Category: news

John Carpenter has told Metal Hammer that he’d “totally direct a music video for Metallica” if they asked him. The man who made Halloween, The Thing, Escape From New York and Big Trouble In Little China is 78, hasn’t directed a feature film since 2010, and got into Metallica because his kids played him “Enter Sandman.” He’s never seen them live. And the offer arrives about two weeks before Metallica open a Las Vegas residency built entirely around visuals.

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What he said

Carpenter’s route into Metallica is the same as a lot of people’s parents, only in reverse.

His kids played him the Black Album.

His words on it: they all loved it when it came out. That album is just fantastic. And then — and they are, right?

He went on: they were just this huge band, but he loved that album for introducing him to them. And then the admission — he’s never actually seen them live.

Then the line that makes this a story: “I’d totally direct a music video for Metallica if they asked, though.”

Why that’s not just a compliment

Here’s the context that turns a nice quote into news.

John Carpenter has not directed a feature film since The Ward in 2010. Sixteen years.

He hasn’t been idle — he executive produced David Gordon Green’s 2018 Halloween and both of its sequels, and he’s composed continuously. But the director’s chair has been empty for a decade and a half.

So this isn’t a filmmaker looking for work. It’s a man who stopped doing the thing he’s famous for, saying he’d do it again for one specific band.

And he’s not a director who’d treat a music video as a lesser format. Carpenter composed the scores for fifteen of his eighteen feature films. He’s been releasing standalone albums since 2015 with his son Cody Carpenter and his godson, composer Daniel Davies — and his latest, Cathedral, came out in August via Sacred Bones and was explicitly metal-inspired.

His description of what he wanted from that record: it’s all about making the music work. Somewhat different-sounding stuff, done with the same desire in mind — put this thing on and imagine you’re watching a movie.

A man who makes albums that are designed to feel like films, offering to make a film for a band. That’s a better fit than most director-band pairings ever get.

And there’s precedent

The other thing nobody’s mentioning: he’s already done this once.

Carpenter composed the opening credits score for Studio 666, the 2022 horror-comedy starring the Foo Fighters. A rock band made a horror film, and the person they got to set the tone at the top of it was John Carpenter.

So the idea of Carpenter and a major rock act in the same room isn’t hypothetical. It’s happened, it worked, and he enjoyed it enough to be volunteering for more.

The timing is almost too good

Now the part that makes this genuinely interesting rather than merely charming.

Metallica begin a residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas on October 1. It runs through to March 13.

If you haven’t seen footage from that venue: The Sphere is a 16K wraparound screen wrapped around an audience. It is the single most visually ambitious performance space ever constructed, and it doesn’t really work as a normal gig. Every act who’s played it has had to design something specifically for it, because the production is the show.

So Metallica are about to mount the most visually demanding undertaking of a forty-five-year career. They’ve just come off the three-year M72 world tour. And the most influential visual stylist in the history of horror cinema has publicly put his hand up, unprompted, in the same fortnight.

Nobody is suggesting Carpenter is about to be handed The Sphere. But if there was ever a month where Metallica happened to be thinking hard about images, it’s this one, and one of the few living directors whose visual signature is instantly recognisable from a single frame just volunteered.

Somebody in that organization should read this interview.

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What a Carpenter Metallica video would actually look like

Worth thinking about for a second, because the answer isn’t the obvious one.

People hear “horror director” and imagine gore. Carpenter has never really worked that way. What he does is dread — wide, static compositions, negative space, something in the frame that shouldn’t be there, and a camera that refuses to cut away when you want it to. Halloween is terrifying because of what it declines to show you. The Thing works because of how long it holds.

Match that against Metallica’s catalogue and the fits are obvious. “Enter Sandman” is a song about a child’s nightmare. “One” is already one of the darkest videos ever put on MTV. “The Thing That Should Not Be” is literally Lovecraft, and The Thing is the best Lovecraftian film ever made by someone adapting something else.

The band have historically been very good at handing their visuals to real filmmakers rather than video directors. That’s how they ended up with some of the most durable images in the whole history of heavy music.

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What Carpenter said about rock music

The rest of the interview is worth reading on its own, because he’s unexpectedly generous about the state of things.

