Category: news

Audiotree Live on YouTube have just uploaded a brand new set from the Southern Californian death-metal group SPITE.

The post New SPITE Set Featured On Audiotree Live Series appeared first on Metal Injection.

Seven years ago this month, the South Central LA rapper and philanthropist Nipsey Hussle was shot and killed at age 33 outside Marathon Clothing, the store he opened in Hyde Park. After his death, fans quickly started a petition to rename the nearby intersection of Slauson Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard of to Nipsey Hussle Square. On the day of Nipsey’s funeral, city council said they’d be going forward with the decision. That finally came to fruition on Saturday.

The post Nipsey Hussle Square Unveiled In LA Seven Years After City Approval appeared first on Stereogum.

Dave Grohl winds back the clocks with a very sweaty, very intimate show in Manchester

Some viewers have made negative comments about Osbourne's appearance at the 2026 BRIT Awards, prompting her to fire back via Instagram Stories. Continue reading…

Rob Zombie’s albums span eight solo records and nearly three decades, and they’ve never once chased a trend. Since stepping away from White Zombie in 1998, he’s built his own universe instead — grindhouse horror, industrial stomp, sleaze-rock groove, and riffs engineered for festival fields. This is every Rob Zombie album ranked worst to best, judged on one thing only: whether it rips from track one to the closer without you reaching for the skip button. Not sales. Not cultural moments. Replay value.

How this ranking works

Ranking Rob Zombie isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about durability.

Some of these records are airtight. Some wander. All of them carry his fingerprint — you could identify a Rob Zombie song from four seconds of any of them, which is more than most artists with three times the catalogue can claim.

The criteria: no skips, no filler, no mercy.

That’s it. An album with two enormous singles and six tracks you’d never voluntarily play loses to a record with no hits and no dead weight.

8. Educated Horses (2006)

The most controversial record in the catalogue, and still the hardest to place.

After years of industrial stomp and carnival chaos, Zombie pivoted into something far more stripped back. The electronics were toned down. The production leaned organic. The horror aesthetic went from neon to dust-covered desert.

“American Witch” absolutely rips. “Let It All Bleed Out” grooves hard. And this is where John 5 properly emerged as a monstrous creative force in the band.

But the problem is what’s missing: that unmistakable spookshow adrenaline. It plays like a transitional record — interesting, occasionally brilliant, and short on the blood-pumping pulse that defines peak Zombie.

His most mature album. Also his least explosive.

Loaded Radio Recommends – Freaks On Parade: Rob Zombie & Marilyn Manson Reunite For 2026 Co-Headlining Tour

7. Hellbilly Deluxe 2 (2010)

The comeback-to-form album.

After the stylistic detour of Educated Horses, Zombie clearly wanted to remind everyone what made the original untouchable. The riffs came back thick. The samples returned. The horror carnival was fully restored.

“Jesus Frankenstein” and “Sick Bubblegum” are built for festival fields, and the band sounds tight, rehearsed and confident throughout.

The honest read: it sometimes feels like it’s chasing the lightning rather than making new thunder. Strong, consistent, live-ready — but it doesn’t redefine anything.

A reliable monster movie sequel. Sometimes that’s enough.

6. The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser (2016)

The title is absurd. The album is focused.

Just over half an hour long, it’s a blast of psychedelic chaos produced by Zeuss and packed with twitchy samples, distorted textures and hyperactive riffing.

The groove swings, the guitar work is frantic, and the pacing never once drags.

The only thing keeping it lower is the runtime — it plays like a fever dream that ends just as you’re settling into it. Pound for pound, though, it’s one of the tightest entries in the discography.

5. Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor (2013)

The sleeper heavyweight.

The opening punch of “Dead City Radio and the New Gods of Supertown” alone justifies going back to this album. It’s aggressive without being cluttered. It sounds hungry.

The production is thicker, the riffs are sharper, and the band sounds less concerned with aesthetics and more focused on impact. This is the point where Zombie’s partnership with John 5 hit its genuine creative peak — not flashy for the sake of it, but precise and dangerous.

