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Don’t Let Go, Fantastic Cat (from the Missing Piece Records release Cat Out of Hell) A scream-along-at-the-top-of-your-lungs anthem about holding on to your dreams. Nothing you can buy can save what you soldSo hold on tight to the light in your soulDon’t look down, baby don’t let… Don’t let go Suffer, Boy Golden (from the […]

Solace are veterans of the metal world. They first formed in 1996 from the ashes of the alt-metal band Godspeed, who made their name by being managed by Geezer Butler and were the backing band for Bruce Dickinson on a Black Sabbath tribute album. Solace’s metal credentials are undeniable, even if it was under a different name. Their output in the intervening years has been fairly sparse, with their newest, Fading Failing Ruin, being only their fifth album. 

Since their inception, the New Jersey quintet has been refining a style of metal they refer to as “dirt metal.” It’s a combination of stoner metal, doom, and elements of hardcore. Certainly, the stoner metal is the most apparent element: heavy, bluesy riffs are all over the album. It’s no languid, fuzzed-out drug trip, though–Fading Failing Ruin is much more of a hard rock album. It’s at its best when fusing the stoner doom with pieces outside the blues scale for a more powerful and in-your-face sound. “Culling the Herd” is a good example here, a concise, hard-driving rocker that owes a little bit of its DNA to hardcore and alternative metal. 

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There are some fantastic ideas on Fading Failing Ruin. Dual guitars are layered well to create harmonies and arrangements, and the band makes great use of extended riff structures to vary up the pacing of the songs. A guest musician provides slide guitar, which subtly adds a little more texture in certain moments. 

However, one of the album’s issues is the length of some of the tracks. There are a few instances where the band just sits on a bluesy stoner rock groove for an extended period of time and loses momentum. For example, “Fettered to a Stone” has a long, two-minute outro sequence where Justin Goins sings the same phrases over the riff. Similarly, the intro to “Wrath’s Object (The Big Fall)” is lengthy and moody as sparse guitars noodle over a hypnotic bassline for nearly seven minutes. It’s cool, but the rest of the 14-minute track is somewhat underwhelming. It feels disconnected to said intro and it’s hard not to believe it could have been trimmed by a couple minutes or made a separate track altogether. These issues crop up often enough that the album loses a fair bit of energy, especially towards the end as “Malengine (The Scaffold)”, “Every Day Is a Loaded Gun,” and “Ridden” all pile up. 

That doesn’t mean every longer song is in need of a trim though. The seven-minute “Beyond Below” is an absolute delight from start to finish, changing tempo multiple times over its run and offering a catchy chorus to book. It begins as a sludge metal rocker, then transforms into a proggy, melodic anthem, before descending into menacing doom metal with swirling Hammond organs, then finally finishing back where it started.

There are also shorter tracks that absolutely rip. In fact, there are three songs under five minutes long and all are great. Opener “Spiral Will” is a fantastic way to start the album–it’s a meaty doom metal song with an infectious vocal hook, and the aforementioned “Culling the Herd” is fast-paced, aggressive, and direct. 

Overall, Fading Failing Ruin is a bit of a mixed bag. Its finest moments are great. Solace fuses a range of ideas into some extremely high-energy songs, even leaning into a bit of a progressive flair in fleeting dashes. On the other hand, there is a lot of fat that could be trimmed. Tightening up a couple of the tracks would go a long way towards creating a more cohesive album. Still, the best songs on here are absolutely worth a listen. 

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Fading Failing Ruin is available now via Magnetic Eye Records.

Last month Sam and Louise Sullivan charmed us with their addictive Love & Devotion lead single “Down On Love.” The nostalgic folk-rock duo is doing it again today with the release of the easily enjoyable, ’60s-inflected title track.

The post Sam And Louise Sullivan – “Love & Devotion” appeared first on Stereogum.

Bonnie Tyler, one of rock ‘n’ roll history’s all-time great maximalist wailers, has passed away. The New York Times reports that Tyler, best known for hits like “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” and “Holding Out For A Hero,” died on Wednesday at a hospital in Portugal, where she lived and where she recently went through emergency intestinal surgery. She remained in intensive care after emerging from an induced coma. Tyler was 75.

The post Bonnie Tyler Dead At 75 appeared first on Stereogum.

Warren Haynes has announced the release of his new live album, Dreams & Songs: A Symphonic Journey, arriving September 18 via Evil Teen Records in the U.S. and Provogue/Artone Label Group in Europe. Along with the announcement, Haynes has released “Raven Black Night (Live),” the latest preview from the 16-track collection.

Originally appearing on Gov’t Mule’s 1998 sophomore album Dose, “Raven Black Night” has been reimagined with full orchestral backing, transforming the stripped-down original into an expansive symphonic performance.

