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German black metal band Fyrnask has revealed details and first single in what will be their fifth studio record. Dubbed Íosir, it will land in stores later this year through Ván Records. Recorded at Sunsetter Studio by Fabian Schulz. Mastered at Woodshed Studio by V. Santura.
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Pirate Queen have returned with a brand new single/video “William Kidd”, the third glimpse of their upcoming album Travelling Around The World, which comes out on the 4th of September, 2026 via Despotz Records.
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Multi-instrumentalist Dennis Atlas joined AOR giants Toto a couple of years ago having gained himself some attention from his debut solo album released in 2021. Now here we are in 2026 and Dennis has just released his second solo album – Principle. It’s a tasty and varied mixture of powerful rockers and some proggy stuff […]

The post Dennis Atlas: Principle Review first appeared on New Wave of British Heavy Metal.

Southern California rockers Robert Jon & The Wreck return with ‘Wreckage, Vol. 3‘, a new album collecting a range of recent standalone singles released throughout the band’s relentless run of touring and recording over the past year. Arriving alongside the launch of the focus track ‘Arroyo‘, the release captures another side of the band’s evolving […]

The post Robert Jon & The Wreck Release New Single ‘Arroyo’ From New Album ‘Wreckage Vol. 3’ appeared first on ROCKPOSER DOT COM.

Critically acclaimed novelist Elif Shafak gives a perfect breakdown of why metal is one of the most interesting and exciting genres around

International symphonic metal legends KAMELOT—renowned for their infectious melodies, cinematic storytelling, and electrifying live performances—return with their haunting new album ‘Dark Asylum‘, arriving August 28th, 2026 via Napalm Records. Now 14 albums deep into a genre-defining career—including ‘Haven‘ (#1 Billboard Hard Rock), ‘The Shadow Theory‘ (#2 Billboard Hard Rock, #1 Amazon Hard Rock & Metal), […]

The post Symphonic Metal Legends KAMELOT Unveil Ominous New Album ‘Dark Asylum’ appeared first on ROCKPOSER DOT COM.

Posted on May 28th 2026, 11:18a.m.

Hard rock guitarist and singer-songwriter Jack J Hutchinson returns with brand new single and video ‘Soul Believer’. The track is the first single taken from Hutchinson’s forthcoming new studio album of the same name, Soul Believer, due for release on Friday 22 January 2027 and available to pre-order now. To celebrate the release, Hutchinson will headline a special album launch show at O2 Academy Islington on Thursday 21 January 2027.

Co-written with Josiah J Manning at Momentum Studios, ‘Soul Believer’ has heavy riffs and gritty vocals. Its message is about facing your fears, looking your enemies in the eye and taking a step straight into the hurricane. It is about standing up for yourself and being the best that you can be.

“‘Soul Believer’ was written during a period of turmoil and instability in my personal life,” says Hutchinson. “It’s about taking all the shit that life can throw at you, raising your head above the parapet and saying, ‘bring it the f*** on!’. There’s no point being pulled down by the chaos, we all have that spark in us to keep fighting and carrying on. It’s about believing that eventually there will be brighter days and that hope is a powerful thing!”

Recorded over the last 12 months at Momentum Studios in Plymouth and SuperFly Studios in Nottinghamshire, Soul Believer marks Hutchinson’s first studio album since 2024’s Official Independent Chart-topping album ‘Battles’. Building on the success of Hutchinson’s co-writing partnership with Josiah J Manning on his last album, which resulted in two Planet Rock playlisted tracks, plus rave reviews from BBC Radio 2 and Classic Rock Magazine.

Now the pair have teamed up again for the new record. It features 12 tracks ranging from the hard-hitting blues rock of the first single ‘Soul Believer’, through to more melodic acoustic numbers that showcase Hutchinson’s softer side and love of artists like Neil Young.

