Avenged Sevenfold have unveiled a surprise EP that finds them at a new experimental peak, and they have played them live for the first time in a fascinating fashion.
The EP is titled ‘STATICA’ and is four songs that delve deeper in the weird and wonderful world that they band have been carving for themselves over the last decade. Taking the curiosity of 2016’s ‘The Stage’ and the brave ebbing and weaving of 2023’s ‘Life Is But a Dream…’, the result is completely unique. Glitchy ambience, lo-fi production, dreamy intent and bizarre twists and turns, it is as left field as it gets.
Though in creating something that nobody would ever expect from them, the band are doing something that many a band would never dream of doing. Going against the status quo and taking the ultimate risk. There is a lot to be commended in that, and that is before the purpose the release has even been revealed.
And if that wasn’t enough, the band have already debuted the EP live, but not in the way you would expect. As they kick off a co-headlining run with Good Charlotte, the set times for the show at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Ridgedale, MO on July 25 showed STATICA taking to the stage just before GC.
But rather than being on stage, it seemed as though the band delivered the set from back stage, with the performance then shown on the venue’s big screens.
You will be able to see what happens next over the next few weeks. Here is where A7X and GC will be hitting up next.
JULY
27 – SHAKOPEE, MN Mystic Lake Amphitheater 30 – TINLEY PARK, IL Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
AUGUST
1 – ST. LOUIS, MO Hollywood Casino Amphitheater 4 – CLARKSTON, MI Pine Knob Music Theatre 6 – TORONTO, ON RBC Amphitheatre 8 – MONTREAL, QC Bell Centre 10 – BELMONT PARK, NY UBS Arena 12 – MANSFIELD, MA Xfinity Center 14 – CAMDEN, NJ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion 16 – CHARLOTTE, NC PNC Music Pavilion 18 – TAMPA, FL MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre 21 – DALLAS, TX Dos Equis Pavilion 23 – DENVER, CO Ball Arena 25 – SALT LAKE CITY, UT Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre 27 – PHOENIX, AZ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
Robyn Hitchcock: The Confuser (Tiny Ghost) CD | LP Available now 25 solo albums in, and the sun shows no sign of going down on Robyn Hitchcock’s Sixties smarts. Steve Morgan reviews Perhaps the greatest tribute you could pay Robyn Hitchcock is that you know what you’re never going to get from him. His recent […]
Die Anreise geht natürlich weiter und der Holy Ground füllt sich. Die Wetterprognose für heute gibt uns Sonne mit Wolken.
Geöffnete Campgrounds heute sind: W:O:A Campground, Split Camping, Moshtel, Bauer Uwes Garten, Camper-Park, Wheels Of Steel, Te.N.T. und Residenz Evil.
Wir wünschen allen Metalheads, die heute anreisen einen guten Trip.
Vergesst nicht euch nach eurer Ankunft relativ zeitnah eure Bändchen abzuholen, um lange Warteschlangen zu vermeiden.
Wichtig Informationen Anreise zum W:O:A mit dem Zug: Metalheads, die aktuell in Pinneberg gestrandet sind, werden von unseren Shuttle Bussen abgeholt (mindestens 1 x die Stunde). Der Shuttle von Itzehoe und Wacken wird weiterhin bestehen bleiben (hier kann es zu kurzfristigen Änderungen kommen, da die Busse auch für den Shuttle ab Pinneberg gebraucht werden. Wir bitten um euer Verständnis)
Aktueller Status: Die Bahnen werden wegen einer Räumung bis voraussichtlich heute Abend nicht fahren.
Pop Against Identity! Charli XCX’s freedom to reinvent By Neil Davenport “My heritage could give me quite the USP,” sings Charli XCX on ‘SS26’, the second track on her dazzling new album, Music, Fashion, Film. It is a line grounded in truth. Charli has never traded on her mixed ethnicity for identitarian kudos. She has […]
The three bands are on the list of names who’ll receive stars on Los Angeles’ Hollywood Boulevard in the Recording category next year, alongside fellow musicians David Guetta, Lil Wayne, Sia, Grandmaster Flash, Marc Shaiman and Karol G.
The 2027 set of inductees, 32 in total, also includes actors Elle and Dakota Fanning, Kate Hudson, Idris Elba, Delroy Lindo and Sam Rockwell, plus Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos and comedy duo Cheech And Chong, for their contributions to film.
Actors Pedro Pascal, David Alan Grier, Adam Scott, Lisa Kudrow, Keke Palmer and Raven-Symoné, presenter Jeff Probst and writer/producer Bill Lawrence will receive stars for their contributions to TV.
Radio host Charlamagne Tha God will receive a star in the Radio category, while actor/comedian Jo Koy, dancer Roberto Bolle and Pussycat Dolls’ Nicole Scherzinger will be in Live Theatre/Live Performance. Race car driver Jimmie Johnson will be added to Sports Entertainment.
