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The Dillinger Escape Plan's reunion run with singer Dimitri Minikakis appears to be winding down. Continue reading…

Their only West Coast headlining dates of 2026.

The post Of Mice & Men Announce Three-Date Californian Tour For November appeared first on Theprp.com.

“Sam is not a replaceable person. He was the heartbeat.”

The post Limp Bizkit’s Wes Borland On Sam Rivers’ Passing: “It’s Just Like We Lost A Piece Of Our DNA” appeared first on Theprp.com.

Ohio’s Axemaster have returned after nine years with their mythologically laden fifth album, Of Beasts and Plagues. Axemaster have been at this since Joe Sims formed the band in 1985, building a catalogue across four decades through the cassette-era material and on into the current era. There is an underground work ethic that has kept … Continue reading Album Review: Axemaster – Of Beasts And Plagues

The endless, dramatic narrative web surrounding legendary glam metal giants Skid Row has just taken a wildly entertaining, highly unexpected detour into the spotlight. When Halestorm’s Grammy-winning frontwoman Lzzy Hale stepped up to front the aging arena rockers for a high-profile series of tracking dates, she wasn’t just saving a tour—she was stepping directly into a thirty-year-old rock and roll cold war.

Hale originally stepped into the line of fire to replace departing vocalist Erik Grönwall, who elegantly resigned to protect his ongoing health recovery. But while heavy alternative purists and stadium audiences marvelled at Hale’s elite, earth-shaking live delivery, the entire industry was quietly wondering: what does original voice icon Sebastian Bach think about another superstar commanding his old microphone?

Speaking live on stage over the weekend, Hale broke her silence, revealing a private, profanity-laced late-night review from Bach himself that has completely upended the metal forums.

THE SKID ROW VOCAL CAROUSEL

• 1987–1996: Sebastian Bach (The multi-platinum golden era architect)
• 2022–2024: Erik Grönwall (The widely acclaimed Swedish powerhouse who stepped down for health parameters)
• May–June 2024: Lzzy Hale (The historic, viral stadium fill-in run)
• February 2026: Open Global Auditions (The ongoing search for a permanent legacy anchor)

Up All Night: How Sebastian Bach Evaluated the New Era

The incredible revelation came straight from Hale herself on Sunday, June 14, 2026, during an intimate, sold-out acoustic theater production in Glasgow alongside her Halestorm bandmate Joe Hottinger. Reflecting on her brief but explosive tenure guiding Skid Row through classic heavy metal anthems like “Youth Gone Wild” and “Youthnasia,” Hale admitted she originally entered the tracking cycle entirely blind to the sheer toxicity of the band’s distant history with Bach, who was unceremoniously ousted from the lineup back in 1996.

However, Hale noted that she and Bach share a long, incredibly sweet personal friendship behind closed doors. The real magic happened after the tour concluded, when Hale received a direct tracking dispatch from Rita Haney, the longtime partner of late Pantera guitar deity Dimebag Darrell. In a transcription segment logged via Blabbermouth, Hale detailed the hilarious late-night assignment:

“He’s always been sweet to me,” Hale explained to the laughing Glasgow audience. “And the best was, after it all went down, I got to talk to Dimebag Darrell’s partner Rita Haney. And she’s like, ‘Hey, we were up all night with Sebastian watching those Skid Row videos of you singing with them.’ I’m like, ‘Uh-oh. What’d he say?’ And apparently, he looks at Rita and he’s like, ‘Man, I hate those guys, but she’s fucking awesome!’”

Bon Jovi’s Mandate and Family Nostalgia: A Metal Bar Blueprint

Bach wasn’t the only iconic multi-platinum rock icon completely floored by Hale’s sheer vocal power. New Jersey rock savior Jon Bon Jovi—who famously discovered and launched Skid Row into the global stratosphere in the late 1980s—personally caught Hale’s performances and immediately put pressure on her via public interviews to take over the mantle as Skid Row’s permanent, full-time lead singer.

Hale called the high-profile endorsements a deeply surreal, full-circle emotional breakthrough for her family. Long before Halestorm was topping the international charts, Hale was grinding out grueling cover sets in blue-collar Pennsylvania bars.

“I’m hearing from my dad,” Hale shared during an archive reflection. “We used to cover ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’ back in Pennsylvania bars and stuff, and he’s like, ‘You used to listen to Slave To The Grind every single day. What are you thinking right now?’ I’m like, ‘I don’t know what to think. This is crazy!’”

Despite the immense, high-yield pressure from Bon Jovi and global promotion companies, Hale ultimately chose to step away from the permanent layout, noting that her current creative parameters and intense studio obligations with Halestorm prevented her from making a multi-year structural commitment to the band.

