“Birds” is arguably the best song from Turnstile’s 2025 album Never Enough, and it’s definitely the song mostly likely to make people absolutely lose their minds at live shows. When they toured last year, Turnstile ended their sets with “Birds.” On their current tour, they’re using that song as their opener. Now, Slayyyter gets to harness the live-show power of “Birds.”
The post Watch Slayyyter Sing Her Turnstile Cover Live For The First Time appeared first on Stereogum.
by Steve Joyce
Terrifying Angels is the seventh album by UK progressive alternative rock band Pure Reason Revolution, continuing a remarkably prolific streak: it’s their fourth opus since reforming in 2020. The first thing that strikes you is the album artwork. Stark, gothic and frightening, it’s evocative of the Weeping Angels, the nightmare-inducing living statues that traumatise ‘Doctor Who’ viewers. Terrifying Angels, indeed!
The disturbing imagery sets the mood for the frequently startling and often menacing music you’re about to hear. Tonally, it’s a dramatic shift from PRR’s previous album, 2024’s “Coming up to Consciousness” – a musically lush album of shorter songs and catharsis – whereas Terrifying Angels is more aggressive, visceral and angular. It has two songs of ‘epic’ length and five shorter songs across its 50 minute runtime.
Main songwriter Jon Courtney, with creative contributions from others including founding bandmate Greg Jong, alt-rock legend Paul Mullen and Courtney’s mentee Kenny Fitzgerald, has infused the album with attention-grabbing melodic hooks and arrangements that make the listener savour what they’ve just heard and eagerly anticipate what’s coming next. It’s an action-packed record!
Courtney handles lead vocals and much of the instrumentation with virtuosity, elegance and aplomb while Annike Shireen’s voice adds grace and ethereal ambience, with hers and Courtney’s harmonies being a standout feature of the album. Drummer Ravi Kesavaram propels the music with groove, dexterity and frequently astonishing power.
There are several impressive guest appearances, including Jong’s guitar, Fitzgerald’s piano and bass by genre luminaries Kristoffer Gildenlöw and Mariusz Duda. The writing and musical collaborations augment Courtney’s prodigious talent and deliver a vibrant, fascinating and exhilarating record. Courtney also handles most of the production duties, with mixing by Bruce Soord. The album sounds as splendid as discerning music fans have come to expect.
Album opener and lead single “Spin Like Fire” detonates into life with hi-octane prog metal riffage and rocket-powered drumming. The song is a perfect way to grab the listener’s attention. There’s a sense of urgent intensity here: tempo and instrumentation changes come thick and fast, and the memorable choruses provide an early opportunity for Courtney’s and Shireen’s gorgeous harmony vocals to shine. There’s a pulverising metal breakdown in the third minute, infused with spooky electronica, and a thrilling climax.
In contrast, “Black Arrow Acrobats” begins with a relatively mellow vibe, reminiscent of the previous album. This does not last for long! The song is an eight minute masterclass in shifting emotion and contrasting dynamics. It boasts the album’s most radio friendly chorus, an anguished Courtney vocal earworm (‘I’m tired of you, break all of this with your love’) and effective use of spectral electronica textures to intensify the song’s stirring prog metal passages. This is, apparently, Courtney’s favourite song on the album and for a while, I was tempted to agree…but even better is to come.
“Haywire Heart” is a stomping sub-three-minute hard rocker which channels the best of QOTSA at their rowdiest. A stripped back middle section and ethereal Shireen vocals provide the calm before an awesome storm of guitar riffs and another phenomenal ending. When this band rocks, they rock hard! The riffs are so glorious, though, I’d have enjoyed hearing them continue for longer – just occasionally, more is more!
