On their extraordinary third LP, Austin, Texas–based Drakulas take the concept they’ve been honing for years to new heights. Out on Wild Honey Records in Europe and Dirtnap Records in North America, Midnight City is not only the best Drakulas album to date but also the best new wave record I’ve heard in a couple years. From start to finish, it’s all hits and no shit. 

Savage Lord Mic, Sam Francisco, and Pink Rick continue to build this wonderfully immersive world of an eternal turn-of-the ’80s late night excursion into the dangerous and dimly neon-lit corners of some seedy metropolis. While not quite a rock opera, Midnight City is an album with a novel or film’s ambition — it songs full of unsettling tales and colorful characters. Yet the concept never reeks of pretension or bogs down the record. If you weren’t paying super-close attention, you might not even notice the connections between the songs. While the atmosphere is striking, the quality of the tunes is never an afterthought. As I listen to this record, I don’t hear a band in 2026 trying to sound like a band in 1980. I hear a band that sounds like it teleported here from 1980. 

The style remains a perfect blend of the punk and new wave sounds that were both changing the game in the late ’70s and early ’80s — but this time, the hooks are bigger, sharper, and positively addictive. I love the way this album bobs and weaves between danceable post-punk (“Singin’ with My Tongue Cut Out,” “Sex,” “Head in the Clods”), punky new wave (“F.A.F.O.”), new wavey punk (“Is It Enough,” “Garbage Strike”), haunting synth-pop (“Wheelhouse”), and punky power pop (“White Off Your Nose,” “Guys Like Me, Girls Like You”). On this record, Drakulas come off a little like Autogramm’s evil twins, and that’s a vibe I can dig all day long. Their use of synthesizers is masterful and very old school  — as if they live in a universe where modern synth-punk hasn’t been invented yet. In my old age, I’ve become far less enthralled with darker post-punk, but this album is dark in a way that is captivating, a little sexy, and oddly intoxicating. 

While early ’80s retro-futurism often comes off kitschy, Midnight City feels less like goofy nostalgia and more like a vivid dream about a time and place you can never go back to but can never forget about, either. It creates an analog world I want to live in or at least visit often. None of these songs would have sounded out of place emanating from the speakers of a delinquent hangout arcade as you dominated on Galaxian back in the day. Although I can hear the influence of so many cornerstones of my record collection, I by no means find these songs lacking in creativity or originality. And as tunesmiths, these guys take a back seat to no one. As good as Drakulas’ previous releases were, this one is at another level. Whether you approach it as a piece of art or just a killer slab of punk/new wave, this is a brilliant album in any year.

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Canadian symphonic power metal band Liva has released a lyric video for their track, “Samson & Dalila, Pt. 1.” The release follows the recent publication of the song’s official music video.

The track is taken from the band’s forthcoming studio album, “Ecce Mundus,” which is scheduled for release on May 29 through Wormholedeath. The song features soprano vocals by Nadine Guertin alongside death and tenor vocals by Pier Carlo Liva.

Lyrically, “Samson & Dalila, Pt. 1” is based on a medieval Latin song of lament. The track is sung entirely in Latin and focuses on the biblical story of Samson, detailing his power and his eventual downfall.

The post Liva Releases “Samson & Dalila, Pt. 1” Lyric Video Featuring Vocalists Nadine Guertin and Pier Carlo Liva first appeared on FemMetal – Goddesses of Metal.

Florida power metal band SEVEN KINGDOMS has announced their sixth full-length studio album, titled “Sono Sola.” To support the release, the group is launching a crowdfunding campaign that will run from May 26 until June 26, with the record currently slated for a fall release.

“Sono Sola” was recorded throughout April and May at Morrisound Recording. The band co-wrote and produced the album alongside Jim Morris and Francesco Cavalieri. The record’s cover artwork was designed by Bo Bradshaw, and the official tracklist will be revealed at the conclusion of the crowdfunding period.

The upcoming album follows their 2024 EP, “The Square,” and their previous full-length record, “Zenith,” which was released in 2022. The band has recently been active on the live circuit, completing international tours in support of acts like Blind Guardian and Unleash the Archers.

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Concertgoers throwing stuff at performers is an ongoing problem. Usually, it’s a water bottle, a phone, a vape, or even a Skittle. However, fans are getting more creative. On Thursday (May 7) Eric Clapton was hit with a vinyl sleeve at his Madrid concert. It was during bows at the Movistar Arena when the blues legend served as the target for the projectile. He then ended the concert early instead of doing his usual encore of the song “Before You Accuse Me.” Watch footage of the incident below.

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Slipknot percussionist Clown needs surgery after discovering his heartbeat skips

Metal band SELIAS has announced the addition of two new vocalists, Neil and Ania. Alongside the lineup change, the group confirmed they are currently working on a new studio album and preparing for upcoming live shows.

The forthcoming record will serve as the follow-up to their previous release, “KILLKARMA.” The band’s new dual-vocalist approach will feature Neil handling clean singing and screams, while Ania will provide heavy guttural vocals. The new lineup aims to expand on the band’s atmospheric sound by moving in a more aggressive and harder-hitting direction.

The post SELIAS Announces New Vocalists Neil and Ania, Confirms Upcoming Album first appeared on FemMetal – Goddesses of Metal.

“F*ck that. We were there first.”

The post Venom Comment On Themselves & Lamb Of God Both Releasing An Album Titled “Into Oblivion” This Year: “We Wrote The Song Five Years Go” appeared first on Theprp.com.