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Honey Revenge have grown up, dusted themselves off in the wake of their debut and decided to make a sophomore album that’s (nearly) entirely dance bangers. What more can you ask for from our favourite pop-rock duo? They’re still walking the line between guilty pleasure therapy delivered via clubbing and rock audacity, but now there’s a maturity in their vision and a joy in surviving life’s tragedies. ‘Loving And Losing’ takes what ‘Retrovision’ started and skips off with it, and we’re along for the ride.

It’s not exactly a surprise that a band who’ve cited Hannah Montana as an influence are all about the classic pop, and the naughties-nightclub energy has been turned up for ‘Loving And Losing’. What makes Honey Revenge so much more interesting is their adult take on the sound compared to both the original era and the current crop of Disney artists. Take ‘Sunday Scaries’: it’s the song for adults who remember the euphoria of a teenage night out, but now their attempts to party are hampered by remembering that the bins need to go out in the morning. It’s a song for real life and real people who still want a measured dose of nightclub escapism from a band who get it. ‘Poison Apple’ is a song inhabiting the demilitarised zone between Britney and Gaga, but with a presence which explains why the Warped Tour crowd have embraced Honey Revenge, and it’s their sincere love of the pop they’re making which makes them exciting. There’s no irony, but there is a whole lot of human understanding. 

The vulnerability which marked Honey Revenge’s debut is gone now, to be replaced with personal growth and an acknowledgement of progress. ‘Jealousy Monster’ twists between bitterness and strength in trying to overcome personal issues: it’s the flawed girl anthem for everyone who’s having to unpick their personality from their issues but wants to put the therapy struggle on hold to dance. It’s immediately followed by the almost P!nk style ‘Trust Issues’. And all of a sudden, Honey Revenge seem very human when dealing with the same baggage as the rest of us. It’s rare to find a band so incredibly self-aware, who mix artificial pop production with some intensely relatable confessions. ‘Sorry Much’, a track which exemplifies the Revenge in Honey Revenge, is the perfect example of this mix of the real and unreal, and they’re clearly flourishing in their role as pop-rock cyborgs. 

There are two songs here which are so different from the rest of the album, and both are different kinds of revelation. ‘Butterfly Effect’ surely hints at their next direction: there’s no confessional element, but the fantastical power anthem side to their sound is pushed to the front with a neo-disco-future energy. Are they going to build on their ability to make chords soar and synths escalate and switch to delivering festival gold that’ll pulse against a sunset in a field somewhere? Nothing is out of the question with Honey Revenge. The title track is the biggest surprise though. If anyone had “quiet, acoustic bereavement tribute” on their bingo card, then they’ve won a prize…and that prize is a devastating little song written in the wake of vocalist Devin Papadol’s grief at losing her father. It’s a window to an incredibly private moment for her, and closing out with a recording of her dad saying how proud he is of her is a gut-wrenching moment.

Honey Revenge have never been “just” a pop band. Their last record showed that pop was just the medium that they chose to carry some serious personal honesty, and now they’re in a different place emotionally, they’ve got even more to explore. ‘Loving And Losing’ is an album for dancing away your problems, while still processing them in the background, and it’s a genuine and vibrant listen.

Kate Allvey

Slaughter to Prevail frontman Alex Terrible has denied that he is a Nazi in a lengthy post on Instagram.

The Russian-born vocalist, whose real name is Aleksandr Shikolai, has been dogged by persistent allegations that he has far-right links. These accusations stem from two tattoos associated with white supremacy, namely a Black Sun and an Othala rune.

And just weeks after dismissing these rumours in a recent Metal Hammer interview at Bloodstock last month, the frontman has written a statement denying any affiliations with the far-right political ideology.

He wrote: “I want to make something very clear to anyone who works with me, wants to work with me, or is considering doing business with me in the future.

“I have big plans for my music, my career, and everything I’m building around it. Over the years, some people and companies have chosen not to work with me because of controversies surrounding my past. Some of them have even told me privately that they respect me and support me, but they’re afraid of how being associated with me might affect their reputation.

“I understand that. Everyone has the right to make their own decision. But I also want people to understand exactly where I stand. I am not a Nazi. I have never considered myself a Nazi, and I never will.

