Nashville, TN-based slam/brutal death metal outfit Christorment premiere a new single titled "Born Anew", streaming via YouTube and Spotify for you now below.
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A previously unheard album featuring Scott Gorham is about to be released, 40 years after it was recorded. The Californian-born guitarist, best known for being a member of Thin Lizzy, was in Los Angeles group The Western Front towards the end of Lizzy’s lifespan, between 1983 and ’84.
The quintet had been led by their management to believe that a deal with Atlantic Records was a formality. When that arrangement fell through, so despondent were the band that the two-inch master tapes containing its dozen songs were consigned to the garage of their guitarist, Dennis O’Donnell, where they remained.
“I’ll never forget the call from my manager, who said: ‘You want me to send you a dozen roses [to celebrate]? I’m sitting in the office of Atlantic Records and you’ve got a deal,’” former Western Front guitarist Marty Walsh tells Classic Rock. “All these years later, we’re scratching our heads and wondering why we just allowed the band to end there.”
Walsh and Gorham had known one another as aspiring musicians during high school, and their reconnection in the 80s was a key factor in the birth of the Western Front.
“I was in Los Angeles to work on an album by my brother-in-law, Bob Siebenberg [drummer with Supertramp],” Gorham explains of his involvement, “and during downtime from that Marty and I tried to turn this riff I had into a song.”
The song, Set Me Free, was so good that the pair earmarked it as the first single from what could easily become an album. That was given further momentum by the addition to the band of Moon Calhoun, a quite brilliant singer from Oklahoma.
Forty years on, the results still sound amazing. The album is a deliciously smooth example of West Coast AOR, overlain with loud guitars.
“I love that kind of music,” Gorham says. “In Lizzy, Brian Robertson was the fiery guy, but I was the one that came up with the melodies and harmonies.”
Ultimately, however, record company politics would sink the band’s hopes and dreams, and the master tapes collected dust.
“After the deal fell through, I became involved with Supertramp, Darrell [Verdusco, drummer] worked with Mickey Thomas [of Starship], and Scott went back to London to start 21 Guns,” says Walsh. “But none of the guys in the band forgot about The Western Front.”
It was Magnus Söderqvist, a Swedish melodic rock enthusiast and record label boss, who instigated the process of getting the album finally released. After its song Euphoria was repurposed for an album by World Trade, the band of current Yes bassist Billy Sherwoood, and some selections were posted online in bootleg form, the inquisitive Söderqvist contacted former TWF guitarist Marty Walsh to determine the project’s status.
Meanwhile, Walsh happened to mention to his good friend Steve Lukather of Toto the possibility of the album being revived. “Steve advised me that Ed Van Zijl and his label the Mascot Label Group would give it a better home,” Walsh says. “Luke hooked me up, and Ed loved the material, but it was Magnus that got the whole thing rolling.”
Some tense moments followed when the tapes were ‘baked’ to restore their freshness – a risky process that has been known to destroy magnetic tape – but to everyone’s relief it was a complete success.
When the music was recorded, The Western Front was a studio-only project. Now that the album, titled Eureka, finally has a release date, and all of the participants are alive and kicking, Gorham and Walsh would relish the band playing live, although both acknowledge that the idea might be far-fetched.
“Wow!” Walsh exclaims, like the notion has just occurred to him. “That would be expensive, and the logistics all but impossible, but to do a show would be fabulous.”
And maybe a second album?
“One song was left off this record, and we found other scraps of music on the tapes, also a song without lyrics,” Walsh ponders. “So there could be enough for an EP. All of us are ready, and Moon can still sing the way he used to.”
“If Eureka sells enough copies to make it viable, it’s definitely worth thinking about,” Gorham says.
In related news, Gorham reveals that in terms of live performance his relationship with Thin Lizzy may finally have come to an end.
“You know, I loved doing the reunion shows but I’ve decided to walk away from that,” he says, with a hint of sadness. “I kept thinking more and more about my buddy Phil and how I wish he was up there with me. I started to feel guilty doing it without him – it really was his band.
“For years I endured those that said: ‘No Lynott, no Lizzy’, but now I’m admitting: ‘I agree with you,”” he adds. “In my defence, all I was trying to do was to remind people how cool the music was. I’m relieved to no longer have to make those excuses.”
