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In celebration of Iron Maiden’s 50th anniversary, San Francisco Bay Area thrash veterans Heathen have released a cover of Iron Maiden’s The Number Of The Beast track “The Prisoner.” The recording pulls samples from the classic British TV series of the same name, enlists artist Dan Goldsworthy — known for his work with Accept, Inhuman Condition and Haken — to Eddie-ify the goblin from “Goblin’s Blade,” a callback to Heathen’s 1987 debut Breaking The Silence, and reworks the band’s logo to evoke Maiden’s iconic lettering. The track was mixed and mastered by Chris “Zeuss” Harris at Planet Z, known for his work with 3 Inches of Blood, Municipal Waste and Shadows Fall.

Heathen guitarist Kragen Lum commented: “What can we say about the legendary Iron Maiden that hasn’t already been said? They’ve given us 50 years of energetic, melodic metal that’s inspired Heathen and legions of other bands in the genre.

“‘The Prisoner’ was an easy choice for us to cover, with its heavy intro, uptempo verses, catchy chorus, and classic instrumental section. We added a few touches to ‘Heathenize’ the song while staying true to what made it so great when it was first released in 1982.

“Enjoy this recording as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of heavy metal’s greatest bands. Up the Irons!”

The cover arrives alongside Heathen’s extensive two-leg North American tour. The first leg opens July 17 in Derry, New Hampshire supporting Metal Church, running through July 26 in Leesburg, Virginia. The second leg sees Heathen headline with support from Louisiana horror thrashers Void, kicking off July 27 in Raleigh, North Carolina and wrapping August 9 in Toronto, Ontario.

The band said of the run: “We’re stoked to join the legendary Metal Church on this short tour of the Northeastern U.S. and Canada. We’ll be bringing our A-game for these shows before heading out on a run of headlining dates across the Midwest, Northeast, and Canada with the killer Void as direct support.

“We’ve put together a set packed with classics, fan favorites, and a few surprises that you won’t want to miss. Grab your tickets, and we’ll see you in the pit!”

Heathen North American tour supporting Metal Church:

• July 17 — Derry, NH — Tupelo Music Hall
• July 18 — Montreal, QC — Foufounes Électriques
• July 19 — Quebec City, QC — La Source de la Martinière
• July 21 — Ottawa, ON — Overflow
• July 22 — Newton, NJ — The Newton Theater
• July 23 — Pittsburgh, PA — The Crafthouse
• July 24 — Rochester, NY — Montage Music Hall
• July 25 — Reading, PA — Reverb
• July 26 — Leesburg, VA — Tally Ho Theater

Heathen headline dates with support from Void:

• July 27 — Raleigh, NC — Chapel of Bones
• July 28 — Atlanta, GA — The EARL
• July 31 — Hamden, CT — Space Ballroom
• Aug. 1 — Philadelphia, PA — Nikki Lopez (matinee)
• Aug. 2 — Columbus, OH — Ace of Cups
• Aug. 4 — Milwaukee, WI — X-Ray Arcade
• Aug. 5 — Indianapolis, IN — Black Circle
• Aug. 6 — Detroit, MI — Sanctuary
• Aug. 7 — Kitchener, ON — Maxwell’s
• Aug. 9 — Toronto, ON — The Cave

This past February, Heathen announced a new deal with Napalm Records, marking it with the release of “Never A God,” the title track of Laughing Dead’s first demo — a band fronted by Heathen vocalist David White in the early 1990s.

Heathen is often credited alongside Exodus, Testament, Forbidden, Death Angel and Vio-lence as one of the leaders of the Bay Area thrash metal scene of the mid-to-late 1980s. The band has released four studio albums: Breaking The Silence (1987), Victims Of Deception (1991), The Evolution Of Chaos (2009) and Empire Of The Blind (2020), the latter charting in the Top 40 in Germany, Hungary and Scotland. Heathen’s current lineup is David White (vocals), Kragen Lum (guitars), Kyle Edissi (guitars), Jason Mirza (bass) and Blake Anderson (drums).

