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  • GONZO’S HEAVY ROUNDUP, APRIL 2026

    (April was a sorry month in many ways for many people, but it still yielded a lot of good heavy albums, and in his latest monthly roundup of reviews our friend Gonzo picks out four of them.) These days, it feels like I’m behind on everything: Behind on new heavy music, behind on listening to […]

    The post GONZO’S HEAVY ROUNDUP, APRIL 2026 appeared first on NO CLEAN SINGING.

  • ANTIPOPE CROWNED BAND OF THE MONTH AFTER MASSIVE 721,717 VOTE VICTORY – @thebeast

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    ANTIPOPE CROWNED BAND OF THE MONTH AFTER MASSIVE 721,717 VOTE VICTORY
    Finland — Underground titans Antipope have been officially crowned Battle of the Bands Champions and Band of the Month for May 2026, crushing the competition with an overwhelming 721,717 votes in one of the most decisive wins to date.
    Forged in 2004 by vocalist and guitarist Mikko Myllykangas, Antipope have spent over two decades carving their own path through the metal underground, refusing to follow trends and never playing by anyone else’s rules. Rooted in classic heavy metal and black metal, their sound has evolved into a fearless fusion of styles, blending elements of prog, death, doom, and industrial metal into something truly their own.
    From early demo releases that built a cult following in the online underground to a reputation as a relentless live act across Finland’s club and festival circuit, Antipope have consistently pushed boundaries. Their debut album Desert (2010) laid the foundation, followed by the critically praised House of Harlot (2011) and 3 Eyes of Time (2013) through Violent Journey Records.
    After a brief silence, the band returned stronger than ever with Denial/Survival (2017), marking their international presence and a renewed progressive edge. That momentum carried into their breakthrough release Apostle of Infinite Joy (2020), where they sharpened their signature blend of melody, darkness, and raw intensity.
    Their latest album, Rex Mundi (2022), stands as their most ambitious work yet, a full-scale concept album set during the 13th century Albigensian Crusade. Packed with atmosphere, historical weight, and unrelenting energy, the record solidifies Antipope as one of the most daring and uncompromising acts in modern extreme metal.
    With over 720,000 votes backing them, this victory is more than just a title. It’s a statement. Antipope aren’t just surviving the underground. They’re shaping it.
    Antipope is:
    Mikko Myllykangas – Lead Vocals, Lead & Rhythm Guitar
    Antti J. Karjalainen – Lead & Rhythm Guitar
    Joni Tauriainen – Bass
    Tuska E. – Drums

  • Sabrina Carpenter And Stevie Nicks Sing “Landslide” At The Met Gala

    Sometimes, you see your reflection in a snow-covered hill and you notice that you’re wearing the most elaborate and ridiculous costume that anyone has ever seen. Also, maybe there’s a parasitic billionaire oligarch standing next to you. Last night, the Met Gala brought many, many fancy people out to New York’s Metropolitan Museum Of Art. The theme for this year’s big party was “Costume Art” — or, to be more maddeningly vague, “Fashion Is Art.” Many, many pop stars were in attendance, and a couple of them performed together.

    The post Sabrina Carpenter And Stevie Nicks Sing “Landslide” At The Met Gala appeared first on Stereogum.

  • Langhorne Slim on Big Macs, Playing Hard Softly, and His Touring Dream

    Nashville singer-songwriter Langhorne Slim talks about touring in a musical clown car and why there is no mountain top in music.

  • Stadium Arcadium Turns 20

    The post <em>Stadium Arcadium</em> Turns 20 appeared first on Stereogum.

