Thanks to his work with Nine Inch Nails and his emergence, in collaboration with NIN bandmate Atticus Ross, as one of the film and television industry’s most decorated and in-demand soundtrack composers, Trent Reznor is acknowledged as one of the most accomplished, innovative and fearless songwriters of the modern era. In 2023, in conversation with his good friend Rick Rubin for the latter’s Tetragrammaton podcast series, Reznor spoke about the expansive musical education he received as a teenager growing up in the 1980s, and singled out one record in particular as “life-changing” for him.
Reznor began by revealing that, had he not fallen under the spell of rock ‘n’ roll, and specifically the louder-than-life music of Kiss, as a young teenager, his life might have taken an altogether different route, as his piano tutor had suggested that his gifted young student might want to consider a career as a concert pianist. Informed that this might entail a lifetime of hard work and endless practise, the 13-year-year old Trent Reznor concluded that this “didn’t sound like it was any fun”, whereas the universe created by Kiss “seemed like it was too good to be true.”
“It was exciting. it was taboo, it felt larger than life,” Reznor recalled. “It felt like you might get in trouble if you had the Hotter Than Hell album…. It just clicked that I want to be in a band., I want to do that.”
“And I had a life changing experience,” he continued. “National Record Mart was the, the store in the mall 15 minutes away from where I grew up, and I remember walking in there and hearing something that was like, What is this? And it was Frank Zappa, the Sheik Yerbouti album, filled with profanity. They’d put the cover of the album they were playing up on the counter when they’re playing it, and it just felt like, I don’t understand what I’m hearing, but wow, man.”
Reznor’s tastes were expanded further when he signed up to the Columbia Record Club, a mail order subscription service which seduced music fans by offering a cut-price introductory deal, then sending out full-price albums that they considered might be relevant to your listening habits.
“I remember getting a Billy Joel album that I didn’t want, 52nd Street (released in 1978), but I listened to the shit out of it because I’d paid full price for it, and I liked it, you know, I drilled it into my head.”
When Rubin suggests that the album probably made Reznor a better songwriter, the musician agrees, adding “There’s some Barry Manilow in there along the way.”
‘In today’s era of hitting skip, or shuffle, you miss that learning curve,” he says. “A lot of my favourite albums I didn’t understand at first.”
Earlier this year, Reznor also cited David Cronenberg’s typically unsettling psychological thriller Dead Ringers, as a major influence on his music.
Expanding upon this, Nine Inch Nails’ leader saluted, “The incredible sense of dread from the first frame to the end.”
“You’re not sure what’s going to happen, but it’s going to be bad,” he said. “Love it. It’s been a big inspiration for what I try to do with Nine Inch Nails. Make you feel bad. The whole time.”
The full Tetragrammatoninterview is available below.
Wise Divaz deliver an uplifting blend of hip-hop, R&B, and contemporary pop on Blow Your Mind, a feel-good anthem that celebrates the power of kindness and genuine human connection. Built around smooth grooves, polished production, and confident vocal performances, the track balances infectious rhythms with an encouraging message that feels both sincere and refreshing. Catchy hooks and vibrant instrumentation keep the energy flowing throughout, while the positive lyricism gives the song lasting appeal beyond its immediate charm. Warm, engaging, and effortlessly accessible, Blow Your Mind proves that meaningful messages and irresistible grooves can go hand in hand.
The pair will be joined by singer Mollie Marriott, daughter of the late Small Faces frontman Steve Marriott, who has also been singing with Wakeman Senior and features on his upcoming The Return To The Red Planet album, which is gearing up for release later this year.
“It’s recently been announced that, following the success of the Rick Wakeman and Son tour in the US, I will be joining Dad for this short Christmas tour,” Wakeman Junior says. “This time we have the brilliant Mollie Marriott singing. Should be a great fun night. Looking forward to seeing you there!”
Oliver Wakeman continues his From A Page tour in support of the recent extended version of the Yes mini-album, across England, Scotland, the Netherlands and Germany in November.
You can see the full list of dates below.
