XASTHUR have released Open to Misinterpretation, the latest chapter in Scott Conner’s long-running transformation of the project beyond its black metal origins. The self-recorded album arrived on 2 October through PROPHECY PRODUCTIONS and is now available in full alongside digital, CD and vinyl editions. Stream Open to Misinterpretation in full Order the album Rather than […]
German folk metal heavyweights FEUERSCHWANZ have joined forces with IN EXTREMO for new single “Carpe Noctem”, an anthem built around nocturnal freedom, living in the moment and the musical connection between two bands with deep roots in Germany’s medieval rock scene. The collaboration combines FEUERSCHWANZ’s established folk-metal sound with the distinctive character of IN EXTREMO, […]
Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl enjoyed what he will surely count as a dream moment when he was invited to join AC/DC on stage this weekend.
The Foos frontman and former Nirvana drummer was welcomed to the stage at Metlife Stadium in New Jersey on Friday night (October 2) as AC/DC thrilled the audience on the latest date of the band’s Power Up tour.
Having already performed a support slot with his own band on the night, Grohl joined the headliners for a performance of their classic track Highway To Hell, playing guitar and adding backing vocals.
AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson told the audience: “A very good friend of ours asked us tonight if he could come and join us up on stage for Highway To Hell.
“And we said, ‘yes, Dave, you can.'”
As Grohl took to the stage, Johnson added: “Isn’t music brilliant?”
The performance can be viewed below.
Last month, Foo Fighters opened for AC/DC in St. Louis, before which Grohl spoke of his adoration of the rock giants,
He said: “It’s safe to say that if it weren’t for this band, and their decades of timeless anthems, I surely would have approached my life in music from a different perspective.
“So, if you have ever seen me beat the living s*** out of a drum set, or run from side to side of a stage drenched in sweat after hours of hammering my guitar to pieces, you’ll now understand why.
“All I have ever wanted was to someday live up to the awe inspiring fury of AC/DC, live onstage – an impossible task, by the way.”
ORBIT CULTURE are the focus of the latest episode of Scream Dudes’ documentary series OFFSTAGE, which follows the Swedish metal band through a full day at Summer Breeze 2026 while frontman Niklas Karlsson looks back on 13 years of setbacks, breakthroughs and life on the road. Titled How Orbit Culture Became A Metal Giant, the […]
Butcher Babies has released their new album, Nightbloom, via Judge & Jury Records, arriving with growing momentum at radio and a renewed connection with the fans who have stood beside them. Album single “Blame It on the Wind” has surpassed one million Spotify streams and reached No. 42 on the Mediabase Active Rock chart, bringing the band within reach of the Top 40.
“The first seeds of Nightbloom were planted over two years ago as I sat across from my therapist, trying to make sense of where I’d been and who I was becoming,” says vocalist Heidi Shepherd. “These songs became an extension of those conversations; an outlet that forced me to come face to face with old wounds and new chapters that were being written in real time.
In these last 2 years, Nightbloom has given me a renewed love for writing, recording, and performing. And now, it’s yours. I hope you fall in love with these songs. I hope they give you a sense of comfort in the uncomfortable, strength in the heartbreak, and maybe even the courage to bloom through whatever darkness you’re finding your way through.
I want to give a giant THANK YOU to our incredible team who believed in us when I wasn’t even sure if I believed in myself. Thank you to the army behind Judge & Jury Records, Howard Benson (who inspired a new perspective), our manager Zach Yoshioka, our lawyer Eric German, our publicists Shauna O’DonnellandThe Noise Cartel, our Touring Crew, our agents at 33 and West, our radio promoter Bob Hathaway, Vinny and ShannonGunz at SiriusXM Octane, and every FM station that has taken a chance on these songs and continues to support Butcher Babies. Thank you for believing in what we are building.
And most importantly, thank you to our fans; our pit crew. Whether you’re new to us with this album, or you’ve stayed with us through every evolution, every high, every low, and every release in the last 17 years, YOU gave these songs a home before the album took shape. YOU gave me a reason to bloom in even the darkest of seasons.”
Henry Flury adds, “With Nightbloom, there was a freedom to create and explore ideas that felt refreshing. For two years I locked myself in my dungeon with a singular goal, focus was on creating space and using the music to help tell a story. I was able to approach the guitar in a completely different way that has been hidden in a lot of my playing. Instead of just being a pummeling, riff machine, I used it to be more dynamic and melody driven. Working with Howard Benson and his team only encouraged me to do more and really bring these ideas to life.”