The Western Front’s Eureka is released on July 10 via Music Theories Recordings/Mascot.
There’s the clank of a cash register. A jangle of coins. A tearing of till receipts. A loping bassline, built on just eight notes. And finally, David Gilmour’s opening gambit (‘Money! Get away…’). So begins Pink Floyd’s first true international signature tune and their ticket to the stadium league.
Nobody could have predicted those impending plaudits when Roger Waters arrived at Abbey Road in June 1972 with the bones of the song: an awkward 7/4 composition that tested both Nick Mason and guesting tenor saxophonist Dick Parry.
“It’s Roger’s riff,” noted Gilmour. “Roger came in with the verses and lyrics for Money more or less completed. We made up middle sections, guitar solos and all that stuff. We also invented some new riffs – we created a 4/4 progression for the guitar solo and made the poor saxophone player play in 7/4.”
“Occasionally,” Waters reflected, “I would do things and Dave would say, ‘No, that’s wrong. There should be another beat. That’s only seven’. I’d say, ‘Well, that’s how it is’. A number of my songs have bars of odd length. When you play Money on an acoustic guitar, it’s very much a blues thing.”
For the studio take, Waters would re-record the sound effects that he had originally created in his garden shed by throwing coins into a bowl used by his wife for mixing clay, while Mason drilled holes into old British pennies and threaded them onto strings to create a distinctive metallic chink.
Yet the song’s most dazzling moment came from Gilmour. Though the guitarist would self-deprecatingly refer to Money as “nice white English architecture students getting funky”, there was searing soul in his solo, which adrenalises the song at the three-minute mark then drops its effects for the ‘dry’ section at 3:48.
While Floyd’s management quickly identified Money as a potential “monster hit”, the band members themselves were ambivalent, feeling that the tricky time signature would hold it back, and also envious of Led Zeppelin’s refusal to issue singles or pander to radio.
“We didn’t think anything would happen with Money,” noted Rick Wright. “And suddenly, it just did.”
And how. Released on May 7, 1973 – two months after parent album The Dark Side Of The Moon had topped the Billboard chart – Money climbed to No.13 in the US, announcing Floyd as rock heavyweights and making Waters’s wealth-baiting lyric ring a little hollow. With Money in their locker, the band found themselves harangued at shows across the planet.
“It was quite a shock,” Gilmour said, “to be confronted with people down the front all screaming for us to play Money – when previously our slightly more reverential audiences were sitting in absolute silence waiting to hear the next pin being dropped.
Unusually, Money was re-recorded by Gilmour in 1981 for the Pink Floyd compilation album, A Collection of Great Dance Songs. The band had recently signed to Columbia Records, but Capitol still held the US rights to the original 1973 studio version of The Dark Side of the Moon and flatly refused to license Money to their rival.
To bypass this roadblock, Columbia asked the band to re-record the track from scratch, but Gilmour and Waters weren’t talking, and Mason and Wright weren’t available, so the guitarist re-recorded the song from scratch, playing every part himself apart from the saxophone, which was reprised by Dick Parry.
Gilmour’s new version was as faithful a reproduction as he could manage, although his drums lacked Mason’s swing and the bass felt rather perfunctory compared to Waters’ more swaggering original.
Fifty years on from Money‘s emergence, Waters got his own back, releasing an unexpected new version as part of his Redux re-recording of The Dark Side Of The Moon.
Gone was the original’s lively rhythm, replaced by a slow, brooding acoustic arrangement. Gone was the original’s most iconic instrumentation – Gilmour’s guitar and Parry’s saxophone – replaced by spooky strings and a foreboding piano. Gone was Gilmour’s voice, replaced by a gravelly new vocal from Waters. And the midsection now contained an apocalyptic spoken-word poem.
“The original Dark Side of the Moon feels in some ways like the lament of an elder being on the human condition,” said Waters. “But Dave, Rick, Nick and I were so young when we made it, and when you look at the world around us, clearly the message hasn’t stuck. That’s why I started to consider what the wisdom of an 80-year-old could bring to a reimagined version.”
