Troubles released their debut album Red Alert today. The record features ten garage punk tracks with most songs running under two minutes. Recorded with producer Ville Valavuo, the album emphasizes a raw sound and includes artwork created by the band members Ida-Lotta, Laura, and Mikko.
The lyrics focus on social commentary. Vocalist Ida-Lotta identifies Eve as a feminist anthem, while Promises addresses sexual harassment and violence against women.
The band refused to put the album on Spotify. They cited the platform’s market monopoly and investment practices as the reason for the boycott. The music is available on Apple Music, Tidal, Deezer, and Qobuz.
Troubles will play a release show at Lepakkomies on April 30. They will follow this with several dates in May alongside STERÖID.
“All of us in the band are absolutely blown away by the amazing reaction and support to our new album. We want to say thank you to everyone that came out this week to buy a copy, especially all of those in our extended family in the rock and metal communities.
“The moment we decided to call the album You Got This after I was at the gym doing a spin class. I saw a PT helping a person I know who was recovering from a stroke, and I heard them say these three magical words: “You Got This.”
“It’s a positive message to everyone going through a tough time, or suffering with their mental health. It’s a message also of belief, to hopefully help empower every young band or artist, and to help them to keep going and push on through. So to be the first Welsh Ragga Metal Punk band from Newport to hit Number 1 really is a special moment. It really is a Fairytale of Newport. You Got This!
“We would also like to send our congratulations to Jessie Ware on her amazing new album, from all of us in Skindred.”
In a powerful revelation that has sent waves of inspiration through the metal community, Coal Chamber drummer Mikey “Bug” Cox has gone public with his year-long battle against Stage 3 cancer. Breaking his silence just twenty-four hours before Coal Chamber is set to take the stage at the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas, Cox confirmed that after grueling rounds of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, he has officially been declared cancer-free.
The news provides a heavy emotional backdrop to the band’s highly anticipated performance tomorrow, Saturday, April 25. To celebrate his recovery and give back to the community of survivors, Cox has announced a high-profile partnership with the Fxck Cancer organization, launching a special auction of his custom, one-of-a-kind drum kit to fund research and support resources.
The Year of the Warrior: From Diagnosis to Recovery
Cox’s journey began on April 1, 2025, when he received the life-altering Stage 3 diagnosis. In a deeply personal statement, the drummer described the experience as “dark and scary,” noting that it immediately shifted the orbit of his entire life. However, rather than letting the illness define him, Cox used the period to fuel his creative and professional output. While undergoing “brutal” treatments, he continued to run his Bash Construction Group company and claims to have written some of the best music of his career.
“The first thing I said to my wife was that I was going to fight with everything I had for my family,” Cox shared. “I celebrate life, healing, and the strength it takes to survive. I cannot wait to get back on stage post-cancer. These upcoming shows are going to be something truly special.”
To turn his survival into a positive force for others, Cox chose to partner with Fxck Cancer, an organization known for its bold, unapologetic approach to raising awareness. The centerpiece of this collaboration is the auction of a bespoke drum kit featuring components from ddrum, Scorpion Percussion, TRX Cymbals, and Gator Cases.
Cox highlighted that the organization’s direct voice resonates deeply within the music community, helping people face the disease head-on rather than avoiding the conversation. Proceeds from the auction will go directly toward bringing resources to those in the “unwanted community of warriors.”
This health revelation also provides context for the band’s recent turbulence. In early 2025, Coal Chamber was forced to cancel the rescheduled “Fiend For The Fans” U.S. tour. While that trek was initially postponed due to vocalist Dez Fafara’s own health emergency, the collective health of the band has clearly been a priority.
After their triumphant return at the 2023 Sick New World and Inkcarceration festivals, tomorrow’s set in Las Vegas now carries a much deeper weight. It marks not only the return of a nü-metal powerhouse but the public victory lap of a survivor who refused to stay down.
