FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Six String Revolver Unleash “Be Somebody” Out Now via Ragebreed Records
Hurricane, Utah’s hard-hitting rock outfit Six String Revolver are making serious noise with their latest release, “Be Somebody,” available now via Ragebreed Records. Delivering a loud, no apologies dose of original American hard rock soaked in southern grit, outlaw fire, and modern muscle, the band proves that straight-up rock and roll is alive and kicking.
Built on heavy guitars, massive hooks, and a live-wire energy that feels made for the stage, Six String Revolver continue carving out their own lane in today’s rock landscape. The band channels the swagger of classic hard rock while pushing forward with a sharper, more modern edge, blending storytelling, rebellion, and pure volume into every track.
Fronted by vocalist Raven Cain alongside Hawkeye Pearce on guitar and vocals, Bill “Ash” Dent on bass, and Robert “Monster” Cantu on drums, the band brings a battle-tested chemistry that shines throughout the record and translates directly into their explosive live performances.
For fans of Guns N’ Roses, Black Stone Cherry, and Saving Abel, “Be Somebody” delivers the familiar rawness and attitude of modern American hard rock while confidently standing on its own.
Frontman Raven Cain describes the release as a statement of survival and determination.
“Be Somebody is a battle cry for anyone who has ever been counted out, knocked down, or told they would never make it. This record is about standing up, turning the amps on, and proving that rock ‘n’ roll still has teeth.” Raven Cain, Six String Revolver
More than just an album title, “Be Somebody” serves as a mission statement. It speaks to the fighters, the dreamers, the outlaws, and anyone refusing to fade quietly into the background. The record explores themes of resilience, rebellion, love, freedom, and the relentless drive to keep moving forward when the odds are stacked against you.
Recorded and engineered by Tom Chandler at Elite Studios, the release was produced by Peggy Foster and Robert Cantu, capturing the band’s raw performance energy while refining it into a powerful modern hard rock statement.
Managed by Ragebreed Records, Six String Revolver continue building momentum as one of the most authentic voices in today’s American hard rock underground.
“Be Somebody” doesn’t ask permission. It kicks the door open, cranks the amps, and reminds listeners that rock music still hits hardest when it comes from real life, real scars, and real volume.
(written by Islander) Last summer the Seattle-based death metal band Invocation Ritual self-released a two-song debut demo, and now they’re following that with a debut album named Altered Reality which Iron Fortress Records will release on August 14th. Even if you missed out on that demo, Invocation Ritual should command attention based on the fact […]
Loser Demon kick off New Year, New Hell with a blast of fuzzed-out garage rock, channeling equal parts grit, attitude, and melodic urgency. Buzzing guitars, punchy rhythms, and a raw vocal performance give the track an infectious, livewire energy, while its sharp songwriting keeps everything focused and memorable. Balancing scrappy DIY charm with hook-driven indie rock sensibilities, the song captures the frustration and dark humor suggested by its title without losing its playful edge. Loud, cathartic, and undeniably catchy, New Year, New Hell is a satisfying dose of unfiltered garage rock spirit.
German power metal veterans Brainstorm have officially announced their brand-new studio album, Nightfall. The band’s forthcoming music output will be released in spring 2027 through Reigning Phoenix Music, marking the next milestone in a career spanning more than three decades. Read more…
Live Review: Sex Pistols – Castlefield Bowl, Manchester
12th July 2026 Support: Dr John Cooper Clarke, The Undertones Words: Dan Barnes Photos: Tim Finch
It’s a glorious summer’s day here in Manchester and the perfect conditions for the return of punk deities to the city where – if legend is to be believed – their show at the Free Trade Hall launched the careers of a host of legacy punk and new wave bands and led to the formation of Factory Records; the film Twenty-Four Hour Party People tells the story far better than I could. As it happens, my walk out to the Bowl from the middle of town passes the old Hacienda, once the heartbeat of the thriving Madchester scene of the early Nineties, now luxury apartments.
