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Bloodstock Bound: Archaea

As Bloodstock gets closer, we delve deep into the line up to find out more about some of the bands playing the New Blood and EMP stages at this years event.

Today we chat with Archaea

Please introduce yourselves.

To introduce ourselves:

· Dave Morgan: Lead Vocals
· Alex Harris: Guitars & Backing Vocals
· Lewis Crosby: Guitars
· Peter Mansfield: Bass & Backing Vocals
· Cal Deaves: Drums

As a band, we hail from Merseyside, with Lewis and Alex based on the Wirral. Pete, Dave and Cal are over in Liverpool. Originally, Dave is from Barrow-In-Furness, and Alex moved to Merseyside 12 years ago from sunny Kent. Fun fact – he actually goes way back with the lead vocalist of Vampyra – this year’s winners of M2tM Kent. We’ve been following each other’s Masses’ progress and are now looking forward to a celebratory beer at the campsite!

How would you describe your sound?

We’re a hybrid of a heavy metal band with some hard rock and more recently, metalcore undertones. We’ve been described as an “accessible” metal band – this, combined with our energy and power onstage, makes us stand out (or so we’ve been told!) We like to think we’re a very dynamic band, with highs and lows popping out from everywhere. We go from melodic, clean and subtle to 100% full tilt very abruptly. Our music has the balance of punchy riffs, melodic solos, killer breakdowns and catchy lyrics. We take a lot of time to write our songs to make sure each piece has its own personality that can stand on its own and not just be a filler song in an album.

How did you land your spot on the Bloodstock bill?

We won the Merseyside Metal to the Masses competition.

How tough was this years competition?

Incredibly tough – the final ended up being a huge event which showcased virtually every band who competed across the competition. This served as a reminder of the quality throughout. The final itself came down to four bands – each completely different and incredible in their own right. It was an incredible event put on by some of the most dedicated people we’ve had the pleasure of working with.

What does playing at Bloodstock mean to you?

Playing Bloodstock is the culmination of all our hard work and bolsters our faith in the live music scene. It truly means absolutely everything. It’s an enormous achievement for us, and we worked so hard and put everything we had into winning M2tM. We’re extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished and even more proud that we get to represent our region as the ambassadors from Merseyside. Also, congrats to all at Bloodstock for hitting 25 years; here’s to 25 more!

For people who’ve never seen you live, what can they expect at Bloodstock?

Energetic. Melodic. Hard-hitting, catchy and unrelenting.

We hit the stage hard and showcase not only heavy headbanging riffs but soaring shreddy solos, mixed with powerful singing and even more powerful screaming – throw in a cohesive and tight rhythm section – and we are quite the force to be reckoned with. What people aren’t really going to get from simply listening to our tracks, or even the live session tracks (we had to stay incredibly still with the headphones on), is the energy we bring to the stage. We’re excited to be there when we’re on stage, and we think it shows.

Hopefully it’s contagious, and we’re not to be missed.

What day are you performing?

We are performing on Friday, on the New Blood Stage!

What other bands are you looking forward to watching at Bloodstock this year?

There are so many talented bands across the festival, but to name a few:
Lamb of God, Body Count, Party Cannon, Battlesnake, Orbit Culture, Vended, Black Label Society, Saxon, Judas Priest, Evil Scarecrow, Testament, Bleed From Within & Wailing Banshee & Sellsword. Plus, we’re looking forward to checking out as many bands on the New Blood stage as we can!

Playing the New Blood Stage is just the first steppingstone in a bands journey. What’s next in your plans for world domination?

We’re working on finishing some new songs with a view to getting back into the studio by the end of this year – for our next release in 2027. We have a number of songs which we have been rotating into our recent setlists which haven’t been officially released yet, so we’re excited to get these recorded. (Some you’ll hear on the New Blood stage!) Also, plans to expand our merch line, more gigs, invest in our stage show, behind-the-scenes clips, gig documentaries, elevate our stage craft, gear upgrades and more!

Are you camping with the fans? Which campsite are you heading for?

Through M2tM we’ll be at artist camping, so we’ll be there for the full event!

You’ve gotta keep hydrated at Bloodstock, what is your drink of choice for the weekend?

Dave: Whatever lager is cheapest.

Alex: Lots of water, interspersed with crispy pints.

Lewis: Any good beers I can find!

Pete: I love drinking cider; however, I always have to keep water or a bottle of Coke nearby! Cal: Beer, lots of berry-flavoured Volvic and a cheeky Dr. Pepper from time to time!