Coal Chamber drummer Mikey “Bug” Cox has revealed that he has successfully defeated Stage 3 cancer following a year-long battle. Diagnosed in April 2025, Cox underwent intense treatment while continuing to work and write music. Now cancer-free, he is partnering with the Fxck Cancer organization to auction a custom drum kit for charity, just in time for the band’s performance at Sick New World 2026.
Today, German black metallers Werwolf stream the entirety of their long-awaited debut album, Satanic Terror, at the No Gleaming Light YouTube channel. Set for international release on April 24th via Dominance of Darkness Records, hear Werwolf‘s Satanic Terror in its entirety exclusively HERE. Formed in the dark days of 2005, Germany’s Werwolf spent their first 15 years in the deepest underground, littering filth only when the time […]
As Coal Chamber gets ready to hit the stage as part of the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas, on Saturday, April 25, Coal Chamber drummer Mikey “Bug” Cox is today making his own personal revelation that he has been fighting–and winning—a battle with cancer. As a result of his recovery, he is proud to announce his partnership with Fxck Cancer to hold a special auction of a custom one-of-a-kind drum kit from ddrum with proceeds going to cancer support and research.
Here’s a statement from Mikey “Bug” Cox: “GRATITUDE. It’s a word that gets thrown around a lot, but it hits differently for me these days. On April 1, 2025, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer. I’m not unique. It feels like a lot of us are dealing with this or know someone who is. It’s dark, it’s scary, and it changes the lives of everyone in its orbit.
The first thing I said to my wife was that I was going to fight with everything I had for my family! There were a lot of days I couldn’t make it out of bed, but I didn’t want cancer to define me. So, I finished building the house I was working on with my Bash Construction Group company, and I wrote some of the best music of my life! After a yearlong battle and absolutely brutal rounds of radiation, chemotherapy, and eventually surgery, I’m so grateful to be able to say I made it to CANCER FREE.
The second thing I said to myself was that I wanted to create something positive out of this situation, and that’s where we are today. I hope you’ll join me as I partner with Fxck Cancer to auction off a custom, one-of-a-kind drum kit from ddrum, Scorpion Percussion, TRX Cymbals, and Gator Cases with proceeds to bring awareness, support and resources to those who may find themselves in this unpredictable and unwanted community of warriors.
I’ll have so many people to thank and share my story with in the coming days, and I will be highlighting some of the amazing people and organizations that are working with us to make this goal of mine a reality.
Today I celebrate life, healing, and the strength it takes to survive. I cannot wait to get back on stage post-cancer. These upcoming shows are going to be something truly special.
I chose to partner with Fxck Cancer, because of its bold, direct approach to a disease. Their work breaks stigma, encourages honest conversations, and promotes early detection in a way that resonates—especially with younger audiences and the music community. Its unapologetic voice makes the message feel urgent, relatable and empowering, helping people face cancer head-on instead of avoiding it.”
Coal Chamber is a pioneering American nu metal band formed in Los Angeles, CA that was formed in 1993. Known for their dark, groove-driven sound and gothic aesthetic, the band became a defining force in the late ’90s heavy music scene alongside acts that helped shape the nu metal movement. Fronted by Dez Fafara, Coal Chamber broke through with their Gold-certified self-titled debut album in 1997, followed by the critically recognized albums Chamber Music (1999) and Dark Days (2002). After disbanding in 2003, the group reunited in 2011, returning to the stage and releasing Rivals (2015), their first studio album in over a decade. With a legacy rooted in heavy riffs, haunting atmospheres, and a fiercely loyal fanbase, Coal Chamber remains an influential name in alternative metal and nu metal history.
Fxck Cancer’s mission is to fight cancer by raising awareness with an emphasis on early detection. We aim to eliminate late-stage diagnoses and improve outcomes for those affected. Through our Dyin 2 Live Dreams program, we seek to uplift and inspire individuals battling cancer by offering unique and inspiring VIP experiences that bring hope, strength, and resilience.
Misery Index Sign to Season of Mist, Announce New Music and 2026 European/UK Tour
Veteran death metal juggernauts Misery Index are officially back in the fold with Season of Mist, setting the stage for a new chapter that includes fresh material and a massive European and UK headline run in 2026.
