Blog

Wardruna: Tracking Birna gives us a look inside the band’s incredible live shows and unique creative process

About a week and a half ago, experimental rapper JPEGMAFIA released his new album Experimental Rap. Like a lot of JPEGMAFIA records, it’s full of samples, which have often been twisted and warped. Some of those samples are instantly recognizable, like Kanye West’s “All Of The Lights” on “Lights” or Lil Scrappy’s “Money In The Bank” on the single “¥ (Yen).” Some of them are less so. Because of a sample that fits into the latter category, JPEGMAFIA says that he’s making a post-release change to Experimental Rap.

The post JPEGMAFIA Removing <em>Experimental Rap</em> Track Over Sample Dispute With Punk Band appeared first on Stereogum.

Maggie Rose recently announced her new album, Half Moon, due August 14th. Before we get there, let’s revisit the title track of her 2024 release, No One Gets Out Alive. Recorded at Tennessee’s iconic The Caverns, this is an epic performance — complete with a string section. And that voice. Powerful and beautiful, in equal […]

On June 5th, 2026, Jared James Nichols will release his fourth studio album, Louder than Fate. Nichols has had a busy couple of years, touring the US and Europe extensively while adjusting to a new baby and serving as half of the No Cover Charge Podcast, which exploded in popularity with guitar players globally. In between newfound fatherhood, road warrior antics, and podcast hosting, Nichols managed to put out what might be the musically hardest album I’ve covered for Blues Rock Review. 

Full disclosure: Years ago, I took online guitar lessons with Nichols, and it was actually his music that introduced me to modern blues rock music after a lifetime of only really knowing 70s blues rockers. That caveat aside, this record rules. It starts with high-octane hard rock and keeps that intensity throughout, even on slower, more introspective numbers. 

Frontiers Music described Louder than Fate as “rooted in the lineage of blues-driven hard rock,” but I’ll go a step further: this is almost a heavy metal album. The heaviness makes sense when you link about Nichols’ fondness for acts like Alice in Chains and the production history of Jay Ruston, one of the major producers on the record (Anthrax, Amon Amarth, Skindred). 

It suits Nichols’ energy well. He fully maintains his signature “Blues Power” sound, especially on the numbers on the swampier side like “Ghost” and “Killing Time.” That blues influence is felt throughout Nichols’ discography, and here it feels like he’s adapting it to his heaviest work so far, creating an album that feels like an instant classic of blues metal.

Out of the ten total tracks on the record (excluding the bonus tracks “Killing Time (acoustic version)” for the Japan release and “The Death of Love” for the digital release, which were not yet available for preview), I ranked three tracks (“Ghost,” “Killing Time,” “Bending of Breaking”) as a perfect 10/10, with only 1 track (“Pretend”) rated below a nine, at eight out of 10.

The album is overwhelmingly excellent in terms of composition, mixing, and energy. To get it out of the way first: my only gripe is that the final track, “Pretend” feels a little rushed and maybe not entirely complete, like it needed another run or another section built in.

That said, multiple numbers on Louder than Fate are masterpiece level. “Ghost” is a country-tinged rocker that almost feels like an Allman Brothers tune covered by Black Sabbath with big screaming solos, colossal heavy riffs, and a surprisingly pretty chorus for contrast. “Bending or Breaking,” my favorite song on the record, is a big heartbreak ballad that boasts a waily and psychedelic guitar part that evokes Alice in Chains, with a slightly different feel to the vocals and some stellar organ work. “Killing Time” is the longest track on the record at just over five minutes of more introspective and intricate guitar parts, big strings that really elevate the scale of the soundscape, and stellar tension building in the first half. While just about every number features a big memorable solo (Nichols’ rose to fame as a blues shedding virtuoso, after all), the solo on “Killing Time” stands out for emotional depth and impact.

Note: the three songs I rated perfect all appear in the first half of the record, but there is not a single skip to be found. Nichols has an ear for big, simple, elemental, instantly iconic riffs and melodies, with lyrical content that tend toward timeless emotions. In the case of Louder than Fate, those emotions are most often the steamy king. This is a very… shall we say amorous record.

In short, Jared James Nichols has done it again. With only four albums under his belt, he remains a titan of the blues rock genre, and here he absolutely shows off skills behind the hype. Louder than Fate is best enjoyed with a few drinks in hand and in an atmosphere where rowdy dancing is encouraged. Absolutely a home run.

The Review: 9/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– Ghost
– Killing Time
– Bending or Breaking

The Big Hit

– Bending or Breaking

The post Jared James Nichols: Louder Than Fate Review appeared first on Blues Rock Review.

Here are the new releases for May 31st to June 6th. Releases reflect proposed North American scheduling, if available.

---

Upcoming Metal Releases: 5/31/26 – 6/6/26

Gravety — Of Cults and Chaos | Barhill Records | Heavy Metal | Germany

As its title implies, Of Cults and Chaos marks Gravety’s transition into occult affairs. Heavy metal befitting a sword and sorcery novel is the delivery method (doomy riffs and a plodding pace for everyone), but the vibe is sinister. Not outright evil or haunted, but it’s apparent that something wicked this way comes.

