Recommended for fans of: Moonspell, Anathema, Tiamat I always try my best to ensure that each edition of The Synn Report is different from the last, in the sense that I never want to have too many Black Metal, or Death Metal, etc, entries in a row. For example, so far this year we’ve had some […]
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BraveWords Records is honored to release Greg Fraser’s instrumental guitar version of ‘O Canada‘. The single can be streamed and purchased on Bandcamp or listened to on YouTube. Greg Fraser is a founding member of Storm Force who are releasing their second album ‘Truth‘, on August 14th via BraveWords Records. Pre-order ‘Truth‘ – here Join […]
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Progressive trio Stick Men will release its first new studio album in more than 10 years when Let’s Thrak Again arrives on September 4. The record serves as a tribute to King Crimson‘s 1995 album Thrak, with the project receiving the approval of Robert Fripp.
To introduce the album, the band has shared “Swimming In Tea”, the only track on the record featuring vocals. Markus Reuter handles lead vocals before the song shifts into one of Tony Levin‘s trademark Chapman Stick performances.
Rather than presenting a single version of the album, Stick Men has created two separate editions. Reel One was mixed by Stefano Castagna, while Reel Two was handled by Fabio Trentini. Each mix features its own sequencing and sonic character, giving listeners two different interpretations of the same material.
The band explained its approach: “‘Let’s Thrak Again’ is 60 minutes of pure, kinetic energy. We didn’t just write 12 new compositions; we designed an entirely new sonic vocabulary for them.”
The trio also discussed the decision to release two distinct versions of the album.
“Our audience listens deeply. They don’t just want to hear the notes; they want to understand the architecture of the sound. By having Stefano and Fabio approach the exact same music with completely different visions, we are handing the listener the ultimate audiophile puzzle. It’s a roll of the dice, a sonic triptych, and a tribute to the heavy, mechanical impact of the original Thrak era.”
Pre-orders for Let’s Thrak Again are available now through Bandcamp. The 26-track release will be offered on vinyl, CD and digital formats. The album artwork was created by Ritxi Ostariz.
The lineup brings together three musicians with decades of experience in progressive and rock music. Tony Levin, known for his work with Peter Gabriel, John Lennon, Pink Floyd and King Crimson, performs on his signature Chapman Stick, a 12-string tapping instrument that allows him to combine bass lines and melodic passages at the same time.
Alongside him is longtime King Crimson bandmate Pat Mastelotto, whose hybrid drum setup blends traditional percussion with electronic elements, loops and samples to create the band’s rhythmic foundation.
Rounding out the trio is composer and multi-instrumentalist Markus Reuter, who performs on his custom-built eight-string Touch Guitar. Using a similar two-handed tapping technique, Reuter moves between atmospheric textures, layered chords and lead work, helping the three musicians create a sound that reaches far beyond what is typically expected from a trio.
The post STICK MEN Returns With First New Album In More Than A Decade Paying Tribute To King Crimson’s “Thrak” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
All human life is here in Donington Park, gathered in their masses to worship at the temple of high-volume amps in this, the epicentre of Metal festivals for the past forty-six years. It is heartening to walk around a sea of people and witness countless thousands smiling as they forget their day jobs and the world outside just to lose themselves for a few days as Download 2026 rumbles onwards, an unstoppable titan.
Words: Paul Monkhouse
Photography: Matt Pratt
Whilst things may have changed a little at the head of the event, what does not alter is the bewildering amount of bands spread over four main arena stages and the opportunity to tick off bucket list acts as well as finding a new favourite.
From people who were probably at the very first Monsters of Rock festival to the young children held on shoulders and with ear protection as they throw the horns skywards, this was a multi-generational event that proved again that UK metal has found its home in this little part of Derbyshire.
It was certainly a year of contrasts as veteran acts rubbed shoulders with the young pretenders and the term ‘rock’ was at times stretched to breaking point with the addition of acts like Scooter and Five to the bill.
Fortunately, there were more than enough bands with heft to outweigh the off-kilter choices, and with headliners Limp Bizkit, Guns N’ Roses and Linkin Park, there was more than enough spectacle for even the most demanding.
With a shower on Thursday, the site was nicely drying out by Friday, and with a capacity crowd in attendance, moving around the site through knee-deep mud was not an issue, with sunburn and dust being more of a problem to most.
Kicking off things on the Apex stage, Scene Queen warned her family, present at the side of the stage, that the set was going to be her most offensive and certainly her self-dubbed ‘Bimbocore’ was a joyously filthy riot of no-punches pulled songs about all aspects of the human experience, all wrapped up in punk pop glitter.
