Texas Headhunters have released their new single, “Cut N’ Run,” offering the first preview of the band’s next full-length album, which is expected to arrive in early fall.
The track follows the success of the trio’s self-titled debut album and showcases the signature sound that has made the band one of Texas’ standout guitar-driven acts. Featuring Ian Moore, Johnny Moeller, and Jesse Dayton, “Cut N’ Run” blends driving blues rock, Texas swagger, and fiery guitar interplay.
“The response to the first album was very gratifying,” said Jesse Dayton. “A lot of people were like, ‘Finally, here’s some Texas guitar slingers doing their own thing.’ We’re doing our own take on the whole Texas thing, and I think it’s fresh for a lot of listeners.”
Built around a relentless shuffle and the band’s trademark three-guitar attack, “Cut N’ Run” pays tribute to Texas blues traditions while continuing to forge the group’s own identity.
Since releasing their debut album, Texas Headhunters have earned praise for their blend of blues, rock and roll, country, and roots music. What began as a collaboration between three longtime friends has quickly grown into one of the state’s most celebrated blues rock projects.
The band’s debut also received notable recognition from SiriusXM, with three different songs appearing simultaneously across Outlaw Country, Bluesville, and Little Steven’s Underground Garage. One of those tracks was also named the channel’s “Coolest Song of the World.”
“Cut N’ Run” is available now on streaming platforms, with the band’s sophomore album expected to be released in early fall.
TOUR DATES
7/17 – San Antonio, TX – Sam’s Burger Joint 7/18 – Humble, TX – Charles Bender Performing Arts Center 7/22 – Nashville, TN – City Winery 7/23 – Chattanooga, TN – The Barrelhouse Ballroom 7/24 – Birmingham, AL – WORKPLAY Theatre 7/25 – Fayetteville, GA – Fayetteville Amphitheater 7/28 – Newport, KY – The Southgate House Revival 7/29 – St. Louis, MO – The Old Rock House 7/30 – Kansas City, MO – Knuckleheads 8/01 – Omaha, NE – In the Market for Blues 2026 – Omaha’s Blues Fest 8/22 – Thunder Bay, Canada – Thunder Bay Community Auditorium 9/10 – 9/13 – Las Vegas, NV – Big Blues Bender 2026
April 24-28, 2027 – Little Steven’s Underground Garage Cruise
Canadian roots, rock, and soul band Bywater Call has released its latest single, “Is This Thing On?,” the newest preview of the band’s upcoming fourth studio album, Broken Souvenirs, arriving on July 29.
The new single follows the previously released tracks “No One Else,” “Only,” and “Hold Me Down,” continuing the rollout for what promises to be the band’s most adventurous album to date.
Built around acoustic guitar, sweeping string arrangements, and the commanding vocals of Meghan Parnell, “Is This Thing On?” blends soul, Americana, blues, and folk into an intimate, emotionally charged performance. The song explores the vulnerability that comes with sharing deeply personal art, capturing the uncertainty of wondering whether anyone is truly listening after pouring everything into a creative work.
Drawing inspiration from artists including Shakey Graves, Sierra Ferrell, Brandi Carlile, and Jason Isbell, the song reflects the storytelling-driven approach found throughout Broken Souvenirs. The album expands Bywater Call’s signature blend of blues, roots, rock, and soul while incorporating influences from Black Pumas, Alabama Shakes, Amy Winehouse, and The Black Crowes.
The band recorded “Is This Thing On?” at Palace Studios in Toronto. The track was mixed by Patric McGroarty and mastered by Kristian Montano of Montano Mastering. The accompanying music video was choreographed and directed by Chelsea Preston and filmed by Badee Mirkham.
Alongside the single release, Bywater Call has announced two additional dates for its 2027 UK tour due to popular demand. The band will now perform at The Stables in Milton Keynes on February 1 and Anarchy Brew in Newcastle on February 7.
Due out July 29, Broken Souvenirs features 11 tracks that showcase Bywater Call’s continued musical evolution, moving seamlessly between retro soul, acoustic ballads, blues, and contemporary R&B while maintaining the powerful musicianship and emotional depth that have become the band’s trademark.
