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This is the debut album from UK sludge metallers Shadowvale. After Shadowvale’s revelatory performance at last year’s Mangata Festival, this has been a release to watch out for.  Well, it’s now here, so the question that presents itself is this – was it worth the wait? Have Shadowvale  managed to deliver the goods and live … Continue reading “Shadowvale – Shadowvale (Review)”

In what might be one of the most bonkers advertisements for a corn-based snack you’ll probably ever see, Canadian rockers Nickelback were featured alongside pop star Megan Thee Stallion for the return of the Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle flavor.

The whole conceit about the ad is that Stallion is filming a music video and snacking on Cheetos when she learns the dill pickle flavor’s been discontinued. Upset, she says she wants to bring the “pickle back” and that the assistant on set should just “do it”. Naturally, she misheard Stallion and got Nickelback for a duet instead. What follows is a totally bonkers series of events involving a song called “Pickle’s Back” that sees Stallion doing her thing while Nickelback plays a Cheetos-based version of “How You Remind Me”.

Then bash cut to Stallion and Nickelback storming the Cheetos warehouse to steal the Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle Cheetos. What follows is a wild chase through a city that ends in a massive Cheetos dust-filled explosion. People go grab the snack, everyone’s stoked, and the suits at Frito Lay decide to bring the flavor back.

Seriously, you should check out the fever dream below. It’s maybe not the most metal thing posted on this site today, but it will be among the weirdest.

The post Nickelback and Megan Thee Stallion Featured in Absolutely Bonkers Cheetos Commercial appeared first on MetalSucks.

Another part of the segment saw a diminutive wrestler dressed as Jack Osbourne jump off the top rope. Continue reading…

It’s been eight long years since we last had a full-length offering from the Norwegian symphonic black metal titans Dimmu Borgir, but the wait is finally over. The band have officially announced their new opus, Grand Serpent Rising, which is set to arrive on 22nd May via Nuclear Blast Records. The new record features thirteen … Continue reading Dimmu Borgir announce new album ‘Grand Serpent Rising’ and massive European tour – first video streaming now

Ball is in your court HEALTH.

The post Thursday Announced For The Thursday Date Of The 2026 ‘2000 Trees’ Festival appeared first on Theprp.com.

Today, British black metallers Blood Countess premiere the new track “The Scavenger’s Daughter” at heavily trafficked web-portal NoCleanSinging.com. The track is the second to be revealed from the band’s highly anticipated second album, Imperatrix Sanguinis, set for international release on April 24th via Dominance of Darkness Records. Hear Blood Countess‘ The Scavenger’s Daughter” in its entirety exclusively HERE. For nearly a decade now, the UK’s Blood Countess has waged a war […]

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Lynx return with Trinity of Suns, a new chapter shaped by change, experimentation, and a live-in-the-studio approach. We spoke with the band about the energy behind the recordings, evolving their sound, and the ideas driving the new album.

Hello! You recorded “Trinity of Suns” live in the studio. What made you want to do it that way, and what did it bring out in the band?
We consciously decided to record the new album live because authenticity is at the heart of what we do. The energy in the room when we’re all playing together is something you just can’t replicate by tracking each part alone. And since we have such a strong emotional connection to every song, capturing that feeling live felt like the most natural way to bring people along on this journey with us.

I’ve only heard Oppressive Season so far. What kind of feeling or mood were you aiming for on “Trinity of Suns”?
Trinity of Suns is meant to be a journey through time and space—a ride alongside our protagonist, the lynx, as he embarks on his adventures. These adventures are deeply ambivalent as he experiences both strength and loss. He is alone and stranded, yet still hopeful. In many ways, the album mirrors what we as individuals in the band have faced in our personal lives only translated into different spheres and woven into a larger, mythic narrative. The lynx became a symbol for us: resilient, solitary, but always moving forward.

On Oppressive Season, the layers feel really full. Did that happen by planning or by jamming together in the studio?
With Oppressive Season, the instrumental parts were all planned out beforehand. That was intentional from the very beginning. The vocal harmonies, on the other hand, were only loosely sketched. For the most part, they came together spontaneously in the moment. The high choir-like harmony on the final chorus, in particular, was completely improvised by Amy while we were recording.