It doesn’t get talked about enough. It probably should.

4. The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy (2021)

The album that proved Zombie still evolves.

It’s weird. It’s layered. Sitars, acoustic interludes, buried samples, strange transitions — and it never forgets the stomp.

“The Triumph of King Freak” plays like a victory lap. “The Eternal Struggles of the Howling Man” proves he can still build atmosphere without losing momentum.

This record rewards repeat listens more than anything else in the catalogue. There’s real detail here, real intent, and experimentation that doesn’t collapse under its own ambition.

Late-career artists rarely sound this engaged. Zombie did.

3. The Great Satan (2026)

The most disciplined Zombie record in years.

Where some past albums leaned into maximalism — layers, samples, chaos — this one tightens the screws. The riffs hit faster. The songs breathe better. The hooks feel deliberate rather than assembled.

Aggressive without being overproduced. Confident without sounding nostalgic. There’s a clarity to it, like he knows exactly what works in 2026 and has trimmed everything that doesn’t.

It doesn’t dethrone the classics. It absolutely earns its place near the top.

2. The Sinister Urge (2001)

The big-budget horror epic.

If Hellbilly Deluxe was the breakthrough, The Sinister Urge was the coronation. Bigger production, massive hooks, orchestral brass, and Ozzy Osbourne guesting on “Iron Head.”

“Feel So Numb” and “Never Gonna Stop” weren’t just singles — they were era-defining heavy radio staples that turn up on rock stations to this day.

The whole thing feels cinematic and expansive, like Zombie had the keys to the kingdom and used every resource available to build an arena spectacle.

Polished. Muscular. Still dangerous.

1. Hellbilly Deluxe (1998)

Still undefeated.

From the second “Dragula” kicks in, it’s obvious this wasn’t just another solo debut. It was a cultural shift — industrial pulse fused with seventies heavy groove and horror theatrics that somehow felt both absurd and unstoppable.

“Living Dead Girl.” “Superbeast.” “Demonoid Phenomenon.”

There isn’t a weak stretch on it. Scott Humphrey’s production remains crisp and aggressive nearly thirty years later, the sequencing is flawless, and the momentum never dips.

Every artist gets one album where everything aligns. For Rob Zombie, this was it. It sold over three million copies in the US alone, and it still sounds alive.

The full ranking

8. Educated Horses (2006)
7. Hellbilly Deluxe 2 (2010)
6. The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser (2016)
5. Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor (2013)
4. The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy (2021)
3. The Great Satan (2026)
2. The Sinister Urge (2001)
1. Hellbilly Deluxe (1998)

Rob Zombie albums in release order

Hellbilly Deluxe — 1998
The Sinister Urge — 2001
Educated Horses — 2006
Hellbilly Deluxe 2 — 2010
Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor — 2013
The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser — 2016
The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy — 2021
The Great Satan — 2026

Where this ranking will divide people

The top two aren’t really in dispute — the argument is over the order, and plenty of people will take Sinister Urge over Hellbilly Deluxe on production alone. That’s a defensible position and it loses here on one point: Hellbilly Deluxe changed what a solo artist coming out of a nineties metal band could be. Sinister Urge perfected it.

Educated Horses at eight will annoy the people who consider it his most artistically serious record. They’re right that it’s the most mature. Mature isn’t what anyone puts a Rob Zombie album on for.

And Venomous Rat at five is the placement we’d defend hardest. It’s the most underrated thing in the catalogue and nobody talks about it.

If you want more of this, the full Loaded Radio rankings archive is here — and Korn, Opeth and Arch Enemy are all worth your time.

Where Rob Zombie sits now

Worth noting for context, because his lane is stranger than it looks.

Zombie emerged as the founder and frontman of White Zombie, helping define the industrial-groove explosion of the nineties before launching a solo career that eclipsed it — and that puts him permanently in the conversation alongside the bands that defined nu metal and its neighbours, even though he never really belonged to that scene.

The industrial DNA he shares with acts like Fear Factory is the connective tissue, but nobody else took it toward grindhouse cinema.

