After four decades as the driving force behind Skid Row, bassist and songwriter Rachel Bolan steps forward with his first-ever solo album under the name BOLAN. Gargoyle of the Garden State is a bold, deeply personal debut rooted in the grit, attitude, and storytelling spirit of his New Jersey upbringing. Produced by multi‑Grammy winner Nick […]Blog
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RACHEL BOLAN Goes Solo With First Single ‘At War With Myself’
After four decades as the driving force behind Skid Row, bassist and songwriter Rachel Bolan steps forward with his first-ever solo album under the name BOLAN. Gargoyle of the Garden State is a bold, deeply personal debut rooted in the grit, attitude, and storytelling spirit of his New Jersey upbringing. Produced by multi‑Grammy winner Nick […] -
Reviews: Via Doloris, NO/MÁS, Diatribes, Parallel Minds (Rick Eaglestone, Joe Guatieri, Mark Young & Matt Bladen)
Via Doloris – Guerre Et Paix (Season Of Mist) [Rick Eaglestone]A debut album that arrives fully formed is a rare thing, and Guerre Et Paix, the first full-length from Via Doloris, is exactly that. Released via Season of Mist, this is the project of French multi-instrumentalist Gildas Le Pape – one man, seven compositions, and a vision so coherent and so committed that it is difficult to believe you are not listening to a band ten years into their career.The fact that session drums are handled by Frost of Satyricon and 1349 says something about the circles this record is moving in – but what it says even more loudly is that the songwriting underneath had to be strong enough to warrant that collaboration, and it absolutely is.
Shifting between French, English, and Norwegian across its seven compositions, Guerre Et Paix treats language itself as an instrument – each tongue carrying its own emotional gravity, its own weight, its own texture against the music.The artwork by Linnea Syversen lends the whole package a sacral, almost ritualistic quality that is entirely in keeping with what Le Pape has created sonically. This is an album that demands your full attention.
Opener Communion sets the tone with an atmospheric deliberateness that has genuine weight to it – this is not a record that rushes anywhere, and from the first moments Le Pape makes that clear.Frost’s drumming grounds everything in physical momentum without ever overwhelming the melodic intent, and as an opening statement it works precisely because it feels like an act of arrival rather than a warm-up. Un Franc Soleil, written in French, is the album at its most quietly devastating – a track built around absence as much as sound, and the most emotionally exposed moment on the record. If you’re not paying close attention, it might pass you by, and that would be a serious mistake.
Omnipresents is where the folk and pagan elements that run through this record become most audible – there is a timeless, almost ancestral quality to the arrangement here, and the contrast between its more aggressive passages and the moments of reflective calm is sharper than anywhere else on the album. It is a demonstration of real compositional maturity.For The Glory sits at the heart of Guerre Et Paix and is, for me, the album’s crowning moment – the track that most fully encapsulates what Via Doloris is and what this record is trying to do. It is the kind of track that keeps pulling you back, and the more time you spend with it the more you find in it. Hands down.
Ultime Tourment is the album’s centrepiece in terms of sheer ambition – ten minutes that justify every second of their runtime and then some. It builds with a patience that most bands simply don’t have the nerve for, and by the time it reaches its peak it has earned that intensity completely. Go and put this on loud and give it the room it needs.Visdommens Vei, I brings the Norwegian language into the record with full force, and the mid-track shift into something more luminous and folk-tinged is the kind of moment that makes you stop whatever you’re doing and just listen – it is a genuinely brave compositional choice, and it lands every time.
Visdommens Vei II closes the album at just over two minutes, and that brevity is exactly right – it doesn’t tie anything off neatly, it simply lets the weight of everything that has come before it settles. Guerre Et Paix has earned that ending.
Via Doloris have felt like black metal’s most carefully kept secret for long enough – with Guerre Et Paix that is emphatically no longer the case. Gildas Le Pape has delivered one of the most fully realised debut albums in the genre in recent memory, a record that is meticulous in its craft, uncompromising in its vision, and deeply, genuinely moving in its emotional honesty.The collaboration with Frost is not a gimmick or a draw – it is a demonstration of just how strong the songwriting here is, because without that foundation no session drummer in the world, however legendary, could have made this record what it is. This is black metal that has something real to say, and it says it with extraordinary grace.
