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The agonizing, 11-year concert silence from legendary rock pioneers Rush has officially evaporated in a display of pure, unadulterated musical history. Defying all odds and reversing years of definitive retirement statements, surviving founders Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson took the stage at the Forum in Los Angeles last night to launch their massive “Fifty Something” North American reunion tour.

The monumental evening didn’t just mark their first live concert performance since August 1, 2015—it completely shattered internet expectations as the duo debuted an elite new drummer, ran a heavy, heart-wrenching emotional tribute to the late Neil Peart, and brought out a classic 1980s guest vocalist for a historic live performance 39 years in the making.

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Want the direct, real-time insider breakdown on the biggest rock comebacks and historical setlist adjustments shaping the global music scene? Turn up the Loaded Radio Daily Podcast on your favorite streaming platform to hear our deep audio dissection of the Rush reunion, or stream our 24/7 high-decibel digital stream directly from the player below.

Standing in the Shadow of a Giant: How Anika Nilles Conquered the Unwinnable Gig

When iconic percussion architect Neil Peart tragically passed away in 2020 after a quiet, incredibly brave battle with brain cancer, the door on Rush was seemingly welded shut. Lee and Lifeson had repeatedly stated they could never structurally present themselves as “Rush” without their late brother. However, a profound change of heart last October set the stage for last night’s historical pivot.

Stepping into the single most intimidating drum throne in the history of rock music was German technical phenomenon Anika Nilles. Rather than mimicking Peart or shrinking under the immense weight of the moment, Nilles delivered an absolute masterclass in polyrhythmic execution. The fiercely protective Rush fan base inside the Forum didn’t just accept her—they completely enveloped the performance in deafening, emotional ovations that injected the arena with an uplifting, high-energy atmosphere.

Early in the performance, Geddy Lee walked up to the microphone to ground the emotional weight vibrating through the room:

“We’re here for so many reasons,” Lee announced to the roaring crowd. “We’re here to celebrate over 50 years of music that Alex, myself, and the great Neil Peart made together. We’re here to pay tribute to Neil.”

Breaking the Formula: A Setlist Built on Cryptic Firsts

According to historical tracking logs verified by setlist.fm, the band decided to throw out their traditional live playbook immediately. Following a cinematic introductory short film packed with major celebrity cameos, Rush opened the concert with “Xanadu,” the sprawling, technical masterpiece from 1977’s A Farewell to Kings. Astoundingly, this marks the first time in the band’s entire 50-year career that the track has ever been weaponized as a concert opener.

The band then launched into mainstream staples “Limelight” and “Freewill,” but the emotional emotional climax of the first half arrived five songs deep. The arena lights dimmed as pristine, archival studio and live footage of Neil Peart was displayed on giant overhead video arrays, paired with isolated audio clips of Peart articulately describing his deep philosophy of rhythm. This instantly segued into a deeply moving performance of “Bravado,” played against a wall of moving, celebratory imagery honoring the late master.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jspYJe4fE2o

A 39-Year Live Mystery Solved: Aimee Mann Takes the Stage

Following a brief 30-minute intermission after a frantic, high-decibel execution of “The Spirit of Radio,” Rush returned to the stage to unload a classic triple-threat selection from their definitive 1976 dystopian epic 2112, laying down “Overture,” “The Temples of Syrinx,” and “A Passage to Bangkok” back-to-back.

But the single most historically unique event of the night transpired moments later. Alternative pop icon Aimee Mann walked out onto the Forum stage to perform the band’s 1987 hit single “Time Stand Still.” While Mann famously provided the original haunting studio backing vocals for the Hold Your Fire track nearly four decades ago, she had never once performed the song live on stage with Rush in their entire history until last night. The resulting duet displayed the incredible vocal and instrumental dexterity that has earned these musicians an iron-clad legacy in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

https://youtu.be/_-zlyGkNpUQ?si=M2mcmBmCIXi_VlvY

The Full Historical Setlist: Rush Live at the Forum (June 7, 2026)

Set 1:

1. Xanadu (First time ever as a concert opener)
2. Limelight
3. Freewill
4. Distant Early Warning
5. Bravado (Dedicated to Neil Peart with archival video montage)
6. Subdivisions
7. Red Barchetta
8. The Spirit of Radio

Set 2:

9. 2112 Part I: Overture
10. 2112 Part II: The Temples of Syrinx
11. A Passage to Bangkok
12. Time Stand Still (Featuring Aimee Mann – Live debut collaboration)
13. YYZ
14. Closer to the Heart
15. The Trees
16. Freewill
17. Tom Sawyer (Introduced by an exclusive South Park animated short)

Encore:

18. By-Tor & The Snow Dog (First time performed live in over 20 years)
19. Working Man

FAQ: The Rush “Fifty Something” Reunion Tour

Is Rush officially back together for a full tour?