  • Top 10 Clash Songs Sung By Joe Strummer

    Joe Strummer’s work with The Clash defined a band that refused to stay in one lane, building a catalog that moved quickly from raw punk urgency to a broader, more ambitious sound that drew on reggae, ska, funk, and early hip-hop. As lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Strummer became the central voice of the group, shaping its lyrical direction with a focus on social tension, identity, and life in late 1970s Britain. The band came together in London in 1976 with Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, and drummer Terry Chimes, later replaced by Topper Headon, and quickly established itself within the

    The post Top 10 Clash Songs Sung By Joe Strummer appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

  • BATTLESHIP READY: Five Finger Death Punch Announce Massive 20th Anniversary 2027 UK and European Tour

    five-finger-death-punch-2026

    LISTEN: Latest Metal News on the Loaded Radio Daily Podcast

     

    LAS VEGAS, NV — Five Finger Death Punch have officially announced the UK and European leg of their monumental 20th Anniversary World Tour, set to dominate arenas in early 2027. The Las Vegas heavyweights, who have spent two decades evolving into a global “battleship” of the hard rock scene, are bringing along an equally formidable lineup. Joining the tour as special guests are Richmond groove-metal legends Lamb of God, with Scottish breakout force Bleed from Within rounding out what is being hailed as one of the strongest heavy tour packages of the decade.

    TL;DR: The Key Takeaways

    • The Milestone: The tour celebrates 20 years since the band’s 2005 formation and the 2007 release of their seminal debut, The Way Of The Fist.
    • New Music Alert: 5FDP’s tenth studio album is slated for release later in 2026, with a brand-new lead single expected to drop this month.
    • The Route: The 21-city trek kicks off in Manchester, UK, on January 16, 2027, and concludes in Helsinki, Finland, on February 22.
    • Stacked Lineup: Lamb of God will support across most dates (except Prague and Copenhagen), with Bleed from Within appearing at all shows.

    Get your tickets at this location.

    UK & EUROPE TOUR DATES

    Sat 16th January 2027            Manchester, UK – AO Arena
    Sun 17th January 2027           Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro Arena
    Tue 19th January 2027            Dublin, IE – 3Arena
    Fri 22nd January 2027             Birmingham, UK – BP Pulse Arena
    Sat 23rd January 2027            London, UK – O2 Arena
    Tue 26th January 2027            Düsseldorf, DE – PSD Arena
    Wed 27th January 2027          Hamburg, DE – Barclays Arena
    Fri 29th January 2027              Lodz, PL – Atlas Arena
    Sun 31st January 2027           Prague, CZ – O2 Arena *^
    Tue 2nd February 2027           Munich, DE – Olympiahalle
    Thu 4th February 2027            Stuttgart, DE – Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle
    Sun 7th February 2027            Amsterdam, NL – AFAS Arena
    Mon 8th February 2027           Brussels, BE – Vorst National
    Wed 10th February 2027         Paris, FR – Accor Arena
    Fri 12th February 2027            Zurich, CH – Hallenstadion
    Sun 14th February 2027          Vienna, AT – Stadthalle
    Tue 16th February 2027          Berlin, DE – Uber Arena
    Wed 17th February 2027         Copenhagen, DK – Royal Arena*
    Fri 19th February 2027            Oslo, NO – Unity Arena
    Sat 20th February 2027           Stockholm, SE – Avicii Arena
    Mon 22nd February 2027        Helsinki, FI – Veikkaus Arena

    *without Lamb of God / ^with Dymytry

    Two Decades of Dominance: The Way of the Battleship

    The 20th Anniversary World Tour is more than just a trip down memory lane; it is a statement of intent from a band that has amassed over 15 billion global streams. Founding guitarist Zoltan Bathory compared the band’s trajectory to building a warship, noting that despite two decades of industry upheaval and personal challenges, the 5FDP fanbase is currently larger than it has ever been.

    “We built this band like a battleship—twenty years of everything life could throw at us, and we’re not just still here, we’re still growing,” Bathory stated. The tour follows a massive 2026 North American run alongside outlaw country star Cody Jinks and Eva Under Fire, proving that the band’s reach continues to transcend traditional genre boundaries.

