Swedish heavy metal titans RAM will release their new full-length, titled Against, on October 9 through Metal Blade Records. It has been nearly seven years since The Throne Within, an album defined by its spiritual and metaphysical themes. With Against, RAM takes a more grounded approach, focusing on the experience of being pushed beyond reasonable […]
Kohla returns with Fantasy, a cinematic and emotionally charged folk song shaped by vintage songwriting and the atmosphere of classic cinema. Lush orchestral textures and a delicate vocal performance create an intimate, dreamlike setting for a song exploring love, vulnerability, identity, and the lingering complexity of past relationships. The arrangement gradually expands, allowing the emotional weight to build toward a dramatic final chorus where melancholy gives way to a subtle sense of hope. Drawing on the romanticism of vintage film scores while maintaining a contemporary singer-songwriter sensibility, Kohla creates something elegant and deeply personal. Fantasy feels timeless yet intimate, balancing heartbreak and tenderness with a rich filmic shimmer that gives the song its distinctive emotional character.
The Joyful Stain is the latest single from long-running Australian thrashers, HARLOTT. The track appears on the band’s upcoming Exsequiis full-length, set for release on September 11 via Metal Blade Records. The band comments, “The Joyful Stain is an homage to ‘the lucky country’ that we call home; a second-rate first-world dystopia governed by corruption, […]
Wacken Open Air is not only a festival for established bands, but also for newcomers alike. We interviewd Expellow, the winners of the 2025 Wacken Metal Battle!
Benedetta
I’m here with the reigning champions of Wacken metal battle, Expellow! How are you doing, guys?
Expellow
We just had dinner, so we’re doing great. We just played the Headbangers stage, the very stage we played last year and actually won. It was really nice to come back and play this show and welcome all these people again, and have these very cool vibes, and yeah, with wildly different weather than last time. We were sweating, and it was exhausting, but we had fun. It was just mirrored, actually. Yeah, but fortunately we can profit of nice weather now.
Benedetta
How did it feel to win last year and then play on an anniversary edition like that?
Expellow
Well, it’s not only the Wacken anniversary edition, it’s actually also the Expellow anniversary edition. Because it’s 20 years of Expellow this year. Yeah, it’s kind of surreal to return to the same place where last year we had this competition going on and everything was like, “We have to perform the best we can ever do” and everything was so tight on time and we had to be there and then there. And then we thought, “All right, now it’s going to be different because we have more time”. Yeah, but it’s still the same. So everything is like, “Oh, it’s here”, and we’re like, “Oh, we play now? Okay, we play for an hour, not for 20 minutes”, so that’s the biggest difference. Last year we had a lot more pressure. Because this year it was like, just a show. I mean, it’s not just a show, obviously, but it’s not a competition situation. It’s quite different if you’re in a competition. Not only a competition, but you’re at Wacken, you’re being judged by 45 people from all over the world and at the same time you’re representing all your friends and your entire scene at home. So you don’t want to fuck it up. But at the same time there was a lot of excitement and a lot of joy and a lot of gratitude that we were actually able to play. It’s such an honor to be chosen for this and to represent, but also to have this experience. And on the other hand, now, this year, it was so cool to just play a show without thinking about, “Oh, the clock is running and it has to be perfect”. I mean, you still hope that everything works fine. Now we just don’t give a shit. This is the vibe that we’re working with. It was like our second competition, like, ever, the Wacken Metal Battle last year. And it was like, all the competitions we’ve ever played were in 2025. The first was at the beginning of the year, it was the Blood Battle where we were playing for a slot at the Baden in Blut Festival. That was horrible. It went so bad. I mean, we came in second, but it still went very bad.
Benedetta
Do you think that the life of an artist is lonely?
