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The SatchVai Surfing With The Hydra tour hit Toronto, ON, on Wednesday, May 13, for a night of exciting guitar virtuosity. Both Steve Vai and Joe Satriani are known for their precision and dynamic playing style on the fretboard, and fans were incredibly excited for what the duo would be bringing to the stage.

SatchVai

Meridian Hall, Toronto – 13 May 2026

Words And Photography: Taylor Cameron

From the humour delivered in an entertaining intro video featuring Satriani and Vai sitting in a boardroom being told their tour needs more dancing, to the tasty licks that echoed throughout the venue, the SatchVai band know how to deliver an utterly entertaining show that will have you up on your feet wanting more.

Kicking things off with a few SatchVai tracks, the duo harmonised with ease, each note complementing the other perfectly. Both guitarists are easily holding their own, both being legends in their own right.

Seeing them onstage together is otherworldly, and their musical chemistry is like no other. 

The set then continued by alternating between the solo work of each musician, showcasing the talent and legacy of both players, one not overshadowing the other.

Playing an array of tracks from each of their extensive discographies, fan favourites and a few deep cuts graced the setlist. From Vai’s Zeus In Chains and Little Pretty, to Satriani’s Surfing With The Alien and Sahara, the crowd was in complete awe the entire time, each song receiving an extensive round of applause and cheers. 

Although not a solo show, Vai could not leave his iconic Hydra Guitar at home. The guitar has three necks, harp strings and a staggering array of pickups and synth controls.

Teeth Of The Hydra is an incredibly impressive piece of music, and it is impossible to look away as Vai plays the monstrous guitar with ease. It is something almost beyond belief to watch. This is always a highlight of any solo Vai and SatchVai show. 

The set closed out with arguably the musicians’ most iconic tracks in their discography. Vai’s For The Love Of God and Satriani’s Always With Me, Always With You. Two powerful ballads that display immense emotion that oozed off the stage with each note and bend played by the virtuosos.

Masters of their craft, the talent brought to the stage was like no other. The crowd cheered for more as they left the stage, not ready for the night to end. 

Emerging from the darkness, Vai and Satriani stepped back onto the stage for an encore. Crowd Chant had everyone up on their feet, clapping their hands and singing along to the harmonies. There was no lack of crowd participation.

To finish off the night, the duo played a cover of Mars Bonfire’s Born To Be Wild. Bassist Marco Mendoza handled lead vocals with plenty of help from the audience, everyone in the room visibly enjoying the SatchVai band’s rendition of the classic rock ‘n’ roll track. 

The Surfing With The Hydra tour is a night that will surprise you in the best ways, delivering even more than what you would expect. It is definitely a tour worth seeing if it comes to your area. You will not be disappointed. 

The post SatchVai Bring Virtuosic Firepower To Toronto On The Surfing With The Hydra Tour first appeared on MetalTalk – Heavy Metal News, Reviews and Interviews.

Posted on May 22nd 2026, 10:42a.m.

Fender (the well-known American manufacturer and marketer of several musical instruments and amplifiers) has begun enforcing a recent German court ruling that recognizes the Stratocaster body shape as a protected work of applied art under EU copyright law. Following that decision, the company has issued cease-and-desist notices to multiple boutique builders producing these “S-style” guitars, including at least one US-based manufacturer (LsL Instruments), marking the first known wave of direct enforcement. The move targets instruments closely resembling the Stratocaster silhouette and has triggered debate in the industry over the legal reach of the ruling and its potential impact on independent guitar makers.
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When an email arrives from AC at Bad Dog Promotions it’s always welcome as it usually means they have a new album from one of their stable for review. It’s also usually a new band or artist I’m not familiar with and I welcome the opportunity to discover new stuff. No exception this time – […]

The post Different Light: Binary Suns Part 2 Alternate Reality Review first appeared on New Wave of British Heavy Metal.

The story of the song that helped launch the biggest independently-released rock album of all time

PRESIDENT have announced a run of UK and European tour dates to celebrate their forthcoming debut full-length.

With ‘BLOOD OF YOUR EMPIRE’ set to arrive on September 04 via Atlantic Records, we’ve got another headline campaign to look forward to later this year.

Following their fully sold-out run across the US in autumn, they’ll be back in Europe and the UK for thirteen shows, finishing with a triumphant night at London’s O2 Academy Brixton.  

Check out the full list of dates below.