U.S. / CANADA 2026
Jun 27 Winter Park, CO, USA – Blues from the Top Jun 30 Ridgefield, CT, USA – CHIRP 2026 Jul 1 Londonderry, NH, USA – Concerts on the Common Jul 2 Saratoga Springs, NY, USA – The Parting Glass Jul 3 Hawley, PA, USA – Harmony in the Woods Jul 7 Gravenhurst, ON, Canada – Peter’s Players Cruise Jul 8 Mont Tremblant, QC, Canada – Mont Tremblant International Blues Festival Jul 11 Kincardine, ON, Canada – Lighthouse Blues Festival *Jul 12 Sherman, NY, USA – Pine Junction *Jul 13 Warrendale, PA, USA – Jergel’s Jul 14 Columbia, MD, USA – Collective Encore *Jul 15 Ardmore, PA, USA – Ardmore Hall Jul 17 Moscow, ID, USA – Rendezvous in the Park Jul 18 Nine Mile Falls, WA, USA – Live at Andres Jul 19 Winthrop. WA, USA – Winthrop Rhythm and Blues Festival Jul 23 Thomas, WV, USA – Purple Fiddle Jul 24 Lawrenceburg, IN, USA – Whiskey City’s Liberty Theatre Jul 25 Waterville, OH, USA – Blues, Brews & Brats Jul 30 Terre Haute, IN, USA – Terre Haute Brewing ^Jul 31 Des Plaines, IL, USA – Rivers Casino Aug 1 Erie, PA, USA – Erie Jazz & Blues Festival Aug 13 Saranac Lake, NY, USA – The Waterhole Aug 14 Putney, VT, USA – Bandwagon Series Aug 15 New York, NY, USA – Hudson River Blues Festival Aug 16 Homer, NY, USA – Homer Centre for the Arts Aug 17 Lima, NY, USA – Fanatics Aug 21 Dayton, OH, USA – Levitt Pavillion Aug 22 Westland, MI, USA – Token Lounge Aug 24 Evanston, IL, USA – SPACE Aug 26 Lincoln, NE, USA – Zoo Bar Aug 27 Omaha, NE, USA – The B. Bar Aug 28 Paola, KS, USA – Paola Roots Festival Aug 29 West Plaines, MO, USA – Shenanigan’s Aug 30 Evansville, IN, USA – Mojo’s Boneyard Sep 3 St Catharine’s, ON, Canada – Warehouse Concert Hall Sep 5 Midland, ON, Canada – Midland Cultural Centre Sep 6 Etwell, ON, Canada – Etwell Concert Series Sep 12 Hamilton, ON, Canada – Mills Hardware Sep 13 Guelph, ON, Canada – Sonic Hall ^Sep 15 Ottawa, ON, Canada – History Sep 16 Fredericton, NB, Canada – Harvest Music Festival Sep 23 Burlington, VT, USA – Higher Ground Sep 24 Belleville, ON, Canada – Southside Productions Sep 25 Palmer Rapids, ON, Canada – Highlands Festival Sep 27 Morrisburg, ON, Canada – Harmony Concerts Oct 13 Scarborough, ME, USA – Brickhouse Oct 14 Portsmouth, NH, USA – Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues~ Oct 15 Northampton, MA, USA – Iron Horse Oct 16 Plymouth, MA, USA – Spire Centre Oct 17 Shirley, MA, USA – Bull Run Oct 18 Pawling, NY, USA – Daryl’s House Oct 20 New York, NY, USA – Bleeker Bell Oct 21 Sellersville, PA, USA – Sellersville Theatre Oct 22 Elkton, MD, USA – Elkton Music Hall Oct 23 Jim Thorpe, PA, USA – Mauch Chunk Opera House #Oct 28 Albuquerque, NM, USA – KiMo Theatre #Oct 29 Flagstaff, AZ, USA – Orpheum Theatre #Oct 30 Phoenix, AZ, USA – Celebrity Theatre #Nov 1 Tucson, AZ, USA – Rialto Theatre #Nov 3 Grand Junction, CO, USA – Mesa Theatre #Nov 5 Colorado Springs, CO, USA – Phil Long Music Hall #Nov 6 Ft Collins, CO, USA – Aggie Theatre #Nov 7 Boulder, CO, USA – Boulder Theatre Nov 20 Westport, ON, Canada – Cove Inn
*Supporting Robert Jon & The Wreck ^Supporting Blackberry Smoke #Supporting Joanne Shaw Taylor
EU / U.K. 2026
22 Jan 2027 | Den Haag, NL – Paard 23 Jan 2027 | Utrecht, NL – Tivoli 24 Jan 2027 | Bonn, DE – Harmonie 27 Jan 2027 | Faversham, UK – The Old Brewery Store 28 Jan 2027 | Southampton, UK – The Brook 30 Jan 2027 | Exeter, UK – Phoenix 31 Jan 2027 | Sheffield, UK – Yellow Arch 1 Feb 2027 | Milton Keyes, UK – The Stables 2 Feb 2027 | York, UK – The Crescent 3 Feb 2027 | Glasgow, UK – Oran Mor 4 Feb 2027 | Manchester, UK – Band on the Wall 5 Feb 2027 | London, UK – The 100 Club 6 Feb 2027 | Norwich, UK – Waterfront 7 Feb 2027 | Newcastle, UK – Anarchy Brewery
U.S. 2027
Apr 10 | Tampa Bay, FL, USA – Tampa Bay Blues Festival Apr 11 | Miramar Beach, FL, USA – Soundwave Festival
Clouds threaten, but the only inclement weather on Saturday is ‘November Rain’. Download Day Two sees us fighting for the Fox God with Babymetal, taking in the local Lvndmvrks and an evening with one of the most iconic rock acts of all time. We’ve brought our dogs for a cameo and we’re staying well away from the Ferris Wheel – let’s go!