Equally feral, Slay Squad dominated Dogtooth with their ferocious blend of street-smart rap and rock, their gloriously righteous anger a jolt of electricity to the senses that even their exhortation of “this is our first time in London” could not derail.
Back on the main stage, the very welcome return of P.O.D. saw the San Diago Nu-Metal princes bring their own fire to proceedings, anthems like Voice Of The Nation and Alive sounding as fresh and relevant as they ever have.
James And The Cold Gun brought an old-school hard rock flavour to things, their set full of big riffs and the sort of feel that would not have felt out of place at the original Monsters of Rock festival back in the ’80s.
Bringing sunshine vibes across the site, Hollywood Undead effortlessly switched between heavy hitters like opener Undead through to the bright acoustic led Bullet before Pendulum bring bouncing anthems like Propane Nightmares and Archangel to get the masses moving.
Incendiary sets by Drain and Lake Malice tore things up before Periphery and Electric Callboy brought their own madness to the day, the German electronicore particularly well received with their manic neon-covered beats and party vibes setting them out as certain future headliners.
More serious but just as impressive, Daughtry shone, the main man himself possessing a very fine set of pipes and whilst it was a bit of a disappointment that Lzzy Hale did not join the band for their take of Journey’s Separate Ways (Worlds Apart).
The rest of the set contained infectious numbers like Pieces and The Day I Die that more than made up for that.
Elsewhere, Cyprus Hill’s incendiary hip-hop, Band-Maid’s Heavy Metal thrills and Feeder’s Brit rock hits all got already sweating audiences up to boiling point, but it was Halestorm’s well-earned headline set on the Opus stage that drew a massive crowd.
In Lzzy, they have one of the greatest voices of a generation, and material like I Miss The Misery, Love Bites (So Do I) and Back From The Dead shows they have the songs too, with a cheeky little cover of Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance thrown into the mix.
Celebratory and triumphant, it was the perfect way to get everyone ready for a bittersweet set by Limp Bizkit, the field in front of the Apex stage a thickly carpeted sea of grinning people.
With the recent loss of bass player Sam Rivers heavy on their minds, this was a tribute to the brand he built and saw the band on ferocious form, Fred Durst leading the singalong as every lyric was projected on the huge screen at the back of the stage.
With Wes Borland’s extraordinary outfit and a set made up of giant cassette boxes, My Generation, Hot Dog and Nookie all were received with unhinged fervour but things really kicked off when Rollin’ tore into its chorus.
Covers of Faith and Behind Blue Eyes brought some different flavours and despite having to stop when there was an incident in the crowd, the band swept back and topped everything off with a furious and potent Break Stuff.
With the option of catching the mighty Cavellera or to head into the Village to finish the night, there was no doubt that Friday was going to be hard to beat.
The spirit of the legendary Tampa death metal scene is alive and more brutal than ever. Yesterday, the official lineup for Tampa Death Fest 2026 was finally unveiled, sending shockwaves through the global extreme metal community. Set to take place at the iconic Brass Mug in Tampa, Florida, the festival is shaping up to be a definitive celebration of old-school carnage.
Headlining the two-day event are none other than the technical death metal pioneers Viogression and the cult legends Nasty Savage. Joining them is a relentless roster of veterans and rising forces, including Leprosy, Gangrenesia, Homicide, and Must Not Kill. This lineup is a masterclass in the raw, uncompromising sound that put Tampa on the map decades ago.
“Tampa is where it all began for many of us,” the festival organizers stated. “With the 2026 edition, we wanted to bring back that original energy—the smell of the pit, the crushing riffs, and the absolute brotherhood of the scene. Having Viogression and Nasty Savage on the same stage is a dream come for any true headbanger.”
Scheduled for September 4th and 5th, 2026, the Tampa Death Fest is already being hailed as the must-attend event for extreme metal fans. Tickets are expected to sell out instantly as fans from around the world prepare for a pilgrimage to the holy ground of death metal.
Festival Information:
The summer music festival season is in full swing, with live events happening all over the world featuring some of the biggest bands around. But, as you’ll be well aware, there’s no Glastonbury this year with the Worthy Farm festival having a fallow year, with the plan for it to return in 2027.
With the weather finally sorting itself out, have you thought about creating your own festival experience at home to fill the gap?
You and your friends can avoid the inevitable downpours, the massive queues at the bar, the pricy food, the late nights and the hassle of pitching a tent when you’d much rather be seeing live music.
