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by Geoff Bailie

The concept of the King Crimson offshoot band is one that’s almost as old as the band itself. The band’s debut album In The Court of the Crimson King was released in October 1969, but by November 1970 not only had Ian McDonald and Michael Giles left the group, but they had also released their debut album together! Drawing in Peter Giles, who was Crimson’s then bass player, and Peter Sinfield, current and future lyricist, it was very much the first ProjeKCt. In the last 1990s the ProjeKCt format, combining smaller groups of Crimson members from the 6 person line up, as small development units led to much of the music that followed, and following the band’s pause in 2009, other combinations have regularly appeared. We recently interviewed Adrian Belew about the forthcoming BEAT tour featuring Tony Levin, Steve Vai and Terry Bozzio playing the 1980s and 1990s Crimson music. Perhaps less high profile are Stick Men (Tony Levin, Pat Masteloto, and Markus Reuter) and Tu-Ner (Trey Gunn with Mastelotto and Reuter), both of whom have recently released albums.

Stick Men – Let’s THRAK Again

Stick Men’s latest release – their 9th studio release if you count EPs – is called Let’s THRAK Again, in reference to the 1995 King Crimson album. Just to avoid any confusion, this isn’t covers or even a reinvention of that album, but it’s probably best to describe it as tapping into the spirit of improvisation and heavy riffing that characterised it. The thing about this era of Crimson music was the musicians’ almost telepathic interplay within an improvised framework and that’s at the heart of Let’s THRAK again. Of course, in 1995 Levin and Mastelotto were half of the Double Trio’s rhythm section.

In the Stick Men the guitar role is filled by Markus Reuter, whose instrument is Touch Guitar. This is an instrument that was developed from the Chapman Stick – and many would argue that the defining Chapman Stick album was KC’s Discipline album! You could say that the two key developers / players in this style are Trey Gunn and Markus Reuter, so you can see that, while not actually being a Crimson member, his approach is very much aligned.

And there’s one more thing you should know about this 2 CD album. Having completed recording, the band employed two different mixing engineers to construct the album. Thus you have Reel One / CD 1 and Reel Two / CD 2. The track order is different on each disc and there are 4 tracks which only appear in one or other version.

Pressing “Play” on Reel One, Let’s THRAK Again leaves you in no doubt which world you’re about to enter. This isn’t background music! You need to sit up and pay attention. The album is well paced and even has one vocal interlude in Swimming in Tea, so the mellow moments of tracks like Haggin Triptych and The Well contrast the songs like Bash Machine and Brutal, which completely describe themselves!

The two mixes/ versions of the album are sufficiently different to merit release. It’s a sweeping generalisation but I would say that for a newbie Fabio Trentino’s Reel Two is possibly more accessible, as it dampens some of the more brutal moments which Stefano Castagna’s Reel One magnifies! Reel Two’s unique tracks, Renoir, Carriage Parade and Yosemite Sunset are the most mellow moments and allow the listener to breathe, while not reducing the quality of the material.

Tony Levin’s bass playing is quite simply unique and I imagine I don’t have to describe it to most reading this. Pat Mastelotto mainly plays acoustic drums, but his sonic palette is wide and his playing is breathtaking in places. Markus Reuter arguably replaces the guitar of Fripp, Belew and Gunn and he does this utilising a variety of styles and tones even within individual songs. His contribution is vital to this music and his playing is superb.

Tu-Ner – Rendezvous Rodeo

Carrying over Mastelotto and Reuter from the previous band, Tu-Ner is a slightly different beast. With the addition of Trey Gunn, whose style aligns more closely to that of Reuter the lines are a bit more blurred perhaps than in Stick Men, with therefore more freedom to roam that stringed instrument space between “electric guitar” and bass … and indeed into the world of soundscapes.

This is also a live album and so in many cases the improvisation is even a touch more spontaneous. It also includes some pieces from the Crimson catalogue within the track list – thus you’ll encounter this band’s versions of ConstrucKCtion of Light, Level 5 and Lark’s Tongues in Aspic (Part 4).

