Are you ready for some killer straight-up punk rock? On its new EP Fresh Set, Portland, Maine’s Freak Phone tears through six tracks of totally ripping late ’70s/early ’80s–style punk rock ‘n’ roll. You know what I mean: simple and catchy tunes with attitude and guts out the wazoo. The singer, Rosie, can really belt it and is the absolute epitome of a bad-ass. Of course older folk like me are going to freak out over the fact that punk music like this is still being made. But this is no retro, “Let’s try and turn back the clock” type deal. This is a new and exciting band that will have punks of all ages bobbing their heads and shouting along to the lyrics. What’s super-cool is that this is all new material. None of these tunes are recycled from the band’s demo from last year (which also rules). I also like that these tracks are well-recorded. Lo-fi works for some bands, but a cleaner, crisper production really highlights the power in Freak Phone’s attack. This is the no-nonsense rock ‘n’ roll you’ve been craving, kids. Bring on a full album!
Dave Mustaine has shared his memories of firing his long-time Megadeth colleague and former friend David Ellefson in a new extract from his forthcoming memoir, shared exclusively with Rolling Stone.
Mustaine sacked Megadeth’s long-standing bassist in May 2021, after footage emerged online of Ellefson engaging in what he admitted were “private, adult interactions” with a fan.
At the time, the-then 56-year-old bassist said that the graphic video footage and texts were “taken out of context and manipulated to inflict maximum damage to my reputation, my career and family”, and he later suggested that he would sue for defamation if the source of the ‘revenge porn’ leaks could be identified.
Within days, Ellefson was dismissed from the band, with Dave Mustaine writing, “We are informing our fans that David Ellefson is no longer playing with Megadeth. We do not take this decision lightly. While we do not know every detail of what occurred, with an already strained relationship, what has already been revealed now is enough to make working together impossible moving forward.”
In the extract from his new book, In My Darkest Hour,Mustaine reflects on the situation.
“I found out about the scandal the same way that everyone else found out: I heard about it online. On May 10, 2021, sexually explicit videos of David Ellefson masturbating appeared on Twitter. The videos resulted from an online interaction with a nineteen-year-old Megadeth fan with whom Ellefson had engaged in some sort of relationship. When more details were revealed, the story quickly went viral. It was impossible to separate fact from fiction, truth from fantasy, as the internet exploded in typically histrionic fashion. But this much was clear: that was definitely David Ellefson, Megadeth bass player, in the videos.”
Mustaine goes on to say that he was “reevaluating my nearly 40-year relationship with David and the turbulence it had so often caused in my life”.
“We had played a lot of great music together,” he acknowedges in the book. “We were codependent junkies, feeding and fueling each other’s addictions. Ultimately, we had grown apart, trust shattered (at least for me) by David’s 2004 lawsuit after the band’s breakup.”
[Ellefson had filed a lawsuit against Mustaine in 2004, claiming that he was owed millions in outstanding royalties. The case was dismissed].
“Would David have remained a member of Megadeth if that video had not surfaced?” Mustaine muses. “Who’s to say? I’ve seen enough guys come and go with Megadeth, and I’ve experienced enough upheaval with David to know that the end was likely near. But, certainly, the scandal hastened the process.”
In 2022, Mustaine discussed Ellefson’s removal from the band in a Metal Hammerinterview.
“Let me just say this – it was a hard decision that had to be made,” he said. “There were a lot of people involved and I had to make a decision, because unfortunately, when you’re the leader, you’re the one that has to suck it up and face the music.
“All I wanted to do was make a clean break, and not hurt anyone, not hurt the fans and not hurt him,” he continues. “I just wanted to move on, and I hope the gentleman concerned is doing okay.”
In 2024, Ellefson also discussed the subject with Metal Hammer.
“There’s two sides to it,” he said. “One: when you bare it all, you’ve got nothing to hide. Fuck it, now you can truly be yourself! We all come into the world with our birthday suit on, so what are we ashamed of? What I feel the worst about is the embarrassment that it caused some people, like my family, who didn’t deserve it.”
It’s been hard to stand up and be counted as a Bon Jovi fan in recent years with the brilliance of their late eighties peak, not to mention their successful adaptation to changing musical trends and high energy live shows … Continue reading →
UK progressive, alternative metal band Haken are pleased to release a deluxe digital edition of their new EP in a fever dream, now featuring instrumental versions of all tracks. The EP also sees its physical release on CD and limited coloured vinyl on September 18th.
The band comments: “Return to the fever dream from a whole new perspective. Dive in and immerse yourself in the instrumental version of the EP.”
Haken recently released a making-of documentary for the EP. Filmed & edited by Oliver Kember, which can be seen below.
in a fever dream will be available as a CD, Deep Blood Red LP (in Europe), Lotus White LP (in the US), and as a very limited clear LP edition available only from the band’s store.
The band are set to embark on a European headline tour in September & October 2026, with support from IHLO on all dates, as well as Benthos, AVKRVST, IONS& Ancient Fragments on select dates. Find the full list of dates here. Tickets are on sale now.
in a fever dream is available to pre-order now here.
Pink has been catching heat after resharing an Instagram post that criticized Macklemore’s pro-Palestine performance at Ed Sheeran’s concert. Today, the pop singer made a lengthy statement responding to the backlash, saying that “Palestinians deserve a future that honors their humanity and their aspirations” but “Hamas is a terrorist organization.”
Swedish metal band Eleine drops their new single and visualizer “Liars Linger” from their upcoming fifth studio album, The Water Taste Of Blood, out December 4th via Algoth Records /Sound Pollution.
Where “Watch As We Rise” was the soundtrack of the empire coming down, “Liars Linger” is about the kind of betrayal that only cuts this deep when it comes from someone you trusted with your life, whose words turn out to be worthless and whose blades were sharpened long before you saw them coming.
Exhausted but still marching, the song refuses to let that wreckage harden into fear, turning the pain into the very strength that carries you back out of it. It builds with tension before breaking wide open into a chorus that no longer belongs just to the band, leaving you standing taller than it found you.
In Eleine’s own words: “Have you ever trusted someone deeply? Maybe even to the point where you trust them with your life? When trust is broken, it all falls apart. It is time to open your eyes to all that has been, is, and will become. You must realize what is now is real. But do not fear being deceived again; use the pain to rise through the lies and reclaim your freedom. ‘Liars Linger’ is one of the strongest choruses of the upcoming album. It’s heartbreaking yet uplifting, heavy but fragile. We hope our fans will embrace this song as much as we have.”
The Water Taste Of Blood is available to pre-order here.
What began in southern Sweden has grown into a loyal global community united by music, perseverance, and the refusal to give up. Led by vocalist Madeleine Liljestam and guitarist/vocalist Rikard Ekberg, Eleine has spent recent years building one of metal’s most dedicated fan communities through acclaimed releases, including a #1 album on the Swedish sales charts, successful headline tours, and a direct connection with their audience that extends far beyond the stage.
Along the way, the band has shared stages with Arch Enemy, Kamelot, PAIN, Sonata Arctica, and W.A.S.P., while steadily building a headline presence of their own. Their 2024 European headline tour sold out multiple dates and led directly to a second headline run in spring 2025.
In just a few weeks, Eleine will kick off the biggest headline tour of their career with over 30 shows across Europe and the UK, from Hamburg and London to Paris, Milan, Warsaw, and Copenhagen, before coming home to Sweden for an exclusive The Water Taste Of Blood album release show in Lund on December 5th.
