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Here are five ways people in the Midwest are doing Halloween differently this year. Get in on what’s trending with these ideas.

The post 5 Midwest Halloween Trends That Might Surprise You This Year appeared first on Audio Ink Radio.

Carissa’s Wierd, the Seattle-based duo of Jenn Champion and Mat Brooke, made some absolutely gorgeous DIY indie records back in the early ’00s, and now they’re doing it again. The group broke up way back in 2003 and then spun off into other acts, including Band Of Horses. (Brooke was an original member, and former Carissa’s Wierd leader Ben Bridwell still leads them.) After a one-off reunion single in 2011, Carissa’s Wierd are back together and getting ready to release Somewhere Further Than Far Away, their first album in 25 years. We’ve already heard the stunning lead single “No One Lives Here Anymore.” Now, they’ve got another one.

The post Carissa’s Wierd – “I Don’t Feel Like I Feel Right” appeared first on Stereogum.

Dave Lombardo says Reign In Blood still gives him the chills, forty years and one day after Slayer released it, and in a new Loaded Radio interview he explained exactly what the album does to him: sweaty palms, a rising heart rate, and an adrenaline hit that he says would bring him back from cardiac arrest if you played ‘Angel Of Death’ over him.

The drummer who played every one of the record’s 29 minutes also told us what modern thrash is missing, how the band pushed each other to play faster in the studio, and what comes to mind when he thinks of Jeff Hanneman. The full segment is at the bottom of this page.

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‘If I Go Into Cardiac Arrest, Play Angel Of Death’

Asked about Reign In Blood turning 40, Lombardo’s first reaction was physical, not historical: the album still triggers the same adrenaline it did on stage, and he described the symptoms in order.

‘Forty years, man,’ he said. ‘It still stands up today as one of the greatest metal albums of all time. It still gives me the chills when I listen to that album.’ Then the detail: ‘The palms, your hands get sweaty, your heart rate increases, and you’re in the moment.’ He’s played those songs more times than he could count, and the memory alone is enough. ‘When I listen to those songs, it triggers that adrenaline. I get charged.’

Then the line that’ll get clipped: ‘If I go into cardiac arrest, play “Angel Of Death” or “Raining Blood” or something. Here I am watching me just pop up like, hey, what’s going on?’ It’s a joke, and it isn’t. Reign In Blood is 28 minutes and 58 seconds long, released October 7, 1986, produced by Rick Rubin, and it sits at the top of most honest rankings of the Slayer catalogue and the shortlist of metal albums with no skips for the same reason Lombardo’s pulse still jumps: nothing on it lets up.

What Thrash Lost When The Software Arrived

Lombardo still loves good thrash, but he thinks a lot of modern records have lost the ‘push and pull’ of the originals, and he blames the recording software.

‘I enjoy thrash when I hear good thrash,’ he said. ‘There’s a lot of commendable attempts.’ The problem, as he sees it, is the tools: ‘Since computer software, music recording software, a lot of the music has turned very sterile. And so you kind of miss that push and pull of those albums that were almost restless. They were very aggressive, and you could hear it in the recording.’

Then he described how that aggression got onto tape in 1986, and it wasn’t a click track. ‘When we were recording those songs, we would look at each other and say, all right, let’s go. Come on, let’s fuckin’ kill it. Let’s nail this one. Let’s get this song faster. Play it just a little faster. Okay, let’s go. Count four.’ And the band would come in with ‘angst and adrenaline. And anger. Anxious, angst, adrenaline, everything.’ That’s the whole record in a sentence, and it’s why the bands who built thrash alongside Slayer sound the way they do: four people in a room daring each other.

‘He Was A Trailblazer’: Lombardo On Jeff Hanneman

Asked what he thinks of when he thinks of Jeff Hanneman, Lombardo didn’t reach for the music first. He reached for the man.

‘He was a great guy. He was funny. Amazing songwriter.’ Then: ‘He was a trailblazer, man. He was, for the band, self-taught, and took it from there, and created some of the most amazing music of our genre.’ Hanneman wrote ‘Angel Of Death’ and ‘Raining Blood’, the two songs Lombardo had just named as his resurrection playlist, and he died in May 2013. Lombardo had already brought him up more than once in the conversation before the question was asked.

It’s a short answer and a complete one. The greatest thrash bands all have a riff writer the public under-credits; Slayer’s was the quiet one on the left, and the drummer who locked in with him for 30 years still talks about him in the present tense.

Where Lombardo Is Now

Lombardo left Slayer in 2013 and is not part of the current reunion lineup, which is playing Reign In Blood in full on its 40th-anniversary shows with Paul Bostaph on drums; he’s spent the years since with Testament, Mr. Bungle, Dead Cross and Fantômas.