And that second career is the real outlier. Zombie has directed House Of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects and his own reimagining of Halloween, making him one of very few people to sustain genuine success in both music and film. Most musicians who direct make one bad film. He built a body of work.

Millions of albums sold, a touring production that rivals anything in hard rock, and a lane nobody else has ever seriously contested.

TL;DR

• Eight solo studio albums from 1998’s Hellbilly Deluxe to 2026’s The Great Satan.
• Best: Hellbilly Deluxe (1998) — no weak stretch, flawless sequencing, and over three million US sales. Still undefeated.
• Worst: Educated Horses (2006) — his most mature record and his least explosive, missing the spookshow adrenaline that defines peak Zombie.
• The runner-up argument: The Sinister Urge (2001) has a real case for the top spot on production and scale alone.
• Most underrated: Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor (2013), where the Zombie–John 5 partnership hit its creative peak.
• The newest: The Great Satan (2026) lands third — the most disciplined record he’s made in years.

FAQ

Eight albums, nearly thirty years, and one debut nothing has touched. Does The Sinister Urge deserve the crown instead? Settle it in the comments. And keep it locked on the Loaded Radio stream — follow Loaded Radio for daily rock and metal news.

The post Rob Zombie Albums: Complete Discography Ranked appeared first on Loaded Radio.

The Warped Tour 2026 lineups grew even more lethal with the recent additions of Thursday and Varials.

The post THURSDAY And VARIALS Amidst Another Wave Of Artists Added To Warped Tour 2026's Lineup appeared first on Metal Injection.

Static X is the soundtrack of a new video game trailer from ‘Stage Tour,’ a game created with the help of some Guitar Hero developers.

The post Some Creators Of The GUITAR HERO Franchise To Launch New Guitar-Centered Video Game, Stage Tour; STATIC-X Music Used In New Game Trailer appeared first on Metal Injection.

Did Dino Cazares Leave The Door Open For A Fear Factory Reunion?

No. He says he will not work with former members again and that chapter is permanently closed.

TL;DR

• Dino Cazares publicly addressed ongoing reunion questions from fans.
• He confirmed he will not collaborate again with former Fear Factory members.
• Past lawsuits involving Burton C. Bell, Christian Olde Wolbers and Raymond Herrera deeply fractured the lineup.
• The current version of Fear Factory is focused on moving forward — not revisiting the past.

Reunion speculation follows heavy bands like a shadow. It doesn’t matter how many times it’s answered — it resurfaces.

This week, Dino Cazares confronted it head-on.

On February 28, he posted a direct statement clarifying that while he holds no hatred toward former members, he will not be working with them again. “What’s done is done,” he wrote. “That chapter is permanently closed. I’ve moved forward and remain focused on the present and the future.”

He later added that he continues addressing the topic only because fans keep asking — and that people seem upset whether he answers or not.

That tone matters. It wasn’t hostile. It wasn’t emotional. It was definitive.

Get Your 2026 Fear Factory Tickets Here

The Lawsuits That Changed Everything

The fractures didn’t begin with a social media post.

In a November 2024 appearance on the Life Is Peachy podcast, Cazares detailed the legal battles that followed the band’s return years earlier.

After releasing four albums, both Cazares and original vocalist Burton C. Bell were sued individually by former bassist Christian Olde Wolbers and drummer Raymond Herrera over money owed.

Cazares says he won his case.

Bell did not.

According to Cazares, Bell was ordered to pay approximately one million dollars. Bell later filed for bankruptcy in an effort to avoid payment. Cazares alleges false information was presented in that filing, which led to additional court proceedings and the bankruptcy being invalidated. Assets were reportedly seized as a result.

Cazares also clarified a persistent misconception: he did not sue Bell. Wolbers and Herrera filed separate lawsuits against both him and Bell individually.

Legal conflict on that scale rarely resolves into creative reconciliation.