Words: Kate Allvey // Photos: Emma Stone and Download Festival
The Wildhearts
“Wakey wakey,” Ginger Wildheart yells across the stage, signalling an appropriately loud classic rock kick-off to the day. “We’re here to celebrate life!” The frontman’s zen optimism on ‘Failure Is The Mother Of Success’ and thundering Motorhead energy on ‘Suckerpunch’ beams through the cloud to brighten the morning for the Wildhearts fans who are out in force already. The surprise appearance of Maggie the Border collie is sweet, but ‘Diagnosis’ is the rousing and, in light of the vocalist’s recent cancer diagnosis, emotional highlight of the set.
South Arcade
The fizzy viral band are proving that they really do have some serious Y2K chops as ‘Supermodels’ draws the midday mosher crowd with its pep and pyro. South Arcade are rough, ready and eager to start a shoutalong on ‘Danger’, their freshness and passion a bright spot in the early part of the day. ‘Superman’s relentless shred and gleaming positivity sends surfers flipping over the barriers in force, much to South Arcade’s confusion and delight.
Landmvrks
We’re practically running to the Apex stage to catch the burst of energy that is Landmvrks and their snappy French metalcore, equal parts graceful and grating. It’s their Download debut, and they’re practically skipping with genuine glee at dropping ‘Blistering’. Their new song, ‘A Line In The Dust’, is evocative and destructive, with layers of melancholy beauty in the chorus, and ‘Sulfur’s delicacy amid all the distortion is what keeps us hypnotised.
Die Spitz
Die Spitz are instantly intriguing, whether they’re thrashing or creating waterfalls of layered elongated sentiment. ‘My Hot Piss’ is so raw and so complex that we’re looking on in wonder as they’re constantly dipping between dark grunge tuning and a healthy dose of female rage. It’s when the punk-ish elements are pushed to the foreground that we’re treated to the full breadth of what these searing outsiders can offer.
Black Veil Brides
The sun might be shining, but Black Veil Brides exist in a plane of perpetual midnight. From the confident and captivating ‘Knives and Pens’ to the masterfully vampiric corrupting howls of ‘Bleeders’, we’re enthralled, screaming along from the front to the far reaches of the field. They’re focusing on their latest record today, and ‘Hallelujah’s all sacrilegious drum-driven fury that hits hard. The rolling thunder of ‘Vindicate’ gives as renewed energy from a band always bettering themselves with every show.
Mouth Culture
Open and expansive, Mouth Culture are the kind of beautiful soundclash which keeps you on your toes every Download. ‘Everyday’ ushers us into an evening vibe with its ‘lighters up’ moment and provocative attitude. The crowd spills out from beyond the Avalanche tent by the time they drop ‘Don’t Pull Up’, drawn to the lighter end of the musical spectrum on display from Mouth Culture. While Download might not exactly be their home turf, Mouth Culture know how to win fans and influence people with a set that feels far too short.