    We Also Recommend – LIMP BIZKIT ALBUMS RANKED: The Definitive Verdict on Nu-Metal’s Most Chaotic Catalog

    five-finger-death-punch-tour-2027

    Reclaiming the Legacy: The “Best Of” Re-Recordings

    A significant portion of the current 5FDP narrative involves their “Best Of” volumes. Both Volume 1 and Volume 2 feature newly re-recorded versions of their massive hits, such as “I Refuse” (featuring Maria Brink) and “The End” (featuring BABYMETAL). These albums were created as a direct response to the band’s original masters being sold without their knowledge, allowing the group to reclaim their sonic history.

    “The End” recently made history as the first track featuring Japanese lyrics to reach #1 on U.S. Rock Radio, a milestone that underscores the band’s global influence. The upcoming 20th-anniversary shows will reportedly feature a mix of these classic anthems alongside brand-new material from their forthcoming tenth studio album.

    Special Guests: Lamb of God and Bleed from Within

    Adding serious weight to the bill is Lamb of God, who are currently touring behind their tenth studio album, Into Oblivion. Known for their uncompromising intensity and precision, the Randy Blythe-led outfit remains one of the most respected entities in heavy music.

    Meanwhile, Glasgow’s Bleed from Within have spent the last few years ascending to superstar status within the UK scene. Their latest effort, Zenith, has been lauded as their most intrepid work to date, positioning them as the perfect opening act to ignite the arena crowds across the continent.

    Check This Out – The Lost Archives: 13 Forgotten 2000s Metal Bands That Defined a Decade

    five-finger-death-punch-2025

    FAQ: 5FDP 20th Anniversary Tour

    When do tickets go on sale for the 5FDP 2027 European tour? Artist, O2, and Venue Partner presales begin Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 10 a.m. local time. The general on-sale follows on Friday, May 8, at 10 a.m. local time.

    Who is the opening band for Five Finger Death Punch in 2027? The tour features Lamb of God (on most dates) and Bleed from Within. For the North American 2026 leg, guests include Cody Jinks and Eva Under Fire.

    Is there a new Five Finger Death Punch album coming out? Yes. The band’s tenth studio album is expected to release later in 2026, with the first single anticipated to arrive this month (May 2026).

    Band Bio: Five Finger Death Punch

    Formed in 2005 in Las Vegas, Five Finger Death Punch (5FDP) is a multi-platinum hard rock powerhouse. With 13 consecutive Billboard Mainstream Rock #1 singles—the longest streak in the chart’s history—they have become one of the most recognizable names in modern music. Beyond the charts, the band is noted for their extensive philanthropic work with veterans and first responders, even earning the prestigious Soldier Appreciation Award.

    STAY LOUD: Catch the full breakdown of what’s happening in metal news today on the Loaded Radio Daily Podcast, or crank the hard rock and metal on our 24/7 live digital stream.

    The post BATTLESHIP READY: Five Finger Death Punch Announce Massive 20th Anniversary 2027 UK and European Tour appeared first on Loaded Radio.

  • Greek Gothic Rockers Blossom Death Reveal New Single and Video “Morning After”

    Debut album “Spirit” to be released in May via The Circle Music

    Heavy gothic rock band Blossom Death have released the next single and video, “Morning After”, off their upcoming debut album Spirit, which will be out on 21 May 2026 via The Circle Music. 

    Watch the lyric video: https://www.side-line.com/blossom-death-morning-after-single/

    Listen to “Morning After”: https://thecirclemusic.lnk.to/morningafter

    Following the release of the first single “Stone Kiss” (Stream/Video), “Morning After” explores the psychological and emotional weight of reaching a breaking point. According to the band, the song centres on the concept that “when your soul hits its lowest point, then and only then, your real core can be exposed”.

    Lyrically, the song navigates themes of addiction, deception, and the stark reality of the morning after a personal disaster. The track features the band’s signature blend of heavy, driving riffs and the atmospheric vocal interplay between Kostas “Corax” Katoikos and Marita Makaronidi, highlighting the band’s focus on “affection of shame” and the search for redemption through pain.