The post HEATHEN Releases “The Prisoner” Cover in Honor of IRON MAIDEN’s 50th Anniversary appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

John Mitchell, guitarist, singer-songwriter and producer known for his work with It Bites, Frost*, Arena and Asia, has announced the final Lonely Robot album. An Ending will be released on September 11th, 2026, via White Knight Records, on CD and vinyl.

Mitchell began Lonely Robot, inspired by a single image: Carl Sagan requesting that the cameras on Voyager 2 be turned around before the probe left our solar system forever. What came back was the Pale Blue Dot, a photograph of Earth from 3.7 billion miles away. A barely visible speck suspended in a ray of light. That image, and everything Sagan wrote about it, is where Lonely Robot was born.

Over five albums, Mitchell has followed an astronaut stranded in space, unable to return home. He gazes down at that pale blue dot and asks the kind of questions Sagan spent his life wrestling with. What are we? Why do we behave as we do? What does it mean to be human? The first three Lonely Robot albums looked outward at our species. The fourth and fifth turned the lens inward, as the same frailties the astronaut had observed in humanity, he began to recognise in himself. The grand philosophical questions became something far more personal. The big picture and the individual life are, it turns out, the same thing.

An Ending is where the two threads finally come together. Mitchell always sensed that this would be the conclusion for Lonely Robot, but the astronaut’s journey of discovery and acceptance was an important story to tell.

Mitchell comments, “With this album, I wanted to close the circle of the Lonely Robot universe and bring back some of the elements that inspired the initial writing process.”

The astronaut has now travelled the full distance. He accepts, at long last, that he will never return home. Although there is grief in that, there is also, finally, peace

Mitchell concludes, “I hope Lonely Robot fans find this to be a fitting epilogue to the most creative decade of my life.”

An Ending releases on September 11th, 2026, on CD and double vinyl.

Pre-order now at: www.lonelyrobot.co.uk

John Mitchell – Vocals, guitars, bass guitar, keyboards.
Craig Blundell (Frost*, Steve Hackett, Steven Wilson) – Drums
Jez Fielder – Additional Guitar on The River and Rearview

Track List
This World Window
Show The Way
Back To The Middle
In Ocean Light
Ad Astra
Where In The World
Twin Suns
The River
Rearview
Bending Light
The Iron Sea
Oblique
Synthetic (Bonus track – vinyl only)

The post John Mitchell announces final Lonely Robot album ‘An Ending’ – new video “This World Window” out now appeared first on The Prog Report.

Bloodstock Announce Final Bands & more

Good news! BLOODSTOCK was digging down the back of the sofa while watching the footie and found a few extra Wednesday early arrival add-on tickets. They’ve dropped in the ticket store here NOW, so snap ‘em up if you’d missed out before. These are the final ones available. 

All weekend tickets and Sunday day tickets for 2026 are now sold out, but you can still get Friday and/or Saturday day tickets for £99 (+fees) to be part of the fun! Not been to the festival before? A day ticket is a perfect taster to see what you think! Child tickets are also available and under 4’s attend for free. Visit the ticket store to see all options and if you’re coming by car, pre-book to save on car parking!

With BLOODSTOCK now just around the corner, it’s time for the final flourish of METAL 2 THE MASSES news – the last batch of finalists heading to the Stowford Press New Blood Stage has arrived, closing out months of regional battles in style!

Friday welcomes genre-blending Merseyside outfit ARCHAEA who bring their hard rock/metal hybrid to the stage, horn-fuelled Oxford skacore crew REDEEMON promising circle pits and skanking in equal measure, Devon and Cornwall metalcore force CARRIER, Bristol’s MARTYRS SAINT whose brutal face-off of hardcore meets thrash makes for a relentless, punishing live assault, and Nuneaton newcomers THRASH MOB, an old-school thrash band barely eight months old and already tearing up the underground.

Sunday rounds things off with London’s genre-melting groove metallers SOLATIA, Brighton’s dingy-basement grunge favourites MOTH, and Stoke-on-Trent’s RETURN TO SOLACE, forged in friendship and loss, delivering oppressive riffs and explosive vocals for fans of Lamb of God and Architects alike.