Expellow
No, the opposite. I think you play so many shows, and when you are part of the scene, so many friends that I have are from music. There are so many connections you make there. It can be lonely like in isolated parts of it where you’re on your own with stuff. But I think as I have grown and learned, I do talk more about things where I usually used to feel lonely. But now I can open up about it and share it with my bandmates, for example. And then they will carry that stuff with me, which is nice. And I feel like, yes, there are certain things that you are on your own with that you have to go through on your own because nobody can really carry it for you. If making music for you is lonely, I think you’re kind of not doing it well. Because there are just so many connections and so many community things I don’t always have the capacity for it. But in and of itself, it’s like such a togetherness in music. I also think the way we do music, we’re not fully professional musicians, only touring, only traveling around and so on. It’s barely impossible to feel lonely because we still have our other obligations. We work, we have families, we have friends outside. I wouldn’t say that this makes us lonely. Not at all. I don’t feel that way. For our size, it’s fine. It could become a problem when you are on road for 30 days and you’re not seeing anyone and you’re just hanging in the tourbus and at airports and at shows in the backstage. Yeah, I assume it could get lonely. Luckily, we’re not suffering from success. From any aspect of it. I mean, there’s tough times and everything, but it’s a fun little tour we made. We made it here, we had fun on the way. We had some fun here, we had some fun there. We were swimming. We were eating cheese. We had a good time. But I feel like we do invest in our friendships and it’s not just like professional relationships only. I feel like it’s, as in every relationship, the moment you stop investing and stop putting the work in, it’s gonna fall apart. I think that’s a huge part of why we are where we are.
Benedetta
Do you think that we will ever reach some sort of equality between men and women in the metal world?
Expellow
Certainly not today. It’s gonna take much time. 20, 30, 40 years? Who knows? I can’t put my finger on it, but I know for sure that it’s not today. Because people still are complaining about her having too much muscles for a woman on stage. I mean, that’s just an argument from my side. I mean, why would I have muscles? We’ve been working every day to bring it a little bit closer to an acceptance for everyone. When I started, I had, like, really no role models. Like, there was no one that I could look up to, women who were doing gutturals and harsh vocals. And then I think, like, one of the first bands that I listened to with a female vocalist who did both was iwrestledabearonce with Kristin Cameron on the front. It was even before Courtney LaPlante, she’s now with Spiritbox. For me, it took one song that I listened to; she didn’t look like all the other women who were, like, usually pretty styled. They looked gorgeous, like, drop-dead gorgeous, every single one of them. She was a bit more alternative. And then she did these crazy vocals and everything. And it took one song, one video clip, actually. And I was, like, “Oh, I can do that, too. All right, I’ll just do it“. I’ve noticed that last year in the Wacken Metal Battle, we were with 30 bands. There were six female individual musicians in total over all the 30 bands. Half of them were in the top five. That alone was a sign that the quality is there. The visibility, the chances, even the level playing field is not. This year, I’ve noticed a lot more. I would not go so far as to claim that we’ve influenced this. But maybe, like, a tiny little bit. Because I know for a fact that I’m, like, not conventionally attractive and everything. And that we do a bit rough and raw stuff that is not so wildly produced. But really authentic and really raw. Maybe for others, it just was a sign to try as well. Or to just give their shot or choose for the country a band with female musicians too. Because all I’ve heard so far was really cool stuff. Even the bands which played before us, 50% of the musicians were female. There were a lot of women performing on the stages and I think that’s beautiful. But at the same time, I mean, I don’t read the livestream comments, but from what I’ve heard, there were a lot of trolls in there, I would call them trolls, complaining about, like, he had a rainbow guitar strap and the painted nails. So, obviously, that’s like a no-go. I have muscles because I do sports. We are now gay metal for some reason. I wouldn’t take a YouTube comment section for a valid representative group of the metal scene, but it’s just a very loud and visible group. I would wish myself that Wacken would moderate these comment sections in the livestream, because it’s ridiculous. If you watch from afar and you just read those comments, you are getting so discouraged. So, maybe don’t do that. And it’s just nonsense hate. It’s not even critique or anything. It’s just stupid. So, in conclusion, I would say, yes, we are on the right track, but not today. We still have a lot of work to do. There’s been a lot of things that have improved in the last 20 years.