    Formed in late 2018 in Varkiza, Greece, Blossom Death was established by former Sorrowful Angels frontman and lyricist Kostas “Corax” Katoikos, alongside Marita Makaronidi and drummer Argy Deligianopoulos. After debuting with the EP Mistaken in 2019, the band spent the following years expanding their line-up and refining a sound that balances heavy guitar riffs with atmospheric, melodic arrangements. 2023 saw the band release a split EP, Eon Must Fail, with In Burial. 

    The upcoming album, Spirit, is a move towards more complex, emotionally charged dynamics. The tracks lean into the contrast between dark, introspective melodies and high-intensity instrumental sections, reflecting the band’s focus on themes of transformation and depth.

    Spirit – track-list:

    1. Stone Kiss
    2. Fallen
    3. Morning After
    4. Solitude
    5. Spirit of Life
    6. Before I can See

    Album pre-order: https://thecirclemusic.gr/product/blossom-death-spirit-digi-cd-12-page-booklet/

    Digital album pre-save: https://thecirclemusic.lnk.to/Spirit

    Blossom Death online:
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlossomDeathBand/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blossomdeath.band

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0dw5NeFVgc8ax4sIuA8wOv?si=IpSAkUQQT8Ol_Qiy_q4QJA

    The Circle Music online:
    Website: https://thecirclemusic.gr/

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Circle-Music-109161897443413/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_circle_music/

    Bandcamp: https://thecirclemusicfamily.bandcamp.com/

    Source: 3nation

  • Reviews: Bodysnatcher, Elegant Weapons, Bronco Forte, Kissing Kaos (Spike, Simon Black, Rich Piva & Cherie Curtis)

    Bodysnatcher – Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home (MNRK Heavy) [Spike]

    Melbourne, Florida, isn’t exactly the first place you’d go looking for a gateway to the inferno, but Bodysnatcher have spent the last few years proving that the “Sunshine State” is just a marketing lie for something much more claustrophobic. 

    On Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home, they’ve stopped flirting with the boundaries of deathcore and hardcore and just decided to build a permanent residence in the middle of the friction. It’s a record that understands the most effective way to convey misery isn’t through complex metaphors, but through a rhythmic, low-end thud that feels like a boot to the ribs.

    The needle drops on The Maker, and you’re immediately hit with that signature “beatdown” velocity. There’s a blood-on-the-mic honesty to Kyle Medina’s vocal delivery, it doesn’t sound like a performance; it sounds like a man trying to exorcise a decade of urban exhaust in a single breath. 

    It leads directly into Writhe and Coil and Plague Of Flies, where the “gristle” of the production really starts to show. It’s thick, unpolished, and avoids the high-gloss traps of the modern circuit in favour of a sound that feels like it was recorded in a room where the amps are vibrating the floorboards loose.

    What really anchors this record in the “essential” category for me is Survive Or Die, featuring Scott Vogel of Terror. Having the godfather of modern hardcore show up for a guest spot is a total masterstroke; it bridges the gap between the band’s deathcore foundations and the street-level grit of the old guard. It’s a high-velocity, three-minute rampage that targets the struggle of the grind with a level of anger that feels entirely earned. The guitars don’t just cycle through riffs; they construct a vast, shifting architecture of noise that feels like it’s vibrating your teeth loose.

    The back half, Two Empty Caskets, Blade Between the Teeth, and the finality of the title track doubles down on the attrition. Hell Is Home is a sprawling, atmospheric descent that finally allows the band to stretch into some of the darker, more cinematic corners of their sound without losing the pugnacious energy that got them here. It’s a pained, honest jolt of reality that proves veterans don’t have to play it safe to stay relevant.

    Honestly, as much as I’m enjoying the record on my headphones, I can’t stop thinking about how this is going to translate to the stage. By the time Day 4 of Welcome To Rockville rolls around next week, the Florida sun is going to be punishing, but I suspect Bodysnatcher are going to be a lot more abrasive than the weather. There is something uniquely masochistic about wanting to experience this level of “blunt-force trauma” in that midday humidity, but Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home feels like the perfect survival guide for the pit. I’m packing the high-factor sunscreen and getting ready for the collision. 

