Category: news

Before their new album Far From God officially comes out this Friday, the Portuguese metal masters Moonspell are premiering the last single in advance “The Great Wolf In The Sky” featuring Alicia Nuhro.
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Melodic blues‑heavy rock band DieveNoire has released its boldest visual statement yet with the new music video for “IDGAF,” a track from their debut concept album “The Story of a […]

The post DieveNoire Drops Defiant New Video “IDGAF” – A Personal Journey From When Humanity Breaks You appeared first on Metal-Rules.com.

Alternative rock legends Evanescence have just shattered a massive industry milestone as their definitive 2003 breakout masterpiece, Bring Me To Life, officially secured a mind-blowing 11x Platinum certification from the RIAA. The stunning update completely launches the single past the elite Diamond threshold—representing over 11 million verified units shifted in the United States—marking an incredible commercial resurrection for an anthem that originally defined a generation.

EVANESCENCE: RIAA CERTIFICATION & TRACKING BLUEPRINT

Over One Million Units Over Diamond: The Staggering 2026 Resurgence

The explosive new certification issued by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on June 25, 2026, showcases a truly historic leap in commercial velocity. The track’s last official entry into the RIAA database occurred back in April of 2019, where it sat at a highly respectable 3x Platinum. In the seven years since that audit, a massive wave of global streaming consumption has pushed the song past the highly coveted Diamond marker (10x Platinum) straight into 11x Platinum territory.

This marks the second official Diamond-level plaque awarded to the band. Their legendary 2003 debut full-length album Fallen—which featured the track as its lead single—achieved Diamond status in November 2022.

The longevity of the track is practically unrivaled in modern alternative rock history. More than two decades after its initial deployment, the song remains an unkillable staple on global rock radio formatting. This continuous multi-platform lifecycle was highly evident in January 2024, when the anthem officially crossed into Spotify’s highly exclusive “Billion Streams Club.”

The Hidden Backstory: Corporate Interference and Altered Visions

While the soaring, dramatic interplay between frontperson Amy Lee and guest vocalist Paul McCoy of 12 Stones remains a highly memorable hallmark of early-2000s nu-metal, Lee has since pulled back the curtain to reveal that the rap-laced vocals were never supposed to happen.

The band’s original creative vision for the track was completely independent of guest performers, designed strictly as a pure, cinematic solo rock arrangement. Wind-up Records executives aggressively pushed back against the layout, threatening to withhold the album’s release entirely unless a male vocal dynamic was forced into the mix to make it more palatable for male-dominated active rock radio. Lee ultimately relented, a corporate compromise that paradoxically yielded an unkillable global monster.

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Cracking the RIAA Math: How Streams Turned to Precious Metal

The modern calculus behind these updated plaques highlights the incredible weight of on-demand digital streaming. Because traditional physical single sales have largely vanished, the RIAA calculates modern certifications by synthesizing multiple digital avenues:

• 1 Certified Unit equals 10 permanent digital track downloads.
• 1 Certified Unit equals 1,500 on-demand audio or video streams generated from a full album project.
• 1 Track-Equivalent Unit is automatically triggered by every 150 individual streams of a standalone single.

By crossing 11 million certified units under this rigorous mathematical framework, Evanescence has proven that their signature anthem isn’t just a nostalgic throwback—it is a commercially bulletproof institution in alternative music history.

Also – “Female-Fronted Metal” Isn’t A Genre—These 13 Bands Prove Why That Doesn’t Matter

FAQ: Evanescence ‘Bring Me To Life’ Diamond Award

What does an 11x Platinum certification mean? It indicates that a track has moved over 11,000,000 equivalent units in the United States through verified physical sales, digital downloads, and on-demand streaming audio/video metrics.

How many Diamond awards does Evanescence have? The band holds two official RIAA Diamond awards: one for their signature lead single “Bring Me To Life” and one for their landmark 2003 debut studio album Fallen.

Who is the male guest singer on the track? The male vocals are performed by Paul McCoy of the post-grunge band 12 Stones, who was brought into the tracking layout due to heavy record label pressure.

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TL;DR

• The Milestone: Evanescence’s legendary 2003 breakthrough hit “Bring Me To Life” has been certified 11x Platinum by the RIAA.
• The Scale: This achievement pushes the signature track past the elite Diamond threshold (10x Platinum), representing 11 million US units.
• The Legacy: This is the band’s second Diamond plaque, following their debut full-length album Fallen hitting the milestone in 2022.
• The Reality: Despite joining Spotify’s 1 Billion Streams club, Amy Lee has confirmed the rap vocals were entirely a result of corporate label pressure.

The certifications have been updated, the data is set in stone, and Evanescence has locked down an eternal position at the absolute summit of alternative rock history.

What is your honest assessment of this stunning Diamond single milestone? Do you believe “Bring Me To Life” stands as the ultimate defining track of the early-2000s heavy music boom, or do you find yourself wondering how the track would have performed if Amy Lee had successfully fought off label pressure to keep it a solo song? Sound off with your tracking thoughts and song reviews in the comment section below!

The post Evanescence Smash All Records As Iconic Anthem Crosses Historic Diamond Status In The United States! appeared first on Loaded Radio.

Adam Weiner, pianist and frontman of Low Cut Connie, talks about driving himself to gigs in his own Hyundai while the band and crew travel in a 15-passenger van, rehearsing in a 200-year-old barn in New Jersey, and why he wishes he had learned the business side of music earlier than he did.