“The 12 tracks on Soul Believer are the most eclectic I’ve written for an album,” Hutchinson explains. “My favourite records are Physical Graffiti and Exile on Main Street, which are both pretty diverse ranging albums that swing from hard rockers through to bluesy numbers and softer ballads. I wanted to do something similarly expansive. Maybe as I’ve got older my influences have become more diverse, which can only be a good thing. It means the album takes the listener on a journey of emotions, from energetic rock to more introspective material. I wanted to create something quite cinematic, and I think it’s the best collection of songs I’ve written so far.”

Having recently shared stages with artists including FM and King King, Hutchinson now prepares to hit the road in support of Soul Believer with his power trio featuring Greg Smith on bass and Phil Wilson on drums.

TOUR DATES
6 June – The Muse, Brecon
7 June – The Half Moon, Putney
19 June – LoveRocks, Ferndown
17 July – Maid of Stone Festival, Maidstone
9 August – Firevolt Festival, Manchester
29 August – Rock The Peaks, Matlock
11 September – Destination Forge, Sheffield
13 September – HRH Blues, Sheffield
7 November – St Austell Band Club
10 November – TNMC, Coulsdon
11 November – The Louisiana, Bristol
12 November – The Portland Arms, Cambridge
17 November – Bannerman’s, Edinburgh
18 November – The Castle Hotel, Manchester
20 November – Eric Morecambe Centre, Harpenden
6 December – Looe Blues Festival
21 January 2027 – O2 Academy Islington
24 January 2027 – The Cluny 2, Newcastle

Tickets available via Jack J Hutchinson Official Website

Pre-order the album: Eyesore Merch

Single is OUT NOW on all digital platforms Earache Digital

The post JACK J HUTCHINSON Announces New Album ‘Soul Believer’ & Releases First Single & Video appeared first on The Rockpit.

London’s Desertfest sees swathes of doom, psych and stoner rock fans descend upon five venues throughout Camden for three days. Greenland Place, outside The Black Heart, is closed off for the weekend; the narrow lane becoming a bustling epicentre of merch, media, drinkers, chatters and smokers. The juxtaposition of vaguely lost tourists and occasionally dazed rockers is a source of constant amusement, as festival-goers weave between the unsuspecting crowds from venue to venue.

Words: Ellie Odurny // Photos: Jessi Lotti, Sam Huddleston and Tim Bugbee

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CAPRICORNS

Friday’s largest gig space is the Electric Ballroom, which is where instrumental quartet Capricorns have reunited for their first live show since disbanding in 2008. There’s no sign of rustiness, however, as they deliver an accomplished mix of doom-laden, math-rock-tinged tracks to an appreciative audience. An impressive twin guitar stance and synchronised head-banging exudes confidence, with rumbling bass and solid drums driving the rhythm through the doomy, fuzzy riffs. The earlier tracks are linked with a distorted spoken word recording, which fades out as the intensity grows and the pace quickens into a heavy, almost frantic beat. There are mellow moments too, gradually building to a big booming sound, peppered with drumrolls and guitar licks. The tuning might not always have been 100%, but for a band that haven’t performed in nearly two decades, Capricorns still sound cohesive and powerful.

WITCHSORROW

Underneath the World’s End Pub, a bell tolls, heralding the arrival of doom metal trio Witchsorrow to The Underworld’s stage. With the floor in darkness and the stage bathed in a dull red light, the tempo is slow and the mood is gloomy. Hanging onto every resounding bass note for a moment longer than is strictly comfortable, there’s something strangely mesmerising about the macabre dirge. The set is interspersed with skilful shredding and plentiful use of effects pedal, which seem to pull the crowd out of their state of hypnosis momentarily. Feet begin to tap and heads begin to nod, faces still fixed towards the stage, spellbound by Witchsorrow’s brand of dark magic.

GNOME

Back around the corner, things look decidedly cheerier, as a very busy Electric Ballroom is populated with a sea of pointy red hats for Belgian rockers Gnome. For a band that look rather silly and draw a crowd of similarly whimsical fans, their sound is altogether more serious. With three albums released since their inception just over ten years ago, Gnome blend elements of sludge, doom and stoner rock into a sound that’s far grittier than their image would suggest. They sound tight from the off, with a meaty bassline providing the foundation for rock ’n’ roll grooves and strong vocals. A small but fairly raucous pit opens up, hats and hands flying in the air as everyone grins at one another, crowd and band alike. With deft picking and some enormous riffs, Gnome bounce between heavy, thundering beats and more experimental proggier rhythms with ease.