When writing new songs, do you think more about keeping your old style or trying new things?
A little bit of both, actually. The instrumental sound on Trinity of Suns is very much in line with Watcher of Skies, they share a similar foundation. But it’s really the details that make the difference. This time around, we had a lot of fun experimenting with the vocal melodies and embracing more progressive elements. It felt like a natural way to evolve while staying true to our sound.

You’re releasing this on vinyl as well. Does thinking about that affect the way you play or record?
Not really, to be honest. Releasing on vinyl was never even a question for us since we’re all huge music enthusiasts, so it just felt like the natural thing to do. It also reinforces the connection we have to 70s music, which has always been a big part of our sound. Vinyl feels like the perfect format to honor that influence.

With Amy and Janni joining, how has the way you write songs changed?
Amy comes from more of a pop, soul, and R&B background, and she brought that whole different energy to the vocal melodies. We really wanted to write in a way that lets her voice shine – playing to her strengths, you know? We also changed up our process this time. Most of the lyrics and vocal melodies came out of all five of us working together, which made everything move faster. Janni joined when the songwriting was mostly finished, but he still added his own unique flavor later in the studio. Everyone left their mark in their own way.

Amy now sings most of the vocals. Did that push the music in a new direction?
Amy’s distinct musical background has added a new dimension to our songwriting process. She contributes warm yet powerful vocal melodies, and her impressive range and precise intonation allow us to explore more complex arrangements. Her fresh perspective consistently encourages us to think outside the box and push our creative boundaries.

Janni replaced Marvin on guitar and vocals. Did any songs have to change to fit his style?
Since both Janni and Amy were already friends with at least one of us, we had a good feeling about the chemistry from the start. We’re not just bandmates; we’re genuinely good friends. Three of us are social workers, which comes with a healthy dose of empathy – maybe that helps, haha! But really, it comes down to respect. We communicate openly and always make a point of encouraging each other and standing together.

You’ve gone through a few lineup changes in a short time. How do you keep the band feeling like one unit?
Since both Janni and Amy were already friends with at least one of us, we had a good feeling about the chemistry from the start. We’re not just bandmates; we’re genuinely good friends. Three of us are social workers, which comes with a healthy dose of empathy – maybe that helps, haha! But really, it comes down to respect. We communicate openly and always make a point of encouraging each other and standing together.

“Watcher of Skies” clearly nods to Thin Lizzy, Deep Purple, and BÖC. Any other surprising influences that shaped the new songs?
Yeah, those nods were very much on purpose. For the new album, we wanted to expand the palette a bit. Hällas and Heart have been spinning a lot in our rehearsal space lately, and I think you can hear that creeping in. It’s not a complete departure, but those bands brought some fresh energy into the writing process.

Folk, blues, and prog have always popped up in your sound. Do you add them on purpose or do they just happen?
It’s a bit of both, really. We don’t usually sit down and say, ‘Let’s write a prog song today.’ Instead, we follow the song and see where it wants to go. If a folk melody or a bluesy groove feels right, we lean into it. Our influences are just part of our musical vocabulary, so these elements pop up naturally as we build the track. They’re basically the colors we instinctively reach for to serve the mood of the song.

Will the new album lean more into prog, or is it more about sharpening what you already do?
I’d say it leans more into prog than Watcher of Skies did, but we never commit to just one thing. There are definitely other genres woven in there too. The best way I can describe it is that it feels like old and new at the same time. It’s rooted in our sound, but it pushes forward.

What makes a Lynx song sound like Lynx and not like your influences?
That’s a great question. I would say we always let the song tell us what it needs. The influences might suggest a direction. Maybe a bassline feels a bit ‘Deep Purple’ or a melody feels a bit ‘Hällas’ but if it doesn’t serve the song, we scrap it. The ‘Lynx’ sound is whatever is left after we’ve stripped away everything that doesn’t feel like us. It’s the honest core of the idea.

