Love him or hate him, there is no denying the blood-splattered influence of Rob Zombieon pop culture over the past thirty-something years. From world domination with White Zombie in the mid to late ’90s to even greater success as a solo artist and filmmaker, Zombie has been a constant force.
Rob Zombie – The Great Satan
Release Date: 27 February 2026
Words: Kenny Kendrick
He is one of the undisputed kings of Shock Rock, and a Rob Zombie live show is a thing to behold. His record sales speak for themselves, with over 15 million albums sold worldwide. Zombie is no slouch. He is now in his sixties but shows no signs of slowing down and recently announced a US tour with the ever-controversial Marilyn Manson, taking place in the summer.
The Great Satan is Zombie’s latest effort. It is dripping with crunchy riffs, pounding drums and Zombie’s unmistakable growl. The usual employment of samples adds another dimension to Zombie’s music. They really do enhance the listening experience.
Rob Zombie – The Great Satan is a triumph of madness and mayhem
The Great Satan harks back to the Hellbilly Deluxe days, the greasy, octane-fuelled riffs, and sing-along choruses guarantee that every track will have your head nodding in agreement. Zombie has given us fifteen tracks to get our canine teeth into, and what a gift they are.
Here we have a classic Rob Zombie album in the making. Opening track F.T.W. 84 is a perfect introduction to The Great Satan, the weirdness of the off-kilter keyboards, the monstrous riff, and Zombie screaming “Fuck the world, fuck it all” drags you into the carnival of insanity that Zombie sets up so effortlessly.
Tarantula kicks along like a mother and Riggs on guitar excels himself here. He sets up the Zombie landscape of hell on earth with his staccato riffs.
One of the three singles from the album, I’m A Rock ‘N’ Roller is a mid-tempo headbanger, drummer Ginger Fish pounds a groove that can be felt six feet underground. What a fantastic track. Heathen Days pumps along like a bastard son of Dragula with more crunching riffs.
Other standout tracks include the fantastically titled Black Rat Coffin, and Sir Lord Acid Wolfman with its “Yo Ho Ho” pirate chant. Zombie and co have done a great job of pacing the tracklisting, the album flows perfectly.
Make no mistake, there is no let-up in the relentlessness of The Great Satan. It takes the listener on a journey into the fucked up world of Zombie’s brilliant mind and to the depths of insanity and depravity.
My personal favourite track is the wonderful The Devilman with its nod to Black Sabbath’s Heaven And Hell. The album’s production is perfect, the tracks sound HUGE.
Hats off to Rob Zombie and his crew of henchmen. The Great Satan is a triumph of madness and mayhem, and it rubber stamps Zombie’s place in the world of hard rock and Heavy Metal. HAIL SATAN!!
Rob Zombie releases The Great Satan on 27 February 2026 via Nuclear Blast Records. There are a variety of formats, including a limited box set and accompanying apparel. For more details, visit robzombie.bfan.link/the-great-satan.
It’s back to the UK’s best music venue, Wolverhampton’s KK’s Steel Mill for a triple-bill that delivered rock, muscle, and more than a few moments of glorious excess. With Marisa and the Moths, Tailgunner and headliners Fozzy on the bill, this was never going to be a quiet evening.
Marisa and the Moths opened the night with the kind of presence that belies their “support act” status. From the first crunch of Marisa’s guitar, they had the early crowd edging closer to the barrier. There’s a polish to their sound in big choruses with modern hard rock sheen and Marisa’s vocals soaring effortlessly.
Marisa has a rapport with the crowd and the banter levels were high between songs. Wolverhampton responded to her, heads nodding, fists rising, and by the end of their set they’d clearly won over more than a few new converts. A strong, confident start for an epic evening of rock.
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Tailgunner came out and slammed the pedal to the floor. Their set opened with ‘Midnight Blitz’ and lived up to its name with a high-speed barrage of classic heavy metal flair. Despite the lack of Rhea on guitar, her stand in filled the gap with the bands dual guitar combo screaming in harmony, bass thundered beneath, and the drums driving everything forward.