CWFEN

Pronounced “Coven” for those not-in-the-know, Cwfen hail from Glasgow. As the name would suggest, they lean heavily into witchy folklore-inspired genre of doomgaze. The set moves through 2025’s debut album ‘Sorrows’ with purpose, confidence and a real sense of a strong narrative. There are nods to the gothic romanticism of the darkwave, but with an eerier edge and a heavier beat. Ethereal vocals soar gently over the slowly-swaying crowd, punctuated by blackened screams that add to the atmospheric ambience in the room. The pulse quickens and harmonies add to the depth of sound, with a few perfectly-timed crashing cymbals building to a crescendo that is simultaneously both dark and uplifting.

HERMANO

There are some bands for whom this year’s Desertfest is one of their first gigs. Not so, for the members of Hermano. A stoner rock supergroup of sorts, the band came about when members of Kyuss, Supafuzz, Afghan Whigs and Disengage/Earshot joined producer and bassist Dandy Brown to make an album at the turn of the millennium. Since then, Hermano have played and recorded together, when their schedules have aligned, to produce a sound that epitomises the heavy, bluesy groove of the Desert Rock scene. They play to the packed room with an ease that comes from years of experience, and a swagger that portrays their talent without a need for grandiose gestures. It’s not often that a vocalist takes a quiet step back to put the spotlight on the rest of the band, but subtle moves like this from John Garcia cement a sense of cohesion in the band. There are no egos in tonight’s performance, just suave vocals, a commanding stage presence, big riffs and a pounding rhythm section driving proceedings ever forward. It’s a rare treat to catch Hermano live and even more so in the UK, and it’s clear from the sea of captivated faces in the Electric Ballroom tonight that the fans are delighted to be here.

HÄLLAS

Swedish quintet Hällas stand out from the majority of the attendees at Desertfest today. Clad in sequins and capes, their “Adventure Rock” output matches their outfits; dripping in 70s psychedelia and theatrical storytelling. There’s a lightness to their performance, with intricate guitar work and distinctly proggy keys lifting the emotive vocals.  The tempo changes and an overall more dreamlike vibe provides a welcome respite from the relentless chugging of  the heavier bands on the bill. That’s not to say Hällas don’t have weight. There are chunky riffs and rolling drums aplenty, but there’s a delicacy to their sound that adds to the intrigue. The final set at the Underworld today is indeed an adventure, packed with a variety of rhythms, sonic complexity and a whole lot of pizazz.

MEATDRIPPER

Closing out the Friday night, the delightfully-named Meatdripper are shrouded in smoke on the tiny stage in the corner of the Dev, Deserfest’s smallest venue. The psych-sludge quartet from Birmingham can only be seen by a handful of people, but they can be heard throughout the entire pub and onto the street outside. Huge levels of vocal distortion produce an otherworldly sneer, cutting through the mucky bass and fancy fretwork but never overpowering it. It’s sludge with an edge, teetering on the melodic side of pure doom with treble trills over the growling bassline. An excellent conclusion to the first day of Desertfest, Meatdripper supplied a solid set worthy of bigger stages, which they will no doubt be inhabiting in the not-too-distant future.

Hardy turned a songwriting degree and a Mississippi small-town background into one of the more unusual careers in modern country music, first as a hit writer for other artists and then as a performer who pushed country music toward rock, hard rock, and heavier, guitar-driven sounds. Born Michael Wilson Hardy on September 13, 1990, in Philadelphia, Mississippi, he grew up listening to music with his father, an experience he later connected to some of his earliest memories. He attended Neshoba Central High School, wrote his first song during those years, and later studied songwriting through the Recording Industry Management program

The post Complete List Of Hardy Songs From A to Z appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.