As part of Manchester’s Sounds of the City, the Bowl hosts three of punk’s most endearing and influential musical acts, and the Bard of Salford himself, Dr John Cooper Clarke. Derry rockers, The Undertones have the honour of opening this special show, their blend of punk rock and new wave means they have a broader commercial appeal than tonight’s headliners. Evidenced by the number of historic band shirts milling about the Bowl this evening, the Northern Irishman take to the stage with the comment of “We mean you no harm” before cranking into some fat sounding good time vibes. Male Model gets a big singalong, The Love Parade slithers, with a mid-section that shows pop sensibilities. Frontman, Paul McLoone takes some time to wave at the stationary train waiting to continue into Deansgate, which has the crowd doing the same, and receiving a greeting from the driver in return. Jimmy, Jimmy has Castlefield bouncing, It’s Gonna Happen features some classic Undertones storytelling, Here Comes the Summer is introduced with a reminder that the band will be headlining the Ritz in October, and the driving punk rock of Get Over You brings the set to a close in style. Obviously, The Undertones played their two biggest songs: no matter how old it gets, Teenage Kicks is still the stone-cold punk classic that is widely known outside the genre, whereas My Perfect Cousin is like the best kept secret within it.
Punk poet, Dr John Cooper Clarke arrived to offer his unique perspective on subjects as diverse as questions he cannot answer, hire cars, filthy limericks, necrophilia, fluctuating weight due to opioid use, pies, and the poem that got him kicked off Deathrow Records. I won’t try to repeat any of them as I don’t have the verbal dexterity of the doctor.
I think this is the first time I’ve seen Belfast’s finest, Stiff Little Fingers, without them using Go For It as their intro tape. Instead, it was straight into Tin Soldiers and a truncated, festival version, of the show they placed over at the Academy back in March. It never ceases to amaze me the obsessive devotion shown to the Fingers by their life-long fans; shirts from every tour are to be seen, families, three generations strong, all wearing era-appropriate merchandise. Nobody’s Hero is an undeniable classic, the cover of Bunny Wailer’s Ska-infused Roots, Radicals, Rockers, Reggae is all-but owned by Jake and the boys by this point.
Jake even comments that they’re usually in Manchester when it’s raining, rather than the sun beating down on the Bowl; deep cut Back to Front goes down well with the older crowd, Emergency is a debut staple and Silver Linings is introduced with a history lesson, when the Government rode rough-shod over the voters and made life so very much harder than it needed to be. Good job it isn’t like that anymore! And to any Americans here today, Jake explained, that is what’s called sarcasm.
At the Edge, Bits of Kids and another cover that is a Finger’s song in everything except title, The Specials’ Doesn’t Make It Alright take the set into the closing section. Fade Away, Wasted Life and Gotta Get Away give way to Suspect Device and Alternative Ulster. It lasted an hour, but showed Stiff Little Fingers is as vital now as ever they were.
And, so to the main event: fifty-years on and not many bands could maintain the level of influence after having released just a solitary album. Sex Pistols feat Frank Carter is the real deal and, as much as I respect and admire Mr Lydon, his absence is excusable as Mr Carter, once of Gallows and without his Rattlesnakes, seems to be having the time of his life with his dream job. Dr John makes the introductions – should they been needed – as the level of anticipation swirling around the Bowl on the late evening wind is palpable.
The band amble out, Glen Matlock runs a comb through his silver locks before strapping on his bass, and Mr Carter, clad in a The Smiths t-shirt, wonders up to the microphone, takes in the applause and the Pistols kick into Holidays in the Sun. To say it’s a punk rock classic would be an understatement as the same can – and should – be said for the whole of the Never Mind the Bollocks: Here’s the Sex Pistols album, all of which get aired tonight.
Seventeen and New York prove the depth of Never Mind…, showing the deeper cuts can still compete with the more well-known tunes. Frank heads into the crowd for Pretty Vacant, tempering his call for a circle pit with the acceptance of the average age of the audience. A shout out to the NHS for the sterling work with knee-replacements gets a giggle, and he’s raised on high and transported back to the stage above head height. Bodies comes with a big singalong and an extended conclusion, Paul Revere and the Raiders’ I’m Not Your Stepping Stone is dedicated to the support acts, with this one particularly fitting Frank’s vocal style.
Liar starts with the question as to whether the Bowl is ready to bounce, and it isn’t long before the walking wounded at being brought out of the crowd for medical attention. A surfer goes over during God Save the Queen, as the band forget the stereotype that Punks can’t play and messrs Cook, Jones and Matlock lock into a groove. We’re introduced to the band – as if anyone in the Bowl needed such formalities tonight – before a cover of The Stooges’ No Fun, in which Frank has his mum on video call. No Feelings, Problems and EMI prove the wider debt bands owe to the Pistols, and their brief back-catalogue needs to be played and heard live. Phones and lighters are requested for My Way, a tribute to Sid, and the show ends in the only way possible, with Anarchy in the UK.
