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Party monsters unite! Nekrogoblikon brings their chaotic metal live with Psychostick and Galactic Empire across the U.S. this May.

The post NEKROGOBLIKON Announces U.S. Dates With PSYCHOSTICK & GALACTIC EMPIRE appeared first on Metal Injection.

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Joe Bonamassa has reached another milestone in his career, earning his record-extending 30th No. 1 album on the Billboard Blues Albums chart with B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100.

The expansive tribute project honors the life and legacy of the late blues icon B.B. King and was created in celebration of what would have been King’s 100th birthday. After discovering that no major tribute was being planned, Bonamassa took the initiative to curate a large-scale musical tribute that would preserve King’s influence for future generations.

Produced by Bonamassa and Josh Smith, B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100 was released as a series of monthly recordings before culminating in a 32-track album on February 6. The project features more than 40 guest artists from across the blues, rock, soul, and R&B worlds.

The album brings together an all-star lineup, including Bonamassa, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Larkin Poe, Eric Gales, Gary Clark Jr., Marcus King, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, Michael McDonald, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Slash, Keb’ Mo’, Warren Haynes, Chaka Khan, Bobby Rush, Dion, Joanne Shaw Taylor, and many more.

While reviewing the album for Blues Rock Review, Bob Liddycoat wrote about B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100, “Sometimes, listener expectations and excitement about an album that is predicted to be a must-have classic fall short. Not so here. This album is an absolute future classic and essential in any music lover’s collection. With so many stars and great versions of King classics, each listener will soon highlight their personal favorites.”

In a social media post, Bonamassa said, “Major thanks to all involved and of course to the fans for making BB Kings Blues Summit 100 our 30th # 1 Blues album on the billboard charts. # 10 in actual sales! It was an honor of a lifetime being a part of this project.”

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The post Joe Bonamassa achieves major Billboard milestone appeared first on Blues Rock Review.

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Is a supergroup still a supergroup if the members who made it a supergroup are no longer part of the band? Last Canada’s Wreck-Defy passed through these halls, Steel Druhm was pleasantly surprised by their third LP, Powers That Be. However, the band that Steel reviewed has seen some significant lineup changes since then. Two of the original power players—Aaron Randall (ex-Annihilator) and Alex Marquez (ex-Malevolent Creation)—have departed, replaced with one newbie (David Allan, drums) and one seasoned vet in vocalist Greg Wagner (Wags Metal Inc.). The glue holding Wreck-Defy together is lead guitarist Matt Hanchuck and ex-Testament bassist Greg Christian, and at essence they remain a speedy act with plenty of killer riff acrobatics. Six albums in, Wreck-Defy prove they remain a force in thrash.

Dissecting the Leech sets the thrashy tone with some sweet riffs and thumping blast beats on opener “Under the Sun.” Hanchuck collaborates with a long list of guest guitarists, such as Chris Poland (ex-Megadeth) and Mike Gilbert (Flotsam and Jetsam), to ensure a never-ending supply of fresh, exciting riffs, solos, and other guitar antics. As in prior outings, Wreck-Defy plays largely in the Testament mold with a few Megadethian flourishes. However, it’s not all pedal to the medal—plenty of songs vary in tempo, like the melodic, mid-paced “Millenial Dystopia” and the near-ballad “The Path.” While retaining their core identity, Wreck-Defy manage a varied sound throughout Dissecting the Leech, with tunes lasting anywhere from the blink-of-an-eye at three-and-a-half minutes (“Do It Again”) to the progressively-paced six-and-a-half minutes of “I Don’t Care.”¹ The latter flexes creative songwriting similar to last year’s Helms Deep, with a mid-track portion that unexpectedly rockets off into a shreddy solo that’s absolutely riveting.

While Hanchuck and Christian prove to be the heart, the two new players more than hold their own. Greg Wagner has the grizzled voice of an old soul and brings a level of grit to the music. Yet he’s no one-trick pony, occasionally rising to the falsetto of many power metal vocalists, not to mention taking a few stabs at King Diamond shrieks. His surprise melodic lilt on “Another Day” proves to be one of the record’s highlights.² David Allan proves to be quite effective behind the kit as well. His opening kicks to “Under the Sun” establish a fiercely energetic tone that resonates throughout much of Dissecting the Leech. Perhaps my favorite moment comes from “The Haunting Past,” a completely bonkers track that sounds like its instruments have gone haywire before delivering a blitzkrieg of thrashy riffs and blast beats powered by Allan’s jaw-dropping performance.

Wreck-Defy power their thrash into social critiques that prove forceful behind their spirited performances. They tackle environmental, political, and generational issues, casting a gloomy pall over modern events. On “Under the Sun,” they lament the degradation of our planet through warfare (“Look at the damage we’ve done”) and warn, “we’ll all die under the sun.” Concern turns towards the younger generations on “Millenial Dystopia,” where Wreck-Defy observes that “there’s no room to grow old,” leading to a “generation of no hope.” All people want, according to “Another Day,” is “air to breathe / just let me live another day.” Considering critiques from Steel and commenters over juvenile lyrics from Powers That Be, Wreck-Defy appear to have matured in their storytelling and thematic content. They offer a coherent narrative, even if it just boils down to “the world is a mess,” and mankind is facing “a dark, dismal future” (“Revolt”), and end on the hopeful message that they’ll “keep on fighting” for what’s right (“Apocalypse of Hope”).

Like Steel before me, I had never heard of Wreck-Defy before taking this promo, and I’m impressed. Dissecting the Leech is proving among the best in a rather good year for thrash so far, though a few things do hold it back. At 48 minutes, it’s a tad long, but considering its progressive leanings and the impressive musicianship, that’s a minor issue. A couple of songs don’t fit in as well as the rest (“Dissecting the Leech,” “The Path”), proving to be weak links amidst a great set. “The Path” is particularly puzzling, appearing to serve as the evening wind-down music to help settle the kids and old-timers for bedtime. But you’d better hurry because the ironically-named finale, “Apocalypse of Hope,” serves a jolt of caffeine to keep the party going. If you like thrash, you’ll have a good time with Dissecting the Leech.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Massacre Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: February 20th, 2026

The post Wreck-Defy – Dissecting the Leech Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.