It is magnificent, with Alex hitting peak guitar god status.
Closer To The Heart and Anthem roll back the years. It is loud, it is defiant, just amazing. The inclusion of Witch Hunt makes my evening. Tom Sawyer closes the main set before the encore. It’s on-your-feet time as we race into the John Rutsey tribute.
Finding My Way and Working Man take us back to the debut, and I spend moments just absorbing something I never thought I would ever see. Rush in their backyard. It is the lyrics to Time Stand Still that are most relevant. Freeze this moment a little bit longer, indeed.
It has been an incredible trip. We top it with Niagara Falls by helicopter and boat. That might not be on the cards at Glasgow in March, but the excitement that I felt will surely be even more heightened then.
And after these two shows, time cannot pass quickly enough.
A Gofundme has been set up in support of beloved heavy metal journalist Dom Lawson, after he suffered a heart attack at Bloodstock Open Air festival over the weekend.
Lawson – who writes for Metal Hammer, Classic Rock, Prog, The Guardian, Blabbermouth and more – announced via social media on Wednesday (August 12) that he’d been taken to hospital by staff at the Derbyshire festival and is awaiting surgery.
Following the news, his friend Alex set up a fundraiser with the approval of Lawson’s partner, Charlotte. Alex seeks a suitably metal £6,666 (8,992 USD) for Lawson as he recuperates, explaining that the writer cannot take on freelance work at this time. Donate now via this link.
Alex writes on the fundraiser’s webpage: “Although in the early days I was someone who just read (and was a big fan of) Dom’s writing in various publications, he has had the misfortune to become a good friend of mine over the years. I’m still a big fan of his writing for Metal Hammer, Prog magazine and Blabbermouth as well as his regular cluttering of the airwaves with his noise and very limited chat between songs on the always excellent Dompilation Tapes radio show.”
He continues: “As with most freelancers, being unable to work for a while is financially ruinous and the silly bastard went and had a heart attack at the weekend.”
Alex goes on to praise the Bloodstock medical team and urges anyone who’s ever enjoyed Lawson’s written, video or radio work to contribute, “otherwise he’s going to have to come and live with me and I don’t want that and nor does he”.
Lawson announced his condition on Wednesday with characteristic humour, writing in his social media post: “Unfortunately, I had a heart attack on Sunday and was rushed to hospital. Managed to avoid dying, so that was a good start. Looks like I will be having some kind of surgery in the near future. Close shave but you won’t get rid of me that easily.”
He added: “Life’s a funny old cunt, isn’t it? Also, heart attacks fucking hurt. Would not recommend.”
As well as a venerated music journalist, Lawson is a published author who collaborated with progressive metal stars Opeth on their 2016 book, The Book Of Opeth. He’s also the singer and bassist for UK punk band Oaf, who performed at Download festival in 2011 and Bloodstock in 2013.
Royal Blood, one of the most important British rock bands of their generation, return today with an explosive new single ‘Ten Over Ten’ and announce their long-awaited fifth studio album, ‘Dead Company’, released via Warner Records on 13th November.
‘Dead Company’ marks a powerful new chapter for the duo, who last released an album in 2023. Following a period away from the spotlight, Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher entered the studio in 2025 with no deadline, no distractions and a simple ambition: to see what was possible with two people, 12 notes and infinite outcomes.
Self-produced by Royal Blood, they set out to make an album as raw, human and visceral as possible. ‘Dead Company’ strips everything back to its core. Immediate and uncompromising, it captures Royal Blood at their most powerful.
The band adds “After putting the Royal Blood engine in neutral for a couple of years, we’ve been building up the revs and are playing faster and harder than ever with this album. Written and recorded with the stage in mind, we cannot wait to play it live for years to come.”
The first track to be revealed, ‘Ten Over Ten’, is a menacing desert rock meets Motörhead behemoth of a single.
The lyrics and vibe were inspired by the frontman training for a marathon, and it became all about endurance and pushing yourself.
Since they first emerged 12 years ago when they released one of the fastest-selling rock debuts of the century, Royal Blood have made one hell of an impact: each of their four albums has hit Number One in the UK, shifting over 1 million records, becoming an arena-filling, festival-headlining tour de force, and forerunners of the guitar rock revival we’re seeing today.
The album announcement follows news of three sold-out intimate underplay shows in the UK.
24/08 – Dreamland, Margate
25/08 – G Live, Guildford
27/08 – Guildhall, Southampton
Ultimately ‘Dead Company’ is a bold 10-track album. This is what they were born to do, so they might as well turn it up. And with that Royal Blood return louder, sharper and more vital than ever.
For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.
The post Royal Blood Announce New Album ‘Dead Company’ appeared first on The Razor's Edge.
All it takes is a glance, a movement, a song, to be completely thrown off our feet. And that is what happened on the third day of Wacken Open Air, with many amazing artists including Skynd, Employed To Serve, Future Palace and more.
The post PHOTO REPORT: Skynd mesmerizes the Holy Ground of Wacken Open Air first appeared on FemMetal – Goddesses of Metal.
Mastodon have just shared “In The Ruins,” a song from their highly anticipated new album Marrow Deep (out August 28 via Loma Vista Recordings) inspired by the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene and the personal havoc it wreaked upon bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders and his family. The catastrophic storm severely flooded their home and destroyed personal belongings, leading to a nearly two year period of displacement that coincided with the whole band navigating the profound grief of the passings of founding member Brent Hinds and drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor’s mother Michele Lawrence, ultimately channeling the loss into a powerful declaration of resilience and catharsis. The song comes paired with a vibrant video by animation and VFX studio, Hey Beautiful Jerk, that depicts a fever dream journey by a single-eyed creature named Frank across flooded and ruined landscapes that serves as a metaphor for the song’s lyrics.