Blackened psychedelic goth punk outfit Devil Master have revealed “Bloody Dreams” as the title of their upcoming studio album. The Philadelphia-based band will release the record on September 04th through Relapse Records. Guitarist Darkest Prince handled the entire writing process for the new effort, which can now be previewed through the Sick … Read More/Discuss on Metal Underground.com
More new music has arrived from Oklahoma City noise rockers Chat Pile, who have unveiled their latest single, “PEN I S MALL,” ahead of the September 4th release of their upcoming album, “Who Loves The Sun.”
Despite its tongue-in-cheek title, bassist Stin says the track packs a serious punch, describing it as: Read More/Discuss on Metal Underground.com
It’s probably not controversial to say that without Moonspell the Portuguese metal scene wouldn’t have the popularity it has today.
Much like Rotting Christ in Greece, they’re a band with 36 years of music behind them and have down a lot to define what the Portuguese metal scene is today. Their frontman Fernando Ribeiro even runs a label that promotes the future generation of bands, so they’re an act who are always forward looking and their new album is just the same.
On their fourteenth studio release you may think there would be a tendency to rest on their laurels but Moonspell don’t do that and with producer Jaime Gomez Arellano (Paradise Lost, Sólstafir, Ghost) at the helm they have release an album is already being compared to their 1996 opus Irreligious, a mighty strong comparison as songs from their record still form major parts of their live show to this day.
Is this comparison warranted though? Let’s dive in and find out, and we’re off to a good start with Cross Your Heart which carries that flame of pioneering gothic rock that Moonspell are so associated with but it does feel like a throwback that 90’s gothic rock explosion where metal bands wanted to make moody, broody music, case in point Paradise Lost’s Draconian Times/Icon or Type Of Negative’s Bloody Kisses/October Rust.
This dark romantic sound has been the result of five years of soul searching, rediscovering who they were back then and joining it with the band they are now, this means more keys, more throbbing bass and less of a metallic heaviness, that they don’t get rid of completely though as Our Freedom To Fall is a distorted, fret sliding crush that borrows from Gojira’s power while the last track Reconquista keeps the metal style as a powerful end.
Far From God is an album of dark passion and emotional substance, which features Fernando singing often with a close up whisper into the mic as the guitars jangle in the background while the synths creates atmospheres and bass/drums march ever forward on tracks such as Your Promise Of Light and Biblical.
The whole record is inspired by the tragic but intensely sexual figure of the vampire who Fernando had fallen out of love with due to recent Hollywood depictions, but his attraction to this tragic and mysterious figure was rekindled by Robert Eggers Nosferatu.
Bringing back the vampire as the major inspiration behind this record and for longtime fans it’s a pioneering band in the genre, defining what gothic metal can be with the title track the most direct to that film and those early vampire stories of Stoker.
Using vampires, werewolves and resurrection as metaphors for existentialism, romance, passion and obsession, there’s a divine opulence to this record, Moonspell taking back goth metal from the countless bands inspired by them, crossing oceans of time to define themselves as one of the planets premiere goth metal exports! 9/10
Witchsorrow – The Devil And All His Works (Church Road Records)
To paraphrase Super Hans’ Big Beat Manifesto “Big Riffs Are The Best, Get High All The Time”, this is pretty much the manifesto of Witchsorrow, although they’d add “Hail Satan” at the end as the Hampshire doom trio pledged their souls to rock n roll, over 20 years ago and are still paying homage to The Dark Lord to this day.
I mean everyone knows Lucifer has all the best tunes right? Witchsorrow certainly do as they play the sort of occult doom that was pioneered by Black Sabbath on this first four albums, when metal was still evil, still ominous and was for the outsiders and the discontents.
For me doom has never strayed from this path, the best doom metal bands are the ones that totally shun modernism and the ever changing music scene, they just want low end fuzzy riffs, lyrics about demons and witchcraft and psychedelia that is driven by a love of controlled substances.
Bands such as Cathedral, Electric Wizard, Saint Vitus and Candlemass are all in this category and as well as kneeling at the altar of Iommi, Butler, Osbourne and Ward, Witchsorrow have been lighting a candle for these other bands since 2006.
Formed by Necroskull (vocals/guitar) and Emily Witch (bass) aka Nick and Emily Ruskell, Witchsorrow is a living embodiment of their die hard attitude to heavy metal, drummers have come and gone but those ominous, cavernous, name your adjective, guitar riffs and evil, foreboding atmosphere never goes away.
