For the first time in her career, the Queen of Texas brought her ‘Queen of Europe’ tour to Glasgow for an almost sold-out show at King Tut’s, making a memorable first impression. Solya has had an eventful 2026, to say the least. From charting at No. 27 on the Billboard charts with her debut album, … Continue reading Gig Review: Solya – King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow (3rd August 2026)
“Allocated Savagery” is the latest single from veteran German thrash legion, EXUMER. The track comes by way of the band’s latest studio album, Death Mask Messiah, set for release on August 28th through Metal Blade Records.
Death Mask Messiah is inspired conceptually by US politics of the last decade, the pandemic, the use of misinformation to stir up cultural divides, etc. Vocalist Mem V. Stein also explores the 30-year anniversary of Waco, Texas and the standoff with the Branch Davidians.
“‘Allocated Savagery’ delivers a brutal musical and lyrical account of the event,” comments Mem. “The track captures the intensity of the confrontation with the ATF, while reflecting on themes of misinformation and division that still resonate today.”
Watch EXUMER’s previously released video for “Death Mask Messiah”HERE.
Death Mask Messiah serves as EXUMER’s first new studio output in seven years and further cements the band’s legacy as a dauntless thrash metal institution. A logical and compelling progression from their three previous albums, the 11 ferocious songs, produced by Dominic Paraskevopoulos (Kreator, Caliban) and mixed and mastered by Arthur Rizk (Soulfly, King Diamond), take a more brutal and direct musical approach.
Recorded from December 2025 through January 2026, Death Mask Messiah is also the first EXUMER LP recorded with the rhythm section of drummer Jerome Reil and bass player Alex Voss. “You can feel their young energy, coupled with our trademark aggression and experience,” says Mem. “The band sounds more focused and yet raw, thanks to their addition to the lineup.”
The sequencing of Death Mask Messiah mirrors the intended lyrical and conceptual narrative to the music guitarists Ray Mensh and Marc B. composed for the album. The result is an auditory and emotional rollercoaster ride worth repeating.
“I think we are heading toward a thrash renaissance, with legacy bands like us, Exodus and Kreator dropping new albums, and younger bands becoming very popular with younger fans,” Mem observes. While it’s been a few years since EXUMER’s last album, Death Mask Messiah is doubtless worth the wait, the band believes that, “it’s always quality over quantity for EXUMER, and we hope and believe people appreciate that approach.”
As a bonus, Death Mask Messiah includes a guest and a cover song: Nasty Ronnie Galletti from American metal legends Nasty Savage sings on EXUMER’s version of his band’s track “Unchained Angel.” EXUMER supported the band in 1988 on their first European tour.
Death Mask Messiah features front art and layout by Björn Gooßes of Killustrations (Sodom, Vomitory) and will be released on CD-Digipak and digital formats as well as vinyl in the following color variants:
180g Black “Galaxy” Red/Black “Saturn” Grey/Brown Ripple (Ltd. 250) “Onyx” Black Ice w/ White Splatter (Ltd. 250)
11. Unchained Angel (Nasty Savage cover feat. Nasty Ronnie)
EXUMER Live: 10/23/2026 Nuclear Winter Festival 2026 – Hirschaid, DE 11/21/2026 Alcatraz & Pluto Festival – Deinze, BE 2/20/2027 Endzeit Festival 2027 – Essen, DE 7/26/2027 Nackenbrecher Open Air – Teuchern, DE
EXUMER: Mem V. Stein – vocals Ray Mensh – guitars Marc B. – guitars Alex Voss – bass Jerome Reil – drums
Weezy caught up with Denmark’s Ghost Iris fresh from their crushing performance at RADAR Festival to chat all things music, songwriting, and life on the road. From breaking down what makes Ghost Iris, to discussing the evolution of their sound, the challenges of performing technical songs live, and the ever-changing world of modern metalcore, this … Continue reading Amplify Carlisle Video Interview: Ghost Iris
The award-winning ArcTanGent Festival has announced a historic move to a new location for 2027, bringing an end to its tenure at Fernhill Farm in Bristol after 2026. From 2027 onwards, the globally celebrated celebration of math rock, post-rock, metal, doom, psych, and avant-garde music will take place at Todenham Manor Farm, near Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire. … Continue reading ArcTanGent Festival moves to new home in Gloucestershire for 2027
Henry Rollins will publish a new autobiographical memoir next year.
Bait Dog Boy is described by publishers Random House as “asearing memoir of a broken childhood and the hope of escaping it” and as “a coming-of-age story with the teeth and truth of a great punk anthem.”
A synopsis of the book reads: “What happens when a child grows up in an almost total vacuum of love? That was the reality for Henry Rollins, pioneering punk frontman of the seminal groups Black Flag and Rollins Band, who came of age in an environment seemingly determined to break him.
“For the first time, Rollins tells the story he spent most of his life trying to avoid, taking us through his childhood and adolescence – from a volatile Washington, D.C., childhood spent shuffling between indifferent parents, to his encounters with a seemingly endless parade of abusive adults, to his eventual meeting with Ian MacKaye, and their ultimate discovery of punk rock, which would become a lifeline. Rollins tells what it was like to live a life colored by the experience of constantly absorbing pain, like a bait dog.
