Earlier this year, fakemink unleashed his full-length debut Terrified ., which we named one of the best albums of the year so far. The prolific rapper and producer been sharing a handful of loosies since then, including the compelling “Love Is A Dog From Hell” last month. Now, he’s back with another. This one’s called “Love Of The Game 3 .,” and it has a dreamy sound slithering underneath his signature deadpan rap and smoldering beat. Dive in below.
A new voice has emerged from the Pacific Northwest’s dark folk underground. Portland, Oregon-based one-man project CORCHORUS has introduced itself with the debut single “Words Asunder”, accompanied by an official lyric video. Heavy ritual percussion and atmospheric synthesizers surround the song’s strummed acoustic guitar, which remains at the centre of the arrangement. The combination gives […]
THE LOVECRAFT SEXTET will release its fifth full-length album, Penance (De lijken van de Gebroeders De Witt), on October 16 through Debemur Morti Productions. Jason Köhnen’s project introduces the record with its only advance single, “Si Quaeris”. The composition draws together nocturnal chamber opera, lo-fi black metal, cinematic darkjazz and electronic experimentation. Soprano vocals and […]
Chad Gray performed at the Bourbon Theatre on Sept. 2 on his “30 Years of Madness” tour, playing songs from Mudvayne and Hellyeah. Butcher Babies and Devil’s Cut opened for Gray.
Devil’s Cut kicked off the night, warming up the audience for what was to come from their set and the acts following. Devil’s Cut performed songs like “ROADKILL,” “Insomnia” and “Backfire” among others in their quick set.
Butcher Babies got the crowd moving instantly with their infectious energy on stage. The band jumped across the stage while frontwoman Heidi Shepherd whipped her hair around. Shepherd even jumped down and stood against the barricade during “Monsters Ball” which featured a classic chant of “can’t stop moving” from the audience.
Gray, the lead vocalist for nu and groove metal bands Mudvayne and Hellyeah, is known for his versatile vocal range that combines melodic singing with aggressive screams. This rang true at the Bourbon Theatre noticeably throughout his entire set.
Gray’s setlist alternated between clusters of Mudvayne and Hellyeah songs. It was most interesting to see Gray perform these as a solo act because he played with different bandmates.
“(I wanted to) get together in a room with my fucking heavy metal family and have some fucking fun,” Gray said between songs.
The attention to detail in Gray’s performance was most notable in his makeup. Half of his face had the classic Mudvayne theatrics, white facepaint and part of the iconic bullet hole in his forehead. The other half, was Gray’s makeup-less look that reflected Hellyeah.
The combination of looks and songs from Gray’s career made it not just a Hellyeah or Mudvayne show, but a celebration of three decades of Gray’s career.
Gray’s setlist included the following Mudvayne songs: Death Blooms | Nothing to Gein | Dull Boy | World So Cold | Out to Pasture | Silenced | Not Falling | Happy? | Dig
Gray also performed these Hellyeah songs: X | Moth | Demons in the Dirt | Hush | 333 | Sangre por Sangre (Blood for Blood) | Love Falls
We are proud to announce that our seventh full-length album, ALL THE SHADOWS, will be released on October 30th via No Remorse Records.
This is Cirith Ungol in its purest form: eight songs of epic, dark and doom-filled Heavy Metal, forged with the same fire that has driven this band from the beginning. We believe this stands among the strongest albums we have ever made.
The title track “All The Shadows” is out now, along with a brand-new lyric video.
Though I’ve been aware of Australia’s Airbourne and their unapologetic AC/DC worship for years, I’d never listened to an album before picking up the promo for their sixth LP, Airbourne. Despite not being well-versed in Airbourne’s back catalogue, I spent years absorbing their main muse poolside, barside, and carside. Thus primed, I not only jumped into Airbourne, but the band’s other five albums as well, immersing myself in their blues rock-infested waters. In the promo notes, Airbourne asserts this self-titled effort is their best one yet. Maybe, but we all know it’s a long way to the top if you want to rank ‘n’ roll. So does Airbourne leave us thunderstruck, or feeling like the band’s just beating around the bush?
As on prior outings, Airbourne delivers reliably raucous tunes that wear their inspirations on the sleeve. “Gutsy” leads off Airbourne with a rowdy anthem that never fails to get my fists pumping and the floor thumping, and it plays like an amped up version of “Heatseeker” as well as Airbourne openers “Ready to Rock” and “Breakin’ Outta Hell.”1 It’s a well-constructed hard rock banger that captures AC/DC’s free-wheeling, scene-stealing antics, and I haven’t been able to stop playing it. “Kid in a Candy Store” and “Hells Got No Vacancy” exude similarly compelling charisma, anchoring essential tracks throughout the album’s runtime. The sleigh bells and holiday theme on “Christmas Bonus” will quickly remind listeners of “Mistress for Christmas,” and the tongue-in-cheek lyrics and straight-shot riffing recall moments throughout AC/DC’s discography. Despite all the references to Acca Dacca, though, Airbourne tailors the formula just enough to create music that stands alongside their biggest inspiration rather than completely in its shadow.