Loaded Radio Recommends – Thrash Metal Titans: The 13 Best Bands of All Time Ranked (2026 Edition)

This Isn’t A Nostalgia Cycle

Industrial metal has seen its share of reunion tours and anniversary cash-ins. The expectation is almost automatic — enough time passes, wounds cool, classic lineups resurface.

But Cazares’ language signals something different.

He isn’t framing this as “never say never.”

He’s framing it as finished.

And that reframes the narrative around Fear Factory entirely.

If you’re following the current era of the band, that clarity matters. The focus isn’t backward. It’s on what the band sounds like now — and where it’s headed next.

If you’ve been riding with the new lineup, you already know the shows aren’t built as tribute sets. They’re built as continuation. You can hear that in the precision and intensity of recent performances — something we’ve kept in rotation on the Loaded Radio stream because the present version of the band deserves that spotlight.

The Lineup Moving Forward

Fear Factory’s current configuration includes:

• Milo Silvestro – Vocals
• Tony Campos – Bass
• Pete Webber – Drums
• Dino Cazares – Guitar

The band played its first headlining show with Silvestro and Webber on May 5, 2023 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood.

That night wasn’t marketed as a reunion.

It was a reset.

Closure Without Drama

What stands out most about Cazares’ recent statement is what it doesn’t contain.

There’s no name-calling.

No reopening of wounds.

No invitation for debate.

Just a boundary.

Some fans will always want the chemistry of the 1990s restored. Others believe evolution is survival.

But at this point, the direction from Cazares is unmistakable.

The real question isn’t whether a reunion will happen.

It’s whether fans are ready to embrace what Fear Factory is becoming instead of what it once was.

Check This Out – The Black Book of Metal: 13 Heavy Metal Scandals That Shook the Music World

FAQ

Did Dino Cazares sue Burton C. Bell?
No. According to Cazares, Christian Olde Wolbers and Raymond Herrera sued both him and Bell separately.

Why did Burton C. Bell leave Fear Factory?
Following the legal and financial fallout from the lawsuit, Bell exited the band in 2020.

Is a classic Fear Factory reunion happening?
Based on Cazares’ latest public statement, he has ruled out working again with former members.

Who sings for Fear Factory now?
Milo Silvestro has been the band’s vocalist since 2023.

About Fear Factory

Formed in Los Angeles in 1989, Fear Factory helped define industrial metal by fusing mechanical precision with aggressive riffing and dystopian themes. Albums like Soul of a New Machine, Demanufacture, and Obsolete became foundational releases in the genre. While lineup shifts and legal battles have marked different eras, founding guitarist Dino Cazares has remained the band’s central creative force as it enters its current chapter with Milo Silvestro, Tony Campos and Pete Webber.

The post Fear Factory Reunion Rumors Surge After Dino Cazares Addresses Former Members appeared first on Loaded Radio.

Stream / Download “Freedom Concept”: https://sonataarctica.rpm.link/freedomPR

Finnish power metal pioneers SONATA ARCTICA have unleashed a brand-new single titled “Freedom Concept.” The track arrives as a powerful statement in the band’s 30th anniversary year, followed by an extensive touring schedule, and delivers the melodic intensity and energy fans have come to expect.

“Freedom Concept” captures the signature blend of soaring melodies, driving rhythms and emotional depth that has defined SONATA ARCTICA for three decades. At the same time, the song explores a thoughtful and timely subject: the complex idea of freedom and the responsibility that comes with it.

Frontman Tony Kakko comments: ”Freedom Concept”, a song about understanding and misunderstanding the concept of freedom, often forgetting it comes paired with responsibility, and how what ever values and thoughts you may have are not automatically transferred to your offspring and how in most cases that’s an effin great thing…(breath in) has been sitting on my desk for a while and we figured this kind of melodic power metal blast we’re known of would be a good way to celebrate the 30th anniversary ”tourette” we’ve started at the end of January 2026 WHILST also working on our next studio album. This song’s NOT gonna be on it. So…extra special snack in between meals. Enjoy!”

