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Having enjoyed several local shows from Äxe, naturally I had to show some support for their second demo tape. The band mix heavy and speed metal with elements of black and death in quite a unique way, so it’s definitely going to be up the street of some of you underground dwellers. Set for release on 17th July via Caligari Records.

Opening with some pretty mean mid-tempo riffs and eerie vocals, the piercing guitar tones and driven bass give a bulldozing instrumental mix with some snappy drums and demented vocals; this being the classic Äxe blend for the uninitiated. Their blend of black/speed/thrash/death is firmly rooted in the later half of the 80s and feels maniacal and authentic while having some originality too. Combining the more wild and thrashing onslaughts with groovier moments works to concoct something memorable and yet full of aggression and fury. Frantic soloing continues to accentuate the unshackled approach of total metal devastation while the riffing is always reliably killer. England historically had some very street-toughened sounding bands, something that has been rarer in the modern day with few exceptions. Äxe definitely fit that gritty London stereotype with their in-your-face belligerence.

There is undeniably a healthy dose of black metal, especially in the possessed vocals. But the important thing is Äxe remember the metal in black metal. I can also hear a lot of Razor, Iron Angel, Vulcano and other bands from the 80s. This gives the songs a profoundly gripping attack that fires off artillery and rains shrapnel on all wimps and posers. The more death metal moments call Morbid Angel, Necrovore, Hellhammer and Sadistic Intent to mind, which is a very welcome dynamic in the black speeding hellfire. There are these dissonant flourishes that bring Voivod to mind. They really do manage to pack a lot of ideas into little over half an hour and yet keep everything coherent and direct. Sometimes a release just feels unpretentious and gives you everything you wanted from it. This is one such example.

If you like tame and derivative metal, don’t bother. If you miss the wilder days when black, speed, thrash, heavy, and death metal all collided in some maniacal constellation of morbid furore, then this is for you! Äxe takes only the archaic and forges it into something new, which is exactly what I seek in a newer band. A force to be reckoned with both on tape and in the live arena, bring on the autogeddon!

This song hits hard and fast and it’s still a celebrated track today. It first dropped back in 1989, so it has longevity.

The post 1989 Rock Hit Name Among the ‘Greatest Songs of All Time’ — And It Still Hits appeared first on Audio Ink Radio.

SoCal pop-punks Moonraker have signed on with Punkerton Records for the release of their upcoming album Me and the Bells, recorded with and produced by Chris Fogal of The Gamits at Black in Bluhm in Denver, CO. We’re stoked to bring you the exclusive premiere of the brand new single “Find Your Fangs”. Check out the music video below and stay tuned for more to come!

Here’s some background on the video, courtesy of Moonraker drummer David Green:

“We shot this using the backup cameras in our cars and a truck I borrowed from work. Shoutout to Raine for shooting it and to my coworker Aaron for working the lift gate on the truck while Matt ripped his solo. We all got crazy sun burnt making this. Turns out when you film in a parking lot all day, you should wear sunscreen. There’s a Beastie Boys video where they have famous actors play them (“Make Some Noise”). When asked about the filming of it, Danny McBride said, “Once you’re there, rapping into a fisheye lens, you realize you’ve been training for this your entire life.” He was right.”

This premiere is brought to you in part by Punk Rock Radar. If you’d like your band’s music video to be premiered by Dying Scene and Punk Rock Radar, go here and follow these instructions. You’ll be on your way to previously unimagined levels of fame and fortune in no time.

Brian Fallon announces dates in support of recently announced solo album Not Bad For New Jersey.

The David Longdon Foundation launched on June 17th, 2026, on what would have been musician David Longdon’s 61st birthday.
David Longdon was one of the most gifted musicians of his generation. As frontman of Big Big Train, he spent twelve years producing work of extraordinary emotional depth, earning devoted fans across the world. He was also a solo artist, a collaborator of rare generosity, and a multi-instrumentalist of exceptional ability. When he died in a domestic accident in November 2021, music lost someone truly irreplaceable.David believed with conviction that music belonged to everyone. That belief is the beating heart of this Foundation.

The David Longdon Foundation (Registered Charity No. 1216766) has two core purposes. The first is to support young musicians from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds through financial bursaries and mentoring by a panel of professional musicians and music industry experts. The second is to fund music therapy for those in need. For this strand of its work, the Foundation is delighted to have aligned with Nordoff & Robbins, the UK’s largest music therapy charity, through whom all music therapy fundraising will be channelled.

The Foundation has been established by David’s fiancée, Sarah Ewing, and his manager and close friend Nick Shilton, who serve as its trustees, with the wholehearted support of David’s daughters, Amelia and Eloise. The advisory panel includes musicians Danny Manners, Dave Gregory and Louis Philippe, producer Gary Bromham, Prog magazine Editor Jerry Ewing, and music industry marketing professional Steve Cadman. All of them knew David extremely well and care deeply about the work ahead.

Visit the website for more information: https://davidlongdonfoundation.com/

The post New UK-registered charity The David Longdon Foundation launched honoring the legacy of the beloved singer, songwriter and musician appeared first on The Prog Report.

(This is Daniel Barkasi’s review of a new album by the Norwegian black metal band Mork, which will be released by Peaceville Records on June 19th.) If you don’t evolve, you can get left behind. As humans, we learn and grow as we traverse this wild journey called life. It can be similar for music, […]

The post MORK: “MONOLITT” appeared first on NO CLEAN SINGING.

Outlaw country legend Blaze Foley — a guy who not only lived that life but died that death, shot by the son of his friend Concho January at age 39 — is the subject of a new tribute album. Sittin’ With Blaze, due out in August, features covers of the Austin singer-songwriter’s work by artists including Lucy Dacus, Lucinda Williams, Joshua Ray Walker, John Moreland and Lydia Loveless, and more.

The post Lucy Dacus, Lucinda Williams, Phosphorescent, & More Contribute To New Blaze Foley Tribute Album appeared first on Stereogum.

The vast, sprawling $850 million edifice known as the Barack Obama Presidential Center — it’s not a library, though it has a library — has been in the works for more than a decade, and it’s finally ready to open its doors to the public. The Obama Center sits on a 19-acre plot in Jackson Park, on Chicago’s South Side, and it houses a museum, an education project, various community facilities, and the Obama Foundation’s headquarters. It technically opens to the public tomorrow, for Juneteenth. But today, there will be a grand-opening ceremony that’ll feature performances from a ton of Obama’s musician buddies.

The post Obama Presidential Center Opens With Bruce Springsteen, U2, Stevie Wonder, Eddie Vedder, & More appeared first on Stereogum.

Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson called out 'legends' who 'can't sing anymore' during a recent interview when he was asked about retiring. Continue reading…