On rock music still existing: still alive and still here — like me! Then the qualifier — it may be a bit less transcendent and popular than it was, but it still speaks to people like it spoke to him all those years ago.

And then this, which is the best thing in the whole piece:

Music as an art form is probably the greatest thing humanity ever created. It transcends language, going from country to country, across the world. Someone in Bangladesh can hear an American song and still love it.

That’s a 78-year-old man who has spent fifty years being told he’s a horror director, saying the thing he actually believes is that music is the highest achievement of the species.

Given how many of the best film soundtracks ever assembled came out of heavy music, he might be onto something.

Where both parties are now

Carpenter released Cathedral in August via Sacred Bones, with a tie-in graphic novel. He’s still composing, still recording with Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies, and still hasn’t directed a feature since 2010.

Metallica have completed the three-year M72 world tour and open at The Sphere on October 1, running to March 13. Their last album was 72 Seasons in 2023.

Forty-five years in for one of them, fifty for the other, and they’ve somehow never worked together.

TL;DR

• John Carpenter told Metal Hammer he’d “totally direct a music video for Metallica” if the band asked him.
• He got into them through the Black Album, which his children played him. His verdict: “that album is just fantastic.”
• He’s never seen Metallica live.
• He hasn’t directed a feature film since The Ward in 2010 — though he has executive produced three Halloween films and composed continuously.
• He’s a musician himself, having scored fifteen of his eighteen features and released albums since 2015 with his son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies. His latest, Cathedral, arrived in August via Sacred Bones.
• There’s precedent: Carpenter composed the opening credits score for Studio 666, the 2022 Foo Fighters horror-comedy.
• The timing: Metallica open a residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas on October 1, running to March 13 — the most visually demanding venue ever built.

FAQ

A man who stopped directing sixteen years ago, volunteering for one band — two weeks before that band opens a residency built entirely around images. Which Metallica song would you hand him? Tell me below. And keep it locked on the Loaded Radio stream — follow Loaded Radio for daily rock and metal news.

The post Horror Icon John Carpenter Says He Wants To Work With Metallica appeared first on Loaded Radio.

It doesn't sound like he'd play on a full new album, if one happens. Continue reading…

Cheetah Chrome, the guitarist for Cleveland punk originators Rocket From The Tombs and Dead Boys, has passed away. The Dead Boys’ social media accounts shared the news that Chrome died on Sunday. No cause of death has been reported. Chrome was 71.

The post Dead Boys Guitarist Cheetah Chrome Dead At 71 appeared first on Stereogum.

BLIND ILLUSION’S MARK BIEDERMANN LOOKS BACK ON FIVE DECADES OF BAY AREA METAL, LES CLAYPOOL, CLIFF BURTON, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT AND THE NEW STAGE FLIGHT LIVE ALBUM

Guitarist Mark Biedermann joins The Zach Moonshine Show for a wide-ranging conversation covering The Sane Asylum , David White, Les Claypool, Kirk Hammett, Cliff Burton, Sandy Pearlman, Blue Öyster Cult, the Bay Area metal scene, Hectic Records, Crushing the Universe , and the upcoming STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre

By Metal Devastation Radio
Few bands can claim a history as strange, unpredictable, and deeply connected to the roots of the Bay Area metal scene as Blind Illusion .
Formed in 1978, the band has spent nearly five decades moving through progressive metal, technical thrash, psychedelic experimentation and everything in between. At the center of that history is guitarist Mark Biedermann , whose career has crossed paths with some of the most important musicians and bands in heavy music.
During a recent appearance on The Zach Moonshine Show , Biedermann opened up about Blind Illusion’s upcoming live album, the return of original vocalist David White , the band’s younger current lineup, his work with Les Claypool , Kirk Hammett , Sandy Pearlman and Blue Öyster Cult , and one particularly remarkable story involving his longtime friend Cliff Burton .
The conversation also offered a glimpse into the next chapter of Blind Illusion, with the studio album Crushing the Universe already recorded and the band looking toward future European and U.S. festival appearances.
“THIS, I GUARANTEE YOU, IS 100% LIVE”