That context makes the conversation sharper, not sadder. The man who played the record isn’t on the stage where it’s being celebrated, and he talks about it without a trace of bitterness; the album is his regardless of who plays it tonight. Slayer marked the anniversary this week with a liquid-filled vinyl pressing and a run of dates through December. Lombardo marked it by telling us it still makes his hands sweat.

He remains, by most measures, one of the greatest drummers metal has produced, and the double-kick on ‘Angel Of Death’ is still the test every thrash drummer sits. His second run with Testament has put him back on the biggest stages in the genre, and his range, from Fantômas to Misfits to Dead Cross, is wider than anyone else who came out of the Bay Area’s first wave, including the bands on our list of the greatest metal debuts. The full conversation airs on The Loaded Radio Podcast; this is the Reign In Blood segment.

TL;DR

• Dave Lombardo says Reign In Blood ‘still gives me the chills’ at 40: sweaty palms, rising heart rate, and an adrenaline hit he jokes would revive him from cardiac arrest if you played ‘Angel Of Death’.
• He thinks modern thrash has gone ‘very sterile’ since recording software took over, and misses the ‘push and pull’ of albums that were ‘almost restless’.
• In 1986 the band egged each other on take by take: ‘Let’s get this song faster. Play it just a little faster. Count four.’
• On Jeff Hanneman: ‘He was a trailblazer, man. Self-taught, and created some of the most amazing music of our genre.’
• Lombardo isn’t part of the reunited Slayer’s current anniversary shows; he’s with Testament, Mr. Bungle and Dead Cross. The segment is embedded below.

FAQ

Watch the segment above, then tell us on the Loaded Radio app which Reign In Blood track you’d want played over you. Slayer are on the stream all weekend.

The post “It Still Gives Me the Chills” — Dave Lombardo Reflects on 40 Years of Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Jeff Hanneman’s Legacy appeared first on Loaded Radio.

Mötley Crüe has put a newly remastered version of “Take Me To The Top (Leathür Records Version)” on all streaming services. The track comes from the 45th-anniversary limited-edition box set of the band’s debut, Too Fast For Love, which lands Oct. 30 via BMG.

“Take Me To The Top” ranks among the band’s 10 most-streamed songs. It also earned a spot back in the live set for the first time in 42 years on “The Return Of Carnival Of Sins” tour, which just wrapped a 33-date run.

Too Fast For Love has a strong claim as the first great Los Angeles hard rock record of the 1980s, and it helped pry open the doors for the Hollywood scene that followed, along with the label signings and copycats that came with it. It first appeared in November 1981 on the band’s own Leathür Records imprint, in a pressing of only 900 LPs. Word spread on the strength of the band’s live shows, the record became an underground prize and Elektra Records signed Mötley Crüe less than six months later.

A reworked track listing, remixed and remastered, came out in August 1982. Lead single “Live Wire” hit the airwaves, and its video arrived right as MTV was getting started, giving plenty of hard rock fans their first look at the band. Punk attitude, glam swagger and a ferocious stage show set Mötley Crüe apart. The album went platinum in the U.S. and gold in Canada and gave the band its first run of chart appearances, peaking at No. 77 in the U.S., No. 17 on the U.K. Rock & Metal chart, No. 77 on the Scottish Albums chart and No. 95 in Switzerland. “Live Wire” has anchored the live set for 45 years and has since been used in video games, TV shows, movies and commercials. The current set also includes the title track “Too Fast For Love” and “Take Me To The Top.” The grit of those songs contrasts with the more reflective “On With The Show,” “Starry Eyes” and “Merry-Go-Round,” which show the range behind the album.

The anniversary centerpiece is a limited-edition deluxe box set. It includes the 1981 Leathür Records version, which fetches thousands of dollars on the rare occasions a copy surfaces, plus the 1982 Elektra version. It also has live recordings from the 1982 Perkins Palace shows, which preview songs from 1983’s Shout At The Devil. A five-track LP of demos from the band’s first studio sessions in March 1981 appears for the first time, alongside a replica demo cassette, a replica 7-inch single, a 100-page hardcover photo book, a replica poster and more.

Too Fast For Love 45th-Anniversary Deluxe Edition contents:

• 1LP black vinyl, remastered 1981 Leathür Records 10-track version
• 1LP black vinyl, remastered 1982 Elektra Records 9-track version
• 2LP black vinyl, rare live recordings from the 1982 Perkins Palace performances
• 1LP black vinyl, first-ever studio session from March 1981
• 100-page hardcover book with rare, previously unpublished early photos
• Replica original demo cassette
• Replica original 7-inch single
• CD of the 1981 Leathür Records 10-track version
• Replica poster
• Lyric book

An ultra-limited edition with extra goodies, hand-numbered and capped at 250 copies, is sold only through the Crüeseum.