Rick Wakeman’s A Hint Of Christmas Tour
Dec 4: Devizes Corn Exchange Dec 5: Isle of Wight Newport Medina Theatre Dec 6: Portsmouth Guildhall Dec 9: Evesham The Regal Cinema Dec 11: Buxton Opera House Dec 12: Milton Keynes The Stables
Nov 4: UK Totten Hangar Farm Nov 6: UK Foxlowe Arts Centre Nov 7: UK Kinross Green Hotel Nov 8: UK Settle Victoria Hall Nov 13: UK Lowdham Village Hall Nov 21: NED Sneek Bolwork Nov 22: NED Weert De Bosuil Nov 24: GER Zwickau Liederbuch Nov 25: GER Würzburg Kellar Z7 Nov 26: GER Metzingen Hirsch Glems
Placebo‘s Brian Molko has revealed the one simple but penetrating question that David Bowie put to all his musician friends and every creative artist that he worked with.
The subject came up during an interview that Placebo’s frontman conducted with John Kennedy from Radio X, during which Molko answered questions submitted by listeners.
A listener called Sarah asked the 53-year-old musician ‘What artistic risks are you glad you took in your career and are there any you wish you had taken?’
“For us, it was all about taking risks at the beginning, and it continues to be,” Molko replies. “It reminds me of what David Bowie said to me, and he said this to everyone that either he was working with or that he had a friendship with. He would always ask you a question: ‘Are you comfortable with what you’re doing?’ And the answer would normally be, Yeah, actually, I am. And then he’d say, ‘Well, you’re doing it wrong. You need to step out of your comfort zone.”
“I think we’re a band that thrived on taking risks,” Molko adds. “Even walking out on stage in a dress in 1994 was a bit of a risk. I think all good art is about is about taking risks.”
Later in the interview, a listener called Marina in Brazil asks Molko, ‘If you could choose anyone to play yourself in a Placebo biopic, who would that be and who would you pick to direct it?’
“One of my favourite filmmakers is Jim Jarmusch,” Molko responds. “I have one of his films tattooed on my skin – Only Love Is Left Alive, my favourite film. I think Yungblud would do a good job of playing me, but I think he might struggle with my accent! The answer to that question used to be Audrey Hepburn!”
You can watch the interview in full below:
Later this year, Placebo will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their self-titled debut album with an extensive UK and European arena tour.
The band will perform songs from their first two albums, Placebo and 1998’s Without You I’m Nothing, some of which have not been included in the band’s live sets for over 20 years.
Placebo 30th Anniversary Tour
Sep 28: Oporto Super Bock Arena, Portugal Sep 29: Lisbon Sagres Campo Pequeno, Portugal
Oct 01: Madrid Movistar Arena (The Ring), Spain Oct 03: Barcelona St. Jordi Club, Spain Oct 05: Toulouse Zenith, France Oct 07: Nantes Zenith, France Oct 09: Esch-sur-Alzette Rockhal, Luxembourg Oct 12: Leipzig Quarterback Immobilien Arena, Germany Oct 15: Vilnius Twinsbet Arena, Lithuania Oct 16: Riga Xiaomi Arēna, Latvia Oct 18: Helsinki Veikkaus Arena, Finland Oct 20: Stockholm Annexet, Sweden Oct 22: Oslo Spektrum, Norway Oct 24: Copenhagen KB Hall, Denmark Oct 26: Hamburg Barclays Arena, Germany Oct 27: Amsterdam Ziggo Dome, Holland Oct 29: Frankfurt Festhalle, Germany
Nov 01: Antwerp Afas Dome, Belgium Nov 02: Cologne Lanxess Arena, Germany Nov 04: Zurich Hallenstadion, Switzerland Nov 06: Milan Unipol Forum, Italy Nov 09: Munich Olympiahalle, Germany Nov 10: Vienna Stadthalle, Austria Nov 13: Budapest Budapest Arena, Hungary Nov 15: Prague Fortuna Sports Hall, Czech Republic Nov 16: Berlin Uber Arena, Germany Nov 18: Lodz Atlas Arena, Poland Nov 21: Stuttgart Hans-Martin-Schleyer-Halle, Germany Nov 23: Lyon LDLC Arena, France Nov 25: Paris Accor Arena, France Nov 28: Nottingham NIC Arena, UK Nov 30: Glasgow OVO Hydro, UK
Dec 02: Dublin 3 Arena, Ireland Dec 04: Manchester Co-op Live Arena, UK Dec 05: London OVO Wembley Arena, UK Dec 07: Cardiff Utilita Arena, UK
The much-feted Spitting Glass kicked things off on Sunday morning at Download XXIII, the Dogtooth tent quickly filling despite the band only having released one song so far. But the outfit more than fulfilled their promise and look like being future headliners.