Produced by Howard Benson, with co-production by Henry Flury, Joe Rickard and Neil Sanderson, and mixed by Joe Rickard, Nightbloom brings together the band’s heavy foundations, melodic hooks and deeply personal songwriting. Alongside “Blame It on the Wind,” the album includes “Sincerity,” “Lost In Your Touch” and release focus track “Black Clouds Over Georgia.”
“Black Clouds Over Georgia” finds Shepherd revisiting the end of her marriage nearly two decades later, turning a painful memory into an opportunity for reflection and release. Its lyric video premieres Tuesday, October 6, extending the album’s release-week celebration.
As this chapter unfolds, Butcher Babies extend their thanks to the fans who have stayed with them and the people helping their music reach new listeners. That support has been a meaningful part of the journey from uncertainty to the growing momentum surrounding Nightbloom.
Last month, Macklemore was kicked off Ed Sheeran’s tour after Robert Kraft, the owner of Massachusetts’ Gillette Stadium, was unhappy with the rapper’s pro-Palestine activism during his performances. Sheeran has subsequently faced lots of backlash for his persistent refusal to take a stance on genocide, whereas Macklemore announced a Free Palestine Tour. On Friday (Oct. 2), country superstar Zach Bryan wore a Free Palestine shirt at his Gillette Stadium show.
As we race to catch up with modern times, we’ve finally entered the summer stage of 2026! June was sweaty with heat and also a slate of quality releases, and the staff voting list was long and confusing, but we did the best we could to make sense of it and give the little people their say. As we always say, democracy is a filthy, messy business, best left to the professionals. We are them.
Hyper-melodic doom-death crew Fires in the Distance have been on quite a roll since their 2020 debut, taking their classic sadbi melodoom template and slowly expanding it over several releases. Third gloom platter, Circadian Promise [out June 12th on Prosthetic Records] finds just the right balance between heaviness and melodic hooks, and with a new vocalist, they push their sound out to new horizons of fire. Death roars and clean vocals pair with stirring, emotive guitar and keyboard work to create grand tapestries of metal magic. Melancholy is the key, and you get saturated in it in all the best ways. As a fully impressed Thus Spoke concluded, “Circadian Promise fully becomes its concept as its powerful pieces coalesce into a fortifying tonic you surely can’t resist, lifting your spirits, and Fire in the Distance themselves, up into the stratosphere.” Light it up.
Runner(s) Up:
Warning // Rituals of Shame – Warning need no introduction to those who wallow in the darkest pits of doom. Their 2006 magnum opus, Watching from a Distance, is a touchstone of the genre. Powered by the creative genius of Patrick Walker, it created one of the most despondent, oppressive soundscapes ever heard, and it still packs a raw impact few albums will ever match. Warning didn’t follow up this legendary album with another full-length until this year, and it’s like the time in between just melted away. Rituals of Shame [out June 19th on Relapse] is very much the spiritual successor to Watching, and all the same crushing lows and illusory highs are here. No dust to knock off, no forced recycling of older ideas; this is pure Warning in all its misery and joylessness. As Grymm expertly summed up, “You listen to Warning to reflect, to purge, and to feel. And if you’re anything at all like me, you’ve been waiting a damn long time for a worthy follow-up to Watching from a Distance. Thankfully, Warning gave us exactly that. Welcome back.” Here come the tears!
Khemmis // Khemmis – Colorado-based doom troupe, Khemmis have taken the pole position in the new wave of American doom revival. Their blend of classic doom sounds mixed with 80s traditional metal and bits of extremity has been a potent witch’s brew over the years, though the balance sometimes missed the mark. Their self-titled fifth album [out June 12th on Nuclear Blast] finds a better equilibrium between the various elements, delivering shorter and catchier doom nuggets steeped in 80s heavy metal glory. While it doesn’t nail the same highs as their early material, it’s another strong statement on modern doom. As Lavender Larcenist succinctly put it, “It seems like Khemmis wants to move away from their traditional doom metal trappings and lean into more arena-driven, heavy metal tracks, and for a band with their talent, the sky is the limit.” Wizards, man.
State 51/Company of Corkbots [Release date 16.10.26] Ulster singer‑songwriter, harpist and biologist Bróna McVittie returns with ‘Supernatural’, her fourth solo album. Released to coincide with Samhain, the ancient Irish festival when the veil between worlds grows thin, ‘Supernatural’ stands at … Continue reading →
Warning // 
Khemmis // 