Category: news

The Great Banana Treaty of Ysselsteyn has apparently seen banana people flourish.

The post Party Cannon’s 2026 ‘Bloodstock Open Air’ Set Was Attended By A Whole Bunch Of Banana People appeared first on Theprp.com.

A raw sense of heartbreak is what pale eyes brings to “Love Games”. An alt-pop/rock song that captures the destruction of a relationship once filled with undeniable passion. The track explores the complicated space between loving someone deeply and realizing there is no trust left to hold onto. Its emotional core is shaped by lies, cheating, arguments, and the exhausting cycle of breaking up only to find yourselves pulled back together.

Musically, “Love Games” balances the melodic accessibility of alt-pop with the sharper emotional edge of rock, giving the song a fitting backdrop for its turbulent subject matter. The writing feels personal and vulnerable, portraying love as something that can become consuming when affection and betrayal exist side by side.

Rather than romanticizing the chaos, pale eyes confronts the damage head-on, portraying a toxic connection where passion eventually becomes inseparable from pain. “Love Games” is ultimately a story about recognizing when love is no longer enough to save something.

Check out pale eyes “Love Games” below and follow them on Instagram. Stay Global my Friends!

The post pale eyes – Love Games appeared first on .

Ozzy Osbourne, AC/DC and Led Zeppelin also had songs hit that mark in recent weeks.

The post System Of A Down Have Just Had A Fourth Song Hit 1 Billion Plays On Spotify appeared first on Theprp.com.

DISHEARTENED (feat. Nikita Kamprad/ Der Weg Einer Freiheit) is the first single from A SECRET REVEALED’S upcoming fourth album THE RUIN I SUMMONED FORTH, out October 16th on Lifeforce Records.

Disheartened up now on all digital platforms.

The title of the fourth full‑length by A SECRET REVEALED already serves as a dark omen: The Ruin I Summoned Forth sounds powerful, oppressive, and inescapable. And that very weight permeates all eight songs of the album. The band from Würzburg crafts a sonic landscape defined by immense emotional force, urgent intensity, and a density that feels almost impossible to contain. Their wall of sound is never an end in itself, but the foundation of an existential expression that hits immediately and resonates long after.

Stylistically, the quintet moves within the tension field of post‑metal – a sound that doesn’t deny its core roots, yet highlights more clearly than ever their affinity for black metal, melodic death metal, and modern, forward‑driving heaviness. Time and again, fragile, searching passages open up, giving the massive sound room to breathe, occasionally interwoven with subtle, almost folkloric accents. Fittingly, the opener ‘Disheartened’ sets an early exclamation mark: with Nikita Kamprad of Der Weg einer Freiheit as guest vocalist, the track gains additional depth and sharpness.

The Ruin I Summoned Forth marks the band’s third release on LIFEFORCE RECORDS, following Sacrifices (2019) and When The Day Yearns For Light (2021). Their debut The Bleakness was released in 2015 via Bastardized Records.

Across all four records, a clear narrative thread emerges: A SECRET REVEALED consistently strive to craft strong thematic arcs and a massive, uncompromising sound that grips listeners from the very beginning and leaves a lasting impact. Once again, the band presents a cohesive work in which individual elements rise into an overwhelming whole, until, in the end, the inevitable unfolds: The Ruin I Summoned Forth.

THE RUIN I SUMMONED FORTH – UP NOW FOR PRE-ORDER | PRE-SAVE

1. Disheartened (feat. Nikita Kamprad, Der Weg Einer Freiheit)
2. Collapsar
3. Withered Eyes
4. The Great Dying
5. Torn From The Quiet
6. Upheaval
7. No Mercy For The Wicked
8. The Farewell

A SECRET REVEALED On Tour With PRAISE THE PLAGUE:

30.10.2026 – Dresden / HD
02.11.2026 – München / Backstage (club)
03.11.2026 – Berlin / Neue Zukunft
04.11.2026 – Hamburg / Bambi Galore
05.11.2026 – Hannover / Chéz Heinz
06.11.2026 – Würzburg / Immerhin
07.11.2026 – Stuttgart / Juha West
more dates tba

(written by Islander) I was able to spend a fair amount of time yesterday afternoon checking out new music I’d noticed over the past week, and made the choices you now see — though I again got a late start on the writing due to Friday night diversions that also went late. Here are just […]

The post SEEN AND HEARD ON A SATURDAY: DAWN OF DEMISE, WAYFARER, SVRM, DISHUMANE, TELESTERION, SLOTH HERDER appeared first on NO CLEAN SINGING.

https://www.metalourgio.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Judicator-band-photo-768×511.jpg

Ronnie Romero has built his name over the past several years fronting Ritchie Blackmore‘s Rainbow and playing alongside Michael Schenker, and now he is adding his voice to the ongoing conversation about musicians using A.I. tools to generate melodies, harmonies and lyrics.