Slightly less brutal than the Stick Men album, you have sonic improvisations that go wider into different areas such as The Mechanical Bride Wore Static and Paper Halo Rodeo where the lead playing, soundscapes and percussion approaches are intriguing, if perhaps a bit less accessible to a new-comer. Kuma and Cusp are shorter tracks with many interesting sounds, styles and playing. I can see those being tracks I return to, but there’s one real highlight of this album for me. I’m a big fan of the Sylvia Fripp material and saw a UK show from that band – therefore Firepower Coda, an extended version of the live improvisation from the close of that song is a great throwback the first ever Masteloto / Gunn collaboration.

In conclusion, when writing a review I always find it helpful to ask: Who is this music for? For these albums I would say that any fan of 1990s onward King Crimson should take time to check them out. If you’ve bought any of the relevant box sets and dug into the ProjeKcts or the live improvisations, you will find music here that interests you. Both are really strong albums full of excellent musical moments for those whose ears are open!

Stick Men – Let’s THRAK Again
CD 1: Mixed by Stefano Castagna | Track order compiled by Tony Levin
1. Let’s THRAK Again
2. Like We Did Last Summer
3. Haggin Triptych
4. Komodo
5. Swimming in Tea
6. Bash Machine
7. Reading the Future
8. Thief of the Dice
9. Brutal (Tony)
10. Dark Birthday
11. Fandango
12. The Well

CD 2: Mixed by Fabio Trentini | Track order compiled by Pat Mastelotto and Markus Reuter
1. Dark Birthday
2. Komodo
3. Let’s THRAK Again
4. Like We Did Last Summer
5. The Morning Mist
6. Swimming in Tea
7. Bash Machine
8. Brutal (Pat)
9. Carriage Parade
10. Fandango
11. Reading the Future
12. The Well
13. Thief of the Dice
14. Yosemite Sunset

Released September 4, 2026

Tony Levin / Chapman stick
Markus Reuter / touch guitars U8 Deluxe
Pat Mastelotto / acoustic and electronic drums, percussion

****
Tu-Ner – Rendezvous Rodeo
1.Hogtied and Slightly Slack (Live) 04:20
2.The ConstruKCtion of Light (Live) 05:50
3.Firepower Coda (Live) 04:35
4.Cusp (Live) 04:53
5.The Mechanical Bride Wore Static (Live) 04:54
6.Kuma (Live) 05:21
7.Absinthe and A Cracker (Live) 08:27
8.Paper Halo Rodeo (Live) 07:26
9.Unconditional (Live) 12:10
10.Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, Part 4 (Live) 12:09
11.Level 5 (Live) 07:19

Released July 24, 2026

Trey Gunn: 10-string Warr Guitar
Markus Reuter: Touch Guitars T8
Pat Mastelotto: Drums and percussion

The post Stick Men – Let’s THRAK Again & Tu-Ner – Rendezvous Rodeo (Album Reviews) appeared first on The Prog Report.

Seven Witches to release career-spanning collection ‘Best of the Witch‘ on October 30th through Deko Entertainment. New single/video’The Burning‘ featuring Jon Oliva is now streaming on all platforms. Seven Witches, the acclaimed American heavy metal and power metal band founded in 1998 by guitarist Jack Frost (Savatage, Lizzy Borden, Aldo Nova) and vocalist Bobby Lucas, […]

The post Seven Witches To Release Career-Spanning Collection ‘Best of the Witch’ appeared first on ROCKPOSER DOT COM.

Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi is putting out his first solo album in 21 years, and he is letting fans hear it in a bar before it hits shelves. From the Dark lands Friday, Oct. 23. The night before, Thursday, Oct. 22, rock and metal bars in 18 cities will play the record front to back.