For a quarter century, Misery Index have carved out their place as one of extreme metal’s most relentless forces, blending death metal and grindcore with razor-sharp social commentary. With ties to heavyweights like Dying Fetus and Pig Destroyer, the Baltimore-based outfit have built a reputation the hard way, through seven acclaimed albums, over 1,500 live shows, and performances across 46 countries alongside genre titans.
Now, the band are gearing up to unleash new music from their upcoming eighth full-length album, marking their return to the label that previously released The Killing Gods (2014) and Rituals of Power (2019).
Bassist and vocalist Jason Netherton shared his enthusiasm about the reunion:
“We in Misery Index are mega-chuffed to be back in the cozy, dark embrace of the Season of Mist family! The delicious smell of a classic independent label is both welcoming and intoxicating. Like the minstrels of yore, we wandered into the wilderness for a few years until we found our way back to where we belong.”
2026 European & UK Headline Tour
The band will hit the road next summer for their “An Epitaph for Endtimes” tour, including appearances at major festivals like Wacken Open Air and Summer Breeze.
Confirmed dates:
July 28 – Helsinki, Finland @ Kult
July 30 – Wacken, Germany @ Wacken Open Air
August 1 – Dortmund, Germany @ Dortmund Death Fest
August 2 – Saint Maurice de Gourdans, France @ Sylak Open Air
August 4 – Deinze, Belgium @ Elpee
August 5 – The Hague, Netherlands @ Musicon
August 6 – Schlotheim, Germany @ Party.San Open Air
August 8 – Swansea, UK @ Sin City
August 9 – Manchester, UK @ Rebellion
August 10 – Birmingham, UK @ Castle & Falcon
August 11 – Bridgwater, UK @ The Cobblestones
August 13 – Munich, Germany @ Backstage
August 14 – Dinkelsbühl, Germany @ Summer Breeze
August 15 – Sulingen, Germany @ Reload Festival
A Legacy of Relentless Evolution
Since forming in 2001 as a studio project, Misery Index have steadily evolved into a dominant force in extreme music. From their debut Retaliate on Nuclear Blast to their influential run with Relapse Records and later Century Media Records, the band have consistently delivered uncompromising records while expanding their global reach.
Critics have long praised their intensity and relevance:
Decibel called them “a behemoth”
Pitchfork highlighted their destructive precision
Metal Hammer noted their timely and politically charged approach
Metal Injection described their sound as “impressively heavy, expansive and loud”
Through lineup changes and shifting industry tides, the current roster of Jason Netherton (bass/vocals), Mark Kloeppel (guitar/vocals), Darin Morris (lead guitar), and Adam Jarvis (drums) has remained a rock-solid unit.
What’s Next
With new music on the horizon and a major tour locked in, Misery Index aren’t slowing down. If anything, they’re doubling down on everything that’s made them essential listening for decades.
No nostalgia act here. This is a band still in the fight, still writing, still touring, and still pushing back against the chaos of the world the only way they know how: loud, fast, and unapologetic.
“As more time passes, heavy music continues to lose its teeth. This genre is supposed to be threatening; it should have an edge and make you feel something. We tried to create an album with urgency.”
Unique British black metal innovators A FOREST OF STARS have translated their epic new track ‘Street Level Vertigo‘ into a colourful lyric video, which is again based on original paintings of lead vocalist Curse. This advance single is taken from their forthcoming album “Stack Overflow in Corpse Pile Interface that is scheduled for release on May 8, 2026. Pre-sale link: https://spkr.store/collections/a-forest-of-stars A FOREST OF STARS comment on ‘Street Level Vertigo’: “We observe all and sundry rotting”, […]
French folk artist Minda Tindle released her lovely album Compass Rosa last November. A few songs on it featured Sufjan Stevens, including the single “Heaven Thunder.” Today, Tindle released an expanded version of the album with three new songs, “Ladies,” “Chant Andalou,” and “My Light.” The latter features Stevens teaming up with Tindle again. Tindle…