“I had come up with this arrangement that went from ‘Raven Black Night’ into ‘Silent Scream Pt. 2’ and back into ‘Raven Black Night’,” shares Haynes. “The way those two things married together is really cool, and the way the orchestra accepted that challenge was really amazing. I think the way those two songs work together kind of lend themselves to orchestration, in some ways, more than anything else on this recording. They sound like the orchestration completes the thought, like the orchestration sounds like part of the composition, which is a tall order and very high praise indeed. I love the arrangement for the piece and really enjoyed singing ‘Raven Black Night’ in that light, because the original recording had no drums and was very stripped-down. It had a little percussion thing in the middle and no bass. Whereas this arrangement is just full-bodied, full orchestration – the opposite of the original – and it really takes it to a place that completes it and turns it into another thing.”

Co-produced by Don Was and Haynes, Dreams & Songs: A Symphonic Journey was recorded in 2019 at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in Haynes’ hometown of Asheville, North Carolina. The performance featured Haynes alongside the 64-piece Asheville Symphony Orchestra and an all-star backing band that included Oteil Burbridge on bass, John Medeski on organ and keyboards, Jeff Sipe on drums, Greg Osby on saxophone, and background vocalists Edwin McCain and Jasmine Muhammad.

The album was mixed by Bob Clearmountain and spans Haynes’ more than three decades of music, featuring orchestral reinterpretations of material from Gov’t Mule, the Allman Brothers Band, The Dead, his solo catalog, and more. Orchestral arrangements were created by David Campbell, Jim Gray, Tom Matta, Vince Mendoza, Sean O’Loughlin, and Chris Walden.

“Raven Black Night (Live)” follows the previously released orchestral versions of the Grateful Dead classic “Shakedown Street” and the Gov’t Mule favorite “Banks of the Deep End.”

Since debuting in Asheville in 2019, the Dreams & Songs Symphonic Experience has expanded into a recurring concert event, with performances at Red Rocks Amphitheatre and in cities including New Orleans, Indianapolis, Detroit, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. The next performances are scheduled for March 11-12, 2027, at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center.

Before then, Haynes will return to the road with Gov’t Mule. The band’s Kicking In Your Stall Tour begins July 22 and runs through August 23, including nine co-headlining performances with Joe Bonamassa. Gov’t Mule will then launch the Dreaming The Same Dream Tour with Ziggy Marley on September 23, featuring guest DJ YOLA.

Dreams & Songs: A Symphonic Journey Track Listing

1. Dreams & Songs (Part 1)
2. Dreams
3. Banks Of The Deep End
4. Spots of Time
5. Broken Promised Land
6. Thorazine Shuffle
7. It Makes No Difference
8. Terrapin Station > Slipknot! > Terrapin Station
9. Raven Black Night > Silent Scream > Raven Black Night
10. Just Another Rider
11. Black Peter
12. Instrumental Illness
13. One
14. Shakedown Street
15. Whipping Post
16. Dreams & Songs (Reprise)

Gov’t Mule – Kicking In Your Stall Tour

July 22 – Charlotte, NC – Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre *
July 24 – Atlanta, GA – Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park *
July 25 – Tuscaloosa, AL – Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater *
July 26 – Memphis, TN – Radians Amphitheater *
July 29 – Indianapolis, IN – Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park *
July 31 – Rochester Hills, MI – Meadow Brook Amphitheatre *
August 1 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center *
August 2 – Cincinnati, OH – PNC Pavilion *
August 4 – Richmond, VA – Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront *
August 6 – Hampton Beach, NH – Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
August 7 – Gilford, NH – BankNH Pavilion
August 8 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Broadview Stage at SPAC *
August 11 – Portland, ME – Cross Insurance Arena
August 12 – Burlington, VT – Waterfront Park
August 14 – New Haven, CT – Westville Music Bowl
August 15 – Asbury Park, NJ – Stone Pony Summer Stage
August 16 – Bethlehem, PA – Wind Creek Event Center
August 18 – Wilmington, NC – Live Oak Bank Pavilion
August 19 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater
August 20 – North Charleston, SC – Firefly Distillery
August 21 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place
August 22 – St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheatre
August 23 – Clearwater, FL – The BayCare Sound

Co-headlining with Joe Bonamassa.

Gov’t Mule & Ziggy Marley – Dreaming The Same Dream Tour

September 23 – New York, NY – The Rooftop at Pier 17
September 24 – Boston, MA – Leader Bank Pavilion
September 26 – Philadelphia, PA – TD Pavilion at the Mann
September 27 – Vienna, VA – Wolf Trap
September 29 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
September 30 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
October 2 – Milwaukee, WI – BMO Pavilion
October 3 – Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
October 6 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
October 8 – Salt Lake City, UT – Granary Live
October 9 – Boise, ID – Outlaw Field at the Idaho Botanical Garden
October 11 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater
October 12 – Woodinville, WA – Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery
October 14 – Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre
October 16 – San Diego, CA – Gallagher Square at Petco Park
October 17 – Dallas, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory

The post Warren Haynes announces “Dreams & Songs: A Symphonic Journey” appeared first on Blues Rock Review.