    Melbourne’s finest are about to make that Daytona asphalt feel very, very small. 9/10

    Elegant Weapons – Evolution (Exciter Records) [Matt Bladen]

    A few years back the first Elegant Weapons album crossed my platter and somewhat blew me away, to the point where tracks therein still pop up on my most used playlist. 

    There’s no shortage of these supergroup projects out there, but most of them don’t go anywhere on the grounds that either the artists involved only just found the time to squeeze the recording in between whatever their main source of income is contractually committed to, and therefore had no plans to tour (which is the only real way to let an audience know you are out there) or because the whole thing is funded by vanity or the need to write off cash through an apparently legitimate business posing as a record label.

    Elegant Weapons fit neither of these caustic motes from this old hack, however. 2023 saw them play an impressive set of festival dates in Europe, and no shortage of critical acclaim and Rock Radio airplay for the still impressive debut Horns For A Halo – proving that this really wasn’t just a stopgap for Richie Faulkner whilst Priest were idling or a rare window in Ronnie Romera’s back to back schedule which is making his increasingly successful solo career mean he’s doing nowhere near as many of these projects any more. This second record runs with this.

    The line-up is slightly different, with Scott Travis and Rex Brown not involved in the recording this time out, but with their drum and bass slots now filled by Christopher Williams and Dave Rimmer respectively. The key point is that this is the touring line-up from three years back, so I think it’s safe to say that this is the line-up moving forwards. They’ve set themselves a high benchmark to follow however… Also returning is studio maestro Andy Sneap, who’s Priest commitments also mean he’s a lot more picky about what production work he takes on nowadays. The message here is that is no longer a one-off project, but a proper going concern of a band.

    This record feels a little different. It’s more experimental for a start. Whereas the debut was pretty straight ahead Metal throughout, there’s both bluesier and heavier pieces mixed in here, as well as the odd eyebrow raising bursts of Synthwave. This makes it a more subtle offering than the 10-track banger-fest we got first time around, but that also makes it slightly less immediately accessible and fragmented… …Which to an extent mirrors how it was produced, as remote production was the order of the day this time out. In places this shows through, but when you have experienced pros like this in the mix, the songwriting and performance more than pull the bootstraps up when something unexpected happens.

    The running order is a bit eclectic too, as there are some good, solid belters for sure (The Devil Calls is catchy as hell and Thrown To The Wolves is a drinking horns aloft festival singalong waiting to happen), but we don’t get to them until halfway through the album, which in an age where hooking short attention spans in early is prudent seems odd, but conversely it forces us to listen to the more varied stylistic content first. That material needs a little more gestation to grab you, but grab you it unrelentingly does, and by my second spin through I can tell that once again this record is going to be getting a lot of repeat plays in the car. 9/10

    Bronco Forte – Lightning Scars (Self Released) [Rich Piva]

    On what is considered L.A. band Bronco Forte’s first full length (they put out an excellent EP in 2023), the band settles into this wonderful dark 90s vibe that resonates across all the tracks on Lightning Scars. 90s sounding? Yes. Derivative? Definitely not. This record is all their own, leveraging bits of their many influences to bring us one front to back banger of a record.

    The opening track, Emberwalker, has the riffs you look for in heavy rock but also has this dark swagger about it that just connects. The doomy riff on the next one, Cultist Canyon, continues that darker vibe the band brings on album number one, both musically and lyrically. Chris Klepec is an excellent writer and guitar player who really shows off his skillset across the ten tracks. 

    Goat Church is as gloomy as you want a song called Goat Church to be and brings the riffs you want in a song with that title too. I love the interesting changes and the layered vocals that make Bronco Forte really stand out on this one and many of the other tracks, leveraging their secret weapon of Jen Glomboski on bass and backing vocals. 

    Tower shows off both the drumming of Geoff Summers as well as how great the whole record sounds, with a shout out to how the drums were recorded and mixed, as they sound excellent. I love the dual guitar work of Klepec and Sako Injaian who sound super tight on the record. Pair that with Jen Glomboski’s back up vocals and you have a winner with the track Hellascope. 