Stream/Download “Freedom Concept”: https://sonataarctica.rpm.link/freedomPR

SONATA ARCTICA:
Tony Kakko (vocals)
Elias Viljanen (guitars)
Tommy Portimo (drums)
Henrik “Henkka” Klingenberg (keyboards)
Pasi Kauppinen (bass)

SONATA ARCTICA 30th Anniversary Tour:
28.02.2026 (FI) – Kemi – Kemi Areena
09.04.2026 (SE) – Johanneshov – Slaktkyrkan
10.04.2026 (SE) – Göteborg – Pustervik
11.04.2026 (DK) – Roskilde – Gimle – Epic Fest
23.04.2026 (IT) – Ciampino – Orion Live Club
24.04.2026 (IT) – Trezzo Sull’adda – Trezzo Sull’adda
12.06.2026 (FI) – Hyvinkää – Hyvinkään Vilatehdas – Hyvinkää Rock
13.06.2026 (FI) – Vaasa – Moottorikatu Vasikiluoto – Lisää Löylyä Festival
18.06.2026 (BE) – Dessel – Graspop Metal Meeting
19.06.2026 (HU) – Székesfehérvár – FEZEN Fesztivál
25.06.2026 (SK) – Snina – Rock Pod Kamenom
03.07.2026 (FI) – Oulu – Rokki Raikaa
09.07.2026 (DE) – Balingen – RV Bang Open Air Festival
10.07.2026 (FI) – Turku – Vauhti Kiihtyy! – Festivaali
24.07.2026 (FI) – Tampere – Rokki Raikaa
07.08.2026 (FI) – Vantaa – Vauhti Kiihtyy! – Festivaali, Vantaa
13.08.2026 (CZ) – Moravsky Krumlov – Rock Castle Open Air
14.08.2026 (FI) – Lahti – Vauhti Kiihtyy! – Festivaali, Lahti
28.08.2026 (FI) – Jyväskylä – Vauhti Kiihtyy! – Festivaali, Jyväskylä
29.08.2026 (FI) – Valkeakoski – Waltikan Venetsialaiset
09.09.2026 (MX) – Chihuahua – Pistoleros House Of Show
10.09.2026 (MX) – Torreón – Centro de Convenciones de Torreón
11.09.2026 (MX) – Monterrey – Cafe Iguana
12.09.2026 (MX) – Ciudad Obregón – Centro Magno
14.09.2026 (MX) – Ciudad de México – FORO TEAMBRO
16.09.2026 (MX) – Santiago de Querétaro – Foro Arpa
17.09.2026 (MX) – León – Teatro Manuel Doblado
18.09.2026 (MX) – Guadalajara – C3 Stage
20.09.2026 (CR) – Zapote – Pepper Disco Club
22.09.2026 (CO) – Bogotá – Ace Of Spades – Club
23.09.2026 (EC) – Quito – Teatro San Gabriel
24.09.2026 (EC) – Guayaquil – Auditorio Simón Bolivar – MAAC Cine
25.09.2026 (PE) – Lima – Centro de Convenciones Teatro Leguia
27.09.2026 (CL) – Santiago – Teatro Coliseo
29.09.2026 (AR) – Buenos Aires – El Teatro Flores
30.09.2026 (UY) – Montevideo – Live Era
02.10.2026 (BR) – Limeira – Studio Mirage Eventos
03.10.2026 (BR) – São Paulo – Audio
26.10.2026 (UK) – London – O2 Forum Kentish Town – w/ Beast In Black
27.10.2026 (BE) – Bruxelles – Ancienne Belgique – w/ Beast In Black
28.10.2026 (NE) – Tilburg – Poppodium 013 – w/ Beast In Black
29.10.2026 (DE) – Leipzig – Haus Auensee – w/ Beast In Black
31.10.2026 (AT) – Wien – Gasometer – w/ Beast In Black
01.11.2026 (HU) – Budapest – Barba Negra – w/ Beast In Black
02.11.2026 (CZ) – Zlín – NOVESTA SPORT, Ltd., Sports Hall Euronics – w/ Beast In Black
03.11.2026 (PL) – Gliwice – Prezero Arena Gliwice – w/ Beast In Black
05.11.2026 (DE) – Berlin – Columbiahalle – w/ Beast In Black
06.11.2026 (DE) – Hannover – Swiss Life Hall – w/ Beast In Black
07.11.2026 (DE) – Ludwigsburg – MHP Arena – w/ Beast In Black
08.11.2026 (DE) – Offenbach – Stadthalle Offenbach – w/ Beast In Black
09.11.2026 (FR) – Paris – L’Olympia – w/ Beast In Black
11.11.2026 (ES) – Barcelona – Razzmatazz 1 – w/ Beast In Black
12.11.2026 (ES) – Madrid – Sala Riviera – w/ Beast In Black
13.11.2026 (ES) – Bilbao – Sala Santana 27 – w/ Beast In Black
14.11.2026 (FR) – Ramonville-St-Agne – Le Bikini – w/ Beast In Black
15.11.2026 (FR) – Villeurbanne – Transbordeur – w/ Beast In Black
17.11.2026 (CH) – Zürich – Komplex AG – w/ Beast In Black
18.11.2026 (IT) – Milan – Alcatraz – w/ Beast In Black
20.11.2026 (DE) – München – Zenith – w/ Beast In Black
21.11.2026 (LU) – Esch-sur-Alzette – Rockhal – w/ Beast In Black
22.11.2026 (DE) – Oberhausen – Turbinenhalle – w/ Beast In Black
23.11.2026 (DE) – Hamburg – Inselparkhalle – w/ Beast In Black
24.11.2026 (SE) – Göteborg – Eriksbergshallen – w/ Beast In Black
25.11.2026 (SE) – Stockholm – Fryshuset – w/ Beast In Black