Folk will say that this isn’t the Sex Pistols, but my ticket says it is and, if you read Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol by Steve Jones (London: Randon House, 2016) he talks of a time before John joined the band in August 1975. Regardless, bands of this duration change personnel, Frank just happens to be the Pistols’ current singer, and a damn good job he’s doing of it too.
The PA falls silent and Castlefield Bowl is left shattered and stunned by the show. It’s not often Punk Rock Royalty of this stature comes to town, but when it does it leaves Manchester devastated in its wake.
Emptiness, nothingness, absence, non-being: such evocations of negation abound in extreme metal, often justifiably given the visceral analogy between dense dissonance and existential dysphoria. Among the acts walking this walk, Belgium’s Emptiness proudly stalk, with the blurb for seventh full-length Nowhere Speaks explicitly stating that it is “entirely unconcerned with making its listener comfortable.” The group’s trajectory thus far has taken them from uncompromising blackened death into ever more ambient and experimental territory, where they first crossed into the AMG-verse via Jean-Luc Ricard’s 2014 TYMHM post on Nothing But the Whole, and returned in 2017 to send shivers down Grymm’s spine with Not For Music. The sudden pivot into French-sung, distortion-free Vide was no less disturbing for its quietitude, though it may have ironically alienated fans. Nowhere Speaks thus carries the weight of significant mystery: what form has Emptiness taken this time, and does it bear any connection to their past?
Nowhere Speaks sees Emptiness heap scorn over those who doubted them—this is all of Emptiness, and there’s nothing random about it. The album begins with this affirmation, picking up the riff that was cut-off midway from Nothing But the Whole’s closer “Lowland,” and carrying on (“Nothing But The Whole (Part 2)”). It ends with it too, final track “All For Nothing” lapsing into the malevolent soundscape of Nothing But The Whole’s first, “Go and Hope,” and stopping with similar abruptness—a synecdoche for the wider circularity that connects these two albums over a decade apart. This brings a weird closure to the former record, even as Nowhere Speaks’ ending perpetuates the unsettled and unsettling sempiternality. Emptiness’ self-referential horror doesn’t stop at album construction. In a direct mirror of predecessor Vide, which was recorded by each member in isolation and geographically distant, Nowhere Speaks was recorded live all at once in the studio. This reassembling works as a metaphor for this album’s sound, which reconstructs many of Emptiness’ elements in both familiar and unfamiliar ways.
Nowhere Speaks is the opposite of immediate; everything about it creeps. And it creeps inexorably, as certain as death. The dark melodies and restlessly stalking tempos (“Nowhere Speaks,” “Words to Wind,” “When the Whole Arrives”1) are only the half of it. Sometimes the music’s atmosphere incarnates as disso-death moodiness, (“Words to Wind,” “When the Whole Arrives”), sometimes as the blurriness of noisy atmo-black (“The Threat,” “One Must See All,” “All For Nothing”), sometimes as warped, static-scattered ambience (“Darkness Commands,” “Words to Wind,” “Next In Line”). Tremolos often feel almost warm (“Nowhere Speaks,” “All For Nothing”) until they aren’t (“Words to Wind”), and the stylistic incongruence between them and the electro-industrial edge that warps whispered growls creates an eerie tone throughout. The highest points are the culmination of these apparent inconsistencies, some new genre Emptiness have been crafting all this time—a pared-back blackened-death, dark ambient, groovy, and dissonant. It builds in the second act of “Words to Wind,” stalks with predatory grace at “When the Whole Arrives”‘s intro, and spreads insidiously in “Next In Line.” Emptiness pass through extreme metal and cloak elements in atmosphere, yet all this adds rather than subtracts tension and fearfulness.