“When I was a teenager in Russia, I spent time around right-wing people and the football hooligan subculture. I knew what the Black Sun was and I knew its history. But within the specific subculture I was part of in Russia at that time, I did not perceive wearing that symbol as a declaration of Nazism or fascism. To me, it represented something extreme, rebellious, and connected to the environment I was surrounded by.

“Looking at it now as an adult, I understand that my personal interpretation of a symbol doesn’t erase its history or what it represents to other people. I understand why people see it and immediately make certain assumptions about me. I also understand that choosing to put that symbol on my body was my decision, and I take responsibility for that decision. But it does not mean that I was, or am, a Nazi.

“At that point in my life, I could barely even leave my house because of panic attacks, depression, and heart problems after an overdose.

“And I’m saying this clearly right now: I am not right-wing. I am not left-wing. I am a musician, a father, and a husband who is trying to understand himself and become a better version of himself every single day.

“If you don’t want to move forward with me or work with me because of the controversy surrounding my past, I understand. But I also won’t work with you in the future.

“A lot of people turned their backs on me in the past, but once I became successful, suddenly they wanted to work with me despite the exact same controversy. No, thank you.

“And to everyone who has worked with me and continues to work with me — every label, band, company, and every person involved — I truly appreciate you. I understand that sometimes you’re putting your own reputation on the line by standing beside me.

“Thank you, genuinely, for not turning your backs on me because of the mistakes I made in my past, and for believing in me as a human being.”

A post shared by Alex The Terrible (@alexterribleofficial)

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The band are currently on tour until December 20.

There’s a tendency amongst folk and folk-adjacent metal bands to become goofier over time. Bands like Alestorm and Wind Rose began their careers with a semblance of seriousness before walking the plank into potty humor and/or covering YouTube Minecraft songs. The Netherlands’ “epic party folk metal” band Mourning Wood are the first I’ve encountered to have started here on purpose. Having shared stages with the aforementioned bands, and given their name that’s got the whole sixth grade laughing, Mourning Wood have the sophomoric mentality to fit within this particular niche of the sub-genre. Sporting their debut record Rise & Shine, Mourning Wood promise “the perfect foundation for a great night with unexpected turns, alcohol, and bad decisions.” But does Mourning Wood rise to meet the party’s energy, or does Rise & Shine fall limp at the first sign of action?

Mourning Wood’s up for some fun, but Rise & Shine’s party angle feels half-cocked. Energy’s no issue, though; Mourning Wood peddle a brand of high-octane extreme-power-folk metal. “Heathen Hooray” and “The Vikening”‘s sword-swinging heroics recall the frantic melodicism of Ensiferum and Æther Realm, and the lighthearted jauntiness of Korpiklaani turns up on “Behind Enemy Lines” and “Seaman Shanty.” Rise & Shine also goes down easy enough for a party atmosphere, because while many of its songs run long, they are well-paced and shockingly well-produced and mixed. What crashes Rise & Shine’s party is comedy. It’s not funny. Now, comedy is as subjective as it comes, but besides some low-hanging jizz puns (“Seaman Shanty”) there aren’t really any jokes. “American rednecks are ridiculous” (“Redneck Redemption”). “Nordaboos are silly” (“Modern Day Viking”). That’s about it. Musically, Mourning Wood takes some turns that could inspire a chuckle, but most are too obvious—banjo in “Redneck Redemption,” EDM in “Dwarven Dance”—to do much for me.¹ I love the energy, but the goofy side of Rise & Shine fails to excite.

But don’t sleep on Mourning Wood, ’cause Rise & Shine still has bangers. Epic in scope and immediate in appeal, Rise & Shine is a head-bobbing joy ride more often than not. Mourning Wood know their way around a chorus, whether it be mead-quaffing ragers like “Heathen Hooray” or simply epic peaks like “Rise & Fall.” More surprisingly, Rise & Shine’s bridges are consistently its high points. Surefire crowd-pleasing group vocals in “The Vikening,” a theremin solo in “Modern Day Vikining,” an unsurprising-yet-effective break into reggae in “Blastafari;” Mourning Wood can’t be accused of phoning it in. Rise & Shine’s musical eccentricity recalls Diablo Swing Orchestra on occasion, not because Mourning Wood necessarily sound like DSO (though “Redneck Redemption” swings quite hard) but because it feels like nothing is ever off the table. Album highlight “Blastafari” alone shifts between meloblack blasting, Finntrollesque folk, power riffing, and the aforementioned reggae bridge. Not every swing is a hit, but nobody can say Mourning Wood ain’t swinging it.