We Recommend – The Most Influential Women In Modern Metal Right Now (2026 Ranking)

HALESTORM: THE 2026 METRIC RECORD

• The Studio Epic: ‘Everest’ (The band’s critically acclaimed sixth studio record)
• Chart Placement: Debuted at #1 on the official UK Rock & Metal Chart
• The Live Footprint: Currently executing a high-yield acoustic tour across major UK rooms
• Tonight’s Deployment: June 16, 2026 @ The Engine Rooms (Southampton, UK)

FAQ: Lzzy Hale, Sebastian Bach, and the Skid Row Equation

Did Sebastian Bach like Lzzy Hale singing for Skid Row?

Yes. According to a private story shared by Lzzy Hale, Sebastian Bach spent a night watching her live concert videos and explicitly stated that while he still hates his former bandmates, he thought Hale was “fucking awesome.”

Why didn’t Lzzy Hale stay in Skid Row permanently?

Lzzy Hale explained that her prior obligations, touring metrics, and recording commitments to her primary band, Halestorm, made it logistically impossible to commit to Skid Row full-time.

Is Skid Row getting back together with Sebastian Bach?

No. Guitarist Dave “The Snake” Sabo recently clarified that a reunion will never happen, asserting that the band has turned down massive financial payouts because they prioritize personal happiness and mental peace over a cash-grab nostalgia tour.

Also – “Female-Fronted Metal” Isn’t A Genre—These 13 Bands Prove Why That Doesn’t Matter

The Sustainable Logic of Choosing Happiness Over Arena Cash

The absolute refusal of founding guitarist Dave “The Snake” Sabo to entertain a Bach reunion—even in the wake of this viral praise—presents a fascinating look into the modern psychology of veteran rock architecture. In an industry where aging heritage acts are constantly pressured by massive corporate booking firms to execute forced, toxic nostalgia reunions purely to cash in on high-ticket live events, Skid Row’s core management continues to hold a radical, defensive line.

By turning down multi-million dollar contracts to preserve their personal peace and creative brotherhood, Sabo and the founding core are protecting their long-term health and personal value. Meanwhile, Hale continues to operate at the absolute peak of her powers. Backed by the stellar chart-topping success of Halestorm’s latest full-length triumph, Everest, her brief, legendary crossover with Skid Row will go down as one of the most exciting, universally respected live experiments in modern rock history.

Now that Sebastian Bach has officially broken the internet with his hilarious dual review of his former band and the rock contemporary layout, the floor belongs to the Loaded Radio global assembly. Do you think Skid Row should keep hunting for an open-audition wild card, or should they have backed up a dump truck of cash to Lzzy Hale’s house until she signed on the dotted line? Drop your mosh pit reviews, vocal theories, and thoughts in the comments section below!

TL;DR

• The Unfiltered Confession: During an intimate acoustic appearance in Glasgow, Halestorm mastermind Lzzy Hale exposed a hilarious, explicit reaction from former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach regarding her temporary stint fronting the band.
• Late-Night Deep Dive: Through a mutual connection with Dimebag Darrell’s longtime partner Rita Haney, Hale learned Bach spent an entire night analyzing her live Skid Row concert tapes. Wikimetal
• The Verdict: Despite his legendary, blood-soaked animosity toward his former bandmates, Bach completely praised Hale, stating: “Man, I hate those guys, but she’s fucking awesome!” Louder
• The Door Stays Closed: The viral revelation hits just as Skid Row guitarist Dave “The Snake” Sabo doubled down that a reunion with Bach will never happen, explicitly noting that “it’s never been about the money.”

Never miss an unfiltered scene update, an exclusive studio tracking brief, or breaking international festival news. Download the free Loaded Radio App for [iOS App Store] and [Google Play Store] today to command our live 24/7 high-decibel digital stream and catch our Daily Podcast on demand.

The post Sebastian Bach Catches Videos of Lzzy Hale Fronting His Ex-Band Skid Row, and His Reaction Is Pure Unfiltered Chaos appeared first on Loaded Radio.

A trio of shows.

The post We Came As Romans, Varials And Cane Hill Announce Brief October U.S. Tour appeared first on Theprp.com.

Vampires and Dracula are undeniably metal but the ideas are often presented in the most corny way possible. Fortunately, that isn’t an issue for New Jersey black/death metal band Dragsholm, whose new album gets into the story behind the fanged legend. From the Bloodlines of Bram is the band’s first proper full-length, though they’ve been constantly active with splits and EPs since forming in 2019.

On new song “Battling Through the Stormlands,” streaming below, Dragsholm get straight into the action, starting immediately with a fist-pumping riff that quickly darts into sharper, faster territory.

“‘Battling Through The Stormlands’ is a track that captures the essence of our new album, ‘From the Bloodlines of Bram,” Dragsholm tell Decibel, “Blending brutal riffs with melodic passages.”