NOVEMBER

1: STOCKHOLM Slaktkyrkan
2: OSLO Rockefeller
3: COPENHAGEN Amager Bio
5: BERLIN Kesselhaus
6: HAMBURG Docks
7: COLOGNE Live Music Hall
14: PARIS Elysee Montmartre
16: BRUSSELS Ancienne Belgique
18: CARDIFF Depot
19: GLASGOW O2 Academy
21: MANCHESTER O2 Victoria Warehouse
23: BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy
24: LONDON O2 Academy Brixton

It’s been less than 24 hours since PRESIDENT announced the news of forthcoming debut album ‘BLOOD OF YOUR EMPIRE’.

This is what they had to say about what the record represents:

“Blood Of Your Empire was born out of my own struggle with existential crisis and trying to make sense of belief, mortality, and humanity’s relationship with faith. Religion has inspired incredible compassion, purpose, and beauty in the world — but it has also been responsible for unimaginable suffering and bloodshed throughout history. This album lives in the tension between those two truths. Writing it became a way for me to confront the fear, confusion, and questions I’ve carried for years, and turn them into something I’m truly proud of.”

The artwork looks like this. depicting a Eugène Delacroix painting, The Battle of Poitiers:

Whilst the tracklisting looks like this:

1. Angel Wings
2. DOOM LOOP
3. dark heaven
4. Pink Noise
5. Mercy
6. Sleepwalker
7. Dionysus
8. This Will Divide Us
9. Hate Figure (Feat. Ando San)
10. White Devil

As you can see, the record will feature previously released singles ‘Angel Wings’ and ‘Mercy’, as well as ‘Dionysus’, which first appeared on debut EP ‘King of Terrors’ last year.

It will also feature the newly released track ‘DOOM LOOP’, which takes the project’s sentiment and sound to a whole new level. A pulsating, neon-drenched buzz of a song that builds in tension and tenacity, showcasing a control over beats as much as battery. Emotionally, it delves into what it means to be perceived, prodded and poked when there are so many other factors that deserve attention in this complex existence that we are all experiencing.

Spend more time in the here and now of your own life, because before you know it, it will have passed you by.

PRESIDENT had this to add about what the song represents for them:

“The song is really about the strange tragedy of time — how we spend our lives chasing it, wasting it, and fearing it — only to realise its value once a moment is gone. It’s a reminder for people to be present while they are actually living their lives, not just remembering them afterwards.”

The post PRESIDENT Announce UK & European Tour Dates appeared first on Rock Sound.

Thrown Into Exile have released a new single, called “Behind The Veil”, marking the band’s first new material since signing to BLK II BLK Records earlier this year. The release also introduces new vocalist Joshua Santos, who steps in following the departure of Evan Seidlitz, announced earlier this week.
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Acclaimed actor, musician, and director Finn Wolfhard just dropped his highly anticipated new single “I’ll Let You Finish,” and announced

Deaf Havana have announced a tour celebrating the 15th anniversary of breakthrough album ‘Fools And Worthless Liars’, with shows all across the UK and Ireland.

With the band set to rattle through the iconic album at Slam Dunk this weekend, they’ll be hitting the road throughout October and November to celebrate some more.

If that wasn’t enough, theyll also be joined by The Dangerous Summer, who’ll be playing their 2009 album ‘Reach For The Sun’ in full.

Speaking about the announcement, Deaf Havana have shared:

“We are incredibly excited to announce that we are taking a trip down memory lane right back to the album that really kicked everything off for us, we invite you to our celebration of 15 years of ‘Fools and Worthless Liars’.

“Pretty much everything we have been able to do as a band has come from this record and we are eternally grateful for it. Yeah sure, we are all getting older, but it’s beautiful and humbling to think about how far this record has come and how much it has meant to so many of you lovely people and we can’t bloody wait to bring these songs back to life for you all! We’re going to be playing the FAWL in full, along with a healthy selection of bangers on the side and it’s going to be a hell of a good time. We are also bringing out our great friends in The Dangerous Summer who will be playing their iconic album “Reach For The Sun” in full…let’s go!!!”

Take a look at the full list of dates below.

OCTOBER

21: DUBLIN The Academy
23: CARDIFF Tramshed
25: TORQUAY The Foundry
27: SOUTHAMPTON The 1865
28: BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute
29: GLASGOW SWG3
31: NEWCASTLE Northumbria University SU

NOVEMBER

01: MANCHESTER O2 Ritz
03: NOTTINGHAM Rock City
04: NORWICH The University of East Anglia
06: LONDON O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire

And to get you in the mood, here’s an absolute banger to blast on full volume.

The post Deaf Havana Announce ‘Fools And Worthless Liars’ 15th Anniversary Tour appeared first on Rock Sound.

When Austin, Texas punk mainstays The Applicators dropped My Weapon back in 2006, it stood as a definitive