The immediate subject of the conversation was Blind Illusion’s upcoming live release, STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre .
The album originated during preparations for what became the band’s reunion performance with Exodus. Biedermann explained that David White , Blind Illusion’s original vocalist, contacted him while the band was working on pre-production for Crushing the Universe .
“Dave White contacted me,” Biedermann recalled. “Lee contacted him and said would we do a reunion show with Exodus?”
The band quickly shifted gears and began revisiting material from its early years, including songs from the Trilogy of Terror era, the Blind Sun demo and “Smash The Crystal,” one of the final songs White performed before leaving Blind Illusion to join Heathen.
Rather than attempting to recreate the band’s past with a lineup made entirely of former members, Biedermann chose to bring his current musicians into the equation.
That lineup includes guitarist Martine Lacour , drummer Phil Costantini and bassist Avery Thurman .
“I’ve got the band of young crazies that are just amazing,” Biedermann said, praising the musicians for capturing the spirit of Blind Illusion’s early years despite their age.
The UC Theatre performance was recorded by engineer Ivan Garcia , who connected the band’s stage microphones to Pro Tools and captured the performance from the board. Biedermann subsequently handled the mixing, working with Costantini on the drum and bass tones before blending the guitars and vocals himself.
And Biedermann was emphatic about one thing: there were no studio overdubs used to fake the performance.
“So it’s a pure live album,” he explained.
He later put it even more directly:


“This, I guarantee you, is 100% live.”


That old-school approach is clearly important to Biedermann, particularly in an era where live records can sometimes be heavily altered after the fact.
DAVID WHITE RETURNS

One of the most significant elements of STAGE FLIGHT is the presence of original Blind Illusion vocalist David White .
Biedermann explained that White’s involvement made the performance something of a historical anomaly, particularly because “Smash The Crystal” was among the last songs White sang with the band before departing for Heathen.
Biedermann said he would love to perform the material with White again, even discussing the possibility of a short European run built around the reunion.
For now, however, Blind Illusion will continue forward with its current lineup while White continues his work with Heathen.
THE NEXT CHAPTER: CRUSHING THE UNIVERSE

While STAGE FLIGHT looks backward, Blind Illusion is already looking forward.
Biedermann revealed that the band’s next studio album, Crushing the Universe , has already been recorded.
The album is being produced, engineered and mixed by former Blind Illusion bassist Tom Gears , who Biedermann says has played a major role in shaping the sound of the new record.
“He’s the whole reason why we are sounding like this on this new album, Crushing the Universe ,” Biedermann said.
Gears also co-wrote “Automatic Man” with Biedermann, a track featuring what Biedermann describes as one of Martine Lacour’s most outrageous guitar performances.
Biedermann compared Lacour’s playing to John McLaughlin, Uli Jon Roth and Al Di Meola , saying the young guitarist is capable of taking the material into territory even Biedermann himself cannot always follow.
“If you call what I do shredding,” Biedermann joked, “there’s got to be another word for what Martine does.”
He also revealed that the new version of “Concerto” will appear on Crushing the Universe , this time without keyboards.
LES CLAYPOOL WAS BLIND ILLUSION’S FIRST BASS PLAYER

Perhaps one of the most fascinating portions of the conversation centered around Les Claypool .
Long before Primus, before Frizzle Fry , before the massive bass-playing reputation, Claypool was a young musician learning the instrument in Blind Illusion.
According to Biedermann, Claypool became the band’s first bass player in 1978.
“He didn’t know how to play,” Biedermann explained.
The arrangement was simple: Claypool would get a bass, join the band and Biedermann would teach him the material.
“The deal was you get a bass, you join my band, I will teach you how to play my songs, and then you will be the greatest bass player in the world someday.”
That prediction didn’t exactly age badly.
Claypool eventually left to pursue jazz and fusion, but the relationship between the two musicians continued. Claypool later contacted Biedermann looking for someone to play fusion guitar with him, leading to a project called Sons of Illusion .
Biedermann also pointed to Blind Illusion recordings as containing some of the earliest known recordings of Claypool.
The Ultimate Anthology material includes the “Deathbed Kamikaze” demo, with Biedermann stating that the first two tracks feature Claypool on bass.
“And that is the earliest recordings you will ever get of Les Claypool,” Biedermann said.
Claypool eventually returned to Blind Illusion for The Sane Asylum , helping reconnect the band’s original history with its 1988 debut.
KIRK HAMMETT AND THE SANE ASYLUM