Standard CD and LP editions are also on the way, with retail exclusives at Walmart (CD and LP), independent shops (LP), Amazon (LP), and Revolver (LP). For the first time, Too Fast For Love – Leathür Records Version will stream.

Mötley Crüe is working through North America on “The Return Of Carnival Of Sins” tour, its first full tour in three years, covering 33 cities with dates running through the end of September. The trek kicked off July 17 at the Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, Pa. It marks 20 years since the 2005-2006 “Carnival Of Sins” tour and the band’s 45th anniversary. Live Nation produced the run, with Extreme and Tesla in support.

A dollar from every ticket sold for the tour goes to ASAP! (After School Arts Program) through the Mötley Crüe Giveback Initiative, which funds hands-on arts programs for young people.

The post MÖTLEY CRÜE Reveals Shares Remastered “Take Me To The Top” From Upcoming “Too Fast For Love” 45th Anniversary Deluxe Box appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Symphonic metal ensemble SEPTICFLESH have announced four North American headline tour dates. Joining ARCH ENEMY and THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER for the Wrath Across North America 2026 tour as special guests, SEPTICFLESH will perform their headline shows alongside these tour dates. After completing another masterful full orchestral performance at the legendary Plotiv Ancient Roman Amphitheater in Bulgaria this past weekend, Greek titans SEPTICFLESH are ready to take on North America!

On October 29 SEPTICFLESH will perform at the Old Town Theatre, Old Town, Maine, with November 6th seeing the symphonic metal act appear at Skylark, Rock Island, Illinois. On November 17, the band are headed to the McDonald Theatre in Eugene, Oregon, and Ace of Spades in Sacramento, California, on November 18. These newly announced dates will see SEPTICFLESH present their immersive and highly emotive heavy sound in a headline setting. 

SEPTICFLESH are joining CRYPTA and THROWN INTO EXILE as support for ARCH ENEMY and THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER’s co-headline tour, Wrath Across North America 2026. This upcoming explosion of ferocious heavy music acts kicked off on October 5th at the Municipal Auditorium, Riverside, California. 

North America 2026 Tour Dates:
10/09 – Denver, CO – Fillmore
10/11 – Dallas, TX – Echo
10/12 – Houston, TX – House of Blues
10/13 – San Antonio, TX – Aztec Theatre
10/15 – Orlando, FL – Beacham
10/16 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Revolution
10/18 – Tampa, FL – Jannus
10/20 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade (Heaven)
10/21 – Charlotte, NC – Fillmore
10/22 – Raleigh, NC – Ritz
10/24 – New York, NY – Palladium Times Square
10/25 – Silver Spring, MD – Fillmore Silver Spring
10/26 – Philadelphia, PA – TLA
10/28 – Worcester, MA – Palladium Worcester
10/29 – Old Town, ME – Old Town Theatre*
10/30 – Quebec City, QC – Videotron Centre Hall
10/31 – Montreal, QC – Olympia
11/01 – Toronto, ON – Danforth
11/03 – Chicago, IL – Concord Music Hall
11/04 – Detroit, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre
11/05 – Cleveland, OH – Agora
11/06 – Rock Island, IL – Skylark*
11/07 – Minneapolis, MN – Fillmore
11/08 – Winnipeg, MB – Burton Cummings Theatre
11/09 – Saskatoon, SK – Coors Event Centre
11/11 – Calgary, AB – MacEwan Hall
11/12 – Edmonton, AB – Midway
11/14 – Vancouver, BC – The Key
11/16 – Seattle, WA – Showbox
11/17 – Eugene, OR* – McDonald Theatre
11/18 – Sacramento, CA* – Ace of Spades

* SEPTICFLESH headline show

About SEPTICFLESH:

Formed in Greece in the early ’90s by Spyridon Antoniou a.k.a. Seth Siro Anton (vocals/bass), Christos Antoniou (guitar), and Sotirios Vagenas a.k.a. Sotiris Anunnaki V. (guitar/ clean vocals), SEPTICFLESH unveiled their first EP Temple of The Lost Race in 1991. The band’s first full length Mystic Places of Dawn arrived in 1994 with EΣΟΠΤΡΟΝ in 1995. The band’s sound shifted into symphonic realms as soprano vocalist Natalie Rassoulis was introduced with Ophidian Wheel in 1997. 

SEPTICFLESH continued in this sonic direction revealed in subsequent albums, A Fallen Temple (1998), Revolution DNA (1999) and Sumerian Daemons (2003), the latter two albums produced by Fredrik Nordström. SEPTICFLESH disbanded shortly after as members chose to pursue their own personal projects.

