I did the “whoo.”
The post I Didn’t Hate <em>Michael</em> appeared first on Stereogum.
It shouldn’t be surprising, but we don’t get a ton of punk or hardcore submissions here at Angry Metal Guy. We’re not Angsty Punk Bois, after all. I, however, particularly enjoy the intersections between punk and metal—sludge, grind, crust, crossover, powerviolence, etc. Metal’s straightforward aggression and punk’s vitriolic outrage complement each other well and scratch a specific itch. So when I saw Thorgrim’s debut LP, Puca, floating in the promo pit, I was sold on the Wisconsin trio’s promise of a heady mix of doom, punk, and a dash of black metal. Something like sludge but a skosh less acerbic? And maybe a little cold? Hopes were high, but did Thorgrim deliver?
No. Unequivocally, no. You see, Thorgrim boasts a live, one-take-only recording and production, laeving all mistakes and scrapes and buises on the record as some rebelilous statenemt against the overprodction of modren musi.c Opener “Children of Doom” starts with a symbol hit that I can onl assume was am istake, and a massive skip around the 3:30 mark undersores how unedited and haphazard this albu is. “Voyage to Saturn” strats in the midle of a note ,and “Death Angel” starts with off-beat dums and just cuts out at the ennd with no warning or considreation for flwo. nearly every tiem Thorgrimshifts from on eriff to another, the band dissembles, taking a couple meaesure to get back in time with ehachother (“Darkest Days,” “Bride of Frankenstein”1). Now, do you see how this paragraph is littered with typos? Do you see how shitty it looks? Like I put no effort into it? That’s exactly what listening to this album is like.2
Even ignoring the insultingly lazy recording style Thorgrim opted for, Puca is still impressively bad. Thorgrim seem to be diehard fans of repetition, as there are precious few riffs to discuss (much less remember) here. Album long player “Voyage to Saturn” features exactly two (2) riffs over its ten-minute runtime, and I couldn’t decide which was more boring. “Darkest Days” is brutally repetitive as well, and ultimately sounds like a parody of heavy metal music you might hear on a TV sitcom. The vocals on “Let’s Go” are so buried in the mix that I’m not entirely convinced they’re there, but this may be a boon for Thorgrim, as they sound more like gargling spit or choking on vomit than singing or screaming. The acoustic “Dark Cabin” apes Nirvana’s “About a Girl” so blatantly it might only be “legally distinct” by one note, while sporting some of the worst lyrical syncopation I have ever heard. Penultimate track “Bride of Frankenstein” reminds me of the Fire Temple in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, but bad. It’s ambient junk and random drums that don’t adhere to any kind of time signature or rhythm. When Puca mercifully ends, it’s with an inexplicable folk track that I’m fairly certain would be offensive to any actual neo/folk band.3
What’s most frustrating is that Puca could have been decent. “The Movies” is a punky upbeat track that smells like The Dogs, and I hear potential. With literally any amount of effort or care or refinement or fucks given, Thorgrim could have delivered at least one good track. Instead, it’s one of nine dumpster fires. Even outside of concept albums, there’s normally a unifying concept woven through a release, but I can’t find any such thing here, unless it’s the uniformly atrocious production value, which, coincidentally, is the only dash of black metal I found on Puca. It’s like they recorded in a concrete basement on a Fisher Price karaoke machine from 30 years ago.
Our internal scoring guide describes the score below as suggesting the band should look for another line of work. Puca is that bad. I’m honestly not sure what Thorgrim wanted to accomplish here. This album feels like a bad joke. Even if the music was good—which it’s not—and the production wasn’t worse than the first recording ever from 1860—which it is—the one-take-only presentation is not only lazy, it’s insulting. I get the intent that music today is overproduced and too shiny and clean and sterile, yeah, sure, whatever, but there are ways to fight that without leaving fucking mistakes on your album. A studio release should be a practiced, ideal version of each track, not whatever your hungover ass manages to puke out on recording day.
Rating: 0.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Octopus Rising4 | Argonauta Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: April 24th, 2026
The post Thorgrim – Puca Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.