The history surrounding The Sane Asylum is equally remarkable.
Biedermann confirmed that Kirk Hammett was involved with the album’s production.
According to Biedermann, Hammett produced the record through the mixing stage, although the production arrangement ultimately prevented him from completing the mixing process with the band.
“Kirk Hammett produced The Sane Asylum up to the mixed point,” Biedermann said.
The result was an album that captured Blind Illusion’s unique place in the Bay Area scene, while featuring musicians who would go on to become major figures in metal.
THE LOST YEARS AND BLIND ILLUSION’S WEIRD SIDE

Blind Illusion’s history wasn’t always about straight-ahead thrash.
Biedermann discussed a period when the band moved into considerably stranger territory, incorporating keyboards, psychedelic influences and experimental material.
He explained that the Bay Area scene had begun changing dramatically after thrash exploded, with funk metal and alternative sounds gaining ground.
Bands such as Primus, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane’s Addiction, Testament, Exodus and Death Angel all came up during the conversation.
Biedermann described a period when Blind Illusion’s musicians were essentially caught between worlds.
“The players that wanted to play couldn’t play the stuff and the players that could play it didn’t want to play,” he explained.
“That is how that weird ass hippie the lost years Blind Illusion came about.”
That experimental side of Blind Illusion remains part of the band’s DNA, with Biedermann planning to revisit “Concerto” on Crushing the Universe .
SANDY PEARLMAN, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, JOE SATRIANI AND ROBBIE KRIEGER

Biedermann’s history extends well beyond Blind Illusion.
During the interview, he discussed his involvement with Sandy Pearlman and the world surrounding Blue Öyster Cult , including work connected to Imaginos .
That experience also brought him into contact with legendary musicians including Robbie Krieger of The Doors and Joe Satriani .
Biedermann recalled playing rhythm guitar and guitar parts on the Imaginos material, including “Magna of Illusion,” while Krieger also contributed to the recording.
He also discussed playing on “The Siege and Investiture of Baron von Frankenstein’s Castle at Sea,” a song that later generated an amusing misunderstanding online.
When Biedermann discovered a fan had praised what they believed was Joe Satriani’s guitar work as some of Satriani’s best playing, he eventually revealed that the solo being praised was actually his.
“And I should know because I’m Mark Biedermann,” he recalled.
Rather than taking offense at the mistake, Biedermann took it as a compliment.
“That’s the greatest compliment that you would think my work was Joe’s best work,” he said.
“I AM NOT AI”

The conversation eventually turned toward modern music culture and the changing relationship between musicians and their audiences.
Biedermann talked about social media, younger metal fans and the increasingly strong backlash against artificial intelligence-generated artwork.
He pointed out that his own song “Automatic Man” contains the line:


“I am the automatic man. I am not AI.”


According to Biedermann, the line was written years before the current AI debate exploded, but now carries an entirely different weight. His young bassist Avery Thurman also sings the line with him.
Biedermann praised the younger generation for being outspoken and unapologetic about what they expect from metal.
He also highlighted Thurman’s social media presence, noting that the young bassist regularly posts performances of songs by Metallica, Megadeth and other major metal acts, sometimes pulling in thousands of views.
For Biedermann, that connection between the old guard and the new generation is one of the most encouraging things happening around Blind Illusion.
“WE’RE LIKE ONE OF THE LAST MEN STANDING”

Biedermann acknowledged that Blind Illusion doesn’t occupy the same commercial tier as Metallica, Exodus, Testament or Death Angel.
But he also made it clear that the band’s place in Bay Area metal history cannot simply be erased.
“I’m almost like one of the last men standing,” Biedermann said, pointing to the surviving bands from that original scene.
He sees the current generation of Blind Illusion musicians as carrying that history forward.
“As far as I’m concerned, you know, I’m going to be around for another 20 years playing this stuff,” he said.
“But if I kick the bucket, I expect them to carry on.”
That philosophy seems to define the band’s current era. Blind Illusion isn’t simply attempting to recreate 1988. The goal is to keep moving while preserving the spirit that made the band unique in the first place.
THE CLIFF BURTON STORY