“The album is about confronting the fractures within yourself – the war between what you are and what you want to become.” – Gildas Le Pape. 8/10
NO/MÁS – No Peace (Redefining Darkness Records) [Joe Guatieri]
NO/MÁS is a Grindcore band from Washington, D.C. They are a name known by quite a few weirdos out there like myself who follow extreme music and have a hatred of their sense of hearing. They’ve been around for a good while now, forming in 2017 and putting out several releases.Surprisingly enough with their album that I’m covering here No Peace, it’s only the second “full-length” that they have released with their previous effort coming out in 2022. Again it’s a band that I’ve been aware of but never listened to as I go to more Grindcore gigs then what I do listen to, I was excited to get into it!
The album is typically short at 22 minutes, providing a hammer on your head until you see stars in your peripheral vision. NO/MÁS travel across the world and take influence from some things that you might not expect. For one, there’s a lot of Thrash Metal worship throughout the album, it’s like the band are screaming I love you Slayer!Take track six, Leech and you’ve got an odd-pairing of two sections that miraculously connect. You’ve got an obvious wink and nod to Raining Blood as they take a fun spin on that famous riff and then juxtapose it with a solo which is straight out of the F-Zero playbook.
No Peace sits much more within Metal than what it does with Hardcore as it’s more about pure destruction than it is speed. The blast beats are especially killer right the way through with such a clean and impactful drum sound, it doesn’t give you any time to breathe and proves what an incredible drummer Henry Everitt is.The bass also gets a lot of time to shine, at its best it sounds like you’re getting a beating by a steel pipe, the instrument reverberates throughout the room and is always present.
I want to point out track nine, Choke Point, it’s a whole fake out, at first it makes me think oh this is too familiar until it reaches its arms out and brings in great head banging grooves. It goes from a more Groove Metal passage and then in front of your very eyes, the song deconstructs itself and takes elements away, leaving Industrial Metal grit by the end, such a fabulous idea.
Overall, with No Peace, NO/MÁS wears their influences proudly on their sleeve and has a great grasp over subverting your expectations, making for plenty of fun moments. It might be aggressive and off-the-wall but at least for a Grindcore record it feels oddly welcoming, taking you by the hand and saying look we don’t want you to throw up all of the time, only some of it.The album is a laugh with some fantastic locked-in performances, it’s a night out that you remember fondly but still forget about at least half of what happened. 7/10
Diatribes – Degenerate (Brutal Records) [Mark Young]
A new player has entered the arena!! Diatribes, arriving from the fertile Brazilian underground with their debut release Degenerate. It basically nails its colour to the mast from the off, once you get past the introduction that Death’s Echo Chants sets in motion.The Witch, is effectively what extreme metal sounds like where you ignore current trends or themes and stay as close as possible to what you got into this in the first place. It also sets the tone for what is to follow and makes no apologies about that. Its all drums that mash and riffs that explode outwardly.In the respect of being hard, heavy, extreme all of the standard descriptions that can be applied are satisfied here and even more so on Hostility Within that takes a core arrangement and then hammers you with it. They know to keep these songs on the shorter side too, conscious of repeating the same message too many times. There’s a definite Slayer/Exodus flavour on display too, which isn’t a bad thing really.
There is obviously a ying to this yang and that is the fact that despite these tracks doing what they are supposed to do, they flash by without embedding. If you asked me right now for a song that stood out for me, I’d go with Masquerade, only for that Mandatory Suicide homage as its starts.The songs are energetic and built for being played live, of this I’m absolutely certain because I don’t think that Diatribes have the word ‘slow’ in their vocab. Because of this need for constant aggression to be manifested in song, you need them to have variation In how they play out. Just using speed for speeds sake only goes so far.
Still, this is a minor thing really when you consider that they have come here to be aggressive, to bring tightly focused extreme metal back into play. For those who would like to believe that Grunge, Nu-Metal or any other movement didn’t happen then this is for them.Its as Old School as you could possibly get without directly copying those influences. I think we should applaud them because it is a strong debut that points to good things coming. 7/10
Parallel Minds – Cairn (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]
Let’s go once again in to the epic progressive metal sound of French band Parallel Minds shall we?