That’s the full METAL 2 THE MASSES roster locked in – congratulations to every band who made it through, and to everyone who entered, thank you for keeping the new blood flowing. See you all down the front! Applications for venues/regions to take part in 2027’s battle will open immediately after the festival!

Did you know that besides the 100+ real ales on offer at the festival (not forgetting wine and some cocktails), BLOODSTOCK also has a range of non-alcoholic, gluten-free, and vegan beverages? That includes Bitburger 0.0, Guinness 0.0, Thornbridge’s alcohol-free Green Mountain Hazy Session IPA and their gluten-free & vegan-friendly Lukas Helles lager, Dancing Duck’s Ay Up pale ale (gluten-free), alcohol-free options of Kopparberg, Motorhead Overkill pilsner (gluten-free & vegan friendly), and more.

BLOODSTOCK hasn’t forgotten craft brew aficionados either, Oakham have you covered – look out for Bishops Farewell, Citra, Devil’s Horns, Helter Skelter, Inferno, Darkness Falls, and additional options.

If cider’s your thing, how about a crisp pint of Thistly Cross, Old Rosie, Rosie’s Pig Cloudy or Rhubarb, or indeed, a classic Lilley’s Mango (or Strawberry), to name just a few?

BLOODSTOCK can’t promise it comes with fruit and a paper umbrella, but if you like alcoholic slushies, look no further than these choice frozen cocktails: strawberry daiquiri with vodka, tequila-based margarita, and a tropical pina colada with rum! There will be non-slushie cocktails too, including the iconic espresso martini!

As for black beer fans, there’s Milestone’s Honey Porter, Thornbridge’s Necessary Evil and Market Porter, the award-winning Dark from Brains, Salted Caramel Lucaria (an ice cream porter), Old Peculiar, Motorhead’s Dancing With The Devil, Bradfield’s Farmers Stout, Coco Cocoa (yes, a coconut chocolate porter), as well as Plum Porter and True Stout Nitro from Titanic for you to try – and a few more, we lost track.

Don’t forget BLOODSTOCK‘s PREO is now up and running, featuring an array of festival goodies from nice-to-have to downright essential! From beers, ciders, and wine (for the first time!) to merch, airbeds, duvets/pillows, and more, you can secure your items in advance from one online shop. There’s also a limited edition sun hat from Fat Franks for just £5, with all proceeds going to the Samaritans. No lugging it from your car, just collect on your arrival, ice cold from the Midgard campsite bar at BLOODSTOCK! For more info and to explore the online shop, visit the Bloodstock Festival Preo store. 

In other news, MERCH has been flying off the (virtual) shelves at unprecedented levels this year! If you want to guarantee your shirt size, or bag one of the coveted Stabubu’s or branded cups, click and collect is the way to go – but you’ll need to be quick, as advance orders close on July 18th. Click and collect customers are given an allocated time slot over the weekend to grab their goodies, so no queuing required when you arrive on site. Everything else will be available at the merch stand as usual, but be warned: once it’s gone, it’s gone! 

The DIXXON SIGNING TENT is returning! Located in its usual spot between the RAM Gallery and the Ronnie James Dio main page… who will you be able to meet?! You’ll just have to keep your eyes peeled here to find out, details will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Did you know that the Serpents Lair VIP area has its own Facebook page? If you’ve got a VIP ticket, maybe you should double check you haven’t missed any cool news, like Friday’s reveal of 10AM MORNING MOVIES! If you’ve crawled out of your tent in time, you’ll be able to catch SpaceBalls (Fri), Monty Python And The Holy Grail (Sat), and Robin Hood Men In Tights (Sun). Please be aware that this is not a supervised event and if you have them, you must accompany your children… or the other way around depending on who got the most sleep.