Melrose Avenue
Melrose Avenue sound like the future, and we didn’t even realise it until halfway through their set. ‘Taste’ rushes and chimes, but it’s on ‘Inside Your Mind’ that the Aussies really start to hit their flow with one eye on the stadium rock . By the time they’ve reached ‘Cemetery Friend’, all blunt drum solos and raving metalcore, the Avalanche tent is packed and we’re convinced they’re going to be the next Parkway Drive. The newest song, ‘Bad Guy’, is a huge shredder of a track, but they’re more than capable of keeping it soulful on tracks like ‘Through Hell’ in case we need even more convincing.
Babymetal
Last time they tried to play Download, Babymetal were rained offstage. This time, we’ve sacrificed an emo kid to the Fox God and the weather is just as glorious as their set. The energy on ‘PA PA YA!!’ is perfect; absolute festival gold and the culmination of a journey towards being taken seriously. The entire crowd have completely bought in to the Babymetal phenomenon and we’re whirling our shirts over our head for every second of ‘METALI!!’ Playful, unapologetically different and here to hype us up, the living anime goddesses don’t disappoint for a second.
Marmozets
The metal offspring of X-Ray Spex enter with a theatrical wail and the promise that if you don’t like their style, another genre of music will burst into their next song. ‘Mes Désirs’ is delightfully unpolished and after the gloss of a lot of the bands today, we’re relishing Becca Bottomley’s vocal whirlwind. She pirouettes above us as the determined pit grows to encompass the whole tent as ‘Move, Shake, Hide’ provokes a riotous party that kicks us into the evening.
Hot Milk
And the award for ‘Set Where You Have No Chance Of Getting Close To The Stage’ goes to the Mancunian duo embracing their dark side once again. “We’re gonna make this tent look like the best place to be in the whole festival,” Han Mee declares and she achieves it and more during the Nightmare Version of ‘Candy Coated Lies’. Our hands are raised and our sense of community is through the metaphorical roof as she lays her past bare on ‘Breathing Underwater’, a song which never loses its emotional impact no matter how many times we’ve heard it. Hot Milk’s set will be a massive highlight of the weekend for their growing fans, and we can expect to see them on a much bigger stage next time.
Architects
The biggest clash of the weekend divides the crowd between those camping in the main field and the vast swathe of those jammed in for the sophisticated sound of Architects. It’s a set with unfortunate pauses and emotional confessions, but the memory of ‘Elegy’ blooming against the sunset to create an emotive and desolate scene is what will stick with us. ‘Whiplash’ is the sound of possibility, made to be played against open skies before ‘Doomsday’ feels like a sonic exorcism. It’s ‘Black Lungs’ with proves to be circle pit nitro and by the time they play ‘Blackhole’, we’re going absolute nuts, screaming our release to the stage. Raw yet considered, Architects present an all-consuming vision of their sound which magnetically attracts their half of the festival.
Guns n Roses
Let’s be real for a second; Guns n Roses, a band in their sixties, were never going to put on the kind of show they did in the eighties, and planning a three hour career-spanning retrospective would be an ambitious move for any band of a certain ago. What we got instead of nostalgic cringe was professionalism, gorgeous vibes on the big hits, about a million shirt changes from Axel, a lot of filler that only the hardcore fans would delight in… and, most surprisingly, a moment of pure honesty.
As an opening salvo, a blistering rendition of ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ can’t be bettered, and anyone who doesn’t get a few goosebumps during their cover of ‘Knocking On Heaven’s Door’ has to be slightly dead inside. Just hearing ‘Sweet Child O Mine’ live feels like a personal accomplishment and getting to see Slash do his thing is a bucket list item for all the guitar worshippers in the crowd. ‘November Rain’ will always pack one hell of a massive punch, and social media reveals at least three couples got engaged during that song. However, it was a quiet little cover of Jimmy Webb’s ‘Wichita Lineman’ that knocked us though. For five minutes, there was no posturing or image; they were just a really good band playing an old country song about loneliness, and it felt like they had revealed more about the men behind the icon label in those short seconds than we’d seen in years.While their set might have disappointed some who were hoping to see their heroes turn it up to eleven, there was a lot to love and a lot more to respect about Guns n Roses’ set.
California rockers Rival Sons have announced their first run of US dates since 2024’s Two-Headed Beast schedule. The Domestic Bliss tour kicks off at the Knitting Factory in Boise, ID, on October 30, and finishes on November 29 at the Clyde Theatre in Fort Wayne, IN.
“A lot of irons in the Rival Sons fire right now, but we wanted to break off a quick one domestically, get out there and run it hot for a minute,” says frontman Jay Buchanan. “24 US dates in the fall, the Domestic Bliss Tour let’s go!”