–Colin Dempsey

…

Diabolic Oath — Unholy Barbaric Hymns | Sentient Ruin | Death Metal + Black Metal | United States (Portland, OR)

Diabolic Oath’s new EP is a brief trip through hell. They’re relatively tuned into being tasteful (well, as tasteful as war metal can be), in that there are a few delectable riffs and grooves. They’ll reward you for remaining attentive when your brain attempts to flee the hellfire and blasphemy.

–Colin Dempsey

…

Am I In Trouble? — Facets | SHFT+CTRL Music | Avant-garde Metal | United States (New Jersey)

A year and a half ago, Am I In Trouble? honored progressive black metal on their debut record, Spectrum. In some ways, it was as if Below the Lights played F-Zero and Chrono Trigger. Those streaks of black are even more diluted on Facets, a collection of remixes, reworks, and new tracks inspired by Spectrum. Due to the wide host of collaborators, the record dips into genres far outside metal’s confines, including chiptune, electronic, and cyberpunk.

–Colin Dempsey

…

Sleepbomb — Songs in the Key of Conan | Koolarrow Records | Doom Metal + Post-Metal | United States (San Francisco, CA)

Call it fan fiction or historical revisionism–Songs in the Key of Conan is an alternative soundtrack to the 1982 film Conan the Barbarian, written and released a scant 44 years after the movie. Its pacing, tension, hookless writing, and emphasis on atmosphere denotes as more of a soundtrack than a traditional album, though with a surprisingly large range given its subject matter.

–Colin Dempsey

…

Voivod — Symphonique | Century Media Records | Progressive Metal + Symphonic Metal | Canada (Quebec)

Voivod–Symphonique–Century Media–Heavy Metal–(Canda, Quebec) Symphonique, the latest project from legendary Canadian metal cosmonauts Voivod, is a collaboration with the Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec. Recorded live at the Grand Theater in Quebec City, the 12-song set spans the cyberpunk thrash pioneers’ revered discography. The chance to perform with an orchestra was “a long time dream turned reality,” according to drummer and artistic visionary, Michel ‘Away’ Langevin. More importantly, it provided Voivod a chance to create the aural equivalent of “an epic piece of cinema.” Away confirmed the band “always wanted to do a soundtrack to a dystopian movie.” Soundtracks for Planet of the Apes, Terminator, and crucially, Mad Max are cited as touchstones for how the new arrangements materialized. This made Voivod intentionally select proggier material.

These filmic influences can be heard on Symphonique’s first single: “Forgotten in Space.” Bassist Dominic ‘Rocky’ Laroche suggested that Voivod’s founding guitarist, the late Denis ‘Piggy’ D’Amour, was inspired by Mad Max’s score when he wrote “Forgotten in Space.” The Killing Technology classic’s claustrophobic tension is emphasized by the orchestra’s dense regal grandeur which also adds frantic chase-scene propulsion to the song’s increasingly paranoid aura. Guitarist Daniel ‘Chewy’ Mongrain said he “wrote riffs imagining Roman naval battles with a full orchestra, like the movies from the 50’s and 60’s” while composing 2018’s “The End of Dormancy.” Live reaction to the track’s martial, seasick reimagining provided the guitarist with one of “life’s perfect moments.” It’s also pleasantly surprising to hear how well outright metal songs like “Tribal Convictions” sound in this context.

–Dennis J. Seese

…

The theme is blood and the experiences are personal on the middle release of their trilogy, which was written and recorded in one go

Posted on June 1st 2026, 2:00p.m.

Australian deathcore juggernauts To The Grave will return home this September for the Nail Australia To The Walls Australian Tour, delivering eight shows across the country as they prepare to unleash the next chapter of their already formidable career.

Since emerging with their debut album Global Warning in 2019, To The Grave have evolved from underground favourites into one of Australia’s most successful extreme music exports. Across multiple releases and relentless touring throughout Australia, Europe, the UK and North America, the band have built a global audience while establishing themselves as one of the most uncompromising forces in modern deathcore.

In recent years, To The Grave have shared stages with some of the biggest names in heavy music including Lorna Shore, Shadow Of Intent, Carnifex, Signs Of The Swarm, Thy Art Is Murder, Angelmaker and I Killed The Prom Queen, while also performing at major festivals including Good Things, Brutal Assault, Summer Breeze, Motocultor and more.

2026 also sees the band turn their attention toward delivering new music, kicking off a new era in the imminent future.

Joining To The Grave on the tour will be Alabama straight-edge death metal hardcore outfit No Cure, making their Australian debut in support of their forthcoming third album It’s Going To Get Dark. Known for combining crushing death metal with hardcore aggression and uncompromising conviction, No Cure have rapidly become one of the most talked about names in the American underground.

Completing the package are Melbourne beatdown heavyweights Algor Mortis and Canberra vegan deathgrind outfit Bloodmouth, making this one of the most savage extreme music line-ups to hit Australian stages this year.

With new music looming and a reputation built on sheer intensity, Nail Australia To The Walls promises eight nights of absolute devastation.

Tickets on sale 11.00am AEST Friday, June 5.
https://daltours.cc/ToTheGrave

The post TO THE GRAVE Announce ‘Nail Australia To The Walls’ Tour For September appeared first on The Rockpit.

The post The Alternative Number Ones: Live’s “Lakini’s Juice” appeared first on Stereogum.

"Good things come to those who wait," Rik Emmett told fans during an emotional speech as the band's reunion tour rolled through the Detroit area. Continue reading…