See you at Bloodstock in a few weeks!

For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.

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And they’ve assembled a production dream team for it.

The post Soungarden Have Begun Mixing Their Final Album To Feature Chris Cornell appeared first on Theprp.com.

Phil Campbell’s Bastard Sons are heading back to the stage, fueled by a mission that goes beyond the music. Following the passing of their father, the legendary Phil Campbell, the band is moving forward with an unwavering sense of strength, heart, and purpose, ensuring that the rock and roll flame he ignited continues to roar…. Continue Reading →

Bloodstock Bound: Dead Bait

As Bloodstock gets closer, we delve deep into the line up to find out more about some of the bands playing the New Blood and EMP stages at this years event.

Today we chat with Dead Bait

Please introduce yourselves.

We’re Dead Bait, an independent metal band from Cambridgeshire. The lineup is Kyran on vocals, Bobby and Alfred on guitars, Victor on bass and Toby on drums.

How would you describe your sound?

Our sound changes from song to song. We pull influence from hardcore, metalcore and punk, but we never want to write the same track twice. Every song has its own identity while still sounding like Dead Bait.

How did you land your spot on the Bloodstock bill?

We entered our local Metal to the Masses competition. It was our third time competing, and this time everything clicked. Winning our regional final and earning a place at Bloodstock was an incredible feeling.

How tough was the competition this year?

Metal to the Masses is always stacked with great bands, but this year felt especially competitive. Everyone was on form, so when our name was announced it made the win even more rewarding. It genuinely felt like we’d earned our place.

What does playing at Bloodstock mean to you?

Metal to the Masses is an incredible opportunity for emerging bands. Everyone enters chasing the same dream, so to win and earn a Bloodstock slot means everything to us. Hearing our name announced was one of those moments we’ll never forget. Now we’re ready to give everything we’ve got and show people exactly what Dead Bait are about.

For people who’ve never seen you live, what can they expect at Bloodstock?

Pure energy and aggression. We leave everything on stage every single show and we want the crowd to do the same. If you like heavy riffs, big energy and a bit of chaos, come and find us on Saturday.

What day are you performing?

Saturday on the New Blood Stage

What other bands are you looking forward to watching at Bloodstock this year?

Lamb of God, Bleed From Within and Northlane are all massive for us, but we’re just as excited to spend time around the New Blood stage discovering new bands. You never know—you might be watching future main stage headliners.

Playing the New Blood Stage is just the first steppingstone in a bands journey. What’s next in your plans for world domination?

Bloodstock is a huge milestone, but we see it as the beginning rather than the finish line. We want to make the most of every opportunity, meet as many people as we can and keep building momentum. Every year we’ve taken a step forward, and our goal is to make next year our biggest yet.

Are you camping with the fans? Which campsite are you heading for?

We’ll be in the artist campsite, but we’ll be out around the festival as much as possible. If you spot us, come and say hello, we’re always happy to chat.

You’ve gotta keep hydrated at Bloodstock, what is your drink of choice for the weekend?

We’ll be on the soft drinks until after we’ve played. we need to stay sharp! After that, we’ll definitely enjoy a few celebration beers. Although, knowing us, you’ll probably find us at the food vans before the bar. We’re determined to sample as much festival food as possible.

See you at Bloodstock in a few weeks!

We can’t wait to see everyone at Bloodstock. Come and catch us on Saturday at the Newblood Stage, and let’s lose our minds together!

For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.

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Judy is the duo of Diners’ Blue Broderick and Agriculture’s Leah Levinson. They linked up in December as a songwriting and recording exercise, cooking up two EPs in five days. The first, Songs OF Mutt And Hate, dropped in April. The second, Death Of A Ladies’ Mutt (you get it) is out next week, and its lead single “Denim Girls” is available to stream now.

The post Judy Announce New EP <em>Death Of A Ladies’ Mutt</em>: “Denim Girls” appeared first on Stereogum.

It would seem his part is all wrapped up.

The post System Of A Down’s Shavo Odadjian Lands Role In New Season Of ‘Dexter: Resurrection’ appeared first on Theprp.com.

In July 1993, following Nirvana‘s show at New York’s Roseland Ballroom during the annual New Music Seminar, Kurt Cobain sat down with a handful of writers from select English music magazines to discuss his band’s upcoming third album, In Utero.