WELFARE 

BLOODSTOCK is paying attention to the weather even more closely than you are and wants everyone to have a safe and enjoyable festival. There are multiple free water points in the arena and signposted in all campsites – they won’t run out; do bring a clear refillable water bottle with you. To see the locations of all water points, check out the site map. A number of other provisions are on standby if needed including water misters in the arena in front of the main stage and in the Sophie Lancaster tent to help cool you down, if BLOODSTOCK will see Catton Park embroiled in another extreme heatwave.

If you are struggling mentally or physically over the event, the welfare tent in the main arena is open 24 hours a day for medical or emotional support. There is also the Samaritans stand in the Midgard campsite again open for 24 hours for anyone that needs or wants to talk. If you (or anyone you know/see) has taken any substances you are worried about, and you want help or information, you can also speak to the non-judgemental team at Outreach 1625 who are also based in the Midgard campsite.  

Along with loads of other festivals across the UK, BLOODSTOCK has teamed up with the Association of Independent Festivals and Good Night Out Campaign to take part in the Safer Spaces 2026 Campaign. We’re dedicated to creating a safe, inclusive environment for our audiences, artists, and crew. Look out for the campaign online and at the festival, helping us all to look after one another.

BLOODSTOCK also supports #AskForAngela.

While BLOODSTOCK is generally very safe, like at all big events watch out for pick pockets and be mindful of where your phone is, especially in crowds. Don’t leave drinks unattended or leave valuables in your tent. If you have any concerns, do speak to a member of security. 

WHAT CAMPSITE?

Never been to BLOODSTOCK before and not sure which campsite to head for? Or perhaps looking to chat to some like-minded metalheads also going to BLOODSTOCK before you get there? 

If you’re not a fan of sleep, Midgard is for you – this campsite is recommended for campers aged 16+ due to legendary rowdiness and late-night entertainment (this includes the bin jousting). The opposite of Midgard is Ragnorak – the dedicated quiet campsite. Popular with families who have mini moshers, and anyone wanting a proper night’s kip before thrashing the day away in the pit. Niflheim is the accessible campsite, for those who have pre-arranged to camp there. Valhalla is where you can find Camp Loners & Newbies set up in a back corner, an unofficial, friendly Facebook group especially for those coming to BLOODSTOCK on their own or for the first time. With Ironwood, Jotunheim, Asgard, and Hel to choose from too (plus Vanaheim for our campervan pals, Kyrr for Kyrr ticket holders, & the Serpent’s Lair campsite for VIPers) you’re sure to find your home away from home!

TICKETS FOR 2027 & WHO IS PLAYING

Even though 2026’s event hasn’t happened yet, we’re already looking ahead to 2027! Mark your calendar now and start planning for August 5th – 8th, 2027.

If you want to be first to know 27 bands playing next year’s event, don’t miss Friday evening’s announcement at the Ronnie James Dio stage immediately after MUNICIPAL WASTE! 

As for TICKETS FOR 2027… Early bird standard weekend tickets will be available at the main entrance box office throughout the festival, priced £210.00 with no booking fee. Once they’re gone (and there’s a high chance these will sell out on site), the price rises to £235 plus booking fee, with general on-sale kicking off on Monday 10th August at 9am – so grabbing your early bird at the festival could save you a cool £34 per ticket.

VIP and Campervan tickets will go on sale on Wednesday 12th August at 9am. BLOODSTOCK is still finalising the VIP packages for next year, so watch official social platforms for full details coming soon!