“We are elated to get back out touring across the U.S., it’s been a while,” adds guitarist Scott Holiday. “We weren’t able to tour the US properly on the last two records, so it’s going to be great to get back to some of those territories we missed. We’re going to mix it up and try to play songs from across the catalogue – this is going to be fun for us!”
Support will come from Canadian blues rock duo The Blue Stones and Colorado rock’n’rollers The Velveteers, and tickets go on sale this Friday, June 26, at 10am local time. Full dates below.
Meanwhile, the band have also revealed that they’re currently working on their ninth studio album, the follow-up to 2023’s Darkfighter and Lightbringer sets.
“It’s been great to get back to writing and recording with my brothers in Rival Sons,” says drummer Michael Davis. “It’s early days, and we’re doing this one a bit differently, but I’m so excited about how it’s turning out!”
The new album is expected to be released in 2027.
Rival Sons: Domestic Bliss UK tour 2026
Oct 30: Boise Knitting Factory, ID Oct 31: Seattle The Showbox, WA Nov 01: Portland Roseland Theater, OR Nov 02: Spokane Knitting Factory, WA Nov 04: Sacramento Ace Of Spades, CA Nov 05: Reno Grand Theatre At Sierra Resort And Casino, NV Nov 06: Las Vegas Brooklyn Bowl, NV Nov 07: Albuquerque Shine Theater, NM Nov 09: Austin Emo’s, TX Nov 10: Tulsa Cain’s Ballroom, OK Nov 12: Moline The Rust Belt, IL Nov 13: Green Bay Epic Event Center, WI Nov 14: Milwaukee The Rave, WI Nov 16: Silver Spring Fillmore Silver Spring, MD Nov 17: Cincinnati Bogart’s, OH Nov 18: Cleveland House Of Blues, OH * Nov 20: New Haven College Street Music Hall, CT Nov 21: Huntington The Paramount, NY Nov 22: Worcester The Palladium, MA * Nov 24: Buffalo Town Ballroom, NY Nov 25: Montclair The Wellt, NJ Nov 27: Memphis Minglewood Hall, TN Nov 28: Indianapolis The Vogue, IN Nov 29: Fort Wayne Clyde Theatre, IN
Raleigh, North Carolina traditional heavy metal band CRIMSON STEEL have released their new single “Dark Rider,” the second single from their forthcoming full-length album Show No Fear, out October 2, 2026 via Heaven and Hell Records.
“Dark Rider” charges forward with classic heavy metal intensity, galloping rhythms, sharp riffing, and apocalyptic imagery. The track captures CRIMSON STEEL in full command of their traditional metal foundation, pairing high-energy musicianship with a cinematic sense of dread and momentum.
Built around visions of plague, death, famine, destruction, and unavoidable catastrophe, “Dark Rider” descends like an omen. Relentless percussion, forceful bass, soaring vocals, and layered guitar harmonies drive the song with urgency, giving it the feeling of a warning carried on steel and thunder.
Show No Fear presents CRIMSON STEEL in a fully realized narrative landscape shaped by fear, transformation, power, sacrifice, and perseverance. Across the album, the band brings together traditional heavy metal force, cinematic atmosphere, progressive-minded arrangements, and emotionally charged performances. The record moves with the scope of dark fantasy while staying rooted in the human struggle to confront fear, endure conflict, and emerge with strength.
With Show No Fear, CRIMSON STEEL delivers an album built for listeners drawn to classic heavy metal storytelling, soaring vocals, driving rhythms, and dramatic musicianship. The production preserves warmth and organic energy while giving the record the clarity and impact of a modern heavy metal release.
Show No Fear was produced by Wendy Brancaccio and recorded and mixed at Vintage Noise Studio with Wendy Brancaccio and Bill Spears. The album was mastered by Anthony Focx. Cover artwork and design for Show No Fear isby Johnathan @gerardster.
CRIMSON STEEL:
Tina Langevin – Lead Vocals David Ryan – Guitars, Backing Vocals Joel McGee – Bass, Vocals Will Adkins – Drums, Backing Vocals
The Cure, The Twilight Sad & The Joy Formidable, Blackweir Live, Cardiff 24.06.26
Remember folks: “Goths Die In Hot Fields” and it didn’t get much hotter than today, the warmest June day on record saw 35,000 decamp to Blackweir Fields, Cardiff newest outdoor event space, to take in the indie/goth/rock pioneers, and Olivia Rodrigo’s favourite band.