With Mould, Zero 9.36 and Wayside all putting in compelling sets, the theme seemed to shift unknowingly to beating the odds as several bands proved their standing and place in music.
Zero 9-36 – Download XXII (2026). Photo: Matt Pratt/MetalTalk
The first of these was Mammoth, as Wolfgang Van Halen showed once again just how good an artist he really is and has far exceeded all expectations, despite his having grown up in one of the biggest shadows in rock.
Certainly, the band were on fire, and to see them tear into numbers like Another Celebration At The End Of The World and Don’t Back Down is proof positive that they are set on a stellar course. You can certainly feel that Eddie is looking down at his son, immensely proud of the man and musician he has become.
RØRY – Download XXII (2026). Photo: Matt Pratt/MetalTalk
Whilst this was going on, RØRY showed the Apex crowd that age is most definitely just a number, and her set left everyone in no doubt that no matter how relatively late you start a career in an industry that is obsessed with youth, you can still make a huge impact, and this artist has a lot more to say and is only just getting started.
Later that day, Dogstar and The Pretty Reckless both displayed that they are so much more than their film star band members and put in vital sets where the focus was the music.
Dogstar – Download XXII (2026). Photo: Matt Pratt/MetalTalk
Rather than being a hobby for Keanu Reeves and Taylor Momsen, respectively, these are full-blooded performances approached from different angles, with Reeves again staying in the background and Momsen dominating the stage.
It suits their personalities perfectly, and Dogstar’s brand of alternative rock and The Pretty Reckless’s grungy hard rock show teeth and great writing, any scepticism blown away with years of hard work under their belts, new converts to the cause brought into the fold.
Dogstar – Download XXII (2026). Photo: Matt Pratt/MetalTalk
Sisters Jyl and Jules Wyld also saw their outfit The Pretty Wild gain a legion of fresh recruits, their move from pop covers to forming the hard-rocking band one that has reaped huge rewards as they unleashed their own vision of modern Metal, the twin voices alternately melodic and feral.
Former touring partners Bloodywood return to the Apex stage and proceed to kick up a righteous riot, their heavy-duty mix of Metal, rap and traditional Indian music like a punch to the solar plexus as they unite the crowd.
From Raj Against the Machine to Rage Against the Machine, long-term supporter of the Delhi crew, Tom Morello plays another highlight of the weekend, his set the very epitome of incendiary.
Tom Morello – Download XXII (2026). Photo: Matt Pratt/MetalTalk
Accompanied highly impressively by son Roman on guitar, there are few artists as politically savvy in the world, and he wields his guitar as a weapon in the same way that Woody Guthrie stated that his instrument kills fascists.
With new single Soldier In The Army Of Love opening the set in titanic style, a run through of material from his career hit all the high notes and covers of The Ghost Of Tom Joad and Power To The People could not have been more apt.
Tom Morello – Download XXII (2026). Photo: Matt Pratt/MetalTalk
As always, Killing In The Name Of proved to be the anthem that everyone wanted and needed, every word sung from the heart and its message seemingly catching some sort of eternal zeitgeist. The world seemingly needs artists like Morello more than ever.
Further great sets from the likes of Magnolia Park, Social Distortion, Ankor, Dinosaur Pile-Up and Ash spanned the old and the new with Mastodon and Spineshank effortlessly winning crowds.