Cairn is their fourth studio full length and again brings together thrash, death, power and prog metal which has seen them compared to Blind Guardian, Evergrey and Symphony X and while the latter is very much where Parallel Minds ply their trade, the two former appear throughout with Orishas and Bhopal taking Blind Guardian into some African music sounds as Togo musicians Arka’n Asrafokor and Silveira Lakoélé Atalawoè add their skillset.
It’s an album of cinematic orchestrations, neo-classical guitar solos, blistering double kicks and vocals that can hit top end high notes, gutsy passionate mids and gravel throated growls. The influence of Devin Townsend too comes in just how eclectic it is musically, this variation of this album comes from the heart of this album being the symbol of the cairn, stone piles left by travellers along their path.
Cairn is a 61 minute concept album, so it’s not a quick listen, but if you give it time you’ll be rewarded but some brilliant performances, great songwriting and a full cast of guest artist that drive the concept this album tries to convey. There’s Native American chants that frame Trail Of Tears before it blows up into Iron Maiden style twin harmonies.
More guests from the French scene join the album as Asylum Pyre, Muhurta, and Stone Horns, to really increase the grandeur of this fourth record as we travel across the world though the medium of intense modern prog metal. Grab your passport and make sure your seats are in the full and upright positions as this is journey through the existence of man and the experiences they leave behind.
A superb record but one that you need to make time for Cairn is a pillar of the prog metal scene. 8/10 -
Skid Row’s RACHEL BOLAN Announces Debut Solo Album ‘Gargoyle Of The Garden State’ Out June 12
After four decades as the driving force behind Skid Row, bassist and songwriter Rachel Bolan steps forward with his first-ever solo album under the name BOLAN. “Gargoyle of the Garden State” is a bold, deeply personal debut rooted in the grit, attitude, and storytelling spirit of his New Jersey upbringing.
Produced by multi‑Grammy winner Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Skid Row, Rush, Evanescence, Alice In Chains) The album began as a simple conversation between friends. What started casually quickly evolved into a record that would ultimately define Bolan’s voice as both a songwriter and storyteller.
“Gargoyle of the Garden State is not a project, it is every bit of my soul,” says Bolan. “Like me, it knows when to be serious and also knows where the party is.”
“At War With Myself” featuring Danko Jones
https://bolan.lnk.to/AtWarWithMyselfPRMusically, the album delivers hook-driven, anthemic songs that fuse punk energy with melodic sensibility, wrapped in swagger and raw edge what early listeners have already called “quintessentially New Jersey.” Among its standout moments is a surprising cover of Oasis’ “Rock And Roll Star”, reimagined through Bolan’s distinctive lens.
Expanding beyond his role as a bassist, Bolan performs the majority of instruments, shaping the record from the ground up. Drawing on influences from Brit Pop and Glam to Punk Rock and New Wave, the album represents a lifetime in music.
“Gargoyle of the Garden State” also features an impressive lineup of guests, including Corey Taylor, Danko Jones, Nuno Bettencourt, Damon Johnson, Steve Conte, and fellow Skid Row members Scotti Hill, Dave “Snake” Sabo and Rob Hammersmith.
“It was incredible to work with so many of my talented friends an experience I wish everyone could have at least once,” Bolan adds.
At its core, “Gargoyle of the Garden State” is Bolan at his most honest, a record full of attitude, melody, and personality unmistakably his own. The album is out on June 12 and will be available as CD digipak, LP gatefold, as well as digital and download.
Pre Order ‘Gargoyle of the Garden State’ here
https://bolan.lnk.to/GargoyleoftheGardenStatePRThe post Skid Row’s RACHEL BOLAN Announces Debut Solo Album ‘Gargoyle Of The Garden State’ Out June 12 appeared first on The Rockpit.
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Nuclear Messiah Release New Single ‘For Mad Men Only’
Heavy Metallers Nuclear Messiah have released their new single ‘For Mad Men Only‘, featuring the talents of Chris Poland, Pat Travers, Joe Lynn Turner, Alan Davey and Shawn Drover. The track is taken from the upcoming new album ‘Black Flame‘. In an unprecedented gathering of rock and metal royalty, Cleopatra Records proudly announces the April 24th release of […]
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AVATAR Announce 2026 ‘Don’t Go In The Forest’ Australian Tour
Australia… you thought they forgot! They did not. They waited. They sharpened their claws. They let the forest grow wilder, darker, hungrier. Three years is a blink in eternity, yet long enough for the trees to learn your secrets. Now they return not as visitors, but as conquerors. Bring your torches. Bring your madness. Bring your soul laid bare.