Yes. Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson have officially reformed the band for the “Fifty Something” tour, which is scheduled to run across North American arenas through December 2026, with global international dates mapped out for 2027.

Who is playing drums for Rush on the 2026 tour?

Renowned German professional drummer, solo artist, and clinician Anika Nilles has taken over the drum throne for the tour, filling the vacancy left by the late Neil Peart.

Has Aimee Mann ever sung live with Rush before?

No. Despite singing on the original 1987 studio tracking session for “Time Stand Still,” last night’s performance at the Forum in Los Angeles marked the first time Aimee Mann has ever performed the song live on a concert stage with Rush.

Historical Brief: The Undeniable Power of Lifeson & Lee

Formed in Toronto, Ontario way back in 1968, Rush redefined the structural boundaries of progressive rock and heavy metal throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Anchored by the conceptual lyrical mind and unmatched precision of Neil Peart, the core power trio of Lee, Lifeson, and Peart assembled a bulletproof catalog that yielded 24 gold and 14 platinum albums, positioning them third behind The Beatles and The Rolling Stones for the most consecutive gold or platinum rock certifications in history.

The profound creative chemistry on display at the Forum proves that the lifelong friendship between Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson remains completely unbreakable. By choosing to step back out onto the touring grid with an elite talent like Anika Nilles, they aren’t just coasting on easy nostalgia—they are ensuring the timeless, polyrhythmic legacy of their catalog continues to push live musical performance to its absolute limit.

Now that the historic opening night has officially set the rock world on fire, the floor belongs to the Loaded Radio family. Were you lucky enough to be inside the Forum to witness the return of “By-Tor & The Snow Dog,” or are you grabbing tickets to catch this revamped lineup later this year? Drop your thoughts, reactions, and setlist reviews in the comments section below!

TL;DR Cheat Sheet

• The 11-Year Silence Broken: Progressive rock gods Rush have officially launched their highly anticipated “Fifty Something” North American reunion tour at the Forum in Los Angeles.
• A New Era Behind the Kit: Renowned German percussionist Anika Nilles successfully assumed the massive live performance chair left behind by the late, legendary Neil Peart.
• History with Aimee Mann: Alt-pop icon Aimee Mann joined the band on stage to perform their 1987 collaborative hit “Time Stand Still” live together for the first time in rock history.
• Unprecedented Setlist Choice: For the first time in their storied 50-year career, the band utilized the 1977 progressive masterpiece “Xanadu” as their official concert opener.

Never miss a breaking stadium reunion, live bootleg leak, or exclusive rock icon interview. Download the free Loaded Radio App for [iOS App Store] and [Google Play Store] right now to lock into our 24/7 high-decibel audio broadcast and stream the Daily Podcast on demand.

https://youtu.be/xqaYvv1SyoE?si=W6NU-aKf5ihRtmQo

The post Terrified It Would Never Happen: Shocked Fans Weep at the Forum as Rush Resurrects for 2026 Reunion Tour and Unleashes Unprecedented History appeared first on Loaded Radio.

Launching their first tour in more than a decade, Rush returned to the stage on June 7 at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum, beginning the new “Fifty Something” tour with the first of four scheduled performances at the venue. The show featured two sets built from 24 songs, including tributes to drummer Neil Peart and his enduring impact and legacy.

The tour sees Geddy Lee (bass, vocals) and Alex Lifeson (guitar) joined by drummer Anika Nilles and keyboardist Loren Gold. Nilles previously toured with the late Jeff Beck in 2022, while Gold is known for his work as a touring musician with The Who and Chicago. The location of the show holds special significance for the band, as it was also the site of Rush’s final concert with their longtime drummer in August 2015.

The band has said they have roughly 40 songs that will be rotated throughout the set.  Setlist and some videos below from fans who attended the show.  We will have a full review of a show coming very soon.

Setlist – Set 1:
(Tape) Where’s Rush?
1.- Xanadu
2.- Limelight
3.- Far Cry
4.- Subdivisions
5.- Freewill
(Tape) Neil Peart Tribute Collage 1
6.- Bravado
7.- Caravan
8.- La Villa Strangiato
9.- Vital Signs
10.- The Spirit Of Radio

Setlist – Set 2:
(Tape) Countdown
11.- 2112 Part I: Overture
12.- 2112 Part II: The Temples of Syrinx
13.- 2112 Part VII: Grand Finale
14.- Distant Early Warning
15.- Red Barchetta
16.- Dreamline
(Tape) “Bird-dy Lee” Sketch
17.- Natural Science
(Tape) Neil Peart Tribute Collage 2
18.- Time Stand Still
19.- Red Sector A
20.- YYZ
21.- The Garden
(Tape) “South Park” Intro
22.- Tom Sawyer

Encore:
23.- By-Tor & the Snow Dog
24.- Working Man
(Tape) Neil Peart Tribute

 

The post RUSH launch ‘Fifty Something’ tour in Los Angeles appeared first on The Prog Report.