Connecticut musician Steve Rodgers is a man of many incarnations. Just don’t call the songwriter and producer a workaholic.

The post Steve Rodgers on Pivoting, Passion, and Resurrecting Creativity appeared first on Rockmommy.com.

Not many bands can say that they sold out their first UK headline show, but that is a claim that The Funeral Portrait, hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, can now make. Off the back of their run of various US and European festival shows and their almost constant touring schedules, they had also booked their first … Continue reading Gig Review: The Funeral Portrait / The Howling – Rebellion, Manchester (29th June 2026)

Italian symphonic power metal band Tales and Legends has launched a crowdfunding campaign dedicated to the creation of their second album. Following the release of their debut […]

The post Italian Symphonic Metal TALES AND LEGENDS Launch Crowdfunding Campaign For New Album! appeared first on Metal-Rules.com.

Usually when I adore a musician, I instinctively hate their imitators, out of loyalty and a desire for originality. But when singer-songwriters come along and remind me of Elliott Smith, I swoon. It’s not like he invented acoustic guitars and poignant lyrics, but he was certainly one of a kind, and I can’t blame other musicians for following in his footsteps. If I made music, I would probably try to sound like him, too.

The post Album Of The Week: Nixon Boyd <em>Every Time We Turn A Corner</em> appeared first on Stereogum.

Progressive rock innovators LUFEH have released their brand‑new music video for “Live The New Today,” a dynamic and emotionally charged track that showcases the band’s most ambitious musical evolution […]

The post Prog Rock Innovators LUFEH Share Inspiring New Video “Live The New Today” From Latest Album “Overwhelmed” appeared first on Metal-Rules.com.

Here are the new releases for June 28th to June 4th. Releases reflect proposed North American scheduling, if available.

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Upcoming Metal Releases: 6/28/26 – 7/4/26

Doro Pesch — Live Remastered | Rare Diamonds Productions | Heavy Metal | Germany (Dussledorf)

Doro Pesch stands as one of metal’s most iconic queens, a pioneer whose lifelong devotion spans decades of defining the genre and uplifting her fans. Live (1993) captures her at a critical moment between Warlock’s legacy and her solo identity. The set moves intensely through “I Rule the Ruins” and “Hellbound,” carrying a powerful, unified energy. Her expressive voice pierces the mix. The 2026 remaster sharpens musical details while keeping the crowd sound vivid, leading into “All We Are,” as the audience joins her in a shared swell of enthusiasm

–Lily O’Delia

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Corprolith — Putrescence | Me Saco un Ojo | Death Metal | Canada (Toronto, ON)

Death is prominent on Corprolith’s debut album. Think: the decay of flesh and tissue, the corpse’s decomposition, just the entire filthy ordeal without honor or interest in humanity. It’s cavernous and doomy, if that’s how you like your morbid interests.

–Colin Dempsey

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Witchsorrow — The Devil and All His Works | Church Road Records | Doom Metal | United Kingdom (Hampshire, England)

Either as traditionally doom as you can get without getting in a time machine, or a Satanic reprise of early Cathedral-isms; Witchsorrow’s latest album is for devoted followers of the riff.

–Colin Dempsey

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Zorn — Return to Castle Death | Sorry State Records | Black Metal + Punk | United States (Philadelphia, PA)

Zorn has come a long way since the original Castle of Death demo. For one, there appear to be twice as many people on the cover of Return to Castle Death, but more importantly, the Philly five-piece has continued to perfect the scorching, scuzzy punk that put them on the map eight years ago. Lead single “Black Dog March” has little to do with Led Zeppelin and everything to do with thrashy, stomping nastiness with a hunger for flesh. And you just know that the hellhounds’ motorcycle-riding, leather-clad, gun-toting masters can’t be far behind.

–Alex Chan

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Deep Purple — SPLAT! | earMusic | Hard Rock | United Kingdom (London, England)

Deep Purple. Two regal words that fit perfectly together, amplifying one another’s majesty while communicating multitudes in just ten meager letters. The legendary British hard rock and roll Hall of Famers are set to drop SPLAT!, their 24th full-length. Masterminded conceptually by Ian Gillan, SPLAT! is a vehicle for the iconic frontman’s strangely optimistic endtyme ruminations. According to the singer, “rather than treating the end of the world as destruction, the album imagines it as a transformation” and an opportunity for “metamorphosis beyond physical existence.” Produced by the highly decorated Bob Ezrin, and built primarily upon the band playing organically together in-studio, SPLAT! is being touted as (get ready for it!) Purple’s “heaviest” record in many years.

Conceptions of heaviness are relative, but there’s an undeniable energy and vitality in the frenetic riffs and keys fuelling the propulsive single: “Arrogant Boy.” After a glossy piano intro, “Guilt Trippin’” transforms into a gnarly slice of steely, menacing hard rock with liquid soloing from guitarist Simon McBride. “Diablo” is a 2026 example of the band’s eternally effortless bluesy swagger. Despite insisting that the current incarnation feels “like a very ‘now’ version of Deep Purple,” Gillan also goes out of his way to say that “we are very much back in with material that is compatible with ‘Highway Star,’ ‘Smoke on the Water,’ and ‘Lazy.’” An incredibly bold statement. I can feel your skepticism, but if one band has proven it can defy odds and expectations time and again down the years it is the mighty Deep Purple.

–Dennis J. Seese

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