Before all that though we made our way across the vast field filling up our water bottles and looking for the promised additional shade, which didn’t appear, we settled into place for Flintshire alt rockers The Joy Formidable (8).
They began the evening loudly with some jangling post rock guitars, alt rock grooves and dual vocals from guitarist Rhiannon “Ritzy” Bryan and bassist Rhydian Dafydd, accompanied by their current drummer and another member who shifted between keys and singing saw, they’re a big sounding band, despite basically being a duo, at a crossroads where post meet alt rock.
With the final “Diolch” they left the stage to applause from the early arrivers as the files began to fill for the headliners. This meant that The Twilight Sad (7) had a bigger crowd and while their style is a bit more theatrical, their music did sort of blend into one grungy post punk noise at times.
The issue is differentiation, the music is suposiyto be the focus here, each track adding to the stage performance, the licks and melodies of guitarist Andy MacFarlane, flowing through the body of vocalist James Graham who releases them into the world through his voice. I get it, but I did find little variation in what they do, still, it set the right moody atmosphere for what was to come.
Now the field felt like 35,000, all here to worship his gothness Robert Smith and as the chimes began the lights came down and Robert along with his band of misery makers took to the stage in Cardiff to a heroes welcome. Smith took his bows, stepped up the microphone and the magic began with Plainsong, Cardiff bewitched by The Cure (10) and the usual mammoth set list.
Much like New Jersey’s favourite son Bruce Springsteen, The Cure setlists are fluid beasts, often hooked around a few “key songs” and then drawing songs from across the various albums and styles The Cure have adopted over the years. Be that electronic industrial bruising, driving post punk, moody goth shoegazing or shimmering new wave pop.
There’s even time for, as my colleague put it, “Mr Smith’s House Of Funk” all bass and choppy guitars but mostly this was The Cure in goth opulence as six from this set of twenty eight(!) songs came from 1989’s Disintegration, with four from Head On The Door and the rest from another seven of their fourteen albums, even busting out Burn (very apt for the day) from their rarities collection and Wrong Number from their 1997 single release, as well as Hot! Hot! Hot! which too was apt for the day.
Ultimately though, amongst the sold out crowd those that were down the front would have been hanging on every single song but for the rest it’s Pictures Of You, Just Like Heaven, A Forest, Disintegration , Friday I’m In Love, Lovecats and Boys Don’t Cry that illicit the biggest cheers.
With these in their arsenal and the shifting setlist, it’s easy to see why so many people would put The Cure as their favourite band and it’s a testament to the enduring legacy, as they managed to indoctrinate this hardened metalhead into the cult of Robert Smith.
A metal show can feel massive in the room and still look flat when someone posts the footage the next day. The breakdown hit, the pit opened, and the crowd knew every word, but online, the clip looks dark, muddy, and hard to follow.
For bands trying to grow, learning how to turn live shows into rewatchable clips matters. Those clips show promoters that people respond. They give fans something easy to share. They also give someone who has never heard the band a reason to think, “I need to catch them live.”
The best part is that rewatchable clips are not only for arena acts. Smaller metal bands can create them too by building moments that come across clearly on a phone screen while still feeling raw, heavy, and real.
Most live clips do not need a long intro. If the strongest part of the song is the breakdown, chorus, blast-beat switch, solo, or final crowd chant, start close to that moment.
That does not mean every clip has to open with chaos. Sometimes the silence right before everything drops is the hook. A vocalist stepping back from the mic, the drummer raising a stick, or the guitarist holding one ugly chord can build tension fast.
The mistake is posting footage that takes too long to show why the moment matters. Fans scrolling online do not have the same context as the people in the room. Give them a reason to stay within the first few seconds.
Make the Heavy Part Easy To Read
A breakdown can level a venue, but if nobody can tell what is happening in the footage, the clip loses power.
Metal is physical music. People want to see the drummer hitting hard, the vocalist commanding the room, the guitarist locking into the riff, and the crowd reacting. When everything is too dark or shaky, the weight of the moment gets lost.
Bands should think about what the audience can actually see when the biggest part of the song hits. If the vocalist disappears into the backline or the drummer is completely hidden, the footage may not show what made the room explode.
That does not mean choreographing every move. It means using movement, lighting, and spacing to help the song hit harder on video without making the performance feel staged.
