We’re only a couple weeks away from villagerrr’s new album Carousel. We’ve heard “Locket,” “Swimming,” and the title track, and now the Columbus band is back with “Virginia” featuring Richmond’s Hotspit. According to bandleader Mark Allen Scott, “Virginia” is “a song about trying to keep your head down and keep going even when things feel…
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For the first time ever down under, US thrash metal legends Flotsam and Jetsam will join forces with Australian thrash pioneers Mortal Sin for a devastating co-headline tour across Australia this September and October. Like a two-headed beast of pure thrash fury, these genre-defining acts will deliver a relentless assault for Australian fans, bringing together decades of history, influence and raw power in one unmissable run.
Over a career spanning more than 40 years, Flotsam and Jetsam have stood shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Venom, earning their place as one of thrash metal’s most respected and enduring names. From their landmark debut Doomsday for the Deceiver – famously awarded the only ever 6K rating in Kerrang! history – through to modern thrash masterpieces like The End of Chaos, Blood in the Water and I Am The Weapon, the Arizona legends continue to prove why they remain one of the genre’s most ferocious live acts.
The band now return armed with a brand-new album, Rats In The Temple, due out August 28 via Napalm Records. Described by vocalist Eric “A.K.” Knutson as “our best effort to date,” the record delivers 13 tracks of razor-sharp thrash packed with crushing riffs, ornate guitar harmonies, pummelling rhythms and dark lyrical themes centred around war, betrayal and human destruction. Early reports are already calling the album another major step forward in the band’s ongoing modern-era resurgence.
Fronted by the unmistakable voice of A.K. Knutson, Flotsam and Jetsam continue to thrive with arguably their strongest modern lineup yet, featuring founding guitarist Michael Gilbert alongside guitar shredder Steve Conley, powerhouse drummer Ken Mary – known for his work with Alice Cooper and Accept – and technically blistering bassist Bill Bodily.
Fresh from their long-awaited return to the stage, Mortal Sin continue to cement their place as Australia’s most influential thrash export. Following their comeback tour and exclusive appearances at major European festivals including Keep It True Festival, Alcatraz Metal Festival and Brutal Assault, alongside headline runs across Europe and Australia, the band show no signs of slowing down. This tour sees them bring their iconic catalogue and renewed firepower to Australian stages alongside an international thrash heavyweight, making for a truly special run of shows.
Joining them on all dates are South Australian thrash outfit Hidden Intent, known for their relentless live energy and global touring presence, alongside Sydney speed metal force Livewire, rounding out a stacked lineup of Australian heavy music.
Tickets and info available at:
churchesofsteel.com
Limited VIP meet & greet packages for Flotsam and Jetsam available.
The post Monsters of Thrash FLOTSAM AND JETSAM (USA) & MORTAL SIN Announce Australian Tour Sept/Oct 2026 appeared first on The Rockpit.
At Borgata Event Center in Atlantic City on May 9th, a powerful reunion took place between Alter Bridge and their devoted New Jersey fans, eager to experience the sheer energy and heartfelt emotion that have always defined their music.
The What Lies Within Tour promises a setlist that delves into Alter Bridge’s rich catalog, featuring timeless hits, fan favorites, and new songs from their 2026 self-titled release.
The band appeared on stage with Myles Kennedy taking the spotlight to start the show with “Silent Divide.” The intro riff on a solitary guitar set a reflective, almost weightless tone in the venue before Mark Tremonti, Brian Marshall, and Scott Phillips immediately join in, giving the song its thunderous mass like a rising tide. That deliberate, thick guitar crunch set the tone for the evening of a guitar-fueled show within the song’s first verse and chorus.
The 16-song setlist drew from six of their eight albums, notably omitting any material from Walk the Sky and The Last Hero. The band leaned into songs like “Cry of Achilles,” “Broken Wings,” and “Ghost of Days Gone By,” all anchoring the performance and balancing soaring melody with muscular riffs. To that point, Mark took lead vocals on the ballad-esque “Burn it Down,” a song that leans into a darker, more aggressive side of the band’s sound with touches of alternative metal. It was especially compelling to hear the contrast of Mark and Myles trading vocals on “Tested and Able” and blending in harmony, creating a push-and-pull dynamic that mirrors the song’s theme of resilience and proving oneself under pressure.
On stage, Mark and Myles clearly operate as two distinct but perfectly aligned guitar forces. Mark is the architect of gallop picking, lightning-fast legato runs, and sweep picking, giving technically dazzling solos like on “Fortress.” Myles is the more atmospheric counterpart, weaving melodic textures, chiming rhythms, and expressive leads that prioritize feel over finesse on “Watch Over You.” Their interplay is less about competition and more about musical conversation, as the two guitar masters weave a colorful tapestry in their songs.
Mark drives the muscle and momentum, while Myles adds color and lift, each knowing exactly when to step forward or fall back. The chemistry is instinctive and battle-tested, allowing them to lock into tight harmonies, trade phrases seamlessly, and elevate songs with a dynamic push-and-pull that gives Alter Bridge its signature depth and power in a live setting.
This guitar dynamic could not be possible without Brian and Scott’s chest-thumping low end that fills out the musical space within each song. Together, they function as a tightly locked rhythm section that delivers the feel and groove of Alter Bridge’s music. Brian tends to mirror Mark’s low end, especially in drop-tuned songs. At the same time, Scott’s bass drum mirrors Brian’s bass lines, creating a unified rhythmic pulse.
Least not forget Myles‘ smooth yet powerful voice, which soared above the thunderous guitars and cut through the air at the Borgata like a razor. He captivated the audience with his unwavering singing, playing, and storytelling. Every movement and gesture radiates the sheer magnetism of a true rock star.
Prior to the show, I asked Myles Kennedy about his knack for pairing darker lyrical themes with soaring, commercial melodies. He responded, “I love to do that! That contrast is important to me and very much intentional. The band strives for memorable hooks and uplifting choruses, with layered lyrics that carry a heavier, more introspective weight. It creates a dynamic where the music draws you in, while the words give you something far deeper.”
Taking a break from the sonic barrage of rock anthems, the band added some dimension mid-set with Myles on acoustic guitar for “Watch Over You.” Then, they instantly turned back to their area-friendly classics to end the show with “Metalingus” and “Rise Today.”
Alter Bridge’s no-nonsense, hard-hitting rock hits their fans. Their ability to craft songs that leave an indelible mark on listeners’ souls is a testament to their status as true musical trailblazers, redefining the boundaries of hard rock to connect with their audience in a way few other acts can match.
For tickets to their remaining shows, visit this location.
The post CONCERT REVIEW: ALTER BRIDGE Prove Why They’re One Of Rock’s Greatest Live Acts At Borgata Event Center appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
Co-written with Josh Schroeder.
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You are standing on the grounds of termination
I am standing on the grounds of domination
You are standing on the grounds of a doomed nation
I am standing on the grounds of new creations
There was a time when the machine still seemed capable of romance. In the electronic dreams of the eighties, artificial life shimmered with chrome longing and plastic tenderness: Gary Numan asking if friends were electric, Kraftwerk threading digital desire through Computer Love, the future glowing from a screen with all the strange promise of a midnight transmission. Those fantasies imagined connection, mystery, and even intimacy. Now we live inside the thing they dreamed toward, and the dream has grown teeth. The AI age has arrived less like a lover laced in wires than a management system with a messiah complex, converting longing into input, labor into forecast, and dissent into flagged behavior. Are these friends electric? Or are they our new overlords? On Domination, Crush of Souls answers with a boot heel, a barcode, and a beat that knows exactly where the exits are.
Domination, the new single from Crush of Souls, treats the computer like a bureaucrat, a jailer, a god with bad posture, sorting souls into little bins. It is the sound of authority losing its mind in real time: clipped commands, dead-eyed procedure, and a dance beat with a baton in its hand.
The song brings in Sade Sanchez of L.A. Witch for a spoken-word turn that lands somewhere between Cabaret Voltaire command code and Anne Clark’s severity, cool as a switchblade left on a dressing-room table. Her voice gives the track its human pressure point, though “human” here means something slightly compromised, as if desire itself has been made to show identification at the door.
The track runs on warehouse basslines and artillery backbeats, all steel-toed momentum and low-ceiling dread. “First in, first out” becomes more than programming logic; it becomes a rotten little worldview, a disposal system for bodies, memories, workers, lovers, doomed countries, and whatever else the future decides to feed into the chute. Repetition turns the phrase ritualistic, less like a manual than a spell recited by someone who no longer believes in salvation but still believes in volume.
Yet the song is not simply a sermon from the server room. Something stubborn keeps kicking against the grid. The self has been indexed, reduced, and filed away, but some bright animal impulse still lunges against the glass. Crush of Souls catches that collision between system and body, prison and pulse, automation and the dirty miracle of refusal.
Watch the video for Domination, directed, shot, and edited by Mathilde Cartoux below:
Precisely one year after Lézire, Charles Rowell returns with Captive Youth, the band’s third full-length, and he sounds like a man who has spent enough time staring at the trapdoor under modern life to start hearing rhythm in the hinges. Rowell, long active in the indie and punk underground through Crocodiles, Flowers of Evil, and Issue, has always had the air of somebody restless in his own skin, forever starting fires in different rooms just to see what kind of smoke comes out.
Here, the smoke curls back toward the old body-machine beat: EBM, nineties industrial dance, synth-pop with a cruel haircut and a passport full of bad decisions. Captive Youth moves away from the goth rock and dark folk leanings of earlier work and bolts itself to a harder frame, where sex, politics, displacement, and dystopia need rhythm because rhythm is what keeps the panic organized. You can hear New Order’s Technique, Nitzer Ebb’s Belief, and Psychic TV’s Towards Thee Infinite Beat rattling around in the walls, though Rowell is no museum guide polishing old mannequins. He is ripping them apart and making a new idiot idol from the limbs.
Captive Youth is set for release on June 19th, 2026, via Avant! Records. Pre-order and pre-save the album here.
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The post “My CPU, Deduce” — Crush of Souls Confront the Boot Heel of AI in Video for Dark Synth Single “Domination” Feat. Sade Sanchez of L.A. Witch appeared first on Post-Punk.com.