An earlier secret set by Welsh rabble rousers Skindred was a fitting celebration of their chart-topping You Got This album, Benji Webbe and crew embracing the intimacy of the moment to share the success with an overspilling Dogtooth tent packed with family, friends and fans.
Bad Omens made their own memories too with their constantly developing take on fascinating melodic Metalcore and proved to be the perfect band to play just before the welcome and emotional return of Linkin Park to Donington.
Linkin Park – Download XXII (2026). Photo: Matt Pratt/MetalTalk
Playing to a field where a sea of faces stretched to the horizon, the Californian sextet owned Download from the very first notes of The Emptiness Machine onwards, and the connection between the band and fans was arguably the strongest bond of the weekend.
Ingrained in the collective consciousness, Crawling, Somewhere I Belong, One Step Closer and What I’ve Done became something that transcended the music itself and instead were sung from the soul of thousands upon thousands of people.
The newer material stands up well, shoulder to shoulder with the old, and Emily Armstrong yet again proved herself to be the perfect fit in a band that so many hold sacred.
Linkin Park – Download XXII (2026). Photo: Matt Pratt/MetalTalk
By the time In The End had turned a vast number into weeping and hugging messes, their crown was well and truly secure, and this carrying on from their and Chester’s legacy looked firmly into the future.
Of all the triumphs over the weekend, this was surely the most satisfying. Here’s to 2027.
Last time we looked at the four days awaiting Bloodstockers out on the Ronnie James Dio stage, at the thirty bands that are primed and ready to rock. But, between those acts there’s an equally packed roster awaiting on the smaller, but no less prestigious, S.O.P.H.I.E. Stage.
The usual Thursday party in the tent is disrupted this year with the artist being equally divided betwixt both arenas. Headlining the second stage is Canadian extremists Cryptopsy, who showed, if anyone needed showing, their devastating brutality and death metal bludgeoning when they locked horns with the mighty Decapitated on tour last spring. Their undisputed classic sophomore album, None So Vile, reaches its thirtieth birthday this year, so expect a whole heaping of classics from that record to pummel you into submission in advance of the festival proper.
Classic hard rockers, Black Spiders make a long overdue return to Catton Park sixteen years after their Bloodstock debut in 2010. Bringing the firepower of Motorhead and Black Sabbath along with the bluesy sound of Zeppelin, all mixed up with a punk rock attitude, we’re sure to be treated to the kind of performance that captivated crowds at Sonisphere, Steelhouse and the much-missed High Voltage Festivals.
Opening the festivities on Thursday will be Watford Hardcore/ Metalcore masked miscreants, The Hell who maintain an incognito aura while firing crowds up. 2024 saw a couple of EPs: 66666 and the does-what-it-says-on-the-tin, I Don’t Give a Fuck, are sure to feature, as might latest single, Cover Up, out at the start of May. I’m hoping to hear Matt Hancock, You Shady Fucking Crook, from the Greatest Hardcore Band of All Time EP.
After his main stage appearance back in 2018, Murderdoll Wednesday 13 has the honour of closing the S.O.P.H.I.E. stage’s first full day. Blending horror punk and heavy metal, a liberal sprinkling of glam, southern rock and the gothic, make a Wednesday show a feast for the eyes and the ears. Scheduled no doubt after the finale of Lamb of God, it’ll be like whistling past the graveyard as midnight strikes. We won’t, sadly, get a full moon over Derbyshire that night, but how cool would that have been?
Norwegian black jazz experimentalists Shining have been away from Catton Park for a decade, though in truth main-man, Jørgen Munkeby, was playing keyboards with Emperor last year. It’s been eight years and counting since Shining last released the full-length, Animal, coming after the excellent International Blackjazz Society and One One One records, it seemed their unique take on heavy music was finding a wider audience. Chaos and classical, a Shining show is always a hell of a fun time.