Bill Ward, the original Black Sabbath drummer, has confirmed he now relies on a wheelchair “more and more” for airports and public events, nearly one year after the death of his longtime bandmate Ozzy Osbourne. The 78-year-old shared the Bill Ward wheelchair update himself on Wednesday, July 8, posting a photo of himself smiling in an all-black outfit while seated in the mobility device, and insisting in the same breath that he is “not in retirement.”

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Bill Ward’s Full Statement, In His Own Words

Ward posted a lengthy, candid message to fans explaining the change, opening with a direct address: “Dear Friends, Fans, Families, and people I’ve not met yet, I’m announcing today somewhat sadly but nonetheless truthfully, that I’ve reached a place where publicly more and more I need to use a wheelchair, mostly in airports, or public events.”

He was careful to draw a clear line for fans, writing, “I can still walk, let there be no doubt, but I can’t walk very far without needing to rest, meaning I need to sit down.” According to Ward, the transition wasn’t sudden — he said the wheelchair has quietly been part of his travel routine for a year and a half already, mostly for getting through airports.

‘Not In Retirement’: What Ward Wants Fans To Know

The heart of Ward’s message is a rejection of the assumptions people tend to make when they see a longtime musician using a wheelchair. Ward, who turned 78 on May 5, addressed that head-on: “I was a long distance walker, I’ve walked in many different parts of the world, and I’m still a drummer. I can still play pretty good for 78 years old. My talents and ambitions, and my unyielding need to be artful, and to play drums, is still as strong as it was so many years ago now.”

He continued, drawing a distinction between mobility and identity: “I’m just saying if you see me in a wheelchair, I’m just catching a ride, I’m not in retirement or ill or giving up, or any of those thoughts that ignite when we see people in wheelchairs.” Ward closed the post with an invitation rather than a warning: “If you see me in the airports or visiting friends in the music arenas or theatres say hi, I don’t bite, I’ll just look different, as pictured here.” He signed off, “I’ll keep rocking until I’m dead. Rock forever and ever.”

Check It Out – The Earth Tapes Secured: Sharon Osbourne Settles Legal War Over Black Sabbath’s “Legendary” 1969 Demos

A Tribute Still Raw: Remembering Ozzy Osbourne

Ward’s decision to go public now, nearly a year after Osbourne’s death, adds context to the timing. Osbourne passed away in the summer of 2025, and in the aftermath, Birmingham’s Black Sabbath Bench became an impromptu memorial site for fans from around the world grieving the loss of the Prince of Darkness. Ward posted his own emotional tribute at the time, writing, “Where will I find you now? In the memories, our unspoken embraces, our missed phone calls, no, you’re forever in my heart,” before adding, “Deepest condolences to Sharon and all family members. RIP. Sincere regrets to all the fans. Never goodbye. Thank you forever.”

That loss followed closely behind one of the most significant nights of Ward’s career. Black Sabbath’s original lineup played its final show together, Back to the Beginning, at Villa Park in Birmingham on July 5, 2025 — Ward’s first time behind the kit with Osbourne, Tony Iommi, and Geezer Butler in nearly two decades. The wheelchair news lands as a reminder that the surviving members are still processing that closure in real time, on their own terms.

Also – BLACK SABBATH’s ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’: The Haunting Story Behind a Heavy Metal Masterpiece

The Long Road Back To Black Sabbath’s Final Bow

Ward’s presence at that farewell show mattered more than casual fans might realize, because for over a decade it wasn’t a given he’d ever share a stage with Sabbath again. In May 2012, Ward announced he was declining to join his former bandmates for reunion dates and the recording of what became the “13” album, citing a contractual dispute. The band’s search for a replacement drummer took a strange detour: producer Rick Rubin floated CREAM’s Ginger Baker for the sessions, an idea Iommi shot down flatly. “I thought, ‘Bloody hell?’” Iommi told Rolling Stone. “I just couldn’t see that.” Rubin’s next suggestion was Rage Against The Machine’s Brad Wilk.

Seen against that history, Ward actually making it back onstage for Sabbath’s true final bow in 2025 — and now choosing transparency over silence about his health in 2026 — tracks as part of the same pattern: a drummer who’s always done things on his own terms, even when it costs him the easier path.