This is music for metalheads who wear it on this skin and who like loud as humanly possible. There must be call as Witchsorrow have played Bloodstock numerous times, as well as Download, Arctangent and Desertfest (of course), so there’s a following, one I wouldn’t even call cult as I’m part of that group where heavy metal is part of life and things without it seems pointless, it’s probably why doom and stoner have always been my major loves as they’re honest.
No ego, no posturing, just heavy riffs for the people. What can you expect on Witchsorrow’s fifth album? Well doom metal, unbound and ear bleedingly heavy, doom metal, as always but crafted by a band who are now veterans so can manipulate these well worn auditory terrors in their own way to make sermons that would easily fit into the catalogue of Sabbath, Wizard or Cathedral but are also wholly their own devices of evil.
David Wilbraham plays drums on the record, creating the percussive punishment but going forward Scott ‘Doom’ Taylor will be behind the kit bringing his experience from bands such as Vnder and Garganjua, as Nick and Emily still have things low, slow and fuzzy, Nicks vocals drenched in reverb as the prophets dictate.
They welcome a guest into their church, as Sammy Urwin of Employed To Secret gives a guest solo to closer A Quintessence Of Dust, however the rest of songs are the close knit team of heavy metal lovers bringing more doom metal to the mass hordes that live for it.
That’s the basis of it Witchsorrow play the music they want to, inspired by Iommi and in league with Satan, prepare yourself for The Devil And All His Works. 9/10
The Pretty Reckless – Dear God (Fearless Records)
It’s safe to say the rise of The Pretty Reckless has maybe taken a lot of the rock crowd by surprise, immediately written off due to Taylor Momsen’s previous life as a child and teen actor. They’ve grown into one of the most authentic hard rock bands in the USA, due to their mix of punchy alt rock, blues, punk and classic hard rock driven by the rockstar attitude and gritty vocals of Momsen.
From their 2010 debut the signs were there that The Pretty Reckless were more than vanity project, having developed into great hard rock band with their previous album Death By Rock N Roll cementing them as true arena headliners, so where do they go from there? Well with Dear God they bring us their most emotionally raw record yet, inspired by chaos and moving into an outer body state between heaven and hell.
With themes that include “mortality, self-discovery, chaos, and redemption” as track such as Love Me shouts loudly with a lament to trying to find someone to love you, even if it’s just a deity. Produced by Jonathan Wyman, Taylor Momsen, and guitarist Ben Phillips, all the songs were written by Momsen and Phillips and they go further genre-wise than they have before.
Dragonfire comes from country/bluegrass, the title track has some bluesy Fender Rhodes, When I Wake Up bristles with punk rock, while Spell On You is a big swaggering rocker for all the bad witches listening, Eye Of The Storm takes a step into politicised balladry as the final track Dark Days broods and ruminates on the divine and the mortal.
With the three part, Life Evermore acting as an intro, intermission and outro, I perceive Dear God as a musical, tracks linked with the themes I’ve discussed above but sequenced in a way that they provide individual stories that work just as well as a whole. Dear God is an opus from The Pretty Reckless, rock n roll with the grandest vision. 8/10
Red Dwarf Star – Red Dwarf Star (Pelagic Records)
Coley Dennis is perhaps best known for his work with krautrockers Mazerarti as the guitarist for the electronic rock collective. Red Dwarf Star is his solo project which takes influence from elsewhere, mind altering dream pop wrapped in a bubble of Midwestern post hardcore, 90’s alternative rock and those psychedelic tendencies from Mazerarti.
Inspired by a feeling of loss and uncertainty, stemming from a move from the USA to Switzerland in 2015, it’s a record that’s introspective and personal, emotionally and musically, songs written for Maserati but didn’t fit the vibe, more akin to “90’s, Creation Records/Post-Hardcore” written/recorded with a D.I.Y ethos and very little outside help, it’s almost the antithesis to the collaborative nature of Maserati, a solitary figure creating music that is just for them.
What’s interesting for me are the vocals which sound heavily distorted with a vocoder and effect layered against Allen Epley and Jenna Fournier to bring a textured interplay that brings a sense of inhumanity that works well with separation and loss aspect of the writing, while invoking those Krautrock and 90’s styles simultaneously.