BLOODSTOCK’s 25th anniversary is going to be truly unforgettable. BLOODSTOCK 2026 is delighted to present RJD headliners LAMB OF GOD, SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL, JUDAS PRIEST, and SAXON. Sophie Lancaster stage headliners will be CRYPTOPSY (None So Vile 30-year anniversary set), WEDNESDAY 13, LEPROUS, and CARPENTER BRUT. You’ll also be able to see BODY COUNT, SEPULTURA, MUNICIPAL WASTE, DEATH ANGEL, TESTAMENT, NORTHLANE, BLEED FROM WITHIN, VENDED, ORBIT CULTURE, THE SCRATCH, IMPERIAL AGE, LIFE OF AGONY, OF MICE & MEN, BIOHAZARD, 200 STAB WOUNDS, THE HELL, BLACK SPIDERS, SHINING, NEVERMORE, EVIL SCARECROW, HEAVYSAURUS, SKYND, PARTY CANNON, BATTLESNAKE, INHUMAN NATURE, KITTIE, CASTLE RAT, GRAPHIC NATURE, BOOTYARD BANDITS, EXCREMENTORY GRINDFUCKERS, HIDDEN INTENT, SELLSWORD, NECKBREAKKER, SEETHING AKIRA, HAMMER, STAMPIN GROUND, URNE, CELESTIAL SANCTUARY, THROWN INTO EXILE, VIKING SKULL, BOUND IN FEAR, IMPERIUM, FROGLORD, MUSHROOMHEAD, DREAM STATE, TRIVAX, MANTIS DEFEATS JAGUAR, BLOOD COUNTESS, GURT, OUTERGODS, FLAYED DISCIPLE, NOISEPICKER, ACID THRONE, ALUNAH, VOID BELOW, TEMPLES ON MARS, CONCRETE AGE, THRASHERWOLF, IMPERIAL DEMONIC, CHAINED SAINT, IMBRIUM, OVERPOWER, UNTAMED SILENCE, CHANGE PERSONA, AFTER SMOKE CLEARS, SOULRIDE, VANITAS, GOAT MAJOR, CANCEL THE TRANSMISSION, TEMPEST SAINT, TROLLMOTHER, DOSED, STITCHED, WREX, FOLLOWING THE SIGNS, THE CARTOON CARTEL, AETHORIA and more. See the full lineup at the official website.

For the most up to date festival information, visit the official website at bloodstock.uk.com.

BLOODSTOCK 2026 will take place at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 6th – 9th August, 2026.

For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.

The post Bloodstock Announce Final Bands & more appeared first on The Razor's Edge.

It’s that time of year again where we talk to as many bands as we can who are raring to blow you away at Bloodstock! Concrete Age will be rocking the New Blood stage on the Friday… Simple things first – where are you guys from? Ilia (vocals/guitars): Concrete Age was originally formed in 2011 … Continue reading Road To Bloodstock 2026: Concrete Age

Iron Maiden singer discusses some of the worst moments of his career and laments the tricks he’ll never be allowed to perform. Continue reading…

Posted on July 14th 2026, 3:30pm

“Oh, I wish I had help back then/ Oh, I wish I had better friends.” That is a truly heavy sentiment, expressed about as directly as it can possibly be. It’s the opening line of “I Wish,” the devastating new single from the Australian singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin. Get ready for this thing to fuck you up.

The post Julia Jacklin – “I Wish” appeared first on Stereogum.

GoFundMe campaign for health care raises over $200,000 in first 12 hours as family swear bassist won’t go quietly. Continue reading…

Death Metal Pioneer MIKE BROWNING, Founding Member of MORBID ANGEL and NOCTURNUS, Dies at 62

MIKE BROWNING, Drummer-Vocalist Who Helped Launch MORBID ANGEL in 1986 and Founded NOCTURNUS in 1987, Dies at 62

Former Morbid Angel and Nocturnus drummer-vocalist Mike Browning has died at the age of 62. Browning’s passing was confirmed on July 13 by Profound Lore Records, which released the two albums from his most recent band, Nocturnus AD.

“RIP death metal legend/sci-fi death metal godfather Mike Browning of Nocturnus/Nocturnus AD. Journey beyond the gateway to the outer void!” the label wrote.

Morbid Angel also paid tribute to Browning on Instagram: “R.I.P Mike, thanks for helping making all this happen. Our condolences to his family & especially his daughter.”

Browning played on what was originally intended to be Morbid Angel’s debut album, Abominations Of Desolation. Recorded in 1986, the LP eventually saw the light of day in 1991. In a 2019 interview with Bardo Methodology, Browning stated about Abominations Of Desolation, which was initially recorded for David Vincent’s Goreque Records: “I signed a record contract with Goreque and then recorded a full album in a real studio… There are also a few things out there written by Trey [Azagthoth, Morbid Angel guitarist] himself where he clearly states that the album Abominations Of Desolation was coming out.