In 2008, the band returned in full force with Communion, once again led by Fredrik Nordström. The symphonic composition by Christos Antoniou, and collaboration with the Filmharmonic Orchestra of Prague, became a permanent component of SEPTICFLESH‘s sound. The years that followed saw The Great Mass (2011) with Peter Tägtgren as producer, Titan (2014) with Logan Mader as producer and Codex Omega (2017) with Jens Bogren as producer. In 2020, the recording of the epic and fully orchestrated Live in Mexico entitled Infernus Sinfonica MMXIX, was released on CD/LP/DVD/Blu-Ray.

SEPTICFLESH signed with Nuclear Blast Records for their 2022 full length offering, Modern Primitive, with returning producer Jens Bogren. Continuing their collaboration with the Filmharmonic Orchestra of Prague, SEPTICFLESH recruited a full adult choir, a full children choir and a variety of ethnic instruments on Modern Primitive. The result is a sound that combines emotional, symphonic/soundtrack music with aggressive death metal.

Connect With SEPTICFLESH:
Website: https://www.septicflesh.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/septicflesh_band/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/septicfleshband

Source: C Squared Music

Every week the Stereogum staff chooses the five best new songs of the week. The eligibility period begins and ends Thursdays right before midnight. You can hear this week’s picks below and on Stereogum’s Favorite New Music Spotify playlist, which is updated weekly. (An expanded playlist of our new music picks is available to subscribers on Spotify and Apple Music, updated throughout the week.)

The post The 5 Best Songs Of The Week appeared first on Stereogum.

Impureza, the Franco-Spanish pioneers of Hispanic Metal, release a bass playthrough of “Covadonga” today via the Season of Mist YouTube channel. Taken from their third album Alcázares, the video places Florian Saillard’s fretless bass in the foreground of the song that recounts where the “Reconquista” began.

“Covadonga” runs 4:02 and tells of the battle in Asturias whose Astur victory is held to have started the Reconquista. Sung in Spanish, the lyrics climb the sacred mountain with the prophetic king Don Pelayo, set lancers and archers against the Muslim forces, and watch the arrows hide the sun, with the title itself spelled out syllable by syllable as a refrain: CO-VA-DON-GA. The song also carries the legend of the battle, in which the attackers’ arrows turned back on them and rocks broke loose from the mountain to bury them. The fretless bass, one of the band’s signature voices, sits here beside flamenco guitar and orchestral arrangement.

Alcázares, released on July 11th, 2025, via Season of Mist, is a concept album on the Reconquista, the medieval conflict that ran from 722 to 1492. It moves from Covadonga through the legend of El Cid, Templar mysticism, the Inquisition under Torquemada and tales of black magic. The album was recorded and mixed by Sébastien Camhi at Studio Artmusic and mastered by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios.

Alcázares can be stream and order here.

Impureza is a Franco-Spanish metal band formed in 2004 by guitarist Lionel Cano Muñoz from Orléans. Their music is distinguished by a unique fusion of extreme metal and Spanish sounds inspired by Andalusian culture and flamenco, creating an atypical style known as Hispanic Metal. Impureza remains an innovative project in the international metal scene, making it a pioneer of the genre.

The entire concept of the band revolves around the voluptuousness of Latin atmospheres, the ferocity of metal, and Spanish culture and history, explored through a fictional and esoteric aspect. Their compositions feature both clean and guttural vocals sung in the language of Cervantes, flamenco guitar, acoustic fretless bass, extreme metal, and orchestral arrangements that evoke the colors of Spain. The very essence of their music lies in the duality between two seemingly opposed musical genres, which, through clever composition, give birth to a new and avant-garde style.

Their fiery music is literally the union of traditional Hispanic folklore and extreme metal. These metal warriors brandish their Iberian sounds as weapons with pride. This ingenious alliance is matched only by the singular and unprecedented creative originality of its founder, Lionel Cano Muñoz and his compañero Esteban Martín, both of Spanish nationality. Impureza’s conquistadors draw inspiration from their strong identity, which defines the band’s very essence. Often nicknamed the “French Nile” due to their primary influences, combining the complex and brutal lines of death metal with the most ardent and undulating Latin flames.

Impureza‘s members are also influenced by many Spanish artists such as flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía and gypsy singer Camarón de la Isla, as well as bands like Behemoth, Morbid Angel, Krisiun, and Fleshgod Apocalypse, among others.

The post IMPUREZA Releases Bass Playthrough For “Covadonga” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Revelation Records also have a benefit shirt available.

The post Ex-Sick It Of All Bassist Richard Cipriano Battling Pancreatic Cancer, Fundraising Underway appeared first on Theprp.com.

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Members of the rock and metal community are weighing in after Judas Priest bassist Ian Hill announced his retirement. Continue reading…