Peter Roth, Walk Of Fame Selection Chairman, says that “these 32 extraordinary individuals have each made a lasting impact on audiences around the world through their talent, creativity, and dedication to their craft”.
“We are honoured to recognise their remarkable contributions and look forward to celebrating them as they take their place in Hollywood history,” he adds.
Linkin Park are one of the best-selling heavy metal bands of all time, their 2000 debut album Hybrid Theory having shipped more than 32 million units worldwide. They also won Grammy Awards in 2002 and 2006. They went on hiatus in 2017, following the death of longtime lead singer Chester Bennington, but reunited with Emily Armstrong on vocals in 2024 and released their comeback album From Zero the same year.
The California band join a select list of hard rock and heavy metal acts to have a star on the walk. Kiss received one in 1999, followed by Ozzy Osbourne in 2002, Alice Cooper in 2003, Mötley Crüe in 2006 and Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash in 2012. Def Leppard had their name added to the walk last year.
The Smashing Pumpkins, founded in Chicago in 1998, have sold more than 30 million albums worldwide and also won two Grammys. Led by singer/guitarist Billy Corgan, they continue to successfully tour and record, their latest album being 2024’s Aghori Mhori Mei.
The Ramones started in New York City in 1974 and released their self-titled debut album in 1976. The album, which has been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA), was a seminal text in punk rock, inspiring the Sex Pistols, The Clash and others. They disbanded in 1996. In 2014, drummer Tommy Ramone, the last surviving member to have performed on Ramones, died aged 65.
Green Day, pop-punk superstars inspired by the Ramones, received a star on the walk of fame last year.
This week, Wacken Open Air, the world’s biggest dedicated metal festival, will descend upon the Schleswig-Holstein region of Northern Germany for four days of heavy metal heaven, celebrating its 35th anniversary with a lineup boasting over 150 bands. With headliners Def Leppard, Judas Priest and Sabaton overseeing a stacked bill, the festival announced a total sell-out last week, meaning 85,000+ metalheads will be let loose on the fesitval’s (un)holy grounds. Last year, Metal Hammer spoke to Wacken co-founder Thomas Jensen about how the idea for a fun local festival for friends ended up becoming one of the biggest annual events in the metal calendar.
When Thomas Jensen co-founded Wacken Festival in 1990, the idea was simple. Book a few bands, get some beers in, and invite some mates to have the time of their lives. Thirty-five years later, the idea is still the same, except those ‘mates’ have ballooned to 85,000 metal fans.
“It’s pretty crazy,” he admits, bristling with pride. “I can’t believe how much it’s grown.”
Growing up, Thomas became obsessed with legendary performances. Queen at Wembley Stadium; Led Zeppelin at Knebworth; Motörhead at Hammersmith. But the chances of anything like that coming to his hometown – Wacken, a small village about an hour’s drive north of Hamburg – were slim to none.
So, in 1988, Thomas flew out to Donington to attend Monsters Of Rock. Headlined by Iron Maiden and Kiss, the iconic festival only cemented Thomas’s ambitions to bring the music he loved to his hometown.
“It was incredible,” he enthuses. “During [David Lee] Roth’s set, you could see Maiden building their set and it looked amazing.”
I can’t believe how much it’s grown
Thomas Jensen
A year later, Thomas and co-founder Holger Hübner started making plans to host an event. The inaugural Wacken, held on August 24-25, 1990, had just six bands – mostly local – and attracted 800 people. This year’s four-day bill in July/August will be headlined by Guns N’ Roses, Machine Head, Gojira and Papa Roach, with a crowd of 85,000.
The festival might attract seasoned headliners, but Thomas also wants to give established bands a chance to step up. Last year, they showed they were ahead of the curve by getting Korn to headline (they close Download and top the bill at Hellfest this year). Now, Papa Roach will be the next nu metal stars to get the bump up to headliner status in the 2020s.
“Papa Roach is a great one for us,” Thomas says. “The team have been wanting them for a long time, so we’re really happy that they’re finally confirmed. We also got Gojira before they’d even got the invite for the Olympics. I had no idea they were doing it; I’d been doing interviews, and had the TV on with a cup of tea and the sound off. All of a sudden I saw this strange thing – ‘Hey, that looks like a metal band… Holy shit, Gojira at the Olympics!’ I had to crank up the volume. I think it’s great.”
Wacken has helped bands like Jinjer grow their audiences across Europe (Image credit: Gina Wetzler/Redferns via Getty)
Over the last three decades, many bands have risen through Wacken’s ranks. Amon Amarth first played the festival in 1999 on one of the small stages. Last year, they headlined to the sight of 85,000 fans rowing in a field. When Jinjer played in 2019, their early morning slot opening the Louder stage attracted an enormous crowd that confirmed the colossal buzz around the Ukrainian band. They returned in 2023 to an even bigger crowd on one of the festival’s two main stages.