“After it had been recorded, we played three shows and Sterling Scarborough replaced John Ortega on bass. Not a word was said about technical shortcomings; everything was all set to go.

“It wasn’t until I caught Trey with my girlfriend and beat the hell out of him — which led to the band splitting in half — that he decided not to release it. Prior to this, Abominations… had been recorded and was going to be presented as Morbid Angel’s first LP. These comments about it not being technically good enough only came once I was out.”

Regarding the 1991 version of Abominations Of Desolation made available through Earache Records, Browning said: “I didn’t think it would ever happen, since the album had already been bootlegged to death. I knew that if someone wanted to hear it, they could find the recording pretty easily on just about any tapetrader list.

“I never thought it would be put out by Trey and David through Earache, especially when I was on the same label with Nocturnus. I remember seeing my friend Jim at the gas station and he had Abominations… blaring through the car stereo. I asked him, ‘What version is that? It sounds really clear’, and he said it was the Earache release which had just come out.

“I was on the label but knew nothing about it. I immediately contacted them: they’d bought the tapes from David Vincent and then released a limited edition in order to stop the bootlegging. Dig from Earache told me it was David’s decision to not credit anyone by name or picture in the booklet. By leaving out who played on the album or who wrote what, it was treated like a bootleg of a bootleg by both them and Earache. Could you imagine doing a real Abominations… remix from the original reels?”

In 1987, Browning left Morbid Angel and founded Nocturnus alongside guitarists Vincent Crowley and Gino Marino and bassist Richard Bateman. That original iteration of the band recorded a raw, occult-themed self-titled demo before shifting into a progressive, sci-fi-oriented direction with keyboards in the late 1980s. Browning served as drummer and vocalist on 1990’s The Key and played drums only on 1992’s Thresholds before being fired from the band in 1993.

Other projects during the 1980s and 1990s included Florida death metal bands Incubus and Acheron. In 2008, Browning released a solo album, Trancemissions, via Pharmafabrik Recordings under the Mike Browning’s Inner Workings banner.

Browning’s most recent band, Nocturnus AD, released its debut album, Paradox, in 2019 and its follow-up, Unicursal, in 2024, both via Profound Lore Records. Browning is survived by a daughter born in 2007.

The post Death Metal Pioneer MIKE BROWNING, Founding Member Of MORBID ANGEL & NOCTURNUS, Dies At 62 appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Fresh from their first-ever festival, Eddfest, which took place at Knebworth this past weekend, Iron Maiden have revealed details of a huge business partnership with Pophouse Entertainment.

The band have sold a stake in their publishing rights and master music rights, as well as their name, image, and likeness rights, to the Swedish company – they are the founding investors and brains behind the ABBA Voyage virtual show in London.

This means that Iron Maiden can “pursue new creative ventures that connect with existing fans as well as bringing their extensive catalogue to new audiences” over the next decade.

“I am very excited about our relationship with Pophouse and the ability we now have to pursue, facilitate, and finance our many plans and dreams quicker than we ever hoped,” said manager Rod Smallwood. “The interest in the band has never been bigger, and this strategic partnership, which we’ve been quietly working together on now for over a year, has already had results with the progress on the ‘Infinite Dreams Museum’ and the filming of the current show.”

“Rod and Andy [Taylor, joint CEOs of Phantom Music] have always encouraged and inspired us to take chances in developing Eddie and the worlds he inhabits, such as horror, gaming, or comic books,” adds Dave Shack, Managing Director of Phantom Music and Iron Maiden co-manager. “The band provides the cornerstone of what Maiden is – superlative music and incredible live shows, and the Phantom team have focused on developing parts of Maiden lore that we think our fans will embrace and enjoy. Such Maiden-related initiatives include an award-winning mobile game, a global fan club offering, a vibrant drinks business, books and comics, and, of course, merchandising in all its forms. It’s absolutely one of the greatest sandpits for a creative to play in – and Pophouse have already shown they belong in it.”

For our review of Eddfest, go here.