The events will also hand out limited-edition merch and copies of the album. Anyone can show up, but check each venue’s social channels for start times. Here is where the listening parties are happening:

10/22 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Excalibur
10/22 – Berlin, Germany @ Rockcafe Halford
10/22 – Birmingham, England @ Scruffy Murphys
10/22 – Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Duff’s
10/22 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Escobar
10/22 – Helsinki, Finland @ Bar Loose
10/22 – London, England @ Helgis
10/22 – Madrid, Spain @ Wrong Way
10/22 – Melbourne, Australia @ Rare Records
10/22 – Mexico City, Mexico @ Café Bizzaro
10/22 – Milan, Italy @ Headbangers Pub
10/22 – Oslo, Norway @ Vaterland
10/22 – Paris, France @ Dr Feelgood – Rock Beer Temple
10/22 – Prague, Czech Republic @ Hells Bells Pub
10/22 – São Paulo, Brazil @ The Metal Bar
10/22 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Pub Anchor
10/22 – Tokyo, Japan @ Godz
10/22 – Warsaw, Poland @ Beer & Bones

Vocalist Jørn Lande appears throughout the album and has a writing credit on every song. Bassist Becky Baldwin and drummer Karl Brazil round out the band. Iommi co-produced the record with Mike Exeter, his longtime writing partner and engineer, and the result is a big, polished sound that mixes modern production with old-school weight.

Iommi said, “It’s an album we’ve really enjoyed making. We’re not trying to prove anything — it’s a great album, it rocks!”

The record opens with “Over the Violent Sun,” built on a down-tuned, driving Iommi riff and a dramatic performance from Lande. “Black Times” follows with a hard punch, setting up the first single, “World Alone.” Fourth track “Beyond the Dead” slows things down with a menacing riff wrapped in orchestral arrangements.

Lande‘s lyrics lean on dystopian imagery and the brevity of human existence, and that theme runs deepest on “Stormwatcher,” which borrows from nautical imagery and dreams of distant horizons. It sits at the center of the album and is matched in scale by “Death Wake,” where the music and words together paint a bleak picture of life without compassion. The album closes with the frantic “Return of the Arbalist” and the sprawling “Legacy,” which swing between light and dark. It arrives on the heels of Black Sabbath‘s final show, the 2025 Back to the Beginning concert in Birmingham, and the press materials call it one of the best rock albums of the year.

From the Dark will be sold in several vinyl and CD configurations. The double LP is cut at 45rpm for better dynamic range, comes in a gatefold sleeve of black card with a die-cut of Iommi‘s signature cross, and is pressed in four colors depending on the retailer. An Amazon-exclusive CD uses the same die-cut sleeve, and there is also a deluxe CD with a 32-page media book and two bonus tracks.

Iommi is widely viewed as one of the most influential guitarists around and, as the founder and main songwriter of Black Sabbath, is credited with shaping the language of heavy metal. His honors include multiple Grammys, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, a doctorate from Coventry University, a Lord Mayor’s Award and the Freedom of the City of Birmingham. In June 2026, he was named an MBE.

As a young man, an industrial accident cost him the tips of two fingers, which pushed him toward the distinctive style and darker tone that came to define Black Sabbath. The band formed with Ozzy Osbourne, Butler and Bill Ward, and its 1970s albums became a cornerstone of British music.

Over six decades, Iommi has kept recording and collaborating. He worked closely with Dio, issued solo material, and reunited the original Black Sabbath lineup for the 2013 chart-topper 13 and the farewell tour The End, which drew 1.6 million fans across 2016 and 2017. In 2023, he worked with the Birmingham Royal Ballet on Black Sabbath – The Ballet, built on his early compositions. Black Sabbath closed things out in 2025 with the Back to the Beginning show in Birmingham, a farewell that took place just weeks before Osbourne died.

The post TONY IOMMI Is Taking His First Solo Album in 21 Years to Pubs in 18 Cities appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Hummingbird Records [Release date 13.11.26] While a lot of artists at the moment are pulling on the 70’s for inspiration, Grey Delisle harks right back to the 50’s and Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lyn territory, with a dash of Lefty … Continue reading →

The post Album review: GREY DELISLE – Don’t Turn Around appeared first on Get Ready to ROCK!.

Hey, you know Radiohead’s 1995 single “High And Dry”? Good song! Very pretty! Very achy! You could certainly argue that it’s one of the most conventional songs that Radiohed ever recorded, but that doesn’t make it bad. Thom Yorke may feel differently, though. Radiohead haven’t performed “High And Dry” since 1998, which would certainly imply that it’s not one of their favorites. Also, Yorke straight-up told Harry Styles that he wishes he hadn’t written the song at all.