These nuanced and unusual textures are intriguing, but they sometimes veer towards a mélange that’s too understated. Emptiness have absolutely nailed the vibe, and much of Nowhere Speaks does capitalise on the magical combination of pseudo-dissonant guitar, smothering dark ambience, and unusual compositional shapes. I can forgive the myriad interludes—some of which, particularly “Darkness Commands,” are excellent in their own right—which bleed in and out of the main songs. It’s the wavering vagaries in the midpoints and margins that threaten to fade too far into the background. The burying of instruments whilst nothing else drives a progression (“Nowhere Speaks,”); muffled voices and noise (“Words to Wind”), an immersion-breaking slide into the major (“Nowhere Speaks,” “The Clash of Forces,” “All for Nothing”). At least it sounds brilliant—all the layers distinguishable, the reverb a softness rather than an obstruction, the drums, vocals and guitars each having space to spook you.
Emptiness are evidently believers in the virtue of patience, answering the open question of Nothing But The Whole’s abrupt ending more than a decade after it was posed. Nowhere Speaks is no anomaly; give it time, and it spreads out like a great gulf of nothing.2 It may have taken many listens, but I’m now so immersed in the void of beautiful nothingness Emptiness have created, that it’s hard to remember I ever really had my doubts.
Rating: Very Good DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3 Label: Season of Mist Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook Releases Worldwide: July 17th, 2026
SEO-unfriendly Detroit synth-punks have a reportedly wild live show that makes heavy use of a strobe light and a subwoofer. Their sound is a quasi-industrial low-tech grind that combines abrasive vocals with throbbing beats. Last month, the band dropped their Germs-referencing debut 7″ (CC). Next month, they’ll follow it with a full-length called Devil’s Night / Dead Internet.
For more than four decades, Armored Saint have remained one of the defining names in American heavy metal. Formed in Pasadena, California, the band has carried the classic metal torch since the early 1980s, continuing to deliver powerful live performances and new music without losing sight of its roots.
In 2026, Armored Saint appeared at Germany’s Rock Hard Festival in Gelsenkirchen, where Rockpalast captured the band’s set. Among the performances was “Reign Of Fire,” the opening track from Symbol Of Salvation. Originally released in 1991, the album later returned in a 2003 reissue and remains one of the band’s most celebrated records.
Emotion Factory Reset, Armored Saint‘s ninth studio album since 1984’s March Of The Saint, marks another important chapter in the band’s history. Described as “a resurrection of sorts, a tearing down and a rebuilding in eleven songs of diverse musicality and lyrical themes,” the record reflects a group that continues to evolve while staying true to its identity.
As with the band’s previous four releases, bassist Joey Vera handled production, while JayRuston (Anthrax, Stone Sour) took care of mixing. The result is an album that pushes Armored Saint into new territory without abandoning the elements that earned them their reputation in heavy music.
Tracks such as “Close To The Bone,” “Hit A Moonshot,” and “Every Man-Any Man” showcase that balance, with Armored Saint paying tribute to their legacy while writing music that feels relevant today.
The sessions for Emotion Factory Reset took place at several facilities, including 606 Studios, Secret Hand Studios, Skullseven Studios, Constantine Studios, and Bridge Recording. Engineering duties were shared by Oliver Roman, Bill Metoyer, Joey Vera, and JasonConstantine, while DDKing created the album artwork.
Before Steve Howe joined Yes in 1970, he’d built a respectable career as both band member and session player. Even after becoming one of prog’s leading guitarists he was happy to make guest appearances on other artists’ albums.
Before giving Prog a rundown of his favourite experiences outside Yes in 2015, Howe recalled the session that got away, which took place in 1964 when he was 17 years old – the chance to record with jazz great Ella Fitzgerald.
“I got straight on a bus from Holloway to Putney, walked in with my Gibson ES-175 and an amp, and two guys were carrying her out of the studio – she was paralytic!” he said.
“I’m watching this in the corridor, the guys oblivious to this young kid with the guitar. So that session – ‘Steve Howe plays with Ella Fitzgerald’ – didn’t happen!”
Other sessions, as Howe explained, went a little better.
EMI sessions (1960s)
I’m a guitar for hire! There’s not many musical things I’d turn away from. In the 60s I played sessions for EMI, and I was always playing rhythm, with Big Jim Sullivan playing lead.
And the big day came when the producer said, ‘I want Steve to play lead and Jim to play rhythm.’ I thought, ‘Jesus, this could be the beginning of something big.’ I was off! All those things give you more confidence – if you survive them!
Lou Reed – Lou Reed (1972)
Yes were in Morgan Studios doing Tales From Topographic Oceans, and through other channels Rick Wakeman and I got invited to play with Lou. He came in, played us a demo, fine, gave us the chart, and we played. I’ve got no idea what it sounds like. I’ll have to have a listen back!