Scheduled for release on September 21, 1993, the album – the follow-up to the Seattle trio’s game-changing 1991 release Nevermind – was inarguably the most anticipated record of the year, with Cobain’s lyrics destined to be pored over, dissected and analysed on a forensic level by fans and music journalists desperate to gain insights into Cobain’s state of mind in the aftermath of his band’s wholly unexpected success.

But when Phil Sutcliffe from Q magazine sought to quiz Nirvana’s frontman on the meaning of his lyrics on In Utero, Cobain suggested that anyone trying to pull apart individual songs for interpretation might be frustrated.

“I’ve always painted abstracts,” he said. “I love dreams that don’t make sense. I’d much rather watch a film that doesn’t have a plot. Most of my lyrics don’t connect because I’ve taken lines from lots of different poems of mine and put them together. I’ll make up a theme well after the fact, oftentimes while I’m being interviewed.”

Nowhere was this truth of these words more evident than in Cobain’s original outline of the meaning behind In Utero‘s first single, Heart-Shaped. Box.

Written at Cobain and Courtney Love’s apartment at 448 North Spaulding Ave in Los Angeles, Heart-Shaped Box was first demoed by Nirvana during a three day recording session at Ariola BMG Studios in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. and re-recorded with Steve Albini at Pachyderm Studios, Cannon Falls, Minnesota during the two week In Utero sessions.

In an interview conducted by Rolling Stone writer Michael Azerrad for Nirvana’s official biography Come As You Are, published soon after the release of In Utero, Cobain claimed that the lyrics of the song were in inspired by the pain and anguish he felt seeing children with cancer.

“Every time I see documentaries or infomercials about little kids with cancer I just freak out,” the singer told his biographer. “It affects me on the highest emotional level, more than anything else on television. Anytime I think about it, it makes me sadder than anything that I can think of.”

“Most of the lines in it are just from [different] poems anyway,” Cobain added. “I just thought they painted a good picture, every line, But the basic idea of the song is about little kids with cancer.”

As much as Azerrad, as Nirvana’s trusted biographer, had assumed the responsibility of sharing Cobain’s truth with the world, his instincts as a professional music writer compelled him to point out that even a cursory reading of Heart-Shaped Box suggested that it had precious little in common with Cobain’s emotional revelations about the song’s key theme, and that, in fact, it seemed to be about Courtney Love.

“Lines like ‘Throw down your umbilical noose so I can climb right back‘ and being ‘locked inside your heart-shaped box‘ describe an almost horrific dependency,” Azerrad noted, adding that the lyric “I wish I could eat your cancer when you turn black” seemed to be a reference to Love’s “storm-cloud disposition.’

Although the song’s title was originally believed to have been inspired by Love’s gift to Cobain of a heart-shaped box, filled with trinkets and dolls, before they were married, an alternate interpretation put forward the idea that it was basically a tribute to Love’s vagina. This theory gained a stamp of authenticity when Love effectively confessed as much in a tweet to singer Lana Del Rey.

After learning that LDR had covered her huband’s song during a 2012 gig in Australia, Love tweeted to say, “You do know the song is about my Vagina right? ‘Throw down your umbilical noose so i can climb right back,’ umm. On top of which some of the lyrics about my vagina I contributed. So umm next time you sing it, think about my vagina will you?”

Earlier this year, in conversation with her long-time friend Billy Corgan, on the Smashing Pumpkins’ frontman’s podcast The Magnificent Others, Love shared another revelation, revealing that one of the song’s key lyrics, and certainly its most sarcastic line, was inspired by Cobain’s irritation with the couple’s one-time friend Kim Gordon, and specifically what they perceived as her over-officious gatekeeping of the alternative rock world.

“You know the lyric from Kurt which is,’Hey, wait. I’ve got a new complaint / [Forever in debt to your priceless advice]’ That’s about Kim,” Love explained. “That’s literally about Kim.”

“He was so mad at her. Kurt’s whole thing was he hid his light under a bushel for [Nirvana’s debut album] Bleach,” she continued. “Because one, Seattle, which he wasn’t from, and two Kim Gordon.”

Heart-Shaped Box was released as a single on August 30, 1993, accompanied by an arty Anton Corbijn-directed video. The single peaked at number 5 in the UK, and reached number two on the US AOR Tracks choice, which must have caused the band some amusement.

Motörhead is the latest band to join KnuckleBonz360 BackStage Experience, an upcoming immersive 3D platform that will let fans explore interactive digital worlds inspired by legendary artists. The collaboration was arranged through Global Merchandising Services, Motörhead‘s worldwide licensing representative, with the platform scheduled to launch in the summer of 2026.

