For years, Scottish outfit Cnoc An Tursa lurked along the periphery of my awareness. I liked the few songs I’d heard, and I frequently saw them referenced while exploring similar artists. Yet their lack of output kept me at a distance; as I expanded my taste for folk metal, I didn’t want to fall in love with a band that had little to no appetite to get in the studio.¹ For Cnoc An Tursa, you can lay aside your concerns, because they’re back after a nine-year wait to unveil third full-length A Cry for the Slain. This new opus perpetuates what Cnoc An Tursa has been doing since the band formed twenty years ago—writing blackened folk bangers fraught with grace, passion, and depth. After a prolonged absence, though, it becomes more and more difficult to bounce back if expectations outpace reality’s limitations. So, given the intervening years, does A Cry for the Slain elicit tears of joy or sorrow?

On A Cry for the Slain, Cnoc An Tursa draws upon the soundscapes of both their prior albums to hatch an experience that exists somewhere between them. Debut The Giants of Auld introduced the world to Cnoc An Tursa‘s distinctive Highland hijinx, melding rousing orchestrations with meloblack might. Of their two previous albums, A Cry for the Slain shares more in common with The Giants of Auld, harkening to the debut’s more direct songwriting than The Forty Five’s melancholic, key-drenched atmospheres. The Forty Five’s solemnity persists on A Cry for the Slain, but its application rings bittersweet as triumphant melodies dance between wistful choirs and forlorn evocations. While all three albums sound unmistakably like them, their latest takes earlier victories and forges them together into Cnoc An Tursa’s best album to date.

Throughout A Cry for the Slain, Cnoc An Tursa fuses ethereal majesty with blackened stylings and traditional melodies to create a gorgeous folk metal tapestry. The band’s allure lies with their finesse as they conjure captivating and earnest music, and the more I spin A Cry for the Slain, the more I appreciate its stark and stunning beauty. Crashing waves and reverb-laden guitars set the tone within the first track, “Na for Ghorma.” The mournful female vocals crescendo into an inevitable trudge that releases into furious trems and grating rasps on follow-up “The Caoineag.” Cnoc An Tursa consistently pits black metal acerbity against contemplative sorrow, deftly wending between complex atmospheres and emotions. This is perhaps best demonstrated on tracks “Baobhan Sith”² and “Alba in My Heart,” where Cnoc An Tursa expertly controls song dynamics and tension with peaks and valleys in volume and pathos. Also, I’d be remiss not to mention my favorite track “Am Fear Liath Mòr,” which boasts an otherworldly quality and dextrous melodic leads that simultaneously remind me of “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” Iron Maiden, and Black Cross Hotel, yet still undeniably sounds like Cnoc An Tursa.

Despite succeeding on so many fronts, A Cry for the Slain flounders on penultimate track “Address to the Devil.” To be fair, it mostly falls victim to the heights of the preceding tracks, which all possess strong identities and exemplary writing. Comparatively, “Address to the Devil” stands out as missing the same soul. It starts promisingly enough, with frenzied tremolos lashing against scathing vocals, but from there the pace decelerates to a deliberate march. Soon enough, the song strips back to a twinkling synth and fabulous bass noodling, providing a solid core that ultimately lacks purpose or a melodic through-line to bring everything together.³ Besides “Address to the Devil,” I have no material complaints. The production and mix are smart and balanced, the forty-four-minute runtime is just right, and A Cry for the Slain’s replayability is relentless.

Cnoc An Tursa breaks their nine-year silence with a bang, and fans of their work should be pleased with A Cry for the Slain. As a newer convert, I’m disappointed I didn’t make the time to discover them earlier, but visiting their prior albums along with the new one has brought me immense, befolkened joy. I hope we don’t have to wait as long for their next outing, but until then, I’m content listening to A Cry for the Slain, knowing that time hasn’t dulled their ability to Cnoc one out of the park.

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Rating: Very Good!
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Apocalyptic Witchcraft Recordings
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: April 24th, 2026

The post Cnoc An Tursa – A Cry for the Slain Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

Greetings, Decibel readers!