Taylor Kirk, singer for the Canadian indie band Timber Timbre, has passed away. According to Exclaim!, a Kirk representative confirms that he died “suddenly” earlier this week. No cause of death has been reported. Kirk was 44.
The post Timber Timbre’s Taylor Kirk Dead At 44 appeared first on Stereogum.
Evanescence will be releasing their sixth studio album Sanctuary on June 5, 2026. Led by the single Who Will You Follow, the album marks a significant new milestone in the band’s storied career. Since their debut, they have maintained a global legacy as one of the most successful and enduring rock bands in modern music.
Evanescence music accompanied many fans through everything going around in the world around them, through sad and happy moments. Join us as we recap the timelines of the most significant events in Evanescence history, remembering what was going on in the world at the same time. For long term fans, I hope this timeline will trigger happy memories of your own, and for young fans, we hope this will help you appreciate this band’s history and legacy even more.
1994
Meanwhile that same year:
2000
Meanwhile that same year:
2003
Meanwhile that same year:
2006
After being joined by Terry Balsamo and Tim McCord to complete the lineup alongside Amy Lee, John LeCompt, and Rocky Gray, Evanescence released their second studio album The Open Door in 2006.
Meanwhile that same year:
2011
Meanwhile that same year:
2015
Meanwhile that same year:
2015
Meanwhile that same year:
2017
Meanwhile that same year:
2021
Meanwhile that same year:
2022
Meanwhile that same year:
2026
The post From Fallen to Sanctuary: The Evanescence Timeline first appeared on FemMetal – Goddesses of Metal.
Their Sumerian Records debut album is due in May.
The post Sace6 Premiere Visualizer For “Reverie” Featuring Jxdn appeared first on Theprp.com.
Goth glam post-hardcore outfit Black Veil Brides have a new album titled VINDICATE coming out on May 8 via Spinefarm and they dropped its fourth single earlier today with “Revenger”. And unlike the other previous offerings, this one’s got something up its proverbial sleeve that most won’t see coming — they have Machine Head frontman Robb Flynn in the mix.
Focusing on the whole vengeance = justice motif, the band says “Revenger” frames “vengeance as fantasy and delusion, following a self-styled avenger convinced that retribution could deliver justice.” Of course, that retribution is usually short lived, however, so don’t take the wrong message away from this one.
Black Veil Brides frontman Andy Biersack elaborated on that concept:
“I have always been interested in the sort of ethical dilemma that we have culturally of cheering for justice. I thought it would be an interesting exercise to write lyrics from the perspective of someone who is trying to seek out the ultimate form of justice.
“Because I was writing from someone else’s voice, this felt like the kind of song that would be best served by having someone else’s voice on the song. So, we brought in Robb Flynn of Machine Head. The reason he came to mind first was of course his voice, tonality and style I thought was perfect for this. He is also someone who was one of the first real defenders of Black Veil Brides. In the early days when we were getting absolutely shit on by every other metal band, Robb Flynn and Machine Head stood up for us and said positive things about us and has maintained that for years and years.
“I think it’s one of my favorite songs on the record.”
You can check out the track and preorder your copy of VINDICATE to ensure you get it when it drops on May 8. You can also catch BVB live at any of the tour dates listed below.