Then came perhaps the most unexpected story of the interview.
Biedermann recalled a conversation with Cliff Burton outside Ruthie’s in the Bay Area.
According to Biedermann, Burton approached him with an unusual proposition.
“Hey, Biedermann, I want to play some Southern rock with you.”
Burton had apparently heard the country-influenced guitar lines in Biedermann’s playing and wanted to form a Southern rock project influenced by bands such as Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top .
Biedermann said Burton wanted to return to smaller clubs and play Southern rock when Metallica was off the road.
The two musicians actually jammed together several times, including a performance at Ruthie’s where they played “Am I Evil?”
Biedermann also recalled another jam involving Burton, including Southern rock material and “Give Me Three Steps.”
But then Burton left on tour with Metallica.
“He took off on that tour and he never came back,” Biedermann said.
“So that was a bummer.”
Years later, Biedermann formed Ghost Kings , a Southern rock, blues and bluegrass project that he considers partially inspired by Burton’s unrealized idea.
The description?
“It’s like Johnny Cash meets Led Zeppelin.”
The project even featured original Blind Illusion drummer Brett Hearn at one point.
FROM THE BEATLES TO BRUCE LEE

Biedermann’s influences aren’t limited to metal.
He cited The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult, Steve Morse, John McLaughlin, Uli Jon Roth, Al Di Meola, Jerry Reed and Roy Clark among his musical influences.
But perhaps more unusual is the influence of martial arts.
Biedermann began studying Kung Fu at the age of eight and described Bruce Lee as being as important to his development as his musical heroes.
He eventually performed Shaolin Kung Fu on the Great Wall of China and explained that Chinese philosophy and martial arts have also influenced his songwriting and Blind Illusion’s music.
Biedermann specifically connected the title Crushing the Universe to a movement within a Taiji set, explaining that elements of ancient Chinese Kung Fu philosophy and mysticism have found their way into his music and lyrics.
“Bruce Lee was as big an influence to me as Uli Roth,” Biedermann said.
It’s another example of why Blind Illusion has never fit neatly inside one box.
HECTIC RECORDS AND THE BAY AREA CONNECTION

Blind Illusion’s current relationship with Hectic Records also represents a return to the band’s Bay Area roots.
Biedermann described the connection as essentially a “no brainer,” particularly after seeing friends and other Bay Area musicians working with the label.
Will Carroll of Death Angel has been heavily involved with Hectic Records, and Biedermann praised Carroll’s hands-on approach to promoting the label’s artists.
Rather than relying solely on traditional distribution, Carroll has been personally taking Hectic releases into record stores while touring with Death Angel.
Biedermann said that personal connection is one of the things that makes Hectic special.
For a band with nearly five decades of history in the Bay Area, it is fitting that the next chapter is once again being built alongside musicians and people from the same community.
EUROPE, U.S. FESTIVALS AND WHAT COMES NEXT

Blind Illusion has already toured Europe multiple times, and Biedermann made it clear that the band wants to return.
Former Blind Illusion bassist Harold O is now interested in helping with management and European festival bookings.
Biedermann specifically named Alcatraz , Headbangers Open Air and Storm Crusher among the festivals he’d love to return to.
But Europe isn’t the only target.
Biedermann also issued a direct invitation to American festival promoters.
“We want to play some festivals in the US,” he said, specifically mentioning events such as Hell’s Heroes and Milwaukee Metal Fest .
And with STAGE FLIGHT arriving first and Crushing the Universe expected to follow, the timing couldn’t be better.
KEEPING THE MACHINE MOVING

Toward the end of the interview, Biedermann reflected on longevity and the strange idea of an “overnight success” arriving after decades of work.
He compared his situation to Willie Nelson , describing the possibility of a “60-year overnight success.”
The money isn’t what motivates him.
Keeping the music alive is.
“As long as we get that success and there’s money to be, there’s money that they want to cry about, that’s OK,” Biedermann said. “Because I’m not worried about the money as much as getting, keeping the product going.”
That may be the best description of Blind Illusion’s current position.
Nearly five decades after the band began, Biedermann is still writing, recording, performing and looking ahead.
The history is enormous.
The stories are even bigger.
But Blind Illusion isn’t finished making history.
STAGE FLIGHT: LIVE AT THE UC THEATRE