From the Bloodlines of Bram is out on July 3.

The post Track Premiere: Dragsholm – ‘Battling Through the Stormlands’ appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

Dark black metal project HULDER has released “View From Nemeton,” the lead single and accompanying music video from their forthcoming album Verbolgen, due August 7th, via 20 Buck Spin (North America) and Season of Mist (World ex-North America). The single opens the album’s campaign and marks the first visual statement from what stands as the project’s most fully realized work to date.

“Captured on analog mediums in the forests of the Pacific Northwestern landscape and woven together by Liana Rakijian and Hulder, ‘View From Nemeton’ serves as a glimpse from the eye of the otherworld,” the band states.

“View From Nemeton” moves through the ceremonial and the spectral, its lyrics evoking a sacred site in the realm of the otherworld where the living and the dead converge: “In realm of the otherworld where undead and living shall meet / View from Nemeton as veil of soma is thinned.” The track builds on a foundation of layered riffing and atmospheric density, anchored by the recurring incantation “Bone to Bone / Limb to Limb / Blood to Blood,” before opening into sequences of hurdy-gurdy and keys that widen the piece’s ceremonial register.

Pre-Order Verbolgen: 

https://orcd.co/hulderverbolgen

“VIEW FROM NEMETON” MUSIC VIDEO: 
https://youtu.be/Q2gttZHbJsw

Emerging from the Pacific Northwest, HULDER built a devoted following across a series of releases marked by their commitment to ancient craft, uncompromising production, and a sound rooted in the Northern European black metal tradition. 

Verbolgen sees the project expand its instrumental palette: drawing in hurdy-gurdy from KELD (Majesties, Obsequiae, Celestiial) and split drum contributions from VAPULA and VROLOK (Aeternus, Gorgoroth), while sharpening the dual creative core that has defined its most compelling work.

Verbolgen Track-list:

1. Drie Raven (Intro) (2:18)
2. The Crowning (6:28)
3. Thy Binding Oath (5:38)
4. Verbolgen (4:01)
5. …And We Shall Sing (6:01)
6. In Blood and In Earth (7:09)
7. Den Nacht Zijn Lied (6:45)
8. View From Nemeton (5:23)
9. The Glow of Dawn (4:48)

Full runtime: 48:33

In support of the forthcoming release, HULDER will embark on a North American tour in August with DIMMU BORGIR, HYPOCRISY and SUFFOCATION. Tickets are available at: https://hulder-official.com/pages/shows.

HULDER North American Tour Dates:

Aug 7 – New York, NY @ Palladium Times Square
Aug 8 – Worcester, PA @ The Palladium
Aug 10 – Toronto, ON @ History
Aug 11 – Montreal, QC @ MTELUS
Aug 13 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theater
Aug 14 – Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theatre
Aug 15 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Fillmore
Aug 18 – Denver, CO @ The Mission Ballroom
Aug 21 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
Aug 23 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Novo

Line-up:
Hulder – Voice, Electric Guitars, Keys, Acoustic Guitars
Necreon – Bass, Voice
Keld – Hurdy Gurdy, Electric Guitars, Keys (session)
Vapula – Drums (session)
Vrolok – Drums (session)

Follow HULDER:
Website: https://www.hulder-official.com
Bandcamp: https://hulder.bandcamp.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0jTw0xPTe-9yYzXG3Tczpw
Nightshift Merch (US): https://www.nightshiftmerch.com/pages/hulder
Impericon Merch (EU): https://www.impericon.com/collections/hulder
Direct Merch: https://direct-merch.com/collections/hulder
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HulderUS
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hulder_official
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/65vrcJ67suxLePeEhUtLLo
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/hulder/1476065947
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/artist/10269338
Tidal: https://tidal.com/artist/7780388

Lost in Kyiv are a French post-rock band and this is their fifth album. Lost in Kyiv play immersive post-rock, and deliver 41 minutes of quality music on We’re All Going to be Fine. This record is a premier release for post-rock fans, boasting the sort of material that makes repeated spins an absolute pleasure. … Continue reading “Lost in Kyiv – We’re All Going to Be Fine (Review)”

The Austin combo Guiding Light includes two members of local indiepop rising stars Touch Girl Apple Blossom, but this group jangles a bit differently. Guiding Light’s lo-fi self-titled EP was full of twitchy, hyperactive post-punk — the sound of virtuosic Television guitar moving at contorted Minutemen rhythms, topped off by Elise Cook’s blunt German bellows and English exclamations on sort of a Kleenex/Liliput wavelength. It was cool.

The post Guiding Light Announce Debut Album <em>Fear On My Own Time</em>: Hear “Shackled By Lust” appeared first on Stereogum.