Cue the Crowd Without Forcing It
Some of the best live metal clips work because the crowd knows exactly what to do.
A callout before a breakdown, a hand signal before a chant, a pause before a wall of death, or a repeated line before the final chorus gives the audience a role in the moment. That reaction is often what makes the clip worth replaying.
The trick is to keep the cue natural. Metal fans can smell desperation. If a band begs for a reaction every thirty seconds, the energy starts to feel forced.
A strong crowd cue builds anticipation and gives the camera something obvious to capture.
A memorable live clip does not need ten different production tricks. Too many moving parts can distract from the song.
One strong visual is usually enough.
That could be a backdrop reveal, a sharp lighting change, a smoke burst, a banner drop, a synchronized blackout, or a stage prop that matches the band’s identity. The visual should support the music, not compete with it. If the crowd remembers the lighting cue but forgets the riff, the balance is off.
For smaller bands, the smartest move is often to make one moment feel bigger instead of trying to make the whole set look expensive. Save the strongest visual for the part of the song that already hits hardest.
When a clip depends on a banner drop, hanging lights, or a larger-than-life stage prop, production crews need reliable stage rigging before the cameras start rolling.
That kind of planning is not glamorous, but it helps the onstage moment feel effortless. Fans do not need to think about the setup; they just need to feel the impact.
Film for the Room, Not the Phone
There is a fine line between making a moment camera-friendly and turning the show into a content shoot.
The goal is not to perform for phones instead of the room. The goal is to make sure the best parts of the set can survive outside the venue.
Bands should think about where people naturally film from and whether the biggest moments are visible from more than one angle. A clip from the pit captures intensity, but a wider shot may capture the crowd reaction that makes the moment feel huge.
A good live moment should still belong to the room first. The camera should catch the energy, not become the reason for it.
Trim the Clip Before the Energy Drops
A rewatchable clip should not overstay its welcome.
Many bands post footage with too much dead space before or after the best part. The energy peaks, then the clip keeps going until the moment fades. That can make an otherwise strong performance feel weaker than it was.
The best live clips usually feel complete in a short window. They set up the moment, deliver the hit, show the reaction, and end before the energy drops. That makes people more likely to replay it and share it with someone who has never heard the band before.
That is what turns a live show into a rewatchable clip: the right section, the right ending, and no wasted time once the payoff has landed.
The visuals might get someone to stop scrolling, but the audio decides whether they stay.
Metal clips can be tough because phone microphones are not always kind to loud rooms. Cymbals wash everything out, guitars blur together, and vocals disappear.
Bands cannot control every fan-shot video, but they can be smarter with their own footage. A cleaner board mix, room mic, or reliable camera setup can make a huge difference.
A live metal clip should still feel dangerous, sweaty, and real. Some grit is part of the appeal. Total mud is not.
Keep the Moment Honest
The best live clips are built from real energy. They are the moments where the song, the band, the crowd, and the room all lock in at once.
That is why bands should not chase trends at the expense of their identity. The most rewatchable moment should feel like something only that band would do.
Maybe it is a brutal pit call. Maybe it is a haunting clean vocal section. Maybe it is a sudden tempo shift, a ritualistic lighting cue, or a chorus that the crowd screams back without being asked.
Whatever it is, make it clear. Make it honest. Make it hit hard enough that someone who was not there still wishes they had been.
A great live clip does not replace the show. It proves the show was worth being at.
Some people leave a relationship with memories; others leave it looking like evidence. In “Threats (If I Can’t Break Your Heart),” love has curdled into leverage, and the woman at its center treats affection as another surface to damage. She does not plead for devotion. She promises consequences.
Chicago’s BELLHEAD injects life into those consequences and revisits the scene of the crime in their video for “Threats (If I Can’t Break Your Heart),” directed by John Weaver. The striking new visual accompanies an expanded yellow-vinyl edition of Threats EP and a series of late-summer and early-fall tour dates.
Built from two basses and a drum machine, “Threats” prowls before it pounces. Karen Righeimer-Schock supplies the low-end pressure, dragging the song forward with a bassline that feels heavy enough to disturb the furniture, while Ivan Russia works the instrument’s upper register into serrated, almost guitar-shaped lines. The programmed rhythm advances from a measured trudge into an industrial stomp, leaving the arrangement plenty of empty space in which each scrape, throb, and breath can register.