It’s an important day for metal, as we’re given the last At the Gates album featuring Tomas Lindberg. Lots to say about that below. But it’s also a day to be grateful for the other releases on this list, especially if you want to hear the future of the melodic death metal as well (scroll to the bottom).

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At the Gates – The Ghost of a Future Dead

The end of life has its own soundtrack for every person, but there’s a tempo that’s common for a certain set of people. As the force of existence reaches its final ebb, some individuals experience a last renaissance. For some, this comes as an explosion of social activity or family gatherings, while others crack open a hidden bottle of creativity and defiance. Although Tomas Lindberg must have gone into his cancer treatment with hopes of remission and recovery, his contributions to this excellent album mark a fitting tribute to his life’s work with At the Gates (and Skitsystem, Disfear, and so many others). At the Gates is a top-tier favorite band of mine, across all styles of music. And I think most fans will agree with me that, even absent the context of its production, The Ghost of a Future Dead is a real triumph.

The post-reunion albums have all had their moments, perhaps three or four songs that stand among the classics of the 1990s. But as an end-to-end listening experience, this album is the best of the bunch. The songwriting is tight, like on At War With Reality, but the hooks are more memorable and varied. The sound has a contemplative and mature character, like that on To Drink from the Night Itself and The Nightmare of Being, but it’s more focused and doesn’t go on as many reflective tangents. In other words, it hits with the thrashy, melodic force of Slaughter of the Soul, but is still haunted by the ghost of the early records.

Oh, and speaking of those early records, next month, Peaceville will be issuing remastered versions of The Red in the Sky is Ours, With Fear I Kiss the Burning Darkness and Terminal Spirit Disease — a real treat for longtime fans, and long overdue (especially in the case of the first album).

Stream: Apple Music

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Demon Spell – Blessed be the Dark

Yes, Demon Spell openly play a style that’s derivative of Mercyful Fate. No, I don’t care — because it’s so cool. Plus, you can tell when comparing this to Evil Nights that the band is beginning to come into their own in terms of songwriting, which makes them a band to watch closely in the coming years. This many years into its lifespan, it’s hard to conjure originality in metal right from the jump. So I think Demon Spell is onto something in directly borrowing from a legacy style and pushing forward from there.

Stream: Apple Music

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Drouth and Nixil – Toward Dead Temples

Dark and violent split from two purveyors of iconoclastic despair. Nixil brings more of a moody atmosphere, while Drouth brings the storm with a powerful surge of death metal thunder.

Stream: Apple Music

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Pig’s Blood – Destroying the Spirit

An uncompromising, bestial blackened death metal assault. Don’t get the wrong idea from that description, though. Once you get a few songs in, it’s clear these guys have a dynamism to their sound that’s absent from many similar acts. Also, none of the song titles reference goats. That already sets them apart. The riffs help too.

Stream: Apple Music

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Volcandra – Beyond the Will of Mortals

Every once in awhile, you see a band at a smaller venue that immediately makes you think, “These guys should be huge!” That was definitely the case when I saw Volcandra last year with Saidan and Viserion. They’re the kind of band that brings an epic, theatrical flair to their music while still retaining an immediate and brutal edge. Required listening for fans of melodic blackened death metal and early Black Dahlia Murder, but also for devotees of bands like Windir, Kampfar and Falkenbach.

Stream: Apple Music

The post Five For Friday: April 24, 2026 appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

The battle cry has been sounded. Finnish folk metal titans Ensiferum have officially announced their return to North American shores for the “Winter Storm Over North America 2026” tour. Set to kick off this September, the trek promises a massive display of melodic death metal and heroic anthems. Joining the horde as direct support is Firewind, the power metal powerhouse led by legendary Greek guitar virtuoso Gus G., world-renowned for his tenure as Ozzy Osbourne’s right-hand man.

This tour marks a major milestone for Ensiferum as they continue to dominate in support of their critically acclaimed concept album, Winter Storm.

You can get your tickets at this location.