‘White Death’ and ‘Shadows of War’ leaned hard into traditional metal theatrics, complete with soaring vocals and razor-sharp riffing. There’s a clear love of the genre’s golden era in the bands DNA, but it never feels like cosplay, this is a revitalisation, not nostalgia.
By the time they hit ‘Eulogy’ and closed with ‘Guns for Hire’ the crowd was fully locked in. Swaggering, tight, and undeniably loud, they left the stage having delivered a set that was headliner worthy. And this being KK’s Steel Mill, you can expect the band on multiple more bill’s in the next few months!
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
When Fozzy finally took the stage the temperature inside KK’s jumped another few degrees. A huge roar met the band as ‘Fall in Line’ kicked things off. And from there it was a masterclass in arena-sized hooks delivered in a far more intimate setting. Chris Jericho knows exactly how to command a room with every gesture exaggerated just enough, every line delivered like it matters.
‘One Crazed Anarchist’ and ‘Lights Go Out’ kept the momentum surging, the crowd singing back every word. ‘Painless’ and ‘Spotlight’ showcased the band’s knack for marrying crunching riffs with radio-ready choruses. The Duke – Rich Ward – a ball on energy on stage, leaving me to wish “I want to be taking whatever he’s taking!”.
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
‘I Still Burn’ and ‘Nowhere to Run’ were punchy reminders of the band’s longevity, while ‘Army of One’ and ‘Sane’ kept fists pumping high. ‘Drinkin With Jesus’ added a tongue-in-cheek swagger before ‘Do You Wanna Start a War’ and ‘Purifier’ amped things up again.
‘Enemy’ felt like an exclamation mark on the set, the entire room moving as one as we neared the end of the evening. But of course, no Fozzy show ends quietly. They returned to the stage for ‘Judas’ and the roof lifted off KK’s Steel Mill with the sing along from the crowd hitting at full force.
In a tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne, the band close with a raucous take on ‘Crazy Train’ and by the time the last riff rang out, Wolverhampton had been thoroughly shaken. What a night!
Danish speed metal formation Speedslut revealed that their first long player is officially recorded and ready to be unleashed later this year through Listenable Records. Additional details will be disclosed in weeks to come. Read more…
It has been just over ten years since Joel Hoekstra’s 13 burst out of the traps with their woefully underrated debut album Dying To Live. Far from being a flash in the pan project, the always-in-demand Illinois native continues his melodic rock rampage with his fourth opus, From The Fade.
Although Joel Hoekstra’s eight-year tenure in Whitesnake was not exactly during their all-conquering glory years, he still lit up the band after the temporary power cut, when Doug Aldrich surprisingly departed.
Looking at him at that time, it is hard not to think that if he were a few years older in 1987, he would have been a great-looking fit in that lineup, more so than the mismatched Vivian Campbell.
But aside from the visual aspect, the man has always been fantastic value, whether that be with Lord Coverdale, Night Ranger, Cher or mesmerising arenas with Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
Joel Hoekstra’s 13 – From The Fade – This is without doubt a song’s album.
Along for the ride on the new album, From The Fade, is a damn impressive name-dropping ensemble of talent. As was the case with the previous three albums, you get the rightly lauded Tony Franklin on bass, percussive royalty Vinny Appice, keyboard general Derek Sherinian, and high-end backing vocals supplied by Jeff Scott Soto.
Probably the lesser-known of the mob is lead singer Girish Pradhan, who returns for his second bite at the cherry after 2023’s Crash Of Life. And if you did not know his name from before, by the end of his vocal gymnastics on opener You Can Give, you will be on first-name terms.
We all know Hoekstra’s calibre as a guitarist, and not often is the fretboard rammed down your throat with a million notes at warp nine. As robust rockers The Fall and Lifeline tell you, this is without doubt a song’s album. The guitars just add a sprinkling of gold.