Impossibly youthful Danes, Neckbreakker’s debut hit album, Within the Viscera, has found them touring with the likes of Crypta, BAEST and Left to Die, as well as slots on some of Europe’s biggest events, including a spot on the 2023 New Blood Stage at Catton Park. Blending classic Scandinavia death metal with a modern hardcore assault, be prepared for a musical blitzkrieg.
Aiming for a bit more of a fun time, Hampshire Nucore mob, Seething Akira, have returned to Catton Park after their opening slot on the Ronnie James Dio stage back in 2023. In the meantime, they’ve pummelled the Uprising festival in Leicester and issued a new record, Cancel Estate, both in 2024. Punchy electronics and heavy beats are just the thing to reinvigorate that energy.
Germany is rarely the first place you think of when considering the grindcore genre, but Saxony grinders-cum-jokers, ExcrementoryGrindfuckers are here to correct that notion. Formed at the turn of the millennium, soon issued the debut record, Guts, Core and Grind in 2001, paused for eleven years and then there was an unstoppable deluge of records between 2012 and 2019. The tide stemmed somewhat until the EP, Die Rückkehr der fleischgewordenen Schnapsidee came out in 2023. New full length, Jetz is auch egal, just happens to be scheduled for release on the very day the band take the Bloodstock stage. Early tunes suggest they aren’t about reinvent their own wheel. Aussie grooving thrash trio, Hidden Intent put out album number four in the shape of last year’s Terrorform, a belligerent manifesto of uncompromising riffs and bullying percussion; recommended only for those of stout heart, these Adelaide aggravators will be sure to turn the S.O.P.H.I.E. into a warzone.
Another band with a new record due around the same time as Bloodstock is York symphonic power metal brigade, Sellsword, whose third album, …With Might and Vengeance, is due the week before the festival. If the advance single, Mighty Mercenaries, is anything to judge against, Sellsword are bringing the spirit of the Assembly Rooms to the fields of Catton Park. Big riffs, even bigger choruses and fist-pumping, chest-beating anthems only Bloodstock can accommodate. Edinburgh extremists, Hammer released their self-titled debut about ten-days before the county went quite in 2020. A real shame because there’s definitely some thrills in the likes of Gorehound, Burn Then All and the grooving From Beyond. Sophomore record, ironically titled Trapped, came out last summer, their first with new vocalist James Andrews, who replaced Matt Liddard in 2023. A modern take on the Death Metal template will shake the tent to its foundations.
From the haunted realms of northern England – well, Darlington – come black metal horde, Blood Countess and their grizzly obsession with a certain Erzśebet Báthory, Countess of Ecsed, and convicted killer of countless peasants during the sixteenth century. With a sound more in keeping with the Swedish version of Black Metal than the Norwegian one, Blood Countess spew raw blasphemies with devilish abandon. New record, Imperatrix Sanguinis, was summoned from the depths back in April and shows British Black Metal is thriving. Gurt have been coming to Bloodstock on and off since 2014 and, after a stellar show at Uprising a couple of months back, appear to be back on top form after being away for what seems like ages. Guaranteed to get the party started, regardless of the early stage time, Gurt have sludgy riffs and abrasive ‘core’ approach and we might even get to hear about vocalist Gareth Kelly’s botched vasectomy.
After the headlining bludgeoning from Slaughter to Prevail, something a tad more cerebral might be in order to the end of Saturday’s shenanigans. Norwegian progressives Leprous, who wowed at Damnation’s Night of Salvation back in 2023, playing their Coil album for its tenth anniversary. Taking influence from early prog bands Pink Floyd and King Crimson, as well as avant-garde artists The Mars Volta and metal bands Opeth and Tool, Leprous cut their teeth as a Ihsahn’s live band; just so happens the Emperor main man is Leprous’ vocalist & keyboardist, Einar Solberg’s, brother-in-law. Nepotism aside, expect to be bamboozled and battered in equal measure.