The “Winter Storm” Legacy: A Pandemic-Forged Concept

Winter Storm, released via Metal Blade Records, represents a bold creative leap for the band. Much of the album’s architecture was built during the global COVID-119 lockdowns, a period that bassist Sami Hinkka described as a “kick in the balls” following the momentum of their previous record. Despite the challenges—including band members taking on day jobs to survive the hiatus—founding guitarist Markus Toivonen and Hinkka successfully crafted a fantasy narrative that pushed the band’s sound into grandiose new territory.

A centerpiece of the current Ensiferum era is the vocal prowess of singer/organist Pekka Montin. His soaring, crystal-clear high notes have become the perfect foil to the band’s traditional grit, with many critics labeling him one of the greatest vocal discoveries of the decade. Produced by Janne Joutsenniemi and mastered by the legendary Jens Bogren, the Winter Storm material is designed for the stage, featuring complex orchestrations and guest appearances that the band is eager to translate into a live environment.

We Also Recommend – Best Power Metal Bands: Ranking the 13 Greatest Titans Who Define the Genre [2026 Update]

Gus G. and the Firewind Factor

The addition of Firewind makes this one of the most technically proficient double-bills of the 2026 season. Gus G. remains one of the most respected figures in the guitar community, and Firewind’s brand of high-octane power metal is the ideal catalyst to prime the crowd for Ensiferum’s epic storytelling. Apart from the opening night at ProgPower USA, Firewind will be present for the entirety of the North American run.

Tickets for all dates officially go on sale Friday, April 24 at 10 a.m. local time.

“Winter Storm Over North America 2026” Tour Dates:

• Sep. 09: Atlanta, GA (ProgPower USA XXV) *
• Sep. 11: Nashville, TN
• Sep. 12: Fort Wayne, IN
• Sep. 13: Pittsburgh, PA
• Sep. 14: Detroit, MI
• Sep. 16: Cleveland, OH
• Sep. 17: Madison, WI (Blades of Steel)
• Sep. 18: Des Moines, IA
• Sep. 20: Winnipeg, MB
• Sep. 22: Edmonton, AB
• Sep. 23: Calgary, AB
• Sep. 25: Vancouver, BC
• Sep. 26: Portland, OR
• Sep. 27: Seattle, WA *Ensiferum only

Check This Out – 13 Perfect Metal Albums With Zero Skips

To stay locked into the latest tour updates, ticket giveaways, and exclusive interviews with the biggest names in metal, make sure you tune into the Loaded Radio live stream and subscribe to the Loaded Radio Podcast.

TL;DR:

Finnish folk metal leaders Ensiferum have announced a September 2026 North American tour dubbed “Winter Storm Over North America.” Support will come from Gus G.’s Firewind on all dates except the tour opener at ProgPower USA. The tour supports Ensiferum’s 2024 conceptual masterpiece Winter Storm, with tickets going on sale April 24th.

The post Folk Metal Fury: Ensiferum Announces “Winter Storm Over North America 2026” Tour with Firewind appeared first on Loaded Radio.

The post Apotropaic: The Secret Language of Walls and the Architecture of Fear appeared first on Edgar Allan Poets – Noir Rock Band.

Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest returns to Denver for its fifth round, tapping the Fillmore Auditorium as home of the world’s loudest, heaviest, most extreme craft beer festival on Friday and Saturday, December 4-5, 2026.

Southern doom supergroup Down make their first Denver appearance in over 12 years to headline Saturday night (December 5), while crossover thrash metal legends Suicidal Tendencies will unleash their first Denver headline performance in over eight years on Friday night (December 4).

The full band and brewery lineup will be revealed in the coming months, but 2-day and 3-day “Early Bird” passes—which include admittance to a special Pre-Fest at Ratio Beerworks (Larimer Street location) on December 3—are on sale now!

TWO-DAY TICKETS
THREE-DAY TICKETS (INCLUDES PRE-FEST)

“Just Metal” Ticket (21+)

Admittance to the day’s event, but as the name suggests, you just get to see the show—no beer samples.

“Metal & Beer” Ticket (21+)

Admittance to the day’s event plus unlimited* sampling from our diverse lineup of breweries presented by 3 Floyds Brewing. Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest: Denver 2026 sampling cups provided.