The post Thom Yorke Tells Harry Styles He Wishes He Hadn’t Written “High And Dry” appeared first on Stereogum.

Cymbalick Music 2026 Golden era of electronica is revitalized on an array of evocative pieces from a renowned harvester of sonic details. The pursuers of the swath Tim Morse has been cutting for more than twenty years through the tall … Continue reading →

The post TIM MORSE – The Fourth Crossing appeared first on DMME.net.

Metal Breakdown Daily is one page, every weekday: the episode on the player below and the three stories in print, so you can listen, read, or both. Today leads with the Black Sabbath final album that never got made: producer Andrew Watt says Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler were all willing to record one more with the original lineup in the early 2020s, and that it ended with a long email from Bill Ward. Tony Iommi, on the record this summer, remembers it differently.

Also today: the Osbourne family host the purple-carpet world premiere of Ozzy & Black Sabbath: Back To The Beginning in Los Angeles on October 14, two weeks before the film of Ozzy’s final show opens in cinemas worldwide, and Slayer mark forty years of Reign In Blood with a liquid-filled zoetrope vinyl that ships November 20.

STREAM THE METAL BREAKDOWN DAILY NOW:

Scott Penfold opens today’s Metal Breakdown Daily with Andrew Watt’s account of the Black Sabbath album that died in an email and why Tony Iommi’s version doesn’t match, then the Back To The Beginning premiere and cinema dates, Slayer’s blood-filled Reign In Blood, and a Take on who really deserves the blame. Download the free Loaded Radio App on Apple iOS and Google Play and stream the show now.

Black Sabbath: Andrew Watt Says Ozzy, Iommi And Butler Were In, And Bill Ward’s Email Ended It

Producer Andrew Watt says Ozzy Osbourne wanted to make one more Black Sabbath album with the original four in the early 2020s, that Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler agreed on the condition Bill Ward took part, and that Ward couldn’t commit and closed the door with a long email.

Watt, who produced Ozzy’s last two solo albums, Ordinary Man and Patient Number 9, told the story on the Lipps Service podcast. Ozzy wanted to keep recording but didn’t want to repeat himself, so he suggested Sabbath, and Sharon and Ozzy asked Watt to make the calls. ‘Ozzy was like, “If Bill does it, we’ll do it,”‘ Watt said. Iommi ‘was into it as long as Bill was there.’ Butler’s answer: ‘If the other guys are in it, I’m in to do it.’

Then came the drummer. ‘Bill was not going to be able to make the record, he wasn’t able to do it for a multitude of different reasons,’ Watt said. ‘The other guys were all into doing it, and then Bill sent us all this long email, and then it was over.’

The part Watt leaves out is Iommi. Speaking to Classic Rock this summer, the guitarist said Watt was ‘very keen’ on a follow-up to 13 and that he himself was not; he didn’t like the idea of another album after the one that already closed the Black Sabbath catalogue. Both accounts can be true. ‘I’m in if Bill’s in’ is how men who’ve known each other sixty years say no without saying it.

Ozzy & Black Sabbath: Back To The Beginning Gets A Purple-Carpet Premiere Before Its Worldwide Cinema Run

Ozzy & Black Sabbath: Back To The Beginning, the film of Ozzy’s final concert at Villa Park, has its world premiere on Wednesday, October 14 at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, hosted by the Osbourne family, before opening in cinemas worldwide from October 28.

The premiere is a purple-carpet event with a limited number of tickets on Ticketmaster, and half of every ticket sold goes to Los Angeles homeless charities. The film, from Mercury Studios and Trafalgar Releasing, is presented in Dolby Atmos and 5.1 and was directed by Ben Wainwright-Pearce, with the concert itself directed by Tim Van Someren.

What’s on screen is July 5, 2025: Ozzy’s solo set and then the original Sabbath four, together for the first time in over twenty years, in front of a hometown crowd that had waited decades. Seventeen days later he was gone. Sharon Osbourne’s line in the announcement: ‘He said the only thing that would make him happy was if he could perform again and say goodbye to his fans.’ Geezer Butler: ‘To me it was like pure love. It was just a wave of love.’