Unpronounceable Columbus death metal outfit, Sanguisugabogg, have been added to the S.O.P.H.I.E. stage as part of the reorganisation following Of Mice & Men’s withdrawal. Their take on the genre is very much brutally primitive, near-caveman level of rawness. Yet, anyone who’s seen the band already can attest, Bloodstock is in for a helluva good time. Less than subtle tunes from the Tortured Whole debut and the 2023 sophomore release, Homicidal Ecstasy, have carried on to last year’s Hideous Aftermath. Felony Abuse of a Corpse and Semi-Automatic Facial Reconstruction do not feel they need much introduction.
Originally scheduled to the Ronnie James Dio stage, Eighties Thrash legends, Death Angel make a third Catton Park appearance, this time with a higher billing in the more suitable confines of the S.O.P.H.I.E. stage. Classic albums The Ultra-Violence and Frolic Through the Park showed the band we’re mere scene imitators, rather they blended their Filipino heritage into aggressive music and became lauded as a band that stood out from the pack. The hiatus between 1991 and 2001 saw a short-lived project called The Organisation, but the band returned with The Art of Dying in 2004. The constant axis of guitarist Rob Covestany and vocalist Mark Osegueda have steered Death Angel from almost the beginning, so are both best suited to maintain the band’s legacy.
One wonders whether Cheltenham hardcore groovers, Stampin’ Ground ever imagined the trajectory of their career would see them busy as the proverbial-bees a full two-decades after they’d hung up their boots. Dragged out of retirement in 2014 for Sonisphere – and the M.O.D. tour – before resurfacing again for A Night of Salvation and Damnation in 2025, and having already decimated Uprising and Download recently, Stampin’ Ground look set to cause carnage on their Catton Park debut. Don’t Need a Reason to Hate, Dead from the Neck Up, Pain is Weakness (Leaving the Body) and, of course, Officer Down are racing certainties to be the cause of some of the wildest pit action of the weekend.
Cambridge old school death metal mob, Celestial Sanctuary were riding high with the release of debut album, Soul Diminished in 2021 and the four-way split Absolute Convergence a year later. 2023 saw the opening throes of a new record, with Insatiable Thirst for Terror landing that same year and an EP, Visions of Stagnant Blood, in 2024, which showed the band working with longer tracks, evidenced by the ten-minute Gavage of the Vile. New single, They Worm Their Way In, released back in February, suggesting a new album is imminent. Absolute Metal warriors, Viking Skull, bring their Raging Speedhorn-adjacent sludgecore to Catton Park. Back in the day they were found on stages with the artists Dio, HIM, Alice Cooper and Brides of Destruction. The mid-noughties to the mid-teens were a purple patch for the band with five full-lengths, two EPs and a live album of none-PC metal anthems such as Beers, Drugs and Bitches; Wizard’s Sleeve and Rape, Pillage and Burn. Good old fashioned boozy fun.
Farnham deathcore unit, Bound in Fear, are celebrating their decade of existence with an appearance at Catton Park, whose aggressive assault will find good company. London based thrashers, Imperium, bring a modern version of the old genre to the stage while still maintaining a reverence and respect to the giants upon whose shoulders they stand. Debut album, Exodus Unknown, will be issued a mere matter of weeks before the Bloodstock show.
Nottingham’s Lovecraftian-titled Outergods cover all the extreme metal bases with their Blackened Death meets Grindcore sound. 2023 debut record, A Kingdom Built Upon the Wreckage of Heaven is a voyage through the Netherworld which found them on the New Blood Stage, and 2025’s Dethroned & Devoured has something of an industrial element running through. The band have been praised for their senses-battering live performances, so are well worth popping your head in to see what’s going on. Earlier, what’s going on is Froglord, Amphibious Swamp Doom from Bristol, whose stoner psychedelics come with a conservation message. Previous Metal 2 the Masses winners, expect smoky grooves and an early Saturday mind-expansion.