Bill Ward’s Solo Legacy: Accountable Beasts

Ward’s own catalog outside Sabbath is worth remembering here too. His most recent solo album, ‘Accountable Beasts’, arrived in 2015 via iTunes — his first solo record in 18 years. The album featured Ward’s own drumming on seven of its nine tracks, alongside longtime collaborators Keith Lynch on guitar and keyboards, bassist Paul Ill, drummer Ronnie Ciago, drummer Walter Earl, and an array of session singers, including Ward’s daughter, Emily.

Ward closed his wheelchair announcement with a line that reads like a thesis statement for the whole post: “And the secrets we hide, can be dangerous to our health, I’m letting transparency prevail, with love and progression.”

TL;DR

• Bill Ward, 78, says he now needs a wheelchair “more and more,” mostly in airports and at public events
• He’s used it for about 18 months already, but is going public with it now for the first time
• Ward insists he’s “not in retirement,” can still walk and still drums “pretty good”
• The update comes nearly a year after the death of bandmate Ozzy Osbourne, whom Ward called “forever in my heart”
• Ward played Black Sabbath’s true final show with the original lineup at Back to the Beginning in July 2025
• His last solo album, ‘Accountable Beasts’, came out in 2015 after an 18-year gap

Recommended – Black Sabbath’s Tony Martin Era Albums Ranked: The Most Underrated Sabbath Era Finally Gets Its Due

FAQ

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The post Black Sabbath’s Bill Ward Reveals He Now Needs a Wheelchair appeared first on Loaded Radio.

Last month, I shared one of those photo gallery videos that I often do when events like Anime NYC and the New York Comic Con are at their general public … Continue reading Flashback: Geeks OUT’s “Flame Con” 2025 Photo Gallery Video →

Seventh solo LP, like 2024's predecessor, finds release and relief in the power of the guitar. Continue reading…

The Dogs D’Amour have shared a close connection with Finland for more than four decades. In 1984, the British rockers travelled to the Tampere area […]

The post Dogs D’Amour’s Tyla: “Forty years ago I wrote ‘How Come It Never Rains’ and sixty-five years ago I was born” appeared first on Metal-Rules.com.

Bloodstock Bound: Wrex

As Bloodstock gets closer, we delve deep into the line up to find out more about some of the bands playing the New Blood and EMP stages at this years event.

Today we chat with Wrex

Please introduce yourselves.

Brighton-born duo WREX make electro-charged alternative rock to turbocharge heartbeats, snap necks and fill both dance floors and mosh pits. Shades of punk, nu-metal, pop and trance collide and coalesce but never clash; a wild explosion of riffs and synths that pulls from influences as diverse as While She Sleeps, Faithless and Linkin Park. This is the WREX blueprint: a fierce, all-enveloping wall of sound with little time for music’s outdated boundaries or conventions; creativity, joy and emotion unbound.“WREX is about letting go-It’s a release from everything that’s going on in the world around you, a purge of everything you’re thinking and feeling.

Whilst WREX is perceived as a DUO. Mae Seaton (Vocals) George Donoghue (Vocals & Guitar). We like to refer to it as a space where we can all let loose.

For Bloodstock we will be joined by our live band, Greg Walton (Lambrini Girls), Joe Constable (Circuit Of Horrors, The Rocket Dolls) and Sam Jones (Bleed Again).

How would you describe your sound?

We describe ourselves as Nu-Punk, Combining elements of Nu-Metal and Punk Rock.

How did you land your spot on the Bloodstock bill?

It was one of those F*CK it moments, we filled out the online form not expecting to hear anything. And when the email came through it was a pinch ourselves moment.

What does playing at Bloodstock mean to you?

For us this is a huge moment, for an unsigned independent band. No Manager, No Booker we are stoked to be getting on major festivals and Bloodstock are one of the first to take the punt on us.

Its of course a legendary festival and has a huge amount of history and prestige in the UK Metal Scene, we grew up watching online videos of bands at bloodstock so this is for sure a special moment.

For people who’ve never seen you live, what can they expect at Bloodstock?

Imagine a fizzed up can of pop. That energy, with its fair share of catchy choruses and tasty riffs.

What day are you performing?

Sunday

What other bands are you looking forward to watching at Bloodstock this year?

Judas Priest, Graphic Nature and Dream State. We are gutted to miss Battle Snake. They are amazing! Go see them!!

Playing the EMP Stage is just the first steppingstone in a bands journey. What’s next in your plans for world domination?

We have a UK and EU tour for September/October/November to wind this year up. Bringing us to 60 something shows this year. This is to support something special of course

Are you camping with the fans? Which campsite are you heading for?

Unfortunately we aren’t, we are coming straight in from Rebellion Festival and we will be heading home after JP due to life commitments.

You’ve gotta keep hydrated at Bloodstock, what is your drink of choice for the weekend?

You can’t beat a lovely cold pint of cider on a summers day.

See you at Bloodstock in a few weeks!

See you there

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