KnuckleBonz360 is designed as a digital destination where fans can explore themed environments based on major bands, interact with other users, play mini-games, purchase exclusive collectibles, and experience classic album artwork in a new way. More than 20 artist worlds are expected to be available when the service launches.

Discussing the partnership, KnuckleBonz Corp. CEO and creative director Tony Simerman said: “When we began designing KnuckleBonz360, we knew we needed to make ‘everything louder than everything else’ and bring the Motörhead 3D experience to life. The Warpig imagery and Lemmy’s raw power on stage create a great setting for both physical and digital products and experiences. Now, every Motörhead fan in the world can gather together to celebrate the 50+ years of the band.”

The Motörhead BackStage Experience has been created by a team of artists, engineers and dedicated fans. According to the developers, the virtual world will cover the band’s entire career, from its early touring years through the Ace Of Spades era and beyond, recreating key moments and environments from Motörhead‘s history.

Jen Harper, senior licensing manager at Global Merchandising Services, also welcomed the collaboration, saying: “Motörhead’s legacy continues to inspire generations of fans around the world, and this partnership brings that legacy to life in an entirely new way. KnuckleBonz360 gives fans a unique opportunity to connect with the band’s iconic world and celebrate the music, imagery, and spirit of Motörhead like never before.”

In addition to the virtual experience, the platform will offer digital collectibles along with physical merchandise that will be shipped worldwide. Fans will also be able to explore the multiplayer environment together when it becomes available in summer 2026.

Founded in 1975 by Lemmy Kilmister, Motörhead became one of heavy music’s defining acts by combining heavy metal, punk and high-speed rock ‘n’ roll into a sound that influenced generations of bands. More than five decades later, the group’s music and imagery continue to resonate with fans around the world.

Founded in 2003, KnuckleBonz Corp. has built its reputation through music collectibles and merchandise aimed at dedicated fans. With KnuckleBonz360, the company is expanding into immersive digital experiences while continuing to develop products centered on music, art, and collector culture.

Join the KnuckleBonz360 waitlist here.

The post MOTÖRHEAD Teams With KNUCKLEBONZ For New Immersive Digital Experience appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

And now you know.

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Album Review: Finsterforst – Still

Reviewed by Rich Oliver

Metal music is seen as purely angry music by those with little to no knowledge of the genre whilst in reality, heavy music carries many different moods and emotions. It can be violent and aggressive but it can also be joyous, morose and in the case of Finsterforst it is absolutely rousing. The German band have been unleashing their epic brand of folk driven extreme metal for twenty two years and “Still” is the sixth album from the band and sees the band continue to evolve. Three years have elapsed since their last release – 2023’s ambitious “Jenseits” EP – and the band have fine tuned their sound for an epic 78 minute album that will very much satisfy fans of the band but also with a few surprises sprinkled throughout.

Folk metal is a niche genre in metal with a lot of the more popular acts going the gimmicky route of fun drinking songs but Finsterforst take the epic approach with a sound that mixes in elements of black metal, doom metal and post-metal with a dark epic atmosphere and music which is meant to stir your soul. These are many elements throughout the album such as accordion pieces, acoustic sections, orchestral parts and choral vocals all playing their part to build songs which rely on mood and atmosphere but pay off with beautiful melodies and stirring vocals taking the listener on one hell of an epic journey.

The album starts in vast style with the cinematic ‘Obduktion’ and the scale of the music rarely drops off. ‘Im Wind’ is a perfect example of all of the above and is one of the clear highlights of the album. The heavier aspects of the band’s sound come out in ‘Stille Nacht’ whilst the band strip it back on the acoustic led ‘Fels’. The most colossal song on the album is the 24 minute ‘Leere’ and is certainly the most epic with vast orchestration and the epic Black Forest choir in full effect. If you have the bonus tracks edition then you will be treated to two cover songs that get the Finsterforst treatment – ‘Beyond The North Waves’ by Immortal and ‘Another Brick In The Wall Part 2’.

When it comes to this cinematic and atmospheric style of folk metal, Finsterforst are one of the bands at the absolute top of their game and ‘Still’ is another incredible piece of work from the band. A colossal epic piece of metal that is vast in scale and sound. This is an album that will appeal to fans of bands such as Moonsorrow, Falkenbach, Primordial and Borknagar.

For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.

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