Step into the woods and let The Clown paint your face with fire. Do not go in alone… because once you enter, you never truly leave.
In 2023, when we declared AVATAR one of the greatest live metal bands on the planet, some were incredulous. Then Australia witnessed the crushing the band delivered. Dance Devil Dance hit #1 on the iTunes Rock and Metal Albums Charts (and #6 across all genres), and the doubters vanished.
Now AVATAR return with the triumphant release of their tenth studio album, Don’t Go In The Forest, continuing their legacy of crushing riffs, soaring hooks, masterful songwriting and shadow‑soaked storytelling.
Australia prepare to pledge your allegiance. The reckoning has arrived.
Tickets:
Pre-sale: Friday 27th March 9:00am Local
General Public On Sale: Monday 30th March 9:00am Local
From: https://thephoenix.au/avatar-2026/The post AVATAR Announce 2026 ‘Don’t Go In The Forest’ Australian Tour appeared first on The Rockpit.
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Live Review: Mason Hill – Wolverhampton
Live Review: Primal Fear – KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton
20th March 2026
Support: DefencesWords & Photos: Tim Finch
There’s something about a sold-out night at KK’s Steel Mill that just hits different, an undeniable statement that rock n roll is alive and kicking. The Wolverhampton venue has built a reputation for hosting some of the most intense and intimate live experiences in the UK, and this show was no exception.
Defences took to the stage with a confidence that immediately commanded attention, making full use of their forty minute slot. From the outset, their blend of crushing riffs and atmospheric electronics created a wall of sound that felt far bigger than the stage they were playing on. The dual vocal dynamic proved to be a real weapon, shifting seamlessly between aggression and melody, keeping the crowd locked in throughout.
Tracks swelled with emotional weight, but never lost their bite, and the band’s tight performance ensured there was no drop in energy. By the time their set drew to a close, they had not only warmed up the crowd but left a lasting impression and a long queue forming at the merch table.
Photo Credit: Tim Finch PhotographyBy the time Mason Hill hit the stage, the atmosphere had reached boiling point. Opening with ‘D.N.A.’, they wasted no time in establishing control, delivering a punchy, high-energy start that had the entire room moving. Their sound, rooted in classic hard rock but polished with modern production, translated effortlessly into a live setting, hitting with both precision and power.
‘We Pray’ and ‘Twisted’ kept the momentum surging, the interplay between guitar lines and rhythm section was particularly tight, giving each track a sense of drive that never let up. It’s this balance of groove and grit that continues to define their appeal
Photo Credit: Tim Finch PhotographyMid-set, tracks like ‘Resonate’ and ‘Hold On’ brought a more anthemic feel, with the crowd fully engaged, singing back every line and feeding off the band’s energy. ‘Tainted Wings’ and ‘Silence’ added depth to the set, whilst ‘Find My Way’ and ‘Hurricane’ pushed things back into overdrive, the band clearly feeding off the sold-out crowd.
There’s a confidence in their performance now that suggests a band stepping into a bigger league, and it showed in how effortlessly they controlled the room. Even a bold cover of Muse’s ‘Hysteria’ landed perfectly, reworked just enough to feel like their own without losing the original’s pulse.
Photo Credit: Tim Finch PhotographyClosing the main set with ‘Remember’, they left the crowd wanting more… and they got it. The encore of ‘Burn It Down’, ‘Broken Son’ and ‘Against the Wall’ was nothing short of explosive. Each track hit harder than the last, ending the night on a towering high that perfectly capped off a performance brimming with confidence, precision, and undeniable power.
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch PhotographyPhoto Credits: Tim Finch Photography
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Live Gallery: Mason Hill – Wolverhampton
Live Gallery: Mason Hill – KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton
20th March 2026
Support: Defences
Photos: Tim FinchWe look back at the epic Mason Hill show, through the eyes of our photographer Tim Finch!