Limited tickets are also still available for next weekend’s Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest: Philly on May 2-3 at the Fillmore in Philadelphia, featuring the return of Power Trip, special sets from Municipal Waste (The Art of Partying), Cryptopsy (None So Vile) and Cro-Mags (The Age of Quarrel) as well as killer performances from Kylesa, Necrot, Spirit Adrift and more! Daily lineups and all ticket option details for Metal & Beer Fest Philly 2026 can be found below:

MAY 2 TICKETS
MAY 3 TICKETS
TWO-DAY TICKETS

MAY 2
Municipal Waste (special The Art of Partying set)
Cro-Mags (special The Age of Quarrel set)
Kylesa
Haggus
No/Más

MAY 3
Power Trip
Cryptopsy (special None So Vile set)
Necrot
Spirit Adrift
Blood Monolith 

The post ON SALE NOW 🍻 Early Bird Tickets to Metal & Beer Fest: Denver 2026 ft. DOWN & SUICIDAL TENDENCIES! appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

Posted on April 24th 2026, 5:00p.m.

Cox was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer in April 2025.

The post Coal Chamber’s Mikey “Bug” Cox Breaks Silence On His Private Cancer Battle, Auctions Off Drum Kit For Charity appeared first on Theprp.com.

Fifty years ago, on April 23, 1976, Ramones dropped their debut Ramones and set off a shift that still runs through punk and hard rock. Built on speed, volume, and stripped-down songwriting, the record cut through the excess of the time with a direct approach. The lineup — Joey Ramone, Johnny Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone and Tommy Ramone — delivered short, sharp tracks like “Blitzkrieg Bop” and “Judy Is A Punk” that reshaped the sound and attitude of rock.

Reflecting on the album’s impact, Rolling Stone wrote: “Punk rock started in 1976 on New York’s Bowery, when four cretins from Queens came up with a mutant strain of blitzkrieg bubblegum,” when naming Ramones the No. 1 “Greatest Punk Album Of All Time” (later naming it the No. 1 “Best Debut Album Of All Time”). “But even if punk rock began as a kind of negation — a call to stark, brutal simplicity — its musical variety and transforming emotional power was immediate and remains staggering.”

Decades later, the record still carries weight. As The New York Times put it: “the album’s influence has been incalculable”, and the reach of Ramones continues to expand. To mark the anniversary, the band’s camp has teamed up with Rhino Entertainment to roll out a year-long series of events focused on the album’s legacy and the wider impact of punk.

One of the key pieces is an official exhibition organized by The Punk Foundation alongside Linda Ramone and Ramones Productions Inc. The exhibit will debut at The Punk Rock Museum on July 4, 2026, bringing together music, memorabilia, and the broader cultural footprint of the band. The program will include live performances, artist talks, interactive elements, guided tours, and workshops tied to the band’s influence across music, art, and design. The museum will also host a 4th of July bash featuring the Ramones tribute band Mama’s Boy.

Additional releases and tribute events are planned through the end of 2026. A set of remastered and upgraded videos is already available, covering tracks like “I Wanna Be Sedated”, “Psycho Therapy”, “Rock N Roll High School”, “Sheena Is A Punk Rocker”, “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight)”, “We Want The Airwaves”, “Time Has Come Today”, “I Wanna Live”, “Something To Believe In”, “Howling At The Moon” and “Do You Remember Rock And Roll Radio?”.

The post RAMONES Mark 50 Years Of Debut With Reissues And Museum Exhibition appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

(written by Islander) Brisbane-based Gutter Prince Cabal has established a reputation as a go-to platform for exposing the world to killer underground metal from Australia and New Zealand, and they’ll continue doing that in May when they present the debut of NZ’s Molosser. Here’s the vivid language they use in introducing the record: Set for […]

The post AN NCS PREMIERE: MOLOSSER — “STRYCHNINE HILL” appeared first on NO CLEAN SINGING.

Longtime At the Gates guitarist Martin Larsson picks his favorite song off every one of the band's albums, as well as their first demo. Continue reading…