Epic doomers Scald are all set to release a new EP, Relics, on September 4th 2026 via Cruz Del Sur Music. Check out the first streaming single, “Master Of Tundra”, via Bandcamp widget below.
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Posted on June 8th 2026, 4:49p.m.

Now—as summer blasts the Earth into a fly-ridden heath—is when I long most for fall. So I get why Patrik Andersson Winberg’s (Dun Ringill, Doomdogs) new solo project Mirror of My Soul would debut this June with October Is Rising.¹ A folk project empowered with hard rock muscle and gothic gravitas, Mirror of My Soul aims for atmospheric storytelling and organic song structuring. Joined by drummers Pete Campbell (Axe Dragger, ex-Pentagram) and Tobbe Strandvik, keyboardist Per Wiberg (Tiamat, ex-Opeth), guitarist Patric Grammann (Dun Ringill) and a whole host of vocalists,² October Is Rising is poised to be an introspective, moody, and engrossing trek through rustic moods and colder temps. But is this album autumn’s light at the end of the tunnel, or is there no relief from summer to be found here?

October Is Rising is a clinic on complementary musicianship. Working within gothic country, folk, and blues rock, October Is Rising lives in slow, sparse compositions that won’t wow listeners with panache. Songs like “A Good Day to Die” and “The Owl” use simple guitar and banjo parts, respectively, to set the stage for spirited vocal performances, while “October Is Rising” and “Grandpa” utilize particularly minimal instrumentation to highlight their singers’ stories. Mirror of My Soul can rip it when necessary, as heard on the Jethro Tullesque flute riffing on “Mina Fotavtryck” and the slick hi-hat work on “Dancing Slowly on the Porch,” but October Is Rising’s musical prowess lies less in individual performance and more in band dynamics. “Lost in the Red Wine” and “The One Who Sings the Songs” pulse in ways that sneakily build and bounce off their individual parts to sound a lot bigger than their thin instrumentation would imply. Mirror of My Soul is composed of industry veterans, and it sounds like it; these guys bring out the best in each other.

Setting rich moods and storytelling are Mirror of My Soul’s game. They’re pros at it. October Is Rising is a pensive autumnal stroll through gloom with the sort of eerie coziness that at varying times reminded me of Fields of the Nephilim, Current 93, and the Over the Garden Wall soundtrack.³ Soundscapes of pale light and fresh darkness bestow tracks like “The Painter,” “Grandpa,” and “Tree on that Hill” a deeply affecting and melancholic quality, shaped by the aforementioned stark instrumentation and poignant vocals. October Is Rising is littered with pathos-imbued bars delivered with conviction, where phrases as obtuse as “The bad news was a feather from a dead bird” (“The Letter”) hit with the sensitivity of straightforward heart-wrenchers like “The trees showed me how to make it all last. There is no future without a vivid past” (“Tree on that Hill”). Mirror of My Soul bring everything you’d want from a singer-songwriter project musically: bittersweet strolls down memory lane, deep into introspection.

October Is Rising listens like a work of singular vision, but not of one voice. There are no bad singers on October Is Rising, mind you, and the diverse cast can be a boon. There aren’t many records out there that can, in one moment, recall Alice in Chains (“Coyote”) and Peter Gabriel the next (“Tree on that Hill”),⁴ Lou Reed one minute (“Carry Your Soul”) and Johnny Cash another (“A Good Day to Die”). But this committee approach also deprives October Is Rising of singer-songwriter music’s strongest aspect: the intimate conversation between artist and audience. It’s hard to think of Mirror of My Soul as Winberg’s personal exploration of a gloaming Earth when you have to adjust to a new singer every song. October Is Rising still feels cohesive thanks to Winberg’s consistent and compelling songwriting, but I believe one or two good singers would’ve made the record connect that much better.

Mirror of My Soul bring the wistfulness of autumn on October Is Rising. Tight musicianship and smart songwriting carry the listener through Winberg’s stories, sometimes outlandish and always engaging. Though I think one singer would’ve made Mirror of My Soul a more focused entity—or perhaps one singer across every song à la Tobias Sammet of Avantastia—October Is Rising is nevertheless a greatly enjoyable work that I could confidently recommend to anyone interested in gothic rock/country/folk. At the very least, when the upcoming months get hot as balls, it’ll be a good reminder that, in the near future, October Is Rising indeed.