Black Veil Brides 2026 Tour Dates
Apr 25: Riverside, CA @ Municipal Auditorium ^
Apr 26: Reno, NV @ Grand Sierra Resort #
Apr 28: Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo #
Apr 30: Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union ^
May 01: Denver, CO @ Fillmore ^
May 02: Omaha, NE @ ASTRO #
May 04: Dallas, TX @ House of Blues ^
May 05: Houston, TX @ House of Blues ^
May 06: San Antonio, TX @ The Aztec ^
May 08: Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle ^
May 09: Daytona Beach, FL @ Welcome To Rockville *
May 11: Greensboro, NC @ Piedmont Hall ^
May 12: Norfolk, VA @ The Norva #
May 14: Philadelphia, PA @ Fillmore ^
May 15: Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE #
May 16: Columbus, OH @ Sonic Temple *
May 17: Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore ^
May 19: Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room ^
May 21: Minneapolis, MN @ The Fillmore ^
May 22: Chicago, IL @ Ramova Theatre ^
May 23: Madison, WI @ The Sylvee ^
May 25: Toronto, ON @ History ^
May 26: Montreal, QC @ M-Telus ^
May 28: New York, NY @ Palladium Times Square ^
May 29: Silver Spring, MD @ Fillmore ^
May 30: Worcester, MA @ The Palladium #
^ Promoted by Live Nation
* Festival appearance
# Not a Live Nation date
The post Black Veil Brides Team Up with Machine Head’s Robb Flynn for Their Latest Single “Revenger” appeared first on MetalSucks.
A new documentary chronicling the life and legacy of Gregg Allman is set for a theatrical release this summer.
Subtext, in association with Rolling Stone Films, has announced that Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul will arrive in U.S. theaters on June 17. The release will include one-week engagements in Los Angeles and New York, along with one-night screenings across the country.
Directed by GRAMMY and Golden Globe Award-winning filmmaker James Keach, the feature-length documentary explores the life and career of Allman, the influential voice behind the The Allman Brothers Band and a central figure in the development of Southern rock.
Ahead of the nationwide release, two premiere events are scheduled. The first will take place June 9 at New York City’s Gramercy Theatre and will feature a special acoustic performance by Devon Allman and Duane Betts. The second event will be held June 11 at the Grand Opera House in Macon, Georgia, and will include a special appearance by Chuck Leavell. Both events will include a screening of the film and a Q&A with members of the filmmaking team.
Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul traces Allman’s journey through personal tragedy, addiction, and artistic triumph, incorporating archival footage, interviews, and live performances. The film examines key moments in his life, including the death of his brother and bandmate Duane Allman, and explores how those experiences shaped his music and legacy.
The documentary also looks at the broader cultural impact of Allman and the Allman Brothers Band, highlighting their role in breaking racial barriers in the American South and their deep connection to Black musical traditions.
The film marks the first release from Subtext, a production and distribution company launched in 2026 by Danielle DiGiacomo, Brian Levy, and Teddy Liouliakis, with a focus on music-driven storytelling.
“Gregg’s story totally resonated with me,” says James Keach, “especially his relationship with his brother, Duane. I have a very close relationship with my brother, Stacy. We worked together for years on a lot of great projects – The Long Riders was formative for us as well as for the Carradine and Quaid brothers – and the thought of losing my brother at such a young age really got me.
“Not everyone works this way, but I believe that understanding trauma from the formative years of a person’s life is central when telling their story in a documentary. A lot of incredible artists have these shattering experiences in their past that inform every aspect of their lives and talent. Gregg had those demons inside his amazingly creative brain. He dove deep into his addiction when Duane died, but later in life, when he was sober, he faced his own mortality with dignity and acceptance. It’s personally important to me to carry Gregg’s message of trying to change the trajectory of people consumed by addiction. You can hear the ache in his voice in his brilliant music.”
“I was Gregg’s friend,” says Michael Lehman. “This movie is personal to me because I want the world to know the Gregg behind the music.
“Gregg was impacted by, among other things, his profoundly close relationship and the tragic loss of his brother Duane. His music reflects the joy and the pain of his life experiences. I chose James Keach to direct this film because James is both an incredibly talented director and has a close relationship with his own brother, Stacy. I knew from the start that he would bring to life Gregg’s story, including the relationship with Duane and with his band, The Allman Brothers Band, and that James would be able to create both an enjoyable and deeply memorable film.”
“Gregg Allman’s music is woven into the fabric of American culture, and this film captures both the artistry and the humanity behind the legend,” said Brian Levy of Subtext. “We’re proud to bring the film to American audiences, offering devoted fans rare insight and archival material while introducing Gregg’s legacy to a new generation.”
The post Gregg Allman documentary gets theatrical release appeared first on Blues Rock Review.