What does one do when the Ronnie James Dio stage’s 2026 itinerary has ended, and the Priest have left the (metaphorical) building? ‘twould be churlish to expect any other metal band to attempt to follow Halford and co, so Bloodstock have instead opted for the curtain-closer to be French Dark-synthwave experimentalist, Carpenter Brut to entertain the festival faithful one last time. Last year Mr Brut- or Franck Hueso – proved his headlining credentials with the bill-topping performance at RADAR, where he made the Victoria Warehouse forget that Zeal & Ardor had just played. Mixing electronics, disco and progressive metal, Carpenter Brut is a treat for the eyes and ears and I challenge anyone’s weary body not to want to move at some point during the show.
Also in from Cleveland, Ohio, come Death Metal monsters 200 Stab Wounds who’ll probably be about as subtle as Sideshowbob were yesterday. Garnering a big Damnation crowd back in 2024, the band have been in operation since 2019 and issued an EP and a couple of albums in that time, gathering much praise while doing so for the sheer brutality of their approach.
Does seem to be a Cleveland band reunion on the S.O.P.H.I.E. stage this year, as industrial alt nu metallers, Mushroomhead make their Bloodstock debut and the row as to whether they or Slipknot masked up first can be settled. Formed in 1993 and issuing the self-titled debut in 1995, it would be fair to think the ‘head arrived before the ‘knot. The band, after having gained fame along with the Nu-wave of the late Nineties, continued to regularly release records right up to 2024’s Call the Devil. It could well be a nostalgia trip to all those forty-somethings who grew up with Korn, Coal Chamber and the like.
Post hardcore meets alternative rock in Carmarthen quartet Dream State. Citing influences as broad as A Day to Remember, Tool and Slipknot, these Welshmen have but a single full-length to their name, 2019’s Primrose Path, but a host of EPs, leading up to 2024’s Still Dreaming. Possibly not the most aggressive bands on this stage today, don’t be fooled into thinking Dream State will only break your heart, as they have enough raw aggression to cause you physical damage too.
LA quintet, Thrown into Exile, blend metalcore with melodic death metal in a hybrid of US and Scandinavian styles. Their 2024 EP, Passageways, produced the singles Desolation and Killing the Only One; last year’s Eternal Nothingness shows the band are in the process of delivering new material. Orange Goblin – R.I.P. – offshoot, Noisepicker released their sophomore record, The Earth Will Swallow the Sun, last March, and was the most interesting albums, not least for its utter disregard for genre convention, opting instead to dip their toes into the sort of musical waters in which you might usually find on End of Level Boss or The Earls of Mars records. Expect the unexpected from this show.
Originally Iranian extreme metal band, Trivax, arrive at Bloodstock via the West Midlands and come with a long and seasoned history, cumulating in last year’s The Great Satan album – not to be confused with the Rob Zombie record of the same name. Genre fluid but operating mainly in the arena of black metal and its many offshoots. Consideration of war, revolution, death, religion and rebellion fill Trivax’s brutal musical palette. Brummie Doomsters, Alunah, return to Catton Park with ex-Hot Little Hands vocalist, Daisy Savage, now fronting the band. June saw the release of the split with Samavayo, Embers of Belief, trailed in April by the single, La Pucelle, which showcased Daisy’s darker tones. Always a great live act, it’d be a shame not to check out this new incarnation.
South-west death thrashers Flayed Disciple have been smashing stages across the country for almost two decades now, sharing stages with the likes of Gojira, Vader, and Blood Red Throne. 2012 debut album, Death Hammer gathered much praise, follow-up self-titled EP came a couple of years later before the band took an eight-year hiatus. A Hell In Living Flesh arose in 2022, five blistering tracks that showed the band were back, and last year’s Blistering Autolysis EP underlined that fact. Fourteen years after their last appearance at Catton Park, and sixteen after their New Blood debut, Flayed Disciple is back. Hold on to your hats. Starting Sunday on the S.O.P.H.I.E. will be Acid Throne‘s pummelling and punishing riffage. Kingdom’s Death might be the only full-length to date, but the Norwich trio are fluent in sludgy riffs and mesmerising live shows.
As ever the S.O.P.H.I.E. stage is a real treasure trove of bands from across the genres. And sitting waiting at some point over the weekend is your new favourite band, ready to be discovered.