I’ve picked out several products that can help transform your living room, bedroom or patio into a mini-festival site – and with the BBC currently showing highlights and a selection of live sets from the 2025 festival including The Prodigy’s blistering performance, alongside classic performances such as Radiohead from 1997 and The Cure from 2019 via the BBC iPlayer, it’s a great time to add some festival joy to the summer.
If you’re planning on having a number of people round, you could always dish out these personalised wristbands at the door. This pack of 100 can be customised before you add them to your Amazon basket, so you can add a personal touch like people’s names or the title of your home festival. You can also specify colours and font for the waterproof wristbands.
Rather than sit on the sofa and re-watch Glastonbury highlights, these bean bags from Kingston are ideal for lounging about. They’re available in a wide variety of colours including Denim Blue, Ochre Yellow, Orange and Lavender, so you can mix things up when you scatter them around your makeshift festival site.
Get the kids involved in your own mini-festival at home by getting them into the rock’n’roll spirit with these temporary tattoos. The kit contains 10 tattoo stickers, with each sheet measuring 12 x 6.8 cm, and while there are few to choose from, the pack with logos, skulls, guitars and flames gets my vote. They’re made from skin-friendly, non-toxic materials, last for up to 5 days, and can be easily removed with soap and water.
Spread this picnic blanket by VonShelf on top of your floor for home festival viewing, and you won’t have to worry about drinks being spilled or ketchup from your hotdog being splattered on the carpet as you try and heave yourself out of a bean bag. The blanket can also easily be tied up and carried thanks to a wee handle, making it a nice bit of festival camping kit when you go to the real thing. It’s also available in three different sizes and five different colours.
I have several of these Philips, colour-changing HUE bulbs in my flat along with the company’s excellent LED strips. They’re all controlled via the Philips HUE app and can be changed to a massive variety of colours and brightnesses. They really help create an atmosphere which would be ideal for your Glastonbury at home night. You can also save your favourite colour combinations and switch between them with a simple tap. This is a pack of four, and once you start using them, you won’t be able to stop.
Got friends over? Then you can always pause the Glasto reruns and add a little competitiveness to the day with a music quiz. Instead of scouring the internet for a list of cookie-cutter questions, take a dive into the world of Hitster and turn up the volume. Hitster is a game for 2-10 people and works with the free Hitster app. Ever card has a QR code; simply scan it and a one of more than 300 tracks will play via Spotify. Then it’s up to you to name the song and the year it was released. There are different gameplay options to keep things fresh too.
If you’re having a festival party, you’re going to want a powerful speaker to help pump out the tunes late into the summer night. In my Marshall Woburn III review, I had no hesitation in awarding it the full five stars thanks to its detailed and balanced delivery, massive sound and all-round classic design. A serious speaker to get the weekend festival party started.
OK, so you’ve probably already got a fridge at home, but this 4 litre portable mini fridge is a nice choice for the corner of the living room when you simply can’t be bothered traipsing through to the kitchen for a cold drink. It can keep 6 cans cold and when you’re done with your home festival viewing, simply store it away. A nice camping idea too – as long as you have access to mains power.
Some of my friends recently used the excuse of the men’s football World Cup to buy a new TV – and if you’re looking to upgrade your existing smart TV, you could always pick up this UHD 4K Samsung TV for a really nice price. Available from 50-inches through to a frankly massive 85-inches, there should a Samsung TV to suit. My last two TVs have been Samsung and I’ve been impressed with their all-round performance. Great for some Mario Kart World between performances too!
If you want a bit more inspiration when creating your Glastonbury at home experience, how about setting up a food and drink station, complete with bowls of snacks, plastic glasses and an ice bucket in the hall? You could even replace the bean bags I mentioned above with camping chairs – although it might now be quite as comfy.
Give your guests a running order for the day ahead – and plan in times for games of Hitster, giant jenga and food breaks for pizza delivery. You could even get some VIP lanyards printed, allowing “exclusive access” to your living room and fit some blackout curtains to create a night vibe for the whole day.
And if you think the noise might upset your neighbours, invite them round to join in!
The latest installment of the NPR quiz show Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! was recorded in Chicago, and it features an appearance from Stephen Malkmus, who moved to the Windy City in recent years. According to NPR’s episode description, the Pavement/Jicks/Hard Quartet frontman was there “to answer three questions about construction zones.” Specifically, he played a game called “Pavement repairs are underway!” As someone who hears “5-4=Unity” in my head every time I see a highway sign that says GROOVED PAVEMENT, I appreciate the hyper-literal approach. However, the main takeaway from the episode has to do with towels, not asphalt.
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