Although it started out as fully solo Red Dwarf Star is now a band with one or two outside collaborators helping the full realisation, Mathias Poese of Jeffk joins on guitar for plenty of jangling melodies that blend with Dennis’ for these expansive soundscapes while Blaise Brechbühl locks down the undulating grooves joined in the backroom by the urgent drumming of Alessandro Pascolo.
In the press pack it suggests Red Dwarf Star is for fans of Failure, Quicksand & Hum, but I’d also add some Steven Wilson and Fear Factory in their as well due to effect-laden vocals here, a continuation, a new beginning, a reason for being all in one record, it’ll be interesting to see where Red Dwarf Star goes from here. 7/10
It’s probably not controversial to say that without Moonspell the Portuguese metal scene wouldn’t have the popularity it has today.
Much like Rotting Christ in Greece, they’re a band with 36 years of music behind them and have down a lot to define what the Portuguese metal scene is today. Their frontman Fernando Ribeiro even runs a label that promotes the future generation of bands, so they’re an act who are always forward looking and their new album is just the same.
On their fourteenth studio release you may think there would be a tendency to rest on their laurels but Moonspell don’t do that and with producer Jaime Gomez Arellano (Paradise Lost, Sólstafir, Ghost) at the helm they have release an album is already being compared to their 1996 opus Irreligious, a mighty strong comparison as songs from their record still form major parts of their live show to this day.
Is this comparison warranted though? Let’s dive in and find out, and we’re off to a good start with Cross Your Heart which carries that flame of pioneering gothic rock that Moonspell are so associated with but it does feel like a throwback that 90’s gothic rock explosion where metal bands wanted to make moody, broody music, case in point Paradise Lost’s Draconian Times/Icon or Type Of Negative’s Bloody Kisses/October Rust.
This dark romantic sound has been the result of five years of soul searching, rediscovering who they were back then and joining it with the band they are now, this means more keys, more throbbing bass and less of a metallic heaviness, that they don’t get rid of completely though as Our Freedom To Fall is a distorted, fret sliding crush that borrows from Gojira’s power while the last track Reconquista keeps the metal style as a powerful end.
Far From God is an album of dark passion and emotional substance, which features Fernando singing often with a close up whisper into the mic as the guitars jangle in the background while the synths creates atmospheres and bass/drums march ever forward on tracks such as Your Promise Of Light and Biblical.
The whole record is inspired by the tragic but intensely sexual figure of the vampire who Fernando had fallen out of love with due to recent Hollywood depictions, but his attraction to this tragic and mysterious figure was rekindled by Robert Eggers Nosferatu.
Bringing back the vampire as the major inspiration behind this record and for longtime fans it’s a pioneering band in the genre, defining what gothic metal can be with the title track the most direct to that film and those early vampire stories of Stoker.
Using vampires, werewolves and resurrection as metaphors for existentialism, romance, passion and obsession, there’s a divine opulence to this record, Moonspell taking back goth metal from the countless bands inspired by them, crossing oceans of time to define themselves as one of the planets premiere goth metal exports! 9/10
Witchsorrow – The Devil And All His Works (Church Road Records)
To paraphrase Super Hans’ Big Beat Manifesto “Big Riffs Are The Best, Get High All The Time”, this is pretty much the manifesto of Witchsorrow, although they’d add “Hail Satan” at the end as the Hampshire doom trio pledged their souls to rock n roll, over 20 years ago and are still paying homage to The Dark Lord to this day.
I mean everyone knows Lucifer has all the best tunes right? Witchsorrow certainly do as they play the sort of occult doom that was pioneered by Black Sabbath on this first four albums, when metal was still evil, still ominous and was for the outsiders and the discontents.
For me doom has never strayed from this path, the best doom metal bands are the ones that totally shun modernism and the ever changing music scene, they just want low end fuzzy riffs, lyrics about demons and witchcraft and psychedelia that is driven by a love of controlled substances.
Bands such as Cathedral, Electric Wizard, Saint Vitus and Candlemass are all in this category and as well as kneeling at the altar of Iommi, Butler, Osbourne and Ward, Witchsorrow have been lighting a candle for these other bands since 2006.
Formed by Necroskull (vocals/guitar) and Emily Witch (bass) aka Nick and Emily Ruskell, Witchsorrow is a living embodiment of their die hard attitude to heavy metal, drummers have come and gone but those ominous, cavernous, name your adjective, guitar riffs and evil, foreboding atmosphere never goes away.