In 2004, Wacken established the Metal Battle, which invites bands from around the world to compete and earn a chance to play at the festival. And with eight stages plus sideshow entertainment, there are many other international acts in the mix – Indian nu metallers Bloodywood planned their first overseas tour around a set there in 2019.
Fans come from all over the world for Europe’s biggest metal fest (Image credit: Didier Messens/Redferns via Getty)
“That’s our duty; to push the boundaries a bit,” Thomas says. “This year we’ve got Hanabie coming from Japan, Skynd coming from Australia. If you’d told me we would get these kinds of bands in 1990… It’s great just how diverse the scene is now. The beauty of a festival is being able to put all those kinds of bands together and have people discover new things as they walk by a stage.”
The Wacken site is now so large, it also takes over the neighbouring villages of Gribbohm, Bokelrehm and Holstenniendorf. It includes a post-apocalyptic-themed area called the Wasteland – complete with performers in Mad Max-style gear called the Wasteland Warriors – and a medieval village called Wackinger. There’s a farmer’s market, an outdoor swimming pool and a full metal church.
As Wacken’s profile has grown, multiple documentaries have been made – and screened – at the festival. Meanwhile, the 2024 metal comedy Heavier Trip is all about the protagonists’ journey to play there.
Thomas has seen the scene weather ups and downs, with interest in metal rising and falling – but he’s excited about the state it’s in at the moment. With bands such as Sleep Token and Ghost landing No.1 albums, there’s an influx of fans.
Things are so much healthier now for the metal scene
Thomas Jensen
“There’s a lot of great festivals out there now, and I’m glad to see the development of places like Bloodstock or even some of the smaller independent festivals,” he says. “I remember when I managed Saxon [Thomas looked after the NWOBHM legends from 2000- 2016], we’d only be able to put on shows in Wolverhampton and London, that’d pretty much be it. Things are so much healthier now for the metal scene than at the beginning of the century, let’s put it that way.”
Next summer, Wacken celebrates its 35th birthday, having missed a couple of years to Covid. According to Thomas, it’ll be the biggest one yet.
“It’s going to be great,” Thomas says with a smile. “The whole point of the festival was to put on a party with our mates and listen to the music we love – and we’re still doing it.”
Wacken Open Air 2026 takes place from July 29 to August 1. For the full line-up, visit the official Wacken Open Air Website.
Cartel have announced the details of their first full length album since 2013, and they are picking up right where they left off.
Titled ‘Learning How To Cope’, it will be released on September 18 via Field Day Records.
Vocalist Will Pugh had this to say about the contents of the record:
“This music saved me. It helped me reconnect with empathy, with community and with the idea that everybody belongs. That ethos – honesty, openness, and taking care of your people – is what this record is built on. It feels different, but it still feels like Cartel.”
And the artwork is looking a little something like this:
The band have also shared two new tracks that are set to appear on the album.
The first is ‘Shirts & Skins, a wonderfully heavy piece of modern pop-punk that probes at the abject state of things on the streets right now, written in the wake of the ICE raids took place in Minneapolis.
Will had this to add about the subject matter:
“We’re way past the point of being able to sit back and just provide the safe space that people can go andget away from everything. Society has been doing that long enough and not having difficult conversations – and that’s just kind of over. If you’re not going to say something now, when are you ever going to fucking say something?”
And the second is ‘Deadbeat Drag’, a quintessential piece of damning storytelling that leaves the claws firmly out.
The band are also set to support State Champs across the US later this year. Here are all the dates:
NOVEMBER
05 – ALLENTOWN Archer Music Hall 06 – BUFFALO Riverworks 07 – INDIANAPOLIS Deluxe @ Old National Centre 08 – ST. LOUIS The Pageant 10 – DALLAS Echo Lounge 12 – PHOENIX The Van Buren 13 – LAS VEGAS Brooklyn Bowl 14 – RIVERSIDE Riverside Municipal Auditorium 15 – SACRAMENTO Ace of Spades 17 – PORTLAND Roseland Theater 18 – SEATTLE The Showboat 20 – SALT LAKE CITY Rockwell at The Complex 21 – DENVER Summit Music Hall 23 – DAVENPORT Capitol Theatre 24 – LOUISVILLE Mercury Ballroom 25 – COLUMBUS Newport Music Hall 27 – SAYREVILLE Starland Ballroom 29 – BALTIMORE Nevermore Hall
DECEMBER
01 – RICHMOND The National 03 – NASHVILLE Brooklyn Bowl 05 – ST. PETERSBURG Jannus Live 06 – ORLANDO House of Blues