Earlier today (Saturday, Aug. 8), Romero posted an A.I.-generated image of himself to social media, accompanying it with a lengthy message reflecting on what artificial intelligence means for music.

“This photo was created with AI. At first glance, it looks amazing… but if you look a little closer, you’ll realize that it’s actually not me. Or it just doesn’t seems ‘right’. And I think something similar happens with music.

“As a tool, I think AI is fantastic. It can be incredibly useful for developing ideas, experimenting, and exploring directions we might not have thought of otherwise. But in my opinion, it will never be exactly the same as something created by a human being.

“Lately, when I work on collaborations, I sometimes receive vocal lines created with AI. And I have no problem with that, sometimes the musician simply doesn’t sing that well. But I always warn them that I’ll probably change a few things: a melody here, an interval there, a few little adjustments…

“Why? Because it simply doesn’t always sound natural.

“There are things a human voice does organically that are extremely difficult to reproduce artificially. And a voice is not just a technically well-written melody. It’s also emotion, feeling, intention… Your mood, your energy, your tiredness, the way you feel in that particular moment, all of it makes a difference.

“That’s why, even if an AI-generated song can sound incredible, I still believe it will never be better than something written and performed with a human heart and mind. Because the voice and soul of a human singer aren’t simply data that can be reproduced on a massive scale. Every voice is different. Every singer is different. Every person is their own world. And somehow, all of that ends up being reflected in the music.

“I’m not against AI. Quite the opposite, I think it’s an incredible tool, and we’re only beginning to discover what it can do. But I believe there’s something technology will never be able to completely replace: the human element.”

Telling the difference between human-made and A.I.-generated music has gotten harder by the day. Last year, The Velvet Sundown, a rock act built entirely with A.I., racked up viral streaming numbers on Spotify with the track “Dust On The Wind.” Around the same time, Breaking Rust‘s A.I.-produced single “Walk My Walk” climbed to the top of Billboard‘s Country Digital Sales chart.

Deezer reported last November that roughly 50,000 A.I.-generated tracks were landing on its platform daily, accounting for more than a third of everything submitted.

Spotify responded earlier this year by rolling out verification badges on artist profiles, giving listeners a way to separate real musicians from the flood of A.I.-made content on the platform.

Ashley Graver, Spotify’s head of global artist partnerships, echoed that sentiment in a video posted to Spotify News’ Instagram, saying fans need confidence that the artists they follow are real people with real careers.

The debate has also drawn in bigger names. Sir Elton John and Dua Lipa are among the musicians who have recently pushed for A.I. regulation, backing petitions aimed at restricting its use in the industry.

Romero, a Chilean native now based in Romania after a long stretch living in Madrid, Spain, stepped into the Rainbow lineup in June 2016, taking the frontman role in the version of the band Blackmore assembled after leaving Deep Purple.

Beyond Rainbow, Romero has recorded or toured with Michael Schenker Group, Lords Of Black, The Ferrymen, Elegant Weapons, Sunstorm and Vandenberg.

The post RONNIE ROMERO Opens Up About Using A.I.-Generated Vocal Lines In His Collaborations appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Asia came out of nowhere in 1982 and became a multi-platinum supergroup, selling some five million units of their self-titled debut album. They soon fell from grace as guitarist Steve Howe, bassist and vocalist John Wetton and drummer Carl Palmer left and came back over the course of a few low-profile Asia recordings. Replacement members like guitarists Mandy Moore, Pat Thrall and Elliott Randall were creatively sidelined while the concept of Asia went through a startling metamorphosis. The only constant in Asia was and has always been keyboardist Geoffrey Downes and Roger Dean’s utopian album covers. In an attempt to keep the name and his own musical talents in the limelight, Downes teamed up with vocalist, bassist, and guitarist John Payne for five times under the Asia banner. Their third record together is an ambitious, star-studded effort called Aura, released in 2001.