This is music for metalheads who wear it on this skin and who like loud as humanly possible. There must be call as Witchsorrow have played Bloodstock numerous times, as well as Download, Arctangent and Desertfest (of course), so there’s a following, one I wouldn’t even call cult as I’m part of that group where heavy metal is part of life and things without it seems pointless, it’s probably why doom and stoner have always been my major loves as they’re honest.
No ego, no posturing, just heavy riffs for the people. What can you expect on Witchsorrow’s fifth album? Well doom metal, unbound and ear bleedingly heavy, doom metal, as always but crafted by a band who are now veterans so can manipulate these well worn auditory terrors in their own way to make sermons that would easily fit into the catalogue of Sabbath, Wizard or Cathedral but are also wholly their own devices of evil.
David Wilbraham plays drums on the record, creating the percussive punishment but going forward Scott ‘Doom’ Taylor will be behind the kit bringing his experience from bands such as Vnder and Garganjua, as Nick and Emily still have things low, slow and fuzzy, Nicks vocals drenched in reverb as the prophets dictate.
They welcome a guest into their church, as Sammy Urwin of Employed To Secret gives a guest solo to closer A Quintessence Of Dust, however the rest of songs are the close knit team of heavy metal lovers bringing more doom metal to the mass hordes that live for it.
That’s the basis of it Witchsorrow play the music they want to, inspired by Iommi and in league with Satan, prepare yourself for The Devil And All His Works. 9/10
The Pretty Reckless – Dear God (Fearless Records)
It’s safe to say the rise of The Pretty Reckless has maybe taken a lot of the rock crowd by surprise, immediately written off due to Taylor Momsen’s previous life as a child and teen actor. They’ve grown into one of the most authentic hard rock bands in the USA, due to their mix of punchy alt rock, blues, punk and classic hard rock driven by the rockstar attitude and gritty vocals of Momsen.
From their 2010 debut the signs were there that The Pretty Reckless were more than vanity project, having developed into great hard rock band with their previous album Death By Rock N Roll cementing them as true arena headliners, so where do they go from there? Well with Dear God they bring us their most emotionally raw record yet, inspired by chaos and moving into an outer body state between heaven and hell.
With themes that include “mortality, self-discovery, chaos, and redemption” as track such as Love Me shouts loudly with a lament to trying to find someone to love you, even if it’s just a deity. Produced by Jonathan Wyman, Taylor Momsen, and guitarist Ben Phillips, all the songs were written by Momsen and Phillips and they go further genre-wise than they have before.
Dragonfire comes from country/bluegrass, the title track has some bluesy Fender Rhodes, When I Wake Up bristles with punk rock, while Spell On You is a big swaggering rocker for all the bad witches listening, Eye Of The Storm takes a step into politicised balladry as the final track Dark Days broods and ruminates on the divine and the mortal.
With the three part, Life Evermore acting as an intro, intermission and outro, I perceive Dear God as a musical, tracks linked with the themes I’ve discussed above but sequenced in a way that they provide individual stories that work just as well as a whole. Dear God is an opus from The Pretty Reckless, rock n roll with the grandest vision. 8/10
Red Dwarf Star – Red Dwarf Star (Pelagic Records)
Coley Dennis is perhaps best known for his work with krautrockers Mazerarti as the guitarist for the electronic rock collective. Red Dwarf Star is his solo project which takes influence from elsewhere, mind altering dream pop wrapped in a bubble of Midwestern post hardcore, 90’s alternative rock and those psychedelic tendencies from Mazerarti.
Inspired by a feeling of loss and uncertainty, stemming from a move from the USA to Switzerland in 2015, it’s a record that’s introspective and personal, emotionally and musically, songs written for Maserati but didn’t fit the vibe, more akin to “90’s, Creation Records/Post-Hardcore” written/recorded with a D.I.Y ethos and very little outside help, it’s almost the antithesis to the collaborative nature of Maserati, a solitary figure creating music that is just for them.
What’s interesting for me are the vocals which sound heavily distorted with a vocoder and effect layered against Allen Epley and Jenna Fournier to bring a textured interplay that brings a sense of inhumanity that works well with separation and loss aspect of the writing, while invoking those Krautrock and 90’s styles simultaneously.
Although it started out as fully solo Red Dwarf Star is now