I’ve found a good rule of thumb for Mourning Wood: the longer, the better. The epics of Rise & Shine are routinely engaging, managing their girthy runtimes with rock-solid songwriting. Viking bravado fuels the dynamic opener “Behind Enemy Lines,” and “Rise & Fall” marches with the slow-burn glory of Caladan Brood into a gangbusters climax. At its grandest, Rise & Shine puts out whiffs of Equilibrium’s Sagas, and that’s no small feat. Even songs that aren’t at typical epic lengths fill the niche. I keep forgetting “Heathen Hooray” and “Blastafari” are only five and five-and-a-half minutes respectively, not because they’re slogs to get through but because Mourning Wood pack so much into them it feels like they should be twice as long. Funnily enough, Mourning Wood are significantly more fun when they’re treating Rise & Shine with a modicum of seriousness than when they’re acting a fool.

My time with Mourning Wood was but distinctly frustrating, but unquestionably enjoyable. The highlights of Rise & Shine are some of the best folk metal I’ve heard in years, while its lowlights are some of the most tedious. I don’t want to suggest to Mourning Wood to cut the comedy out of their music entirely, because that’s clearly something important to them. Instead, if they treated their gags with the care, precision, and fervor they put into their metal work, their next album could be hilarious. I know in my heart they can nail being funny and epic. Regardless, let it be known that the next time I chance an encounter with Mourning Wood, I will seize upon it posthaste.

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Rating: Good
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps MP3
Label: Self-Release²
Websites: mourningwood.nl | facebook.com/mourningwoodparty | mourningwoodband.bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: September 18th, 2026

The post Mourning Wood – Rise & Shine Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

Posted on September 15th 2026, 11:44am

Rising Dutch alternative metal outfit Neverskin have returned with the release of their fourth single, “Consumed”, heralding a distinct evolutionary leap and the start of a brand-new cycle of music. Marking a noticeably heavier shift in direction, the track sees the band deploy a crushing drop-F tuning, layering down-tuned guitar weight across cinematic soundscapes while … Continue reading Neverskin usher in a heavy new era with fourth single “Consumed”

Posted on September 15th 2026, 10:59am

Tony Iommi has revealed that he turned down the opportunity to record a final Black Sabbath album with the band’s original lineup.

In an exclusive interview in the new issue of Classic Rock, Iommi reveals that Andrew Watt, who produced Ozzy Osbourne’s final two albums, 2020’s Ordinary Man and 2022’s Patient Number 9, had approached him in the early 2020s about making a Sabbath album with the original lineup.

“I’d met Andrew Watt when he was producing Ozzy,” says Iommi. “He was very keen and a bit too excited. He also didn’t know what it was like working with the original Sabbath, working with Bill [drummer Bill Ward]. Also, we’d done 13, and I didn’t like the idea of: ‘Now here’s another album.’”

“I said to Ozzy: ‘I don’t think we should do it.'”

Tony Iommi

Iommi has also admitted that he had doubts about Black Sabbath performing at last year’s historic Back To The Beginning show at Villa Park in Birmingham. The metal legend reveals he was initially dubious when Sabbath were asked to reunite for the show, which saw Metallica, Pantera, Guns N’ Roses and Tool among those lining up to play a tribute to Sabbath, with proceeds going to several charities.

“I said to Ozzy: ‘I don’t think we should do it.’ I said: ‘We should just let the other bands play our stuff, and us come out at the end and say thank you.’ But it was for a good charitable cause, and eventually we said okay.”

Iommi had last seen Ozzy when the two of them performed Paranoid at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The singer had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2003, but only made his condition public in 2020 when his symptons worsened.

“I hadn’t seen Ozzy for a bit, and it was difficult seeing him like that,: Iommi says. “Fucking hell…” He adds that he didn’t want Ozzy to play a solo set before Sabbath’s closing performance, either: “I was concerned he was going to blow himself out, and by the time we came on he’d be struggling.” Read more from Iommi – including the inside scoop on his new solo album – in the new issue of Classic Rock, on sale now. Iommi’s forthcoming album, From The Dark, is due for release on October 23 via BMG.

Ahead of the new Noctule album Extinguish Thy Flame, I found myself returning to my review of Wretched Abyss, the first album by Svalbard guitarist and singer Serena Cherry. Released during the bleak lockdown times, Serena put her creativity to good use with a debut that split opinion.