“It’s an unforgettable tale of what it means to not quite fit in anywhere, except on stage: A memoir as dynamic and singular as its subject.”
“I have no desire to be a survivor,” says Rollins writes. “I’d rather accept, absorb, adapt, fight and break that which seeks to break me—to be that which remains.”
The book will be published on March 2, 2027 by Random House, and can be pre-ordered here.
Rollins has previously written about his experiences in the music industry and beyond in memoirs such as Get In The Van, Smile You’re Travelling, and Black Coffee Blues.
“Allocated Savagery” is the latest single from veteran German thrash legion, Exumer. The track comes by way of the band’s latest studio album, Death Mask Messiah, set for release on August 28th through Metal Blade Records.
Death Mask Messiah is inspired conceptually by US politics of the last decade, the pandemic, the use of misinformation to stir up cultural divides, etc. Vocalist Mem V. Stein also explores the 30th anniversary of Waco, Texas, and the standoff with the Branch Davidians.
“‘Allocated Savagery’ delivers a brutal musical and lyrical account of the event,” comments Mem. “The track captures the intensity of the confrontation with the ATF, while reflecting on themes of misinformation and division that still resonate today.”
Death Mask Messiah serves as Exumer’s first new studio output in seven years and further cements the band’s legacy as a dauntless thrash metal institution. A logical and compelling progression from their three previous albums, the 11 ferocious songs, produced by Dominic Paraskevopoulos (Kreator, Caliban) and mixed and mastered by Arthur Rizk (Soulfly, KingDiamond), take a more brutal and direct musical approach.
Recorded from December 2025 through January 2026, Death Mask Messiah is also the first Exumer LP recorded with the rhythm section of drummer Jerome Reil and bass player Alex Voss. “You can feel their young energy, coupled with our trademark aggression and experience,” says Mem. “The band sounds more focused and yet raw, thanks to their addition to the lineup.”
The sequencing of Death Mask Messiah mirrors the intended lyrical and conceptual narrative to the music guitarists Ray Mensh and Marc B. composed for the album. The result is an auditory and emotional rollercoaster ride worth repeating. “I think we are heading toward a thrash renaissance, with legacy bands like us, Exodus and Kreator dropping new albums, and younger bands becoming very popular with younger fans,” Mem observes. While it’s been a few years since Exumer’s last album, Death Mask Messiah is doubtless worth the wait; the band believes that “it’s always quality over quantity for Exumer, and we hope and believe people appreciate that approach.”
As a bonus, Death Mask Messiah includes a guest and a cover song: Nasty Ronnie Galletti from American metal legends Nasty Savage sings on Exumer’s version of his band’s track “Unchained Angel.” Exumer supported the band in 1988 on their first European tour.
Death Mask Messiah features front art and layout by Björn Gooßes of Killustrations (Sodom, Vomitory) and will be released on CD-Digipak and digital formats as well as vinyl in the following color variants:
With “Welcome To Life,” Kai Hansen releases the second single from his upcoming solo album Born With A Hammer. Following the powerful “Feeding The Beast,” the song reveals another side of the musician who, as co-founder of Helloween and founder of Gamma Ray, has played a defining role in European heavy metal and power metal in particular for decades.
Driving guitars, striking changes in tempo and strong melodies come together in a direct blend of heavy metal, punk and rock’n’roll. As the second track on the album, “Welcome To Life” makes it clear early on just how diverse Born With A Hammer is set to be.
Lyrically, the song is about accepting life as it is, not dwelling on what is missing and making the most of what you have. Hansen combines this outlook with his unmistakable guitar playing, an infectious sense of spontaneity, and the spirit of a road trip through life.
The official lyric video brings this idea to life as a Mustang tears through a heightened, hell-tinged world. Its imagery follows the song’s shifting dynamics and puts its sense of freedom firmly on the road.
Born With A Hammer was produced by Eike Freese, Kai Hansen and Alexander Dietz. The album was recorded with Eike Freese on guitar, Heaven Shall Burn’s Alexander Dietz on bass, Carcass drummer Dan Wilding and Induction guitarist Tim Hansen.
Across 10 songs, Born With A Hammer combines powerful heavy metal with punk attitude, hard rock drive, and strong melodies. “Welcome To Life” represents the album’s more immediate and carefree side, expanding the picture of this new solo chapter following “Feeding The Beast.”
Following the worldwide success of Helloween’s recent reunion era and its major international tours, Born With A Hammer sees Kai Hansen return his focus to his own musical world. “Welcome To Life” shows that this world is firmly rooted in his history while continuing to forge a path entirely of its own.
Born With A Hammer can be pre-ordered here in the following formats.
CD Digipak
Black LP Gatefold (180g)
Limited Picture Disc LP (180g)
Kai Hansen is one of modern heavy metal’s most influential creative forces. As co-founder of Helloween and founder of Gamma Ray, he shaped the sound and spirit of power metal and continues to influence artists and fans worldwide. His work with Helloween has brought him back to the biggest stages around the globe, while Born With A Hammer reveals another side of his creative drive — personal, direct and fully charged.