Blind Illusion’s STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre is scheduled for release October 16, 2026 , featuring original vocalist David White .
The live album captures the band’s UC Theatre performance and, according to Biedermann, is a completely live recording with no studio overdubs.
The band is also preparing the next studio chapter with Crushing the Universe , produced, engineered and mixed by former Blind Illusion bassist Tom Gears .
After nearly 50 years, Mark Biedermann isn’t looking backward.
He’s still cranking the amps, still writing songs, still pushing his guitar players to the limit and still planning the next show.
As he put it during the interview:


“I intend to be one of those guys.”


And if Blind Illusion’s history is any indication, there’s probably a hell of a lot more story left to tell.


Full Show Track List:
Battle Of The Bands Top Six Winners:
1 – Another Demon – Reduced to Ash – (16,323,137 votes)
2 – Virya – Technophobia – Live from FLSS 2026 – (6,562,524 votes)
3 – Persephore – All That Is Left – (1,166,799 votes)
4 – Soul Of Sheol – Paradise Is Not For Us – (13,191 votes)
5 – Sharp n’ Loud – Armored sexy girl – (12,895 votes)
6 – Mistress – Terrified eyes – (4,589 votes)
The Zach Moonshine Intro
7 – Ozzy Osbourne – Believer – Live From Blizzard Of Ozz Tour
8 – MURDERY – KILLING GRANDMA
9 – Infestation – Mother Of All Bombs
10 – BEHEMOTH – In League with Satan
Blind Illusion – Interview featuring Smash the Crystal/Blood Shower/Night Blade
11 – CIRITH UNGOL – All The Shadows
12 – Smoulder – Shadow Of The Vulture/Warrior Witch Of Hell/Cage Of Mirrors [Manilla Road cover]
13 – Netherdred – Necrodancer
14 – Dee Calhoun – Kill a Mother Fucker
15 – CREEPER – Big Bad Wolf
16 – Ophiolatry – Revenge
17 – The Red Mountain – When The Hammer Drops/The Color Greed
18 – Demon Christ – Curse You All
19 – Slipknot – Arsenal
20 – Antania – 33
21 – Craig Neill – Baloo Ka Toofaan
22 – In Spite of Thunder – Collateral Damage
23 – PS:23 – The Angel They Call Evil
24 – Titan Blood – Unite Them
Streaming now in full on Mixcloud!


The interview is also available via YouTube, Spotify, Apple etc:




Super massive thanks to the 289,486 metal maniacs from all over the world that tuned in for the live broadcast Friday!

Patty Griffin’s “Top of the World” is a deathbed reckoning — a life examined right at the end, loss and regret laid out plain. Here it’s just her acoustic guitar and voice, with a subtle electric guitar underneath adding to the song’s melancholy and beauty. If anything, the sparse arrangement makes the regret harder to […]

Mother Of Millions – T (ViciSolum Productions)

Over the years we’ve charted the continuing musical evolution of Greek prog band Mother Of Millions.

From their modern prog metal/Djent beginnings, like so many that came from that genre they now reside at a place that still has moments of crushing modern heaviness but these are now part of a larger musical cityscape where the likes of Soen, Riverside, Katatonia and more have ventured.

Blending experimental structures with emotionally charged performances and a layered depth that draws in strings, synths and a cinematic feeling. There’s touches of Vola on The Innocent, Floyd on The Circle, Soen on The One and the spectre of Muse is a large one but it’s difficult to pick out individual tracks on this record, better to heard as a complete whole because Mother Of Millions have evolved again since 2023’s Magna Mater.

While Magna Mater ignited the change towards the anthemic and melancholic style that is favoured more highly now, T defines it by restructuring again for crushing riffage and progressive rhythms that feature on the industrial majesty of The Sun, while the tracks that have haunting female vocals and ambience realise the tension in the heavy moments through beauty.

The world is a harsher place, endless war, oppression and corruption have all pushed the band to bring back their heavier side with a sense of resilience, a feeling that with these songs they won’t crumble under the weight of life, but fight, scratch claw and eventually win, it’s a message of hope, more balanced than the last record but heavier in it’s overall sound and it’s emotional weight. 9/10

Paranoid Reverb – Red River, Black Roots (Octopus Rising)

The Greek stoner scene is extremely fertile, there just something about the Greeks and a love of heavy riffs, psychadelic wanderings all played through a cloud of smoke.