The openings for those kinds of guest things are fun. You start off thinking, “Oh, is this going to be alright?” And that adds a little tinge to it.
ZTT sessions with Trevor Horn (1985-86)
In the mid-80s there was this feeling around Trevor Horn. Sometimes I’d nip in to see him and things would spontaneously happen.
I play this jazzy guitar on Propaganda’s track Murder Of Love. On Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s Welcome To The Pleasuredome, Trevor asked me to come back the next day to add a dobro guitar. And I played on two or three tracks from Frankie’s second album, Liverpool, too.
Queen – Innuendo (1991)
I was in a restaurant in Montreux and bumped into one of Queen’s techs. He said, ‘Steve, come down to the studio – the lads would love to see you.’ It was a set-up!
When I got down there they’d set up the studio for me. They played me the whole album, and it was stunning, and they said, “How about playing on Innuendo? Play like [Spanish flamenco guitarist] Paco De Lucía; just run around and go nuts.” So I did!
Flavio Sala – Sabrosa (2015)
Flavio’s a phenomenal Italian classical guitarist; he’s really going somewhere with it. We just recorded the Chet Atkins tune Sabrosa.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Venom Inc. Guitarist Curran Murphy Produces Megaton Communion’s New Album Three of Cups
Desert Rock Outfit Reveals Album Title and Artwork by Jonathan Grimm Ahead of Delta Doom Fest Performance
Megaton Communion has officially revealed the title and cover artwork for its highly anticipated sophomore album, Three of Cups , produced by Curran Murphy , acclaimed guitarist for Venom Inc.
For fans of heavy music, Murphy’s name carries serious weight. Known for his crushing guitar work with Venom Inc. and his long history in the metal scene, Murphy brings his signature production style and decades of experience to Megaton Communion’s latest release, helping shape an album that blends massive riffs, desert rock atmosphere, and powerful songwriting.
Recorded at Custom Audio Mutation and featuring stunning artwork by Jonathan Grimm , Three of Cups represents the band’s next evolution while benefiting from the creative vision of one of modern metal’s most respected musicians.
The album takes its name and inspiration from the Three of Cups tarot card, a symbol of friendship, emotional connection, celebration, and hope. The imagery of three raised cups reflects unity and shared experiences, while the clear sky symbolizes optimism and brighter days ahead. The result is an album centered around one simple but powerful message: celebrate being alive.
Fans of desert rock, stoner rock, and groove-heavy metal should have Three of Cups firmly on their radar.
More details soon: https://linktr.ee/megaton_communion
Megaton Communion will also be bringing these new songs to the stage when they perform at the inaugural Delta Doom Fest on Saturday, October 17, 2026 , at Growlers in Memphis, Tennessee.
The festival features an outstanding lineup including:
Tommy Stewart’s Dyerwulf Ninja Witch Red Sun Sermon Stonewielder Ponddigger Megaton Communion Burnt Witch Ruined God
Metal Devastation Radio and Metal Devastation PR are proud sponsors of Delta Doom Fest alongside Does It Doom, Woodrite Guitars, Black Doomba Records, Brutal Media, Pinebox Coven Records, BlackOak Productions, and Blackbird Designs.
Doors open at 2:00 PM , with music beginning at 3:00 PM . The event is all ages and promises a full day of doom, stoner, sludge, and heavy metal from some of the region’s finest acts.
With Venom Inc. guitarist Curran Murphy behind the production, striking artwork from Jonathan Grimm, and a standout appearance at Delta Doom Fest on the horizon, Megaton Communion is poised to make Three of Cups one of the most anticipated underground heavy rock releases of the year.
Follow Megaton Communion through their Linktree for upcoming singles, videos, album news, and social media updates as Three of Cups continues its journey toward release.
https://linktr.ee/megaton_communion
Emptiness, nothingness, absence, non-being: such evocations of negation abound in extreme metal, often justifiably given the visceral analogy between dense dissonance and existential dysphoria. Among the acts walking this walk, Belgium’s Emptiness proudly stalk, with the blurb for seventh full-length Nowhere Speaks explicitly stating that it is “entirely unconcerned with making its listener comfortable.” The group’s trajectory thus far has taken them from uncompromising blackened death into ever more ambient and experimental territory, where they first crossed into the AMG-verse via 