    My favourite track on the record, Scuffed Up, gives me Failure vibes all over, which could not be a bigger complement. The darkness across Lightning Scars continues on Dusk Jacket, which has my favourite riff on the record and reminds me of when Soundgarden used to turn the tempo down, but not the heavy. This song has the most space to breathe and some killer guitar and drum work. I love it. 

    Lightning Scar shows how melodic the band is and how much, when they choose to, their pop sensibilities show. The background vocals once again shine, making Obvious Alias another killer track in an album full of them. You can tell the band is from L.A. because traffic is a repeated topic lyrically, as the closer, Sixteen Lanes, covers that but also doubles down on the melodic side of the band while always staying a bit dark and a bit more heavy.

    There is a lot to love on the debut full length record from Bronco Forte; excellent playing and song writing, killer riffs, the right balance of dark and heavy to let their melodic side shine though, and amazing lead and harmonized vocals that pairs perfectly with the excellent production. You can tell the band comes from all sorts of angles influence-wise, and they manage to tap all of the best parts in creating the ten tracks on Lightning Scars. 9/10

    Kissing Kaos – To Your Limit (Mighty Music) [Cherie Curtis]

    To Your Limit is Kissing Kaos’ 9 track debut album and it’s a thrill. To Your Limit is a masterful attempt on making the modern-day music nostalgic, it’s sleazy, heavy and somewhat glamourous with the fine tuning of today’s technology. 

    The tracks are incredibly catchy and feel – good, and the overall composition is tight and well thought out with the illusion of ease; it feels like a 4k remaster of an 80s action film which ultimately makes this one feel like the perfect summer album. There’s a definite classic feel; it has an open-air quality that is perfect for cold beers at a summer festival or a long drive.

    The atmosphere around this one is soaring and anthemic with energetic and outstanding vocals which boarder on 80s Glam Metal with triumphant, heavy and dirtier riffs and low-end drums; it’s an album to dance too rather than throwing down in a mosh pit but it’s a kicker all the same. Each track hits you with deja vu, you get a strong nagging sensation that you’ve heard these melodies before, but you just can’t place it.

    Ultimately, it’s very well done. By bridging the gap between raw nostalgia and pristine modern-day production, Kissing Chaos has gifted us the ultimate summer soundtrack. It’s fun and down to earth and gears you up for the festival season approaching, I would love to see them on the bill for Download festival one day as I feel these guys would put on a hell of a show. Though, To Your Limit may not be complicated or revolutionary, it is a great album that offers everyone an invitation to get moving and to feel alive again. 9/10

  • Reviews: Bodysnatcher, Elegant Weapons, Bronco Forte, Kissing Kaos (Spike, Simon Black, Rich Piva & Cherie Curtis)

    Bodysnatcher – Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home (MNRK Heavy) [Spike]

    Melbourne, Florida, isn’t exactly the first place you’d go looking for a gateway to the inferno, but Bodysnatcher have spent the last few years proving that the “Sunshine State” is just a marketing lie for something much more claustrophobic. 

    On Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home, they’ve stopped flirting with the boundaries of deathcore and hardcore and just decided to build a permanent residence in the middle of the friction. It’s a record that understands the most effective way to convey misery isn’t through complex metaphors, but through a rhythmic, low-end thud that feels like a boot to the ribs.

    The needle drops on The Maker, and you’re immediately hit with that signature “beatdown” velocity. There’s a blood-on-the-mic honesty to Kyle Medina’s vocal delivery, it doesn’t sound like a performance; it sounds like a man trying to exorcise a decade of urban exhaust in a single breath. 

    It leads directly into Writhe and Coil and Plague Of Flies, where the “gristle” of the production really starts to show. It’s thick, unpolished, and avoids the high-gloss traps of the modern circuit in favour of a sound that feels like it was recorded in a room where the amps are vibrating the floorboards loose.