Benedetta
Guys, thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview with me. Is there anything else that you want to add to our readers and viewers?
Expellow
Yeah. Go to live shows. Buy tickets in advance. Make it easy for the little bands and the promoters to plan ahead. We are working for the scene as well. And tell your friends you love them. And be nice to everyone. Don’t hurt a human soul. And never forget why you started to make music, because that’s really what it’s all about.
Chaos, pulverising breakdowns and one of modern deathcore’s most intimidating live reputations arrived at SWG3 Galvanizers as Slaughter To Prevail brought their European Summer Tour 2026 to a sold-out Glasgow, Scotland. Fresh from laying waste to Bloodstock Open Air just two days earlier, Slaughter To Prevail were joined by Brazilian Death Metal quartet Crypta and new kids on the block Chained Saint.
The near month-long tour run began in Warsaw, Poland, on 17 July and concludes at Dynamo Metalfest in Eindhoven, Netherlands, in two days’ time, combining major festival appearances with a select number of intimate headline club shows. Having only returned home on the Saturday after spending a couple of days covering Bloodstock Festival 2026 myself, I was back on the road again on Monday for the trip north to Scotland for this show.
Slaughter To Prevail – SWG3 Glasgow – 10 August 2026. Photo: thedailyddt at Vision Impact Photography/MetalTalk
Located in Glasgow’s revitalised west end, SWG3 Galvanizers has become one of Scotland’s leading live music venues. Its industrial surroundings and intimate layout around two miles from the city centre create an atmosphere that keeps fans close to the stage while still accommodating a sizeable crowd, making it an ideal setting for a show of this intensity.
There was already a huge queue of waiting fans long before the doors opened, which stretched all the way back in anticipation for the show.
Chained Saint
Opening the show were South Florida thrashers Chained Saint, who had the unenviable task of getting the crowd moving early. But judging by the reception they received, they had absolutely no trouble doing so.
Chained Saint – SWG3 Glasgow – 10 August 2026. Photo: thedailyddt at Vision Impact Photography/MetalTalk
Formed in 2022 by four teenagers who started out playing together in a garage, Chained Saint have already made an impressive amount of ground in just a few years. Ethan Kahn on guitar, Sebastian De Avila on bass, vocalist Sean Sterling and drummer Cameron Cottrell bring a youthful but mature approach to Thrash Metal, incorporating elements of Groove and Hardcore crossover into their sound. Their music has plenty of bite.
With their 2024 debut album Blindside and several singles already under their belts, Chained Saint have made a name for themselves. They have shared stages with some seriously established names and appeared at major festivals including Welcome To Rockville, Sick New World, Leyendas del Rock and Bloodstock Open Air.
Chained Saint – SWG3 Glasgow – 10 August 2026. Photo: thedailyddt at Vision Impact Photography/MetalTalk
This Glasgow show was particularly significant, however, being only their second-ever performance outside the United States following their Bloodstock appearance just days earlier and their first-ever show in Scotland.
A healthy crowd had already gathered in anticipation for the new kids on the block, and the crowd response was immediate as they took to the stage, with the classic Scottish chant of “Here we fucking go” ringing around the venue.
Chained Saint – SWG3 Glasgow – 10 August 2026. Photo: thedailyddt at Vision Impact Photography/MetalTalk
Chained Saint instantly had the room in their grasp. The sound felt floor-shaking, and Sterling wasted absolutely no time putting the audience to work, inciting a circle pit during the very first song. Their set showed exactly why this young band is generating so much attention.
1000 Tons was an early highlight, while an unreleased track brought a lot of movement. There was a genuine cheer and appreciation after every song, which is particularly impressive for a band that, to the masses, was fairly unknown.
Chained Saint – SWG3 Glasgow – 10 August 2026. Photo: thedailyddt at Vision Impact Photography/MetalTalk
Another new track, Snakeskin, proved equally effective, with the first crowd surfers of the evening beginning to emerge and quickly turning into tens of them. For an opening act playing a half-hour set, Chained Saint demonstrated excellent crowd control and an ability to create an atmosphere far beyond what might normally be expected this early in the evening.
Before the final song, Animosity, Sterling introduced his bandmates and reflected on the incredible energy coming back from the room.
Chained Saint were naturally excellent openers. There is an infectious quality to what this young band are doing, and seeing them command a rowdy crowd with such confidence on only their second overseas performance was hugely impressive.
Chained Saint – SWG3 Glasgow – 10 August 2026. Photo: thedailyddt at Vision Impact Photography/MetalTalk
It was also nice to meet Sterling and Kahn after the show, and I can genuinely see Chained Saint getting bigger and bigger. Their appeal is easy to understand: youthful energy, fast riffs, plenty of attitude and the ability to make a room move.
If this is where Chained Saint are already at, their future looks seriously exciting.
Crypta
Next up were Brazilian Death Metal force Crypta, a quartet formed in São Paulo in 2019, and have become a prominent rising act in modern Death Metal.
Crypta – SWG3 Glasgow – 10 August 2026. Photo: thedailyddt at Vision Impact Photography/MetalTalk
The band are currently working on a third record, which will reportedly be a fully conceptual album based around the theme of madness, with two great studio albums already.
While waiting between Chained Saint and Crypta, fans in the centre of the room had constructed an enormous tower of plastic cups, which somehow remained standing as the pit developed around it.
For much of Crypta’s set, the crowd continued to mosh and circle pit around this increasingly ridiculous monument, creating one of those wonderfully chaotic moments that only seem to happen at Metal shows.
Crypta – SWG3 Glasgow – 10 August 2026. Photo: thedailyddt at Vision Impact Photography/MetalTalk
When Crypta hit the stage, they immediately demonstrated why they have developed such a strong reputation as a live act. Frontwoman Fernanda Lira was particularly expressive, commanding the stage with her body language and facial expressions while armed with her bass.
There was something in her stage presence that reminded me of Cronos of Venom. Between songs, Lira took the opportunity to swig her beer before getting straight back into the carnage. Her vocals were equally impressive, cutting through the instrumentation with genuine ferocity, high and low in the register.
Crypta – SWG3 Glasgow – 10 August 2026. Photo: thedailyddt at Vision Impact Photography/MetalTalk
The musicianship throughout was excellent. The guitarists threw themselves into the performance, windmilling their hair as the riffs came crashing down, while touring drummer Cierra White, also of Emasculator, relentlessly battered the kit from behind the drum riser.
From The Ashes was a particular highlight, delivering a crushing Death Metal assault. The crowd responded accordingly, with the pit continuing to churn beneath the stage.
Crypta – SWG3 Glasgow – 10 August 2026. Photo: thedailyddt at Vision Impact Photography/MetalTalk
There was a slight technical issue right at the end of their set, with the vocals and instruments cutting out around 30 seconds before the conclusion of the set. Fortunately, it came during the final song anyway, so it did little to take away from what had been an extremely strong performance.
Crypta’s combination of musicianship, brutality and commanding stage presence demonstrated exactly why they have become regulars at major festivals, while their growing reputation is thoroughly deserved.
Crypta – SWG3 Glasgow – 10 August 2026. Photo: thedailyddt at Vision Impact Photography/MetalTalk
By the time the band departed, that cup tower from earlier had evolved into an absolutely enormous tower of balanced cups, and I wondered what would be left of it as Slaughter To Prevail’s set loomed.
Crypta finished their 25-minute set, leaving the Glasgow crowd suitably warmed up for what was still to come.
It was also a pleasure to meet Cierra White after the show, and with a third Crypta album on the horizon, the future looks particularly exciting for this band.