Besides adding a few other influences to round out their sound, Airbourne swells with infectious cock rock swagger. “Alive After Death (Last Plane Out)” thrums with The Cult-like energy, specifically recalling “Fire Woman”‘s lascivious luster, while “Rock N Roll Ya” bites with Def Leppard teeth and “Bogotá” breaks into Van Halen noodling, even throwing in some spoken-word shenanigans evoking “Hot for Teacher.” Throughout Airbourne, the band showcases tight songwriting and instrumental prowess as they toe the line between arena-ready choruses and sweaty rock ‘n’ roll braggadocio. Singer/guitarist Joel O’Keeffe sizzles with Brian Johnson grit and Angus Young licks, capturing the one-two punch that makes AC/DC so damn effective. Joel’s brother Ryan mans the drums, loosing a workmanlike performance befitting famed pocket drummer Phil Rudd, while longtime bassist Justin Street locks in the low-end with no-frills grooves supporting the direct nature of Airbourne’s music. Newcomer rhythm guitarist Brett Tyrrell completes the quartet, complementing O’Keeffe’s lead lines with Malcom Young-like accents.
I imagine Airbourne would have been a juggernaut back in the 80s, and here they bring the olde ways to current days. Airbourne was recorded on tape, and though it’s polished, the album boasts an authentic crunch that sounds big and, in its best moments, dangerous. Glimpses of menace and originality flash often enough to make Airbourne exciting, yet I find that Airbourne takes too few risks in their songwriting. Although individual passages crackle with intensity, songs’ overall effectiveness gets dulled by the sense that the band is playing it safe, both by staying close to inspirations and earlier material. The lyrics also present a mixed bag, where cheeky double meanings are a delight, but other times can be too on-the-nose (“Who Put the Rhythm in You”). And while Airbourne mostly does a good job whetting tracks’ distinct identities, some moments blur together (“Here She Comes” and “Who Put the Rhythm in You”).
Airbourne doesn’t supply any new experiences, but it packs enough fun to make time with it worthwhile. Singalong choruses, bawdy double entendres, and head-bopping, air guitar-inducing leads keep me coming back. After listening to their discography a couple of times to prepare for this review, I’m not completely convinced that this is Airbourne’s best record yet, but it might be. Their first two albums evidenced a band establishing their sound, and the next two stretched the limits of what came before as they evolved their songwriting. Now seven years removed from fifth album Boneshaker, this foursome from Down Under breaks their silence with a rousing platter of hard-rockin’ heat that takes what came before and ties it all together. Whether you’re a longtime fan or just looking for fun new tunes, you won’t regret getting Airbourne.
Today is Labor Day in the US – a Federal holiday that celebrates the American workforce. And as always, it’s a day that’s accompanied by big online sales events, with websites introducing discounts across a whole heap of products.
I’ve had my eye on some brilliant turntable bargains courtesy of Best Buy, including 28% off this automatic Victrola record player. It’s down from $279.99 to $199.99 making this an excellent early deal to grab over the weekend.
And that’s not all, because the website has also slashed prices on a range of vinyl storage, with my eyes immediately drawn to the three-tier Gymax turntable stand which is down from $179.99 to just $74.99. This deal only applies to the unit in black, but there’s also lesser discounts on the Coffee, Walnut, White and Natural colour variations.
Best Buy have gone all in with the turntable discounts and have slashed the prices on record players from manufacturers including Victrola, Sony, Audio-Technica and more. There’s also money off vinyl storage unitrs too! Be aware that the sale will come to an end late night on September 7.View Deal
I’ve picked out several other Labor Day turntable deals that I think are well worth a closer look – and all from household names in the audio sphere. But with the sales window closing just as Labor Day ends, grab something quick before the deal disappears.
If you’re a fan of the Sony brand, then the good news is there’s a 25% saving right now on the two-speed Sony PS-LX3BT at Best Buy. It’s down from $399.99 to $298.99 and it’s an all-round excellent turntable. It can easily connect to your Bluetooth devices, has fully automatic playback, can convert your vinyl to digital via USB and has been made using more than 80% of sustainable materials.
I mentioned Victrola earlier, and there’s another decent discount to be grabbed on their Eastwood model. There’s 14% off the list price, taking things down from $189.99 to $161.99. This three-speed, belt-driven, manual turntable has Bluetooth, a built-in speaker and an Audio Technica AT-3600LA cartridge. An excellent choice for music fans just starting out on their vinyl journey.
And speaking of Audio-Technica, there’s a 10% saving on the AT-LP60X-BK at Best Buy – that means you can pick up this smart performer for $179 rather than the usual price of $199. It’s a three-speed, automatic, belt-driven record player and like all Audio-Technica turntables, sounds fantastic and is rock solid.
If you’re after more options, take a look at our guide to our favourite budget turntables, and for more vinyl storage solutions, we have you covered right here on Louder.
Progressive/melodic death metal duo Iapetus has unveiled the second single “The Mother Void”, feat. Fabienne Erni on guest vocals, taken from their forthcoming LP The Mother Void. The latter comes out on October 16, 2026 through Willowtip Records. Read more…
A few months after the release of their self-titled debut record, experienced heavy metal operatives Lex Legion have already begun with the work on new material for the next one. Read more…
Bandcamp [Release date 25.06.26] The jury is out on this I’m afraid. Guiney was born on Newfoundland, Canada’s most easterly island. So pretty remote. His first musical memory is listening to Johnny Cash on an 8 track cartridge, so must have … Continue reading →
Though I’ve been aware of Australia’s Airbourne and their unapologetic AC/DC worship for years, I’d never listened to an album before picking up the promo for their sixth LP, Airbourne. Despite not being well-versed in Airbourne’s back catalogue, I spent years absorbing their main muse poolside, barside, and carside. Thus primed, I not only jumped into Airbourne, but the band’s other five albums as well, immersing myself in their blues rock-infested waters. In the promo notes, Airbourne asserts this self-titled effort is their best one yet. Maybe, but we all know it’s a long way to the top if you want to rank ‘n’ roll. So does Airbourne leave us thunderstruck, or feeling like the band’s just beating around the bush?