    What really anchors this record in the “essential” category for me is Survive Or Die, featuring Scott Vogel of Terror. Having the godfather of modern hardcore show up for a guest spot is a total masterstroke; it bridges the gap between the band’s deathcore foundations and the street-level grit of the old guard. It’s a high-velocity, three-minute rampage that targets the struggle of the grind with a level of anger that feels entirely earned. The guitars don’t just cycle through riffs; they construct a vast, shifting architecture of noise that feels like it’s vibrating your teeth loose.

    The back half, Two Empty Caskets, Blade Between the Teeth, and the finality of the title track doubles down on the attrition. Hell Is Home is a sprawling, atmospheric descent that finally allows the band to stretch into some of the darker, more cinematic corners of their sound without losing the pugnacious energy that got them here. It’s a pained, honest jolt of reality that proves veterans don’t have to play it safe to stay relevant.

    Honestly, as much as I’m enjoying the record on my headphones, I can’t stop thinking about how this is going to translate to the stage. By the time Day 4 of Welcome To Rockville rolls around next week, the Florida sun is going to be punishing, but I suspect Bodysnatcher are going to be a lot more abrasive than the weather. There is something uniquely masochistic about wanting to experience this level of “blunt-force trauma” in that midday humidity, but Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home feels like the perfect survival guide for the pit. I’m packing the high-factor sunscreen and getting ready for the collision. 

    Melbourne’s finest are about to make that Daytona asphalt feel very, very small. 9/10

    Elegant Weapons – Evolution (Exciter Records) [Matt Bladen]

    A few years back the first Elegant Weapons album crossed my platter and somewhat blew me away, to the point where tracks therein still pop up on my most used playlist. 

    There’s no shortage of these supergroup projects out there, but most of them don’t go anywhere on the grounds that either the artists involved only just found the time to squeeze the recording in between whatever their main source of income is contractually committed to, and therefore had no plans to tour (which is the only real way to let an audience know you are out there) or because the whole thing is funded by vanity or the need to write off cash through an apparently legitimate business posing as a record label.

    Elegant Weapons fit neither of these caustic motes from this old hack, however. 2023 saw them play an impressive set of festival dates in Europe, and no shortage of critical acclaim and Rock Radio airplay for the still impressive debut Horns For A Halo – proving that this really wasn’t just a stopgap for Richie Faulkner whilst Priest were idling or a rare window in Ronnie Romera’s back to back schedule which is making his increasingly successful solo career mean he’s doing nowhere near as many of these projects any more. This second record runs with this.

    The line-up is slightly different, with Scott Travis and Rex Brown not involved in the recording this time out, but with their drum and bass slots now filled by Christopher Williams and Dave Rimmer respectively. The key point is that this is the touring line-up from three years back, so I think it’s safe to say that this is the line-up moving forwards. They’ve set themselves a high benchmark to follow however… Also returning is studio maestro Andy Sneap, who’s Priest commitments also mean he’s a lot more picky about what production work he takes on nowadays. The message here is that is no longer a one-off project, but a proper going concern of a band.

    This record feels a little different. It’s more experimental for a start. Whereas the debut was pretty straight ahead Metal throughout, there’s both bluesier and heavier pieces mixed in here, as well as the odd eyebrow raising bursts of Synthwave. This makes it a more subtle offering than the 10-track banger-fest we got first time around, but that also makes it slightly less immediately accessible and fragmented… …Which to an extent mirrors how it was produced, as remote production was the order of the day this time out. In places this shows through, but when you have experienced pros like this in the mix, the songwriting and performance more than pull the bootstraps up when something unexpected happens.