And Bill Ward: ‘Felt completely at home in a place where I belong.’ Put that next to the first story. The man who supposedly killed the last Sabbath album didn’t want to make a record. He wanted to play with his friends one more time, and the setlist he got to play is the one that’s going to cinemas.

Slayer: Reign In Blood Turns 40 With A Liquid-Filled Vinyl That Ships November 20

Slayer have announced a liquid-filled zoetrope vinyl pressing of Reign In Blood for the album’s fortieth anniversary; pre-orders are open now and the record ships November 20.

Reign In Blood came out on October 7, 1986, which makes yesterday the anniversary proper, and the pressing is exactly what it sounds like: red liquid sealed inside the disc, with zoetrope artwork that animates as it spins. It isn’t the band’s first bleed. Metal Blade did a 250-copy blood-filled pressing of Show No Mercy in 2024 and it was gone almost immediately. This one’s for the record that matters most, the twenty-nine minutes that sit at the top of any honest Slayer albums ranking.

The anniversary isn’t only on vinyl. Slayer have been playing Reign In Blood front to back since September, with Sick New World in Fort Worth on October 24, two nights at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on November 13 and 14, and South American dates with Kreator through December. For the band most fans put at number one in thrash, a forty-year-old album in a gimmick sleeve would normally be a shrug. This one isn’t, because Reign In Blood is the one record where the gimmick and the music are telling the same joke.

The Take: The Last Black Sabbath Album Was Villa Park, And Bill Ward Isn’t The Villain

The story of the Sabbath album that never happened is being told backwards, and the drummer who doesn’t give interviews is carrying the blame for a record his guitarist has said he didn’t want.

Watt’s account is credible as far as it goes. He made Ozzy’s last two records and he was in the room; the calls happened. But Iommi has already said, on the record, that he wasn’t interested in a follow-up to 13. So either Tony told a producer what he wanted to hear, or Tony told Classic Rock what he actually thought. Only one of those is the Tony Iommi anyone has ever described.

The counter-argument is real: Watt was closer to Ozzy than almost anyone in those last years, and Ozzy plainly wanted to keep working. That is the most Ozzy thing imaginable. But Ozzy wanting an album and the band wanting an album are different things, and Bill Ward is the easiest man in the story to blame because he’s the one who never talks.

Here’s the side we’re on. The final Black Sabbath album came out on July 5, 2025, and it was called Villa Park. Four men, one night, the last word, and in three weeks you can watch it in Atmos. The band that invented heavy metal in a single day in 1969 got to end it in a single night in 2025. Nobody needs a thirteen-and-a-half. Yesterday’s post argued Megadeth should leave the word ‘final’ alone once it’s been used. Sabbath already have. Leave the ending alone; they got it right.

TL;DR

• Andrew Watt says Ozzy, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler were all in for a final Black Sabbath album in the early 2020s, conditional on Bill Ward, and that Ward’s long email ended it. Iommi told Classic Rock this summer he didn’t want a follow-up to 13.
• Ozzy & Black Sabbath: Back To The Beginning premieres October 14 at the Orpheum in Los Angeles, hosted by the Osbournes with half of ticket sales going to LA homeless charities, then opens in cinemas worldwide from October 28.
• Slayer mark forty years of Reign In Blood (released October 7, 1986) with a liquid-filled zoetrope vinyl, pre-orders open, shipping November 20; anniversary shows run through December.
• The Take: the last Sabbath album was Villa Park, and Bill Ward shouldn’t wear the blame for a record Iommi says he didn’t want.

FAQ

Metal Breakdown Daily is Loaded Radio’s weekday rock and metal news show, hosted by Scott Penfold. New episode every weekday morning on the free Loaded Radio app for Apple iOS and Google Play, and right here. Follow Loaded Radio for the stories as they break.

The post Metal Breakdown Daily: Ozzy Wanted One More Sabbath Album, The Back To The Beginning Film Gets A Premiere, And Slayer Bleed On Vinyl appeared first on Loaded Radio.