Slaughter To Prevail
Founded in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2014 and now based in Orlando, Florida, Slaughter To Prevail have undergone a meteoric rise to become one of the biggest names in modern Deathcore.
Slaughter To Prevail – SWG3 Glasgow – 10 August 2026. Photo: thedailyddt at Vision Impact Photography/MetalTalk
With Alex Terrible and British guitarist Jack Simmons the only constants through the band’s various line-up changes, the current five-piece have built an enormous international following through crushing Deathcore, social media virality and one of the most recognisable frontmen in Extreme Metal. Their three albums, Misery Sermon (2017), Kostolom (2021) and 2026’s Grizzly, chart a progression in their sound.
The band’s journey has not been without controversy, something that has followed Slaughter To Prevail at various points throughout their career, particularly surrounding their origins, imagery and Alex Terrible himself.
Slaughter To Prevail – SWG3 Glasgow – 10 August 2026. Photo: thedailyddt at Vision Impact Photography/MetalTalk
Yet despite that controversy, their ascent has continued at remarkable speed. Their identity remains closely connected to both their Russian heritage and modern Deathcore, with lyrics written in both Russian and English. That bilingual identity is an important part of what makes Slaughter To Prevail distinctive, allowing them to carry elements of their heritage into a sound that has now reached audiences across the globe.
Their enormous streaming numbers and Alex Terrible’s huge social media presence have undoubtedly helped introduce them to listeners far beyond the traditional Extreme Metal scene.
Slaughter To Prevail – SWG3 Glasgow – 10 August 2026. Photo: thedailyddt at Vision Impact Photography/MetalTalk
By the time Slaughter To Prevail were due to take the stage, it was abundantly clear just how enormous this band have become. A trip to the merch stand beforehand had already provided an indication of the scale of the operation, with prices including a staggering £180 for one of the band’s masks and an eye-watering £500 for a signed drum head by one band member.
Returning to the room, the floor was absolutely packed, with barely a gap to be found as fans squeezed forward in anticipation. The now-familiar tower of plastic cups was given space and remained in the centre of the floor, while everywhere you looked, fans were wearing the distinctive masks that have become synonymous with the Slaughter To Prevail aesthetic.
The question was how many had just spent £180 to wear one that night.
Slaughter To Prevail – SWG3 Glasgow – 10 August 2026. Photo: thedailyddt at Vision Impact Photography/MetalTalk
The anticipation inside the Glasgow venue reached boiling point before the first note, with flashing lights and the Blade theme building the tension before the iconic Scottish chant of “Here we fucking go” erupted from the crowd once more.
Then the masks appeared, and the carnage began. Crowd surfers were coming over the barrier in abundance from the outset, pits erupted across the floor, and the sheer physical force of the performance was floor-shaking. Alex Terrible and the band delivered a relentless set from Bonebreaker through to Conflict.
While I would not consider myself a Slaughter To Prevail fan, I appreciate what they have achieved. In fact, seeing this show made it impossible not to respect it. The sheer crushing power, intensity and stage presence they bring live is remarkable, and the passion their fans have for this band is clear.
Slaughter To Prevail – SWG3 Glasgow – 10 August 2026. Photo: thedailyddt at Vision Impact Photography/MetalTalk
Alex repeatedly thanked the crowd throughout the night, while later reflecting on his journey from being a 13-year-old who wanted to become a rock star to now touring the world and living that dream. During Kid Of Darkness, he instructed the entire room to jump up akin to Slipknot during Spit It Out, creating a moment of absolute carnage as everybody moved in unison.
Alex’s voice is an experience in itself. His exceptionally deep gutturals have become a defining feature of the band, but hearing that primal sound delivered live is something else entirely. The incredibly low, off-mic scream during Viking was one of the standout moments of the night and demonstrated just how impressive his vocal ability is in a live environment.
Slaughter To Prevail – SWG3 Glasgow – 10 August 2026. Photo: thedailyddt at Vision Impact Photography/MetalTalk
Behelit brought another dimension, incorporating operatic theatrics into the performance, while elsewhere the band’s combination of crushing breakdowns, groove-heavy riffs and huge production showed why their sound has reached far beyond the traditional Deathcore audience.
Near the end of the set, Alex delivered a more personal speech about taking responsibility for changing your own circumstances, recalling how he battled drug addiction around a decade ago before turning his life around.
Slaughter To Prevail – SWG3 Glasgow – 10 August 2026. Photo: thedailyddt at Vision Impact Photography/MetalTalk
His message was simple. If you want to change something, you have to do it yourself, and he hoped his own story could help others. After Conflict brought the set to a close, the lights came up, and the crowd reaction was visceral.
Slaughter To Prevail may not be a band for everyone, but their live show demands respect. The loyalty of this fan base is extraordinary, the atmosphere was insane and the performance was genuinely huge. It was also a pleasure to meet the guitarist Dmitry Mamedov after the show, who kindly gave me one of his guitar picks.
Whatever you think of Slaughter To Prevail, their meteoric rise is undeniable and Glasgow made it very clear that their following is strong.
French conceptual label Antiq has announced the debut album from witch entity Taufpatin, titled Les Malfaisances de la Taufpatin. The record is set for international release on October 7th. Accompanying the announcement, Antiq has unveiled the lead single, “L’Attente”, which is currently streaming on the label’s official YouTube channel. The Tale of La Taufpatin Hailing […]
Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes and Spiritbox’s Courtney LaPlante are set to perform on the 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) Anthem.
The pair have teamed up with longtime VALORANT collaborator Grabbitz, returning for his fourth anthem as writer and producer, for ‘If The Sun Burns Out Tonight’. The song will be released this Autumn.
Oli had this to say about the track, stating, “I’ve always been drawn to projects that blur the lines between storytelling and music, so working with Riot Games, alongside Grabbitz and Courtney, and becoming part of the Valorant World felt like a really natural fit.”
Whilst Courtney added, “I cannot wait to release this song! Oli has given me the opportunity to perform live with BMTH many times over the years, and we’re finally debuting something we worked on together. Grabbitz produced such a great atmosphere and a song tailored to all three of our voices, and Oli went in right away and made it a true collaboration.”
Additionally, Grabbitz had this to state, “The best collaborations happen when everyone brings a different perspective to the room – and that’s what makes this record so exciting to me. Oli, Courtney and I came together from different corners of the globe, and landed on a track that sits effortlessly between my electronic world and the heavy landscapes of Bring Me The Horizon and Spiritbox. The 3 of us just clicked – and the result is what I believe to be the best Valorant anthem to date.”
You can pre-save the track right here, and you can check out a behind-the-scenes look at the recording process below. Basically, it’s going to be amazing.
Nashville songwriter, musician, and producer townsend explores the exhaustion and uncertainty of balancing creative ambitions with everyday life on slipping. Built around a reflective perspective on growing older and dealing with unexpected turns, the track carries an intimate, emotionally grounded quality. Its songwriting focuses on the tension between persistence and vulnerability, capturing the feeling of trying to keep moving forward while life continually shifts beneath the surface. Rather than overstating its themes, townsend allows the song to unfold with a natural sense of honesty and restraint, giving the lyrics room to connect with the music. slipping feels like a thoughtful meditation on uncertainty, resilience, and the realities of maintaining a creative life while navigating everything else that comes with it.
Jet Black Berries return with Rocketfire Sex66, a swaggering collision of punk, glam rock, power pop, and psychedelic garage energy. The Rochester band, known for their long-running underground presence and cult releases, bring a playful, theatrical edge to a track inspired by sci-fi, Western imagery, and classic rock excess. Propulsive rhythms, gritty guitars, and charismatic vocals give the song a raw, energetic feel, while its tongue-in-cheek space-pistolero concept adds plenty of personality and humour. Drawing on the flamboyance of T. Rex and the New York Dolls while retaining a scrappy punk attitude, Jet Black Berries create something deliberately retro without feeling overly nostalgic. Rocketfire Sex66 is loose, colourful, and full of rock ’n’ roll swagger, showcasing a band still having fun with its sound and identity.
Slipknot’s former producer has revealed why he recorded the Iowan nu metal nine-piece’s second album with a broken back.
Ross Robinson, who worked with the band on their landmark 1999 self-titled debut, returned for 2001’s Iowa but broke his back in a motocross accident midway through production. He took only one day off before resuming his duties.
In the new issue of Metal Hammer, Robinson, 59, is asked why he continued and didn’t relinquish his role on Iowa to another producer. He explains that his injury reminded the members of their raw metal roots and early determination.
“No, that’d be impossible,” he answers. “It was actually really good for the record because the guys were being taken out in Hollywood, hanging out with all these big stars and shit. When I broke my back and showed up anyway, it put a very next-level diligence into those guys.
“Joey [Jordison, then-drummer] said to me later, ‘It was the greatest thing that ever happened to us.’ It was really tough – I’d get home and just lie there watching The Big Lebowski until I passed out. I was in so much pain, but I’d get to the studio and it’d be, ‘Let’s get it the fuck on!’”
Elsewhere in the interview, Robinson is asked what the toughest part of recording Iowa was. He surprisingly doesn’t say it was recording with a broken back, instead mentioning the vocal overdub process and how it drew out personal demons within the band.
“Vocal overdubs could be tough,” he says. “The bar was set so high with the band slamming together – when you’re that extreme, it gets difficult, especially when you’re on your own and trying to get back into the zone. There was a lot going on with Corey [Taylor, vocals] at the time too – he’d be going out pretty much every night and had this little fanbase of people he hung out with.
“Weirdly, the easiest one to get in the zone was when Sid’s [Wilson, turntables] grandfather passed away, and I’d asked him to do some overdubs for the background of People = Shit. He was so distraught, sad, hurt and was just crying. I was like, ‘You’re doing backgrounds today’ and he nailed it.”
Slipknot released Iowa on August 28, 2001, and consolidated the commercial success of their debut. It topped the UK album chart and reached number three in the US. It has since been certified Platinum in both markets, as well as in Canada.
Despite Iowa’s critical and commercial success, the band were in disarray during its production and release, burnt out by touring and using substances.
Singer Taylor told Loudwire in 2015: “We fought every cliche leading up to getting signed, going out and playing shows, and then, all of a sudden, we had everything: double-Platinum album, we were one of the biggest metal bands in the world, we were headlining because nobody wanted us to open for them. We were making a hugely, hugely anticipated album, so we just started getting fucked up.”
Due to these issues, Slipknot went on hiatus in 2002. They returned in 2004 with their third album, Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses, which charted number two in the US and later also went Platinum.
Slipknot are currently recording their as-yet-unannounced eighth studio album. Guitarist Jim Root recently revealed that they’ve been tracking with Faith No More producer Matt Wallace, with more than 50 song ideas stockpiled.
TMZ reported earlier this month that turntablist Wilson had left the lineup after 28 years, but the band have yet to comment on the matter.
Swedish heavy metal titans RAM will release their new full-length, titled Against, on October 9 through Metal Blade Records. It has been nearly seven years since The Throne Within, an album defined by its spiritual and metaphysical themes. With Against, RAM takes a more grounded approach, focusing on the experience of being pushed beyond reasonable […]
The Joyful Stain is the latest single from long-running Australian thrashers, HARLOTT. The track appears on the band’s upcoming Exsequiis full-length, set for release on September 11 via Metal Blade Records. The band comments, “The Joyful Stain is an homage to ‘the lucky country’ that we call home; a second-rate first-world dystopia governed by corruption, […]