---

Rating: Very Good
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: WAV
Label: Majestic Mountain Records
Websites: mirrorofmysoul.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/mirrorofmysoul
Releases Worldwide: June 12, 2026

The post Mirror of My Soul – October Is Rising Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

Ninth Realm from the US play scathing, frenetic, old school-spirited death/thrash with hardcore and even heavy metal influences. It’s quite frankly refreshing to listen to this kind of cathartic music – done this well after so long. Two songs are streaming now, including an official video. Check them out!  Ninth Realm (US) – Damnation’s Veil Ninth Realm from the […]

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Japanese Breakfast leader Michelle Zauner has accomplished a lot of things. She’s an indie rock staple and a bestselling author, and she just earned her first gold record a couple of months ago. (Her album Jubilee also just turned five the other day.) Now, Zauner is about ready to become a mom, too.

The post Japanese Breakfast Debuts Baby Bump At Gov Ball appeared first on Stereogum.

Prior this Friday’s new album release Epitome Of Carnage, death metallers Fleshcrawl stream a video clip for another new track in preview “Blood Dominion”.
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BAALZAGOTH is a blackened death metal band from Kostrzyn nad Odrą, Poland, combining the brutality of death metal with the dark atmosphere of black metal. Drawing inspiration from bands such as Morbid Angel, Incantation, Immolation and Hate Eternal, the group delivers heavy, uncompromising and intense compositions with an anti-religious edge. The new album “No God, No Savior” is the band’s most […]

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OLA ENGLUND’S NEW SINGLE “THE EMBER SAGA” EARNS STRONG MEDIA SUPPORT FOLLOWING RELEASE
Swedish guitarist, producer, and metal innovator Ola Englund is already generating significant attention with the release of his new single and video, “The Ember Saga,” the first offering from his forthcoming solo album, The Neverending Story , due out October 15, 2026.
Since its release, the track has been featured by numerous respected metal media outlets, including BraveWords , Burn , Lambgoat , Metal Anarchy , Metal War , Eternal Terror , The Metal Mag , and The Metallist , helping introduce the song to metal fans around the world.
Among the early reactions, The Metal Mag praised the upcoming album as “a masterpiece that will leave a trace in music history,” highlighting the track’s powerful riffs, melodic depth, and world-class musicianship. The publication also noted the album’s impressive lineup, including guest appearances from Jeff Loomis, Johan Niemann, and Jon Skäre.
Inspired by classic fantasy adventures, retro gaming, cinematic soundtracks, and heavy riff-driven metal, “The Ember Saga” showcases the ambitious direction of The Neverending Story and offers fans a taste of what promises to be one of Englund’s most exciting solo releases to date.
“The Ember Saga” is available now on all major streaming platforms.
Check out the new video: 



“Inspired by classic fantasy adventures, retro gaming, cinematic soundtracks and heavy riff-driven metal, ‘The Ember Saga’ sets the tone for what is by far my biggest and most ambitious solo album to date.”
— Ola Englund



The Neverending Story Tracklist

The Ember Saga
Game Over
The Astral Gate
Dogma Progma
The Guillotine
Means to an End
World Rift
The First of its Kind
Artax Reborn
Sun & The Moon Part 2
Beyond his solo material, Englund continues shaping modern metal through multiple creative avenues. He is the founder of Solar Guitars and has performed with influential acts including The Haunted , Six Feet Under , and his own project Feared .
His reputation in the global metal community has also placed him among elite company in recent years, including a Grammy nomination and being shortlisted as a potential guitarist for the Pantera reunion, further cementing his status among the genre’s most respected modern players.
Outside traditional band work, Englund has built a massive digital presence through his YouTube channel, where gear demos, reviews, and his trademark humor have helped make him one of the most influential guitar personalities online, pulling in hundreds of millions of views worldwide.
He has also collaborated and toured with acclaimed modern musicians including Accept , Bernth , Mike Dawes , and Charles Berthoud as part of the Escape The Internet project.
ESCAPE THE INTERNET PART 2 TOUR (2027)

The Escape The Internet tour returns in 2027 featuring Ola Englund, Bernth, Mike Dawes, and Charles Berthoud, combining live performance, jaw dropping musicianship, and interactive fan experiences across Europe.
VIP packages will include meet and greets, exclusive merch, early venue access, and artist hangout experiences.
Pre-orders for The Neverending Story and limited vinyl editions are available through the official Ola Englund store.
About Ola Englund

From viral content creator to global touring guitarist and gear industry innovator, Ola Englund continues carving his own lane in modern metal. Blending old school musicianship with modern digital era influence, his reach spans stages, studios, and screens worldwide.
“The Ember Saga” marks the next chapter. Bigger riffs, darker tones, and absolutely no brakes.

Connect with Ola:
https://olaenglundshop.com/
https://www.facebook.com/olaenglund
https://www.instagram.com/olaenglund