Mason Hill
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch PhotographyDefences
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch Photography
Photo Credit: Tim Finch PhotographyAll photo credits: Tim Finch Photography
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Even more bands have been added to twenty one pilots’ All Points East show
A load more bands have been added to twenty one pilots’ All Points East show this summer.
Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun were already set to be joined by Wunderhorse, REN, BBNO$, PVRIS, Nova Twins, Dead Pony, Kid Kapichi and LEAP on the day, but now things are looking properly packed.
New bands and artists unveiled today are (deep breath): Gang Of Youths, Jessie Murph, Half Alive, NOAHFINNCE, Honey Revenge, Royal & The Serpent, Mouth Culture, Red Leather, Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers, Artio, Emi Grace and Reece Young.
On top of all the music, twenty one pilots’ All Points East extravaganza will feature an exclusive Fan Premier Exhibit – according to a press release, that includes ‘new Breach items from the band’s personal collection, interactive photo opps and more.
‘Plus, step into the immersive Banditø Camp – a community space within the festival grounds fans can take photos, explore the camp’s artefacts and connect with fellow Banditøs. The band is also bringing their iconic headline Breach tour B‑stage experience to the festival.’
The show takes place on Sunday, August 30 at London’s Victoria Park.
Read this next:
Posted on March 25th 2026, 9:00a.m.
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Portrayal Of Guilt – Two New Songs Streaming Online
One month prior the release of their fourth album …Beginning Of The End, Texas-based Portrayal Of Guilt are back with another new two-song release in advance – “Object Of Pain” and “Death From Above”. Craig Murray shot and edited both accompanying video clips.
Read more… -
PORTRAYAL OF GUILT Release “Object of Pain” / “Death From Above” Singles/Videos
Photo: Craig Murray Portrayal of Guilt have toured the world over, creating their own musical eco-system and released four seminal full-length albums that have seen the Austin trio consecutively reinvent themselves. They’ve done it in a manner that avoided compromise, welcomed free experimentation and avoided labels outside of “menacing”, “compelling” and “must hear”.
…Beginning of the End, their upcoming studio album on Run For Cover embraces both the groove and avant-garde, revisiting the raw, teeth-gnashing intensity of their previous work. It feels like a band that has traversed every shadowy corner of heavy music, distilling their decade of innovation and knowledge into a singular show of force.
Today, they’ve unleashed their second set of singles, “Object of Pain” and “Death From Above”, alongside two new videos to complete their …Beginning of the End video trilogy, which they collaborated on with director Craig Murray.
“Object of Pain” and “Death From Above” follow lead singles “Ecstasy” and “Human Terror” released earlier in the month and give a preview into the album’s experimentation with nu-metal, alternative rock, trip hop, dark ambient and other disparate influences.
Watch official “Object of Pain” and “Death From Above”
Playlist / Listen / Share Here
Portrayal of Guilt made an immediate impact in underground circles with their debut, Let Pain Be Your Guide by mixing nihilistic hardcore, black metal, classic screamo, and imaginative textures. We Are Always Alone and CHRISTF*CKER LPs followed in 2021, the band’s breakout body blows that corroded the band’s commitment to genre, nodding at industrial music, post-metal, sludge and even post-hardcore, all while cementing the band’s tendencies toward experimentalism. Their fearless spirit reimagined their own sound as classical (Devil Music EP) and EBM / goth (CHRISTF*CKER II) on more recent efforts. And though the pacing of releases and the band’s evolution has remained steady, Portrayal of Guilt’s execution has kept their audiences hungry for the band’s ever-evolving sound.
…Beginning of the End was recorded and mixed by Phillip Odom between March and June 2025, with mastering handled by Will Yip. It’s Portrayal of Guilt’s fourth studio album in eight years, and third with Run For Cover.
Just after their performance at the world-renowned Roadburn Festival in April, Portrayal of Guilt set out on a full North American headlining tour, which kicks off with a hometown send-off on the 9th of May at Mohawk in Austin. The run crosses East Coast, Midwest and more with Pg. 99, Taraneh, Halloween and The Infinity Ring supporting select dates. Tickets are on sale Friday, March 6 at 10AM Local Here. For a full list of dates and posters, see below.
Pre-Order / Pre-Save …Beginning of the End
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