Russia delivers the verses with a conspiratorial growl, recounting the exploits of a woman drawn to wreckage, revenge, violence, and the intoxicating moment before everything gives way. When the chorus arrives, that private warning becomes a communal chant. Righeimer-Schock’s voice later slips through the arrangement with chilling composure, embodying the song’s central figure rather than merely describing her.
She is less a conventional villain than a force that has learned to turn old damage outward. A corrupted nursery rhyme suggests she was shattered long before she began breaking other people, but the song offers no easy absolution. Hurt has hardened into appetite; intimacy has become another instrument of control. Recorded and mixed by Neil Strauch and mastered by Carl Saff, the track turns that cycle into something muscular, theatrical, and gleefully menacing.
Weaver’s video opens as though the viewer has arrived after the struggle. Plastic sheeting catches the cold light, evidence tags hang from covered forms, and numbered markers sit among overturned lamps and scattered debris. The room resembles a half-cleared crime scene, but BELLHEAD are already inside it, dressed in funeral black and performing as though nothing unusual has happened.
Righeimer-Schock stands behind an upright bass while Russia crouches at the front of the room, gripping a microphone as its cable coils around him. His gestures move between interrogation, confession, and accusation. Behind them, mannequin-like figures remain wrapped in translucent plastic, silent witnesses to whatever occurred before the camera arrived.
These claustrophobic scenes are interrupted by footage of the band performing beneath hard stage lights and heavy haze (joined by an unseen Wes Hayden and Kevin Epperson). The broader stage setup gives the chorus a larger physical impact, but the silhouettes and severe backlighting preserve the video’s atmosphere of concealment.
Elsewhere, Russia and Righeimer-Schock appear alone in a barren winter field. He advances toward the lens in dark glasses and a long black coat; she addresses it in a veiled hat, fur, and gloves, her hands raised as though delivering either a warning or a sentence. Stripped of the room’s props and plastic-covered bodies, these direct-to-camera passages make the threat feel suddenly personal.
By the final shot, bands of crime-scene tape have sealed off the entire room, leaving the musicians visible behind the warning. Whether they are victims, witnesses, suspects, or the people responsible is left unresolved. The only certainty is that the damage has already been done.
Watch the video for Threats (If I Can’t Break Your Heart) below:
Bellhead’s new video accompanies the expanded edition of Threats, now available as a limited 12-inch yellow-vinyl pressing. The ten-track edition places the record’s five original songs on Side A, while Side B is devoted to reinterpretations from BELLHEAD and several figures from the industrial and dark alternative underground.
Christopher Hall of Stabbing Westward contributes a club-driven mix of “Bad Taste” featuring his own vocals, while Walter Flakus revisits BELLHEAD’s 2022 track “Nothing As It Seems.”Clubdrugs dismantle and reconstruct “Heart Shaped Hole,”Frontal Boundary reshape “Shutters + Stutters,” and BELLHEAD return to the closing track from 2023’s Good Intentions with a new version of “Drugstore Keri.”
Threats is out now on expanded yellow vinyl. Order the album here.
BELLHEAD will carry the record back onto the road beginning July 31 in South Bend. The run moves through the Midwest, Great Plains, Southwest, Gulf Coast, and South, with appearances alongside Iron Years, Thief, Livernois, PIG, and Cyanotic, among others.
BELLHEAD Tour Dates:
July 31 — LangLab, South Bend, IN
August 2 — The Burlington, Chicago, IL — with Iron Years, Most Modern, and In a Darkened Room
August 28 — Cactus Club, Milwaukee, WI
September 1 — Coven, Omaha, NE
September 2 — Kirby’s Beer Store, Wichita, KS
September 3 — The Crypt, Denver, CO — with EhPh and Hypersomnia
September 4 — Launchpad, Albuquerque, NM — New Mexico Goth Fest with Thief
September 5 — Resonant Head, Oklahoma City, OK — with Mechanical Flesh, Blood Bells, Othering, and Later Laine
September 6 — Kickback Bar, Houston, TX
September 7 — The Crypt, New Orleans, LA — with Livernois
September 17 — Rose Bowl Tavern, Urbana, IL — Bat Factory
September 18 — Hi Tone, Memphis, TN
September 19 — Birdie’s Cabaret Theater and Lounge, Little Rock, AR — with PIG and Cyanotic
September 20 — Fubar, St. Louis, MO — with Spicy Kitty and Bitchface