From Thessaloniki comes the second album by psychadelic stones Paranoid Reverb, who have inhaled too much of the herb, picked up their guitars and written another record of woozy heavy psych that takes inspiration from Nightstalker and 1000mods.

They shift from hypnotic journeys like Come Undone to metallic rhythms on Quicksand, building on their debut, Billion Drops with an all round heavier and more mature outing, focussing on the themes of decay (river) and transformation (roots) by building tension and then releasing it in a burst of massive riffage or fluid leads.

Approaching the album like they did their live set, it ebbs and flows like a river, recording it as live as they can so it’s easy to replicate on stage, keeping it sounding organic but keeping complexity that doesn’t require overdubs or studio trickery.

Just a band who knows how to work with dynamics, utilising pedalboards and effects they can use on stage, to take you on this journey through psychadelic sounds driven by some heavy stoner riffage. Red River, Black Roots holds strong inspiration from the Greek stoner scene and carried that into a strong second album from Paranoid Reverb. 8/10

Edouarth – Street Vengeance (Sleaszy Rider Records)

The second album from Greek NWOTHM Edouarth is a lot more mature than their debut but that’s probably because there’s a lot more experience from two of the members involved.

Fronted by James Edouarth of Spider Kickers on vocals and bass, the band also features his sons, 14 year old George (drums) and 12 year old Peter (guitars), who have been putting in the practice between this and their debut record 2 years ago.

Street Vengeance has more variation too it, the guitars especially are more varied than on the debut, while the drumming gets a bit more expressive as well. As this is music that apes the NWOBHM sound favoured by Holocaust, Angel Witch, Venom and the nastier side of that scene, there doesn’t need to be much virtuosity, just galloping riffs.

However there’s plenty of talent in these kids that will mean the band get more technical with every record, keep an ear open for Edouarth. 7/10

The Mute – Oscillating The Void (FYC Records)

FYC Records have always given a very varied output, from DBSM to outlaw country, torchlight death ballads and now with the signing of The Mute, electronic ambience.

The Mute is the musical project of Nick Chalntoupis, a composer, sound designer, live sound engineer and mix/masterer who last released his own music five years ago but now signing to FYC Records has found a home for his latest offering Oscillating The Void.

Oscillation being the keyword as this record is built around modular synth, analogue modular synth, at that and as such is inspired by the likes of Tangerine Dream, Vangelis (obviously) and Isao Tomita as Nick draws from Japanese scales to create soundscapes that flow organically with no editing just the alchemy of it’s creator.

Not metal but an interesting exploration of electonic instrumentation from The Mute. 7/10

almost monday have just released their second album, and now they have announced that they are bringing it over to the UK and Europe next year for a tour.

The ‘THANK GOD IT’S ALMOST MONDAY’ tour will make its way across the continent, stopping in 16 countries as they go.

Here are all of the dates that you need to know:

JANUARY 2027

20 – DUBLIN The Button Factory
22 – GLASGOW Garage
23 – BIRMINGHAM Institute2
24 – MANCHESTER Gorilla
25 – BRISTOL Thekla
27 – LONDON Scala
29 – ANTWERP TRIX
30 – PARIS Le Trabendo
31 – AMSTERDAM Melkweg


FEBRUARY 2027

02 – COLOGNE Kantine
04 – COPENHAGEN Studie 2
05 – OSLO Vulka Arena
06 – STOCKHOLM Debaser Strand
08 – HAMBURG Uebel & Gefährlch
09 – BERLIN Hole 44
11 – WARSAW Palladium
12 – PRAGUE MeetFactory
13 – VIENNA Flex
15 – MUNICH Hansa 39
16 – ZURICH Plaza Club
18 – BARCELONA Razzmatazz 2
19 – MADRID Sala Wagon
20 – LISBON LAV 2

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The band released their brand new album ‘THANK GOD IT’S ALMOST MONDAY’, last week.

Here is one of the many highlights in the form of ‘Superprism’:

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