    The running order is a bit eclectic too, as there are some good, solid belters for sure (The Devil Calls is catchy as hell and Thrown To The Wolves is a drinking horns aloft festival singalong waiting to happen), but we don’t get to them until halfway through the album, which in an age where hooking short attention spans in early is prudent seems odd, but conversely it forces us to listen to the more varied stylistic content first. That material needs a little more gestation to grab you, but grab you it unrelentingly does, and by my second spin through I can tell that once again this record is going to be getting a lot of repeat plays in the car. 9/10

    Bronco Forte – Lightning Scars (Self Released) [Rich Piva]

    On what is considered L.A. band Bronco Forte’s first full length (they put out an excellent EP in 2023), the band settles into this wonderful dark 90s vibe that resonates across all the tracks on Lightning Scars. 90s sounding? Yes. Derivative? Definitely not. This record is all their own, leveraging bits of their many influences to bring us one front to back banger of a record.

    The opening track, Emberwalker, has the riffs you look for in heavy rock but also has this dark swagger about it that just connects. The doomy riff on the next one, Cultist Canyon, continues that darker vibe the band brings on album number one, both musically and lyrically. Chris Klepec is an excellent writer and guitar player who really shows off his skillset across the ten tracks. 

    Goat Church is as gloomy as you want a song called Goat Church to be and brings the riffs you want in a song with that title too. I love the interesting changes and the layered vocals that make Bronco Forte really stand out on this one and many of the other tracks, leveraging their secret weapon of Jen Glomboski on bass and backing vocals. 

    Tower shows off both the drumming of Geoff Summers as well as how great the whole record sounds, with a shout out to how the drums were recorded and mixed, as they sound excellent. I love the dual guitar work of Klepec and Sako Injaian who sound super tight on the record. Pair that with Jen Glomboski’s back up vocals and you have a winner with the track Hellascope. 

    My favourite track on the record, Scuffed Up, gives me Failure vibes all over, which could not be a bigger complement. The darkness across Lightning Scars continues on Dusk Jacket, which has my favourite riff on the record and reminds me of when Soundgarden used to turn the tempo down, but not the heavy. This song has the most space to breathe and some killer guitar and drum work. I love it. 

    Lightning Scar shows how melodic the band is and how much, when they choose to, their pop sensibilities show. The background vocals once again shine, making Obvious Alias another killer track in an album full of them. You can tell the band is from L.A. because traffic is a repeated topic lyrically, as the closer, Sixteen Lanes, covers that but also doubles down on the melodic side of the band while always staying a bit dark and a bit more heavy.

    There is a lot to love on the debut full length record from Bronco Forte; excellent playing and song writing, killer riffs, the right balance of dark and heavy to let their melodic side shine though, and amazing lead and harmonized vocals that pairs perfectly with the excellent production. You can tell the band comes from all sorts of angles influence-wise, and they manage to tap all of the best parts in creating the ten tracks on Lightning Scars. 9/10

    Kissing Kaos – To Your Limit (Mighty Music) [Cherie Curtis]

    To Your Limit is Kissing Kaos’ 9 track debut album and it’s a thrill. To Your Limit is a masterful attempt on making the modern-day music nostalgic, it’s sleazy, heavy and somewhat glamourous with the fine tuning of today’s technology. 

    The tracks are incredibly catchy and feel – good, and the overall composition is tight and well thought out with the illusion of ease; it feels like a 4k remaster of an 80s action film which ultimately makes this one feel like the perfect summer album. There’s a definite classic feel; it has an open-air quality that is perfect for cold beers at a summer festival or a long drive.

    The atmosphere around this one is soaring and anthemic with energetic and outstanding vocals which boarder on 80s Glam Metal with triumphant, heavy and dirtier riffs and low-end drums; it’s an album to dance too rather than throwing down in a mosh pit but it’s a kicker all the same. Each track hits you with deja vu, you get a strong nagging sensation that you’ve heard these melodies before, but you just can’t place it.

    Ultimately, it’s very well done. By bridging the gap between raw nostalgia and pristine modern-day production, Kissing Chaos has gifted us the ultimate summer soundtrack. It’s fun and down to earth and gears you up for the festival season approaching, I would love to see them on the bill for Download festival one day as I feel these guys would put on a hell of a show. Though, To Your Limit may not be complicated or revolutionary, it is a great album that offers everyone an invitation to get moving and to feel alive again. 9/10