Recording live can be risky – you can’t hide mistakes. Does that change the way you play or think about the songs?
I wouldn’t say it changes the way we play, but it absolutely changes the way we listen to each other. The safety net is gone, so you can’t just rely on the idea that you’ll ‘fix it in post.’ That puts a little pressure on us, sure, but it’s a constructive pressure. It forces the performance to become a real conversation. When the red light is on and there’s no turning back, the feelings have nowhere to go but through the instruments. That rawness ends up serving the song way more than a perfectly polished take ever could. The dynamic just becomes so much more alive.

Looking back at “Watcher of Skies”, what did you learn that helped you with this new album?
Looking back at Watcher of Skies, I think the biggest thing it taught us was patience. Real patience, not just waiting around, but learning to trust the process. There’s always something that can and will go wrong, whether it’s a technical issue, a performance that doesn’t quite land, or just the pressure of the moment. Early on, we might have let those things throw us off. But with that album, we started to understand that it’s not about avoiding problems; it’s about not letting them pull us away from our strengths. And honestly, working through those challenges together brought us even closer as a team. That sense of trust and knowing that we’re all in it together has carried directly into this new record. We’re not just playing together anymore. We’re actually enjoying the moment, even when things get messy.

After all the changes, how do you see Lynx now compared to when you started in 2020? Thank you for your time!
Looking back to where we started in 2020, Lynx has become so much closer to us. Back then, it was still taking shape—but through all the changes, we’ve had the chance to evolve, both musically and personally. This project has grown with us, and we’ve been able to show that growth to the world, not just once, but again with this new chapter. We’ve also become more professional along the way, learning how to work better as a team, trust each other more, and really lean into what makes us strong. Our hearts are full, and we’re just so thankful for the opportunity to share what we love most. Thank you for having us! Kindest regards, LYNX

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Thrash metal titans Anthrax have a new record coming out later this year. It’s been 10 years since the release of their previous record For All Kings, so people are curious what this new offering will be like. During a recent interview with Hot Metal, drummer Charlie Benante shed a little light.

“There’s elements of the [album] that are very abrasive. There’s elements of the record that … wow, we haven’t gone in this area. And a lot of it, it’s a more grown-up kind of sound. I don’t mean that in a way where it sounds like a Little River Band or anything but it’s just we’re more mature now, and I think the writing shows it. It’s so good. And I’m not gonna say ‘it sounds like this’, ‘it sounds like that’. It’s just a collection of songs where each one stands up right next to the other one.  

“There will be three songs that come out before the record comes out. So you will get samples of what this record is before it comes out.”

Originally there was talk that the album would be out around May, but that’s actually not happening. We learned earlier this month that the new record will finally see the light of day in or about September.

According to Benante, the choice to move things back wasn’t the result of any issue in the writing or production side of things, but rather a managerial issue as the band recently changed things up with their team.

“It’s been pushed back because we recently changed the team, management and stuff like that. We wanted the new people coming in, the new team coming in, [to] really know what’s going on, just kinda of have more of a strategic plan.”

Honestly, it’s been a long time coming since we all had some new Anthrax. It’s been far too long if you ask me. Just a handful of months remain, so now all that’s left to do is wait a little while longer.

The post Charlie Benante: Anthrax’s New Album Has “A More Grown-Up Kind of Sound” appeared first on MetalSucks.

The veteran rapper/producer Oddisee has been making beautiful music for a very long time now. Last year, he released an EP called En Route. Next month, he’ll team up with Heno., a relatively new rapper from Takoma Park, Maryland, to release a new album called From Takoma With Love. Oddisee is based in Brooklyn these…

The post Oddisee & Heno. Announce New Album <em>From Takoma With Love</em>: Hear “MIMS” appeared first on Stereogum.

In a couple of weeks Jessie Ware will drop her new album Superbloom. The UK pop singer has been leading up to the release with singles like “I Could Get Used To This” and “Ride,” and today she’s graciously given us another sample with “Automatic.” The first voice you hear on “Automatic,” however, isn’t Ware’s. Actor…

The post Jessie Ware – “Automatic” appeared first on Stereogum.