Noctule – Extinguish Thy Flame

Release Date: 25 September 2026

Words: Paul Hutchings

Some of the elitist folk were scathing in their comments. Yet reviews were generally positive, and many were effusive about the quality of a project totally delivered by one person.

I know nothing about Skyrim, the game upon which Cherry based the themes of Wretched Abyss. However, my final paragraph said, “With an ability to be more than just an aural experience, Black Metal at times is bleak, dark and uncompromising, yet as displayed here it can be warm, enlightening and emotionally gripping.”

Time has travelled, and although the dust is still settling on that final incredible Svalbard set at Arctangent mere weeks ago, Serena’s main musical vehicle for much of the past two decades, the follow-up to Wretched Abyss is here.

And it is Elden Ring which is the basis for Extinguish Thy Flame. According to Wikipedia, it is a 2022 action role-playing game directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, with worldbuilding provided by the American fantasy writer George R. R. Martin. Now, I do know that Martin is the author of Game Of Thrones so there are no doubt dragons hidden somewhere here. 

All the music is written and performed by Cherry and each song is about a different boss in the game. Credited as the game that saved her life, it is no wonder that Serena has thrown everything into this release, crafted over a two-year period. 

Ten tracks over 38 minutes blend crushing Black Metal with Serena’s rasping rawness in a manner which is possibly too polished for the purist. But I think this provides an accessible avenue to those put off by the most Extreme. The use of synths, whether they be samples or otherwise, gives the album a rich, layered texture that merges Meldodeath with the bitter clutches of the Black Metal style. 

There is certainly more to it than tremolo riffs and blast beats. Lord Of Blood, the first single, has an undeniably folky edge to it. It may be a little overpowering, with an overdose on the senses potentially overwhelming you at times, but Serena pulls it back and it turns into one of the most memorable tracks here.  

“This song represents the joy and freedom of being in full control of the music you create, without having to make any compromises with bandmates or managers,” she explains. “I love creating music by myself and in Lord Of Blood I think that shows.

“This song is a celebration of pure musical independence as well as an ode to the towering, horned demigod Mogh: Lord of Blood from Elden Ring. I’m proud that it doesn’t sound like anything else in the Metal world right now.

“Honestly, Lord of Blood has some of my favourite guitar leads I’ve ever written. When it comes to making Metal music, I just can’t resist adding layer upon layer of guitar harmonies.”

Whilst Serena is clear that the link between the game and Metal is fitting, “Metal is intense, relentless and uncompromising – so is Elden Ring as a game”, there is enough here to push the album past those whose interest may well lie merely in the characters and the story.

I often let lyrics bypass me and absorb the music as it flows and envelopes. Goddess Of Rot is one such track. A sonically atmospheric soundscape that has various components contained within it.

There is plenty to appreciate and enjoy. I found this one a particularly impressive piece, majestically crafted and choreographed, with Serena’s emotionally filled vocals and an eerie, almost background accompaniment.

It is similar on the next track, Lament Of The Omen King, which has another huge-sounding, semi-orchestral element which soars above the powerhouse programming and visceral vocals. It is a song crying out for some choral accompaniment and has the potential for massive reworkings should the funding ever be in place. 

Scurry forward to the final song, Hallowhorn Grounds, and there is almost a triumphant, joyous vibe. It is certainly a release that needs to be listened to through headphones, for there are many layers to explore and absorb.

For Serena, this is a welcome next step and for a non-gamer like me, Extinguish Thy Flame still has plenty to offer. 

Noctule self-release Extinguish Thy Flame on 25 September 2026. Find out more at Bandcamp.

The post Noctule / Extinguish Thy Flame Burns With Fierce Independence first appeared on MetalTalk – Heavy Metal News, Reviews and Interviews.

Posted on September 15th 2026, 10:27am

BraveWords Records has announced the Bandcamp digital release of Australian (Newcastle, New South Wales) fantasy power metallers Ilium‘s 2026 album, ‘Scythe Ballet‘. The band states: “The response to the physical release has been fantastic, and so we are happy to announce that from today, the album is available digitally via Bandcamp through BraveWords Records. Other digital […]

The post BraveWords Records Announces Bandcamp Digital Release Of Ilium – Scythe Ballet appeared first on ROCKPOSER DOT COM.