Stormkeep’s full-length debut, Tales of Othertime, caused quite a stir in 2021. And by that I mean it was quite popular. Deservedly. It was big. It was melodic. It had a ton of cool riffs. And its cover art was fantastically blue. Mostly, it was fun; a melding of Dissection and, more curiously, power metal. Others may disagree with the latter element, but it’s there. Fairly strongly, too, intentional or no.
The Nocturnes of Iswylm finds Stormkeep five years removed from their debut. Plenty can happen in five years, of course. And plenty has. Stormkeep is no longer a melding of Dissection and power metal but of Dimmu Borgir and power metal. Subtlety is the band’s enemy now and I like it.
Stormkeep’s subtlety-as-enemy ethos is made clear in the album’s late 1990s style packaging. The Dimmu meets Cradle of Filth face paint promo photos are a dead giveaway. Super not subtle. A dangerous flirtation with schmaltz. Still quite fun, nonetheless, much like Nocturnes itself. And kudos to the band and label for the cool lyric booklet.
Grandiose and synth heavy with blastbeats, shrieks, and clean singing, album opener “The Taste of Immortal Blood” is typical of The Nocturnees of Iswylm. Dimmu is going to keep coming up here, no doubt, but there’s a not insignificant amount of almost Finnish sounding power metal, too. A hint of the Ensiferum-like gallop. An inspired solo at the tail end. The sonic shift from Tales of Othertime couldn’t be more obvious. And why shouldn’t it be?
“The Black Dragons of Iswylm,” much like the opener, confidently navigates the seemingly disparate subgenres (black metal and power metal). What surprises me most about Nocturnes isn’t this shift itself but how well Stormkeep pulls it off whilst sounding reasonably heavy. As much as I like the new Dimmu (Grand Serpent Rising), Nocturnes is Stormkeep out-Dimmuing Dimmu with an often shred-heavy panache.
Release date: June 12, 2026. Label: Vesperian.
Melodic black metal is hardly difficult to come by, of course. Particularly this brand of late 1990s-early 2000s, synth-laden melodic black metal, which seems to be making a comeback of sorts. And Nocturnes isn’t without its missteps: namely, “Imperios Sanguine Eroticism,” which fails for being a bit boring—not much sense in it being a single. But Stormkeep’s sophomore effort is a curious statement for a band that charmed most critics five years ago. That they leaned heavy on the riffs will likely go under-appreciated by those who can’t get past the aesthetic shift.
Early though it may be, and as truly different as the albums are, the almost gauche-like charm of The Nocturnes of Iswylm makes it a more compelling listen than Tales of Othertime. I am sure there are many who will disagree. And that’s fine. This one, with its synth and its power metal and its unashamedness, speaks to me. Or perhaps it caught me at the right moment. Either way, thank you, Stormkeep.
Put your leather & studs on and go Wild and Crazy for Wicked’s sophomore album ‘Go Rebel‘ releasing August 21st, 2026! Band confirmed for August UK and Ireland tour with Kings Of Thrash Emerging from the billowing smoke of a big block burn out, comes the musical offspring of a classic rock influence with muscle […]
New York Rock artist Alex Cano returns with “Doin’ It Wrong,” a high‑energy anthem that fuses raw rock grit with a modern edge. Born from a simple toast between longtime friends, the track evolved into a bold reminder to enjoy the ride. Its baritone riffs and cathartic vocals hammer home the mantra: “If you don’t enjoy the ride, you’re doin’ it wrong.”
Produced by Cano and mastered by Grammy winner Ted Jensen, the song channels humility and humor, drawing on influences like Hendrix and Kristofferson. Written during a period of burnout, Cano used it as a sarcastic, grounding reminder not to take life too seriously.
“Doin’ It Wrong” is amazingly produced, written and performed. I love the sound (the guitars sound fantastic), the catchy vocals, and the instrumental parts. A quality song from every point of view, I totally recommend it. Give it a go by clicking on the Spotify player below and follow Alex Cano on social media as well, if you like what you hear.