“The songs were built from the guitar riffs up,” Hoekstra says. “Most of the riffs were written during the time I was filling in with Accept, so there is a heavier edge to this album overall. That being said, the album still would be more accurately described as melodic hard rock, not straight-up Metal.
“As always with Joel Hoekstra’s 13 albums, I wrote the style of music that inspired me to pick up the guitar and tried to focus on SONGS for you to enjoy, not overly self-indulgent guitar solos.”
So, do not expect an all-out fire and brimstone power ballad. The profound Will You Remember Me is a lot more cultured than that carry on. Needless to say, when Hoekstra does clock in, he totally bosses it.
Melodic prog-er Misunderstood and the more straight-to-the-vein rocker The End Of Me are illuminated by his simple virtuosity.
As far as Sherinian goes, he was never going to fade into the corner playing chopsticks. On Start To Fight, you get a brief but thrilling sample as to why he is one of the top go-to guys when you need some ivory tickled in style.
The fact that Joel Hoekstra’s 13 have little or no live action under their belts is a sin, because without a shadow of a doubt, this lineup of personnel would sell itself.
Studio-wise, they could do this with their eyes closed, but there is nothing here to suggest they are cruising in the comfort zone. A solid seven, tipping an eight out of ten will do every time, and on this form, you cannot see him dropping below that.
Joel Hoekstra’s 13 release From The Fade on 27 February 2026 via Frontier’s Music Srl. For more details, visit ffm.bio/fromthefadelalbum.
Good Day Noir Family,
Kelsie Kimberlin returns with “Champ,” a single that carries urgency and purpose.
Champ is Kelsie Kimberlin’s Single Out Now
This is not just another pop release crafted for charts and trends. It arrives with a clear mission: to inspire, to strengthen, and to remind listeners that resilience is a daily choice.
The rhythm sets an assertive tone. It’s driving and modern, built on polished production that feels current without losing emotional weight. The beat pushes forward with determination, and the track generates a steady surge of momentum. You don’t simply listen to “Champ”; you feel propelled by it.
What truly defines this song is its lyrical message. Kimberlin has consistently used her music to address meaningful themes, including her outspoken stance against the war in Ukraine. In “Champ,” she continues that path. She highlights how ordinary lives can be shaken by reckless decisions made by those in power. At the same time, she refuses to surrender to despair. Instead, she focuses on strength, endurance, and the will to rise again.
Her vocal delivery reinforces that message. There’s clarity in her tone, but also conviction. She doesn’t overcomplicate the melody; she allows the words to land directly. The chorus hits with particular force. It feels like an anthem designed for anyone facing setbacks. The core idea is simple yet powerful: when you are a champion, you always find a way to stand back up.
The modern production enhances the motivational atmosphere. The arrangement stays tight and energetic, supporting the vocal lines without overwhelming them. Then, as the song builds, the layered instrumentation adds lift and intensity.
Kimberlin pairs her music with a strong visual component. The video matches the track’s energy, offering a polished, engaging presentation that amplifies the song’s message. The combination of sound and imagery creates a unified artistic statement.
“Champ” stands as a rallying cry and a reminder. Even when the world shifts unpredictably, the fight continues. And through this track, Kelsie Kimberlin urges us to keep moving forward.
Champ is Kelsie Kimberlin’s Single Out Now!
Empowering!
Champ is Kelsie Kimberlin’s Single Out Now
Kelsie Kimberlin is a 26-year-old Ukrainian-American singer-songwriter who began her musical journey at age eight, winning first prize in Yoko Ono’s Peace Project and investing the award in her craft. By 12, she was recording in professional studios and has since written over 100 original songs.
Since 2020, she has released music worldwide, collaborating with top producers and engineers who have worked with artists such as Adele, The Beatles, Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, and Amy Winehouse. Her songs have earned global radio play and millions of streams and video views.
A strong supporter of Ukraine, Kelsie filmed music videos in Bucha and Irpin during wartime and later returned to create a feature documentary about resilience and loss. In 2025, she received the United Nations Humanitarian Award and the St. George’s Royal Medal of Honor. She continues to release new music and tour internationally.
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