Speaking on the video, Hey Beautiful Jerk states: “The initial inspiration for Frank and the concept for ‘In The Ruins’ came to me when I was in the ER for 10 hours with the worst eye infection of my life. The pain was so bad it felt like my eye was revolting and wanted to escape my head. I had just talked to Brann about the meaning of the song and how it was inspired by his and Troy’s recent losses. The expression ‘picking up the pieces’ came to me and I sketched a very rough version of Frank on my phone, capturing the idea as fast as I could before my eye wanted to escape my face once again.”
Marrow Deep documents founding members Brann Dailor, Troy Sanders, and Bill Kelliher emerging from years of personal upheaval and grief with a renewed sense of purpose and reinvigoration, resulting in some of the most expansive, adventurous, and emotionally resonant music of their storied career. The album marks the band’s first full-length to feature guitarist Nick Johnston alongside significant contributions from keyboardist João Nogueira. The latest single arrives in the wake of previous singles “Snakes For Dinner,” an emotionally charged epic featuring Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme, and “Your Ghost Again,” which quickly emerged as an immediate fan favorite on their recent European tour and was ranked #2 on a Revolver reader’s poll of best songs of 2026 so far.
In addition to Josh Homme, the album features a sprawling list of guest performers. Neil Fallon of Clutch lends spoken word to “The Three Fates.” “A Vampire’s Demeanor” has guest gang vocals from Lamb of God vocalist Randy Blythe and Converge bassist Nate Newton. Album opener “Barbarians Blood” features percussion from Converge drummer Ben Koller. And none other than Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler plays the intro on “The Vanishing,” which also includes guest vocals from Joe Duplantier of Gojira. The growing anticipation for the album has driven a sell out of the deluxe edition of the vinyl, with limited quantities of the standard edition still available here.
The band will celebrate the release with the upcoming The Poisonous Weapons Tour, a nationwide run of dates with support from Deafheaven and Alcest. Kicking off September 16 in Orlando, the trio of bands will cut their way across the full country before closing out October 24 at Sick New World Dallas. Find full dates and a link for tickets and VIP packages below.
For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.
The post Mastodon Share ‘In The Ruins’ Ahead of First New Album In 5 Years appeared first on The Razor's Edge.
Kaonashi have kicked off a new chapter in their ambitious and audacious story with a song that pulls from their roots in a sensational way.
The band have shared ‘Typing….’, an absolute annihilation of a track that gets deeper and darker the longer it goes on. Serving as the first piece of music from the band following the conclusion of their years-long Lemon House High saga, which has defined their releases from 2018 through to 2025, there is a freedom to the track that feels as unrelenting as it does unique.
Pulling from the best of early 00’s metalcore, whilst managing to feel fiercely fresh and individual, the band still stand in a lane of their own.
The band are set to hit the road with a whole bunch of sensational bands over the coming months. Here is where you will be able to catch them:
SEPTEMBER
05 – GREENVILLE The Radio Room !
06 – NORFOLK The Annex !
08 – WASHINGTON Union Stage !
09 – ALBANY Empire Underground !
10 – PORTLAND Live @ Madrid’s ~
11 – WORCESTER Palladium (Upstairs) !
12 – MONTREAL Piranha Bar !
13 – TORONTO East End United !
14 – BUFFALO Rec Room !
16 – GRAND RAPIDS Pyramid Scheme !
17 – ST. LOUIS Red Flag !
19 – TOLEDO Frankie’s Inner City !
21 – SPRINGFIELD Regency Live !
22 – JACKSON Hal & Mals !
23 – LITTLE ROCK Vino’s !
24 – OKLAHOMA CITY 89th Street !
25 – SAN ANTONIO The Rock Box (Vibes Stage) *
26 – DALLAS Three Links *
28 – MESA The Rosetta Room *
29 – LAS VEGAS Area15 ^30 – LOS ANGELES The Echo ^
OCTOBER
01 – SAN DIEGO SOMA Sidestage ^
02 – BAKERSFIELD Temblor Brewing Company ^
03 – SACRAMENTO Harlow’s ^
05 – PORTLAND High Limit Room ^
06 – SEATTLE El Corazon ^
09 – DENVER HQ ^
18 – BROOKLYN TV Eye %
19 – RICHMOND Richmond Music Hall %
20 – GREENSBORO Hangar 1819 %
22 – ORLANDO Conduit %
23 – JACKSONVILLE The Albatross %
24 – ATLANTA Vinyl at Center Stage %
25 – NASHVILLE The End %
27 – COLUMBUS Ace of Cups %
28 – DETROIT The Crypt %
! w/ The Callous Daoboys, Girl Of Glass, Wielded Steel
~ Kaonashi headline w/ Wielded Steel
* w/ The Number Twelve Looks Like You
^ w/ The Number Twelve Looks Like You, Blind Equation
% w/ The Number Twelve Looks Like You, Differences
The post Kaonashi Unleash Vicious New Track ‘Typing….’ appeared first on Rock Sound.
Leadfeather release new single ‘The Answer‘ on 28th August, new EP ‘Catch The Silvertrain‘ is out 23rd October. The band also release their exclusive Vinyl release ‘Super Deluxe‘ on 5th December, featuring both EPs ‘Roll The Dice‘ and ‘Catch The Silvertrain‘. Pre-save ”The Answer‘ – here “‘The Answer‘ is a sonic trip in the 70s heavy rock, spanning from […]
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