More on SONATA ARCTICA:
Website | https://www.sonataarctica.info

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/sonataarctica

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/sonataarcticaofficial/

reigningphoenixmusic.com

Source: C Squared Music

Edit: After posting this piece, co-founding members Brandon Gallagher and Zak Kessler released an exclusive statement with Lambgoat that they won’t be participating in the “reunion.” Their statement has been added below.

Festival season is like Christmas coming early, and an even earlier Christmas comes towards the beginning of the year, when said festival’s start slowly announcing their lineups. Hellfest is giving us a big juicy sack of gifts with who they’ve announced so far—particularly Old Wounds, who are slated to play Hellfest New Jersey.

What’s so tea about this is Old Wounds like, never turn up anywhere. Not that they ghost on their shows or appearances, but they just don’t really perform very much, especially over the last number of years. For the record, Old Wounds hasn’t played a show since 2019, with a set at Aura fest in Savannah, Georgia. Before then, they did less than a handful of shows in 2018. The rest of the lineup so far consists of Elysia, Vision of Disorder, and First Blood. More bands will be announced at some point and I’m sure there will be a few more surprises thrown in there.

What’s so not tea is that not all of the original members will be there. Co-founding members Brandon Gallagher (drums/vocals) and Zak Kessler (guitar) won’t be participating, as revealed in a statement shared with Lambgoat:

“Just wanted to drop in a clarify a few things considering the mostly excited comments about this announcement, were focused around a record that Zak and I had written during our time with this band. This ‘Old Wounds’ reunion, is not an OG line up reunion. We know it’s confusing because they used a logo I made, one that is very representative of that era of the band, on the marketing assets.

“Last year Zak started some initial discussions about doing a reunion with the 4 of us, but it didn’t come to fruition in a way we felt was right for us. We felt like we needed to say something to avoid any disappointment who were stoked to see Zak and my involvement back with Old Wounds.”

Brandon & Zakimage

Hellfest is a collaboration from Trustkill, Ephyra, and Takedown Events. The New Jersey fest will happen over the holiday weekend of July 3–5 at The Dome at Adventure Crossing in Jackson, NJ.

Early bird tickets are sold out, but you can purchase weekend passes and regular tickets here.

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The post Old Wounds to Make Rare Appearance at 2026 New Jersey Hellfest appeared first on MetalSucks.