The first movement of album centrepiece “Terrifying Angels”, a twelve minute epic, is atmospheric, mesmerising and with headphones on and eyes closed, you’ll feel you’re in a room with Messrs. Wright, Mason, Waters and Gilmour. Listen out for the single guitar note before the opening “And who makes Heaven?” lyric – it infuses this reviewer with a flush of tingled spine. Across its subsequent movements, the richness and potency of the writing, a collaboration between Courtney, Jong, Augustine Rampolla and Paul Damian Hogan, never lets up for an instant. The sound design, a notable strength of the whole album, is especially outstanding on this track. The full range of musical expression is experienced, from thrilling prog metal to ominous electronica, sublime guitar and keyboard solos, and haunting vocals. This is my favourite track on the album, and one of the best epics I’ve heard all year.
“Rumination Ruin” is bookended by riotous onslaughts of blistering energy, but don’t miss its short, dreamy middle section with a tasteful bass contribution by Gildenlöw. “Below Radiance” features exquisite piano playing by Fitzgerald, almost resembling a Chopin prelude. There’s a sinister sparseness to the electronica instrumentation, and the song builds dramatically in its final minute. It’s a good track but at just three and a half minutes, I like to imagine how great it would be to hear its strong musical themes developed into something more substantial.
The band’s longest ever song “Hold Your Wrath” closes the album. At almost fifteen minutes, the song explores a myriad of feelings and directions through multiple interlocking movements. There’s some mighty fine music here, but it’s the only song on the album where I felt a slight sense of drift; perhaps the arrangement could have been tightened up a little. That said, the track features, amongst many other highlights, a fabulous tom-heavy groove, radiant harmony vocals and prog metal passages evocative of “In Absentia” era Porcupine Tree. The ‘Light invincible’ section is an absolutely transcendent piece of music. I also love the lyrics on this song, which epitomises Courtney’s dark and expressive imagination.
Terrifying Angels is a brilliant album. Every song bulges with exciting musical ideas. It’s definitely one of those records that reveals more layers with every listen. Is it perfect? Almost! There are moments where I’d prefer the vocals to be more ‘front-and-centre’; some strong musical ideas leave you wanting more; and the album closer’s arrangement maybe could be tighter. These are minor quibbles. Make no mistake, this album is a highly enjoyable and rewarding listen. At turns eerie, majestic, beautiful and savage, Terrifying Angels is more than a collection of songs – it’s an experience in sonic adventure.
Released on September 25th. 2026 on InsideOutMusic
Order now here: https://purereasonrevolution.lnk.to/TerrifyingAngels-Album
The full track-listing is below:
1. Spin Like Fire 03:31
2. Black-Arrow Acrobats 08:38
3. Haywire Heart 02:42
4. Terrifying Angels 12:26
5. Rumination Ruin 04:25
6. Below Radiance 03:34
7. Hold Your Wrath 14:45
Band members:
Jon Courtney – vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion, programming
Annike Shireen – vocals
Ravi Kesavaram – drums
Guest appearances:
Greg Jong – guitar
Kristoffer Gildenlöw – bass
Mariusz Duda – bass
Nate Smith – drums
Paul Mullen – guitar, bass, keyboards
Paul Damian Hogan – keyboards
Augustine Rampolla – bass
Kenneth Fitzgerald – piano
Produced and recorded by Jon Courtney
Mixed by Bruce Soord
Mastered by John Webber
The post Pure Reason Revolution – Terrifying Angels (Album Review) appeared first on The Prog Report.
Success, or so they like to say, can be a double-edged sword. And the music business in particular is full of bands who have reached the heighest of heights – whether critical, commercial, artistic, or some combination of all three – only to then have to live in the shadow of their success for […]
The post AN NCS PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): RORCAL – MAHRE appeared first on NO CLEAN SINGING.
Hello, again! It’s Smokey Goretooth back with another “Do I Suck?,” MetalSucks’ version of “Am I The Asshole?” where we take real life horror stories and bring them to our readers to decide if the OP sucks for some bullshit they may or may not have done.
This week’s submission comes from a user named “AsIxLayCry1ng,” who is questioning the sanity of one of her friends because of her new boyfriend. Good grief, let’s read on…
The fact that this is even something I have to think about is absolutely beyond me, especially since it’s supposed to be MY DAY.
So I’m getting married in a few months and even though it’s been expensive as hell, I did grant all my guests a +1 so they don’t have to sit there like a sad sack by themselves while I embark on matrimonial bliss. One of my friends — let’s call her Evie — has been single for most of my wedding planning process, but a few months ago started dating this absolute dipshit who I’ll call Matt. All of us in the friend group were happy for her when she first told us about him, telling us how well he treated her and how special she felt because of all the typical romantic crap dudes who court ladies usually do. That was all well and fine, but after we met him for the first time, that all changed.
Evie brought Matt with her to hang out with us at the bar one night and it started out pretty chill. He seemed charming, weird as fuck but charming at the very least. The more he drank though, the more his inner workings started to show, and it really took a turn when we started talking about music. My fiancé and I, and quite a few of our other friends, are all metalheads. That night I think I was wearing a Darkest Hour shirt or something, which sparked the conversation. Matt said he listens to metal, too, and how one of his favorite bands is Austrian Death Machine. That obviously piqued my interest, because who the fuck in the world has ever said that? I’m pretty mouthy, especially when I drink, so I responded with something to the effect of “let me guess, As I Lay Dying was your first favorite band too, huh?” And this dummy actually said yes.
Which, fine. Everyone can grow out of stuff and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t also used to like As I Lay Dying. But I asked him how he could still listen to Austrian Death Machine knowing the piece of dog shit Tim Lambesis is. His response was, and this is a literal quote, “I don’t think Tim did anything wrong. We all wanna kill our partners sometimes.” Bro, what in the actual fuck?
I obviously bugged out about this, and said how I’ve never in my life felt the need to hurt my partner, and my fiancé chimed in and said the same thing (if he didn’t, he wouldn’t be my fiancé anymore that’s for sure). Matt kept defending Tim Lamjailsis by saying that he himself didn’t try to hurt her, and the fights he had with his different ladies after the murder-for-hire shit were just typical couple things that outsiders shouldn’t be involved in. I was absolutely shocked.
Evie was there for this whole thing, and didn’t speak up once. I called her out, asking her why she wants to be with the kind of guy that thinks it’s okay to hire someone to murder their wife and who is an abuser and shit. Her response was almost as shocking — something like “He’s just messing around and I know he’d never do anything like that to me.” I was so fuckin’ cheesed that I called her a dumb bitch, him a dumb motherfucker, and I stormed out.
The next day, some of the other people that were there reached out to me and said I was a little harsh on Evie and that my issue is really with Matt, which I guess I understand. I ended up reaching out to Evie and apologized for calling her out of her name, but told her if Matt was who she’s planning on taking to my wedding that I’m retracting her +1. She told me I was being overly dramatic and that if he doesn’t get to go, then she’s not gonna go, which is just so fuckin dumb.
I can’t even tell who I think sucks more at this point between the two of them, but am I also sucky for inadvertently uninviting her because of her dumb fuck boyfriend?
That was a doozy, but however, this very much feels like an ‘everyone sucks here.’ What do y’all think, though?
The post Do I Suck For…Revoking My Friend’s +1 To My Wedding Because Her BF Still Supports Tim Lambesis? appeared first on MetalSucks.
Last month, progressive trailblazers Enslaved officially announced their forthcoming studio album, Mið, set for release on October 30 via Nuclear Blast Records. Throughout their 35-year journey, across 17 albums, the Norwegian vanguard have continually redefined the boundaries of progressive black Metal, weaving Old Norse histories and sacred traditions into complex modern soundscapes. With their latest offering, Enslaved turn their gaze toward the fundamental concept of the axis: the middle, the origin, and the infinite reach of the present moment.
Building on the momentum of their latest tracks Solar Will and Spirit Helper (feat. Kevin Kicking Woman), the band have now unveiled the album’s next single, Tales Of Trees. The song uses the majesty and fragility of the natural world as a mirror for the human condition. Through a blend of complex progressive structures and searing black Metal atmosphere, the band draws a parallel between Mother Nature and the psyche.
“Tales Of Trees is indeed tales about trees,” Vocalist/bassist Grutle Kjellson said, “but perhaps not first and foremost in a botanical sense. Trees can grow, shine, and flourish, but they can also wither and burn. They need to be tended to and looked after in one way or another, and thus serve as a fitting parallel to the human mind, let alone humanity as a whole.
“Trees as symbols of something more than mere botanical creatures have appeared throughout history, both in mythological tales and in folklore. So, I think this tale is a fitting accompaniment to the Heavy and yet dynamic tunes of this composition.”
“Tales Of Trees can be both a tribute to our wooden relatives on this planet – who have had rather a lot of patience with us – and a metaphor for so much more,” Guitarist Ivar Bjørnson said. “The winding time signatures of folk music and the adventurous spirit of classic prog are natural ingredients in my songwriting, and they feel particularly at home here.
“There is something about our kinship with trees that is both deeply familiar and wonderfully strange: everyday encounters with something we barely understand. That sense of recognition and mystery is at the heart of this song, opening another path into the world of ‘Mið’.”
You can pre-order Mið from enslaved.bfan.link/mid.
To celebrate the arrival of Mið, Enslaved will hit the road across the UK and Europe in February 2027 on a co-headline tour with Iceland’s Sólstafir, with support from Norway’s Gaahls Wyrd.
“Europe! In February we are heading out on a co-headlining tour with our good friends in Sólstafir,” Enslaved said. “There is a kinship here that goes beyond a shared enthusiasm for questionable weather: the belief that music should be allowed to find its own path, even when it refuses to explain where it is going.
“Bringing Mið into that company, and into a room with all of you, feels very right. Making a record is one part of the adventure; discovering what happens to it when we meet you out there is another. That exchange still means everything to us. See you in the flesh.”
Tickets go on sale on 25 September at 9am BST / 10am CEST from Enslaved.no
04/02/27 – DE Berlin, Festsaal
05/02/27 – DE Leipzig, Felsenkeller
06/02/27 – DE Hamburg, Fabrik
07/02/27 – DK Copenhagen, Amager Bio
08/02/27 – DE Frankfurt, Batschkapp
09/02/27 – FR Strasbourg, La Laiterie
11/02/27 – FR Rennes, Antipode
12/02/27 – FR Clermont-Ferrand, La Cooperative de Mai
13/02/27 – FR Toulouse, Le Metronum
14/02/27 – ES Barcelona, Razzmatazz 2
16/02/27 – FR Paris, Elysee Montmartre
17/02/27 – UK London, Electric Ballroom
18/02/27 – BE Liege, OM
19/02/27 – NL Nijmegen, Doornroosje
20/02/27 – NL Utrecht, Tivoli Pandora
21/02/27 – DE Cologne, Live Music Hall
23/02/27 – CH Solothurn, Kofmehl
24/02/27 – IT Milan, Magnolia
25/02/27 – AT Vienna, SIMM City
26/02/27 – PL Warsaw, Progresja
27/02/27 – CZ Brno, Fleda
On Friday, the hugely popular Louisville heavy hardcore band Knocked Loose took the stage at Louder Than Life, the giant rock festival in their hometown. Out in the audience, an accident changed the course of a Tennessee woman’s life. WHAS reports that Tennessee mother Jamie Ulshoffer has been paralyzed from the waist down after a man fell out of a tree and landed on her.
The post Woman Paralyzed After Man Falls From Tree Onto Her During Knocked Loose Set At Louder Than Life appeared first on Stereogum.
Last month, progressive trailblazers Enslaved officially announced their forthcoming studio album, Mið, set for release on October 30 via Nuclear Blast Records. Throughout their 35-year journey, across 17 albums, the Norwegian vanguard have continually redefined the boundaries of progressive black metal, weaving Old Norse histories and sacred traditions into complex modern soundscapes. With their latest offering, Enslaved turn their gaze toward the fundamental concept of the axis: the middle, the origin, and the infinite reach of the present moment.
Building on the momentum of their latest tracks ‘Solar Will‘ and ‘Spirit Helper‘ (feat. Kevin Kicking Woman)’, the band have now unveiled the album’s next captivating single, ‘Tales Of Trees‘. The song uses the majesty and fragility of the natural world as a mirror for the human condition. Through a blend of complex progressive structures and searing black metal atmosphere, the band draws a poignant parallel between Mother Nature and the psyche.
Voicalist / bassist Grutle Kjellson states:
“Tales of Trees is indeed tales about trees, but perhaps not first and foremost in a botanical sense. Trees can grow, shine, and flourish, but they can also wither and burn. They need to be tended to and looked after in one way or another, and thus serve as a fitting parallel to the human mind, let alone humanity as a whole. Trees as symbols of something more than mere botanical creatures have appeared throughout history, both in mythological tales and in folklore. So, I think this tale is a fitting accompaniment the the heavy and yet dynamic tunes of this composition”
Guitarist Ivar Bjørnson adds:
“‘Tales of Trees’ can be both a tribute to our wooden relatives on this planet – who have had rather a lot of patience with us; and a metaphor for so much more. The winding time signatures of folk music and the adventurous spirit of classic prog are natural ingredients in my songwriting, and they feel particularly at home here.There is something about our kinship with trees that is both deeply familiar and wonderfully strange: everyday encounters with something we barely understand. That sense of recognition and mystery is at the heart of this song, opening another path into the world of ‘Mið’.”
To celebrate the arrival of Mið, Enslaved will hit the road across the UK and Europe in February 2027 as a co-headline with Iceland’s Sólstafir, with support coming from Norway’s Gaahls Wyrd.
Enslaved commented:
“Europe! In February we are heading out on a co-headlining tour with our good friends in Sólstafir. There is a kinship here that goes beyond a shared enthusiasm for questionable weather: the belief that music should be allowed to find its own path, even when it refuses to explain where it is going. Bringing ‘Mið’ into that company, and into a room with all of you, feels very right. Making a record is one part of the adventure; discovering what happens to it when we meet you out there is another. That exchange still means everything to us. See you in the flesh!”
Tickets will go on-sale on September 25 at 9am BST / 10am CEST from https://enslaved.no/
ENSLAVED & SÓLSTAFIR
CO-HEADLINE TOUR 2027
w/ Gaahls Wyrd
04/02/27 – DE Berlin, Festsaal
05/02/27 – DE Leipzig, Felsenkeller
06/02/27 – DE Hamburg, Fabrik
07/02/27 – DK Copenhagen, Amager Bio
08/02/27 – DE Frankfurt, Batschkapp
09/02/27 – FR Strasbourg, La Laiterie
11/02/27 – FR Rennes, Antipode
12/02/27 – FR Clermont-Ferrand, La Cooperative de Mai
13/02/27 – FR Toulouse, Le Metronum
14/02/27 – ES Barcelona, Razzmatazz 2
16/02/27 – FR Paris, Elysee Montmartre
17/02/27 – UK London, Electric Ballroom
18/02/27 – BE Liege, OM
19/02/27 – NL Nijmegen, Doornroosje
20/02/27 – NL Utrecht, Tivoli Pandora
21/02/27 – DE Cologne, Live Music Hall
23/02/27 – CH Solothurn, Kofmehl
24/02/27 – IT Milan, Magnolia
25/02/27 – AT Vienna, SIMM City
26/02/27 – PL Warsaw, Progresja
27/02/27 – CZ Brno, Fleda
For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.
The post Enslaved Reveal Single and Announce European Tour Dates appeared first on The Razor's Edge.
Interview by Ali Williams Faroese artist Eivør is celebrating the impending release of her latest studio album, Tungl. For over two decades she has been considered one of Nordic music’s alluring treasures with her voice and also the range of her music, managing to captivate audiences worldwide. She is also midway through a European summer festival […]