A stellar supporting cast that includes Howe, Thrall, Randall, bassist Tony Levin, and drummers Simon Phillips and Chris Slade join Downes and Payne. If you’re expecting something like “Heat of The Moment,” this isn’t really going to tickle your ivories. Aura is a very mellow and unencumbered record. It represents a direction Downes was heading in since he began releasing new age solo albums in the mid-1980s. Payne’s voice is difficult to appreciate at first, but subsequent listenings support an appropriate fit.

Numbers like “Awake,” “Wherever You Are,” and especially the uplifting “Forgive Me” all showcase the chemistry and interaction that existed between the two principals. While over-the-top orchestrations like “Kings Of The Day” and “On The Coldest Day In Hell” tend to drag the record down, “Free” is a rhythmical exercise featuring some cliff-hanging guitar work from Howe, Thrall and Ian Crichton — all supported by Phillips’ diligent and distinctive brand of timekeeping. This is the kind of thunder that could have probably made the rest of the album  a little more interesting.

Randall and Guthrie Govan (who, along with Slade, toured with Asia) settle into a more melodic guitar exchange on “You’re A Stranger.” The title track is a jazzy jaunt that hints at Randall and Downes’ brilliance as musicians denying themselves the opportunity to make more adventurous music. “Under The Gun” and “Come Make My Day,” the so-called “bonus tracks, do little to add much to the mix. Downes’ deep Hammond and an unrefined vocal delivery from Payne sustain “Hands Of Time.” Of all the songs, this one is the most progressive.

Aura didn’t really earn Asia their audience back or win them a whole new one. Downes made one more album with Payne before the original lineup of Asia reunited and carried on until 2013. At the time, Downes and Howe were back in Yes. Howe left, the remaining members brought in another guitarist for one more album, then Wetton passed away  in 2017. More recently, various lineups with Downes have popped up. As of 2026, he   reassembled a completely new lineup with a new album. Hard to say where Aura stands in the group’s storied history. Once a supergroup, Asia’s ongoing activities certainly doesn’t undermine their ability to perform and write the classiest of classic rock.

~ Shawn Perry

Purchase Aura

Martha Reeves is eager to clear the air about her viral performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” In case you somehow didn’t see, she offered a rather unlistenable version of the national anthem at the inaugural Women’s Professional Baseball League last weekend, and now she’s blaming the backup singers on Fox 2 Detroit.

The post Martha Reeves Blames Backup Singers For Botched National Anthem, Attempts Solo Version On Detroit TV News appeared first on Stereogum.

Former Iron Maiden frontman Blaze Bayley says only one of the iconic metal band’s line of vocalists has achieved truly legendary status.

The band’s first singer was Paul Mario Day, who was part of the founding lineup from 1975 to 1976. He was replaced by Dennis Wilcock, who held the role until 1978.

Paul Di’Anno landed the job in 1978 and sang on the band’s first two albums – the self-titled Iron Maiden and Killers. Many fans still cite those two records as the group’s best ever work, and Bayley agrees.

He believes Di’Anno, who died in 2024, holds a status that nobody – not even current and longest serving frontman Bruce Dickinson – can match.

Bayley tells Metal OBS: “There are different eras of Maiden, of course, but in my mind, only Paul is the legend.

“After that, we carry the name, we carry the torch of Iron Maiden. I may become a legend, Bruce may become a legend. But the legend of Iron Maiden belongs to Paul on those first two albums.

“Because they broke the mould, not just of heavy metal, but of music. Those albums are so different and do so many things. They break the rules.

“He’s a legend. He was a legend. He now is a timeless legend. So that’s something that can never be changed, in my opinion. It’s only my opinion.

“Other people will say different things, but in my opinion, you listen to some of the songs on the first two albums, it’s so different to everything else that was going on.”

Di’Anno and Bayley became friendly after their stints with Maiden came to an end, and the pair even performed Maiden material together on the road.

Bayley adds: “We were colleagues. Paul was a very funny guy. I think people don’t know that about him. He had a great sense of humour.

“Russia from St. Petersburg, Moscow, right across to Vladivostok, and we did Sweden together. We did all Scandinavia, and we did Australia and New Zealand. And when we had a good band, and he’d rested well, you could close your eyes and it was like the first album, but better. It was like those first two albums, but better.”

Di’Anno’s health struggle towards the end of his life is the subject of a documentary released this year – Di’Anno: Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer.