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Slaughter to Prevail was originally published on HM Magazine by Casey Conemac.

Slaughter to Prevail was originally published on HM Magazine by Casey Conemac.

At present they mostly have festival appearances booked for 2026.

The post The Used Announce Two July East Coast Headlining Shows appeared first on Theprp.com.

Interview by Angela Croudace Photo credit Diana Seifert For George Marios, influence isn’t something he carefully maps out, it happens instinctively. Drawing from artists like Alter Bridge and Dream Theater, he describes his sound as a kind of “musical osmosis,” where ideas naturally collide and evolve. Even unexpected touchpoints, like the atmospheric pull of Jeff […]

A bleak future begets the perfect swansong

Death metal has never been a medium to shy away from the real-world ramifications of its namesake. One might even venture to say that the artists who work in any of the subgenres’ respective styles have a keener sense as to the tragedy of human mortality than the average person.

For longtime and now dearly departed Gothenburg titan and At The Gates vocalist Tomas Lindberg, suspicions of the end of the trail being in view came with the diagnosis of a rare form of cancer in the midst of composing the eventual follow-up to the band’s 2021 LP The Nightmare Of Being, prompting a rather unconventional recording arrangement for their 8^th studio album per his band mates’ testimony. In what could be described as a highly self-aware if pessimistic expression of artistry, Lindberg would rebrand what would become his final will and testament to the metal community from the working title of The Dissonant Void to the more poignant and haunting one of The Ghost Of A Future Dead, codifying a mighty swansong and arguably greatest album since At The Gates’ formative years.

Every aspect of this explosive display of northern coldness and aggression embodies the unique disposition that melodic death metal has held, residing in a perfect middle ground between the mainline and extreme wings of metal in much the same manner that thrash metal did before it.

Studio gimmickry and atmospheric additives are generally kept to a minimum to make room for a furious presentation that can stand face to face with the vintage auditory violence of Stockholm forerunners Dismember, Entombed and Unleashed, building a foundation of pummeling riff work and a thunderous rhythm section for Anders Bjorler and Martin Larsson to tastefully sprinkle sorrowful guitar melodies upon.

The instrumental proves far more thrashing and technically charged than the current handiwork of scene compatriots In Flames and Dark Tranquillity, reminiscing almost purely upon where the style was just as it crossed the Rubicon between underground status and popular consciousness in the mid-90s. In the midst of it all stands Lindberg’s final performance on vocals, supposedly performed over a single day just prior to extensive surgery and radiation therapy in early 2024, exuding the same level of rabid fervor that he brought to Slaughter Of The Soul almost 30 years prior.

The sense of urgency that likely dominated the recording sessions that paved the way for these songs is on full display in the final product, almost as if this 5-piece outfit was reliving their initial ascent to prominence with all the ambition and hunger that went with it. The high octane explosion of “The Fever Mask” strikes a mighty first blow, arising from a horrific ambient crescendo to a hyper-thrashing slay fest that exemplifies what melodeath was before it was refined for mass consumption.

The same breakneck approach is taken on the frenzied crushers “The Dissonant Void” and “A Ritual Of Waste”, albeit with an even more chaotic riff display to go with the fast-paced drumming and gravely ravings of Lindberg’s mid-ranged bark. Curiously enough, the technical display put on by Anders during each solo segment is a cut above the rest, bringing an even more overt old school vibe into the equation on more nuanced yet still fast entries like “Of Interstellar Death” and “Tomb Of Heaven” that thrash just as fiercely yet also come with more sectional twists and turns.

Even when the tempo eases off a bit, and a greater degree of groove and depth to the arrangement comes into play, none of the fire and fervor is lost. The almost death ‘n’ roll oriented up tempo stride of “In Dark Distortion” comes with plenty of haunting guitar harmony lines and streaming chords, but the bottom end still shakes the proverbial earth at regular intervals, and Lindberg’s primal growl rages on undeterred. Slower entries like the shuffling fist to the gut “Det Oerhorda” and the mid-paced “Parasitical Hive” come with more subdued and atmospheric moments, but also don’t slouch in the aggression department and match imagery of dark and lonely caverns with a mighty storm of riffs.

Some truly rich and sorrowful melodic guitar lines paint the fringes of two shorter entries in the dreary acoustic balladry of “Forgangligheten” and the shifting groove machine “The Phantom Gospel”. But at the end of the day, things are at their zenith point when raging at full speed, and among the latter entries in this bleak endeavor is a pair of absolute beasts in chaotic thrasher “The Unfathomable” and the closing hurrah “Black Hole Emission”.

It’s hard to fully appreciate the sheer level of loss that comes with this juggernaut of an album, for who can truly quantify the future potential of any person at any point in their life, let alone one with such an impressive body of work as the one carrying Tomas’ name. But insofar as this, his final gift to the scene that he played a pivotal part in shaping, goes, one could hardly ask for a better and more fitting send-off.

The inevitable Persian Flaw of a vocal performance that was put together in a rush during the demo stages of production being grafted onto an instrumental arrangement that was crafted and honed over around 2 months is immediately obvious, yet the contrast between Lindberg’s raw and almost live performance and the polished musical backdrop carries its own charm that parallels the days of lower fidelity recordings that birthed the melodic death metal subgenre.

Where one road ends, others are sure to begin, and this road reached its destination in an utter blaze of glory that no self-respecting fan of death metal should miss.

Release Date: April 24th, 2026
Record Label: Century Media Records
Genre: Melodic Death Metal

Musicians:

• Tomas Lindberg / Lead vocals
• Anders Björler / Guitars
• Martin Larsson / Guitars (1–10, 12)
• Jonas Björler / Bass (tracks 1–10, 12)
• Adrian Erlandsson / Drums (1–10, 12)

Additional Musicians:

• Charlie Storm / Keyboards (1)
• Fredrik Wallenberg / Background vocals (3)
• Gunnar Hjorth / Classical guitar (11)

The Ghost Of A Future Dead Tracklist:

1. The Fever Mask (03:12)
2. The Dissonant Void (02:47)
3. Det Oerhörda (03:35)
4. A Ritual of Waste (03:35)
5. In Dark Distortion (03:50)
6. Of Interstellar Death (03:45)
7. Tomb of Heaven (03:53)
8. Parasitical Hive (04:34)
9. The Unfathomable (04:07)
10. The Phantom Gospel (02:44)
11. Förgängligheten (02:41)
12. Black Hole Emission (03:39)

Order the album here.

The post AT THE GATES – The Ghost Of A Future Dead (Album Review) appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Whitechapel was originally published on HM Magazine by Casey Conemac.

Whitechapel was originally published on HM Magazine by Casey Conemac.

Remember Two Minutes To Late Night? That was my motherfucking shit. Two Minutes To Late Night started off as a metal-themed late-night talk show parody at the tragically defunct Brooklyn venue St. Vitus, but it turned into something else during the pandemic. The comedian Jordan Olds, in character as Gwarsenio Hall, would round up heavy…

The post Blood Vulture – “You Fail Me” (Converge Cover) appeared first on Stereogum.

Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted is taking The Chophouse Band on the road this summer for their first-ever North American headlining run — 18 dates across the South, Midwest, and East Coast, kicking off 07/01 in Northampton, Massachusetts, and wrapping up with two nights at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on 07/24 and 07/25.

Eight of those dates are headlining shows; the remaining ten see Newsted and company supporting Atlanta country rock outfit Blackberry Smoke through July. Tickets go on sale Friday, 04/24 at 10 a.m. local time. Get them here.

The 2026 Jason Newsted & The Chophouse Band lineup features Jesse Farnsworth (guitar, vocals), Jimbo Hart (bass, vocals), Humberto Perez (guitar), and Robert John-Tucker (drums, vocals).

Newsted had this to say about the run: “We’re fired up to finally take this to the people, and it’s an honor to head out on the road with the Blackberry crew for our first proper run. Blackberry Smoke has built a loyal following that knows and enjoys good music.”

“We’ll be performing The Chophouse Band originals and selections from a few of our heroes. Even at places like the Ryman, we will play some acoustic-based tunes, but throughout the set, it is guaranteed to get heavy!,” he added.

The Chophouse Band plays a rough-edged brand of Americana with roots stretching into bluegrass, folk, soul, rock, and heavy metal — and Newsted‘s lyrics lean personal, threading his own stories through the music.

He elaborated on the band’s direction: “I’ve realized that this is where I can place my energy effectively now. The Chophouse is the continuation of my ambassadorship of American music. The Chophouse Band plays everything from bluegrass to fucking slabs of metal. We’re covering a lot of ground. There could be country flavor to a song, but it’ll still have sharp teeth. We are looking forward to an exciting summer!”

The band takes its name from Newsted‘s four recording studio facilities around the U.S. It got its start in 1992 when Newsted founded The Chophouse Records Studio in San Francisco, with The Chophouse Band performing periodically at benefit shows supporting veterans’ relief, animal rehabilitation, and youth music and arts education programs ever since.

The post Former METALLICA Bassist JASON NEWSTED And His THE CHOPHOUSE BAND Are Heading Out On Their First-Ever North American Headlining Tour appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Nine Inch Nails’ LP with Boys Noize, Raye’s collaboration with Al Green, the latest from a Black Midi member and more.

Atilla was originally published on HM Magazine by Casey Conemac.

Atilla was originally published on HM Magazine by Casey Conemac.

This past Friday, California-based multi-instrumentalist Leila Abdul-Rauf released a sonically intense album when she dropped her sixth studio effort, Andros Insidium via 20 Buck Spin. Known for her work on five Vastum albums, Abdul-Rauf has been working on her solo efforts for a while now. This time around, her album serves as the darkest, most confrontational piece of music in her career.

Described as a deep dive into the “dark vastness of the psyche of woman,” the album is appropriately cinematic and dark, with ambience and industrial flair building the backbones of the entire release. The whole project comes with some special guest contributions from Samuel Foster (ex-Saros, ex-Weakling), Kienan Hamilton (Cartilage, False Figure), Gregory C. Hagan (ex-Common Eider, King Eider, ex-Thomas Carnacki), and Drew Zercoe (Field Of Fear), so be sure to keep an ear out for them.

But enough jibber jabber from yours truly. Here’s Leila Abdul-Rauf giving a deep dive breakdown of each track on Andros Insidium.

“Descent Into Kur”

Among the ceremonial din of gongs, a choir narrates Inanna‘s treacherous descent into the underworld. The militant drumming (courtesy of Sam Foster) signals the calling that lures Inanna into the underworld as she braces herself for a journey of violence and harm.

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“Stripped Before the Eye of Death”

Steeped in an ambiance of doom-laden synths, the lyrics continue telling the myth: Inanna has reached the deep darkness of the underworld. She is murdered by the sister goddess Ereshkigal, her corpse hung from a nail on a wall. She is later rescued and brought back to life through the help of her servant and gods, and sacrificial killing of her husband.

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“Eros Anima”

The most cinematically epic track on the album, the lyrics describe the incestuous dance of the two goddesses, free to roam in the darkness and explore their innermost desires away from the gaze of male dominance. Lute sections deftly performed by Kienan Hamilton, and Sam Foster reappears on percussion. One of my personal faves on the album.

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“Senex Rule”

Ancient sounding horns call and respond to the deeply resident throat-singing courtesy of Gregory Hagan, evoking a landscape of medievalism concurrent with the decline of a matriarchal goddess age, and a rise of patriarchy in myth and religion. Originating from a trumpet improv, this was the first song written for this album, from which the rest of the tracks developed.

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“Fractured Body”

An electronified, industrialized reimagining of Vastum’s “Corpus Fractum”, I love how hard this song hits – a relentless frame drum beats among a backdrop of heavy distorted synths; it’s a staple in my life set. Drew Zercoe contributes a few vocal lines at the end. The lyrics are more philosophically driven, describing someone on the brink of a crucial inner development, digging deeply and searching, always questioning…

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“Andros Insidium”

Stripped down instrumentally to just voice, piano, and synths, the title track is the most emotionally raw song on the album. The lyrics depict a revenge fantasy of a survivor against their abuser through castration and sodomy, which in this story, is enacted by a vengeful goddess. It speaks to the rage-filled fantasy the individual has against an attacker as well as the collective rage caused by systemic abuse through sexual, political, relational, emotional control. The goddess’s acts of revenge symbolize a reckoning against patriarchal harm and an imagined dawning of a new age where feminine power and wisdom are restored – violent and unapologetic.

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“A Requiem For Ishtar”

The title track hits such a nerve, I felt that the listener needed space to sit in grief during whatever track would follow it. Featuring more of my signature ambient drones and horns, this was my first attempt at plainchant style vocals, and it felt appropriate to sing about the death of Inanna-Ishtar, as a symbol of the death of the feminine divine, weakened by a rising patriarchy.

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“Return To Anu”

Almost the entirety of this album deals with such dark subject matter – a darkness that keeps compounding upon itself – I felt its conclusion needed some semblance of light at the end of the tunnel, a bittersweet finale. Kienan Hamilton makes a reappearance with wistful lute passages. The lyrics tell of Inanna’s eventual return from the underworld reuniting with her people. Not unscathed, she bears her scars as badges of honor. It describes the journey of Everywoman and her survival amidst a world that hates her and wants her shrunken, silent or dead. We rejoice the return of Inanna, not taking her power for granted, as we visualize the path towards a new goddess age in the modern world that benefits all, hardened and restrengthened against the threat of an ever-present manosphere.

The post Exclusive: Leila Abdul-Rauf Breaks Down ‘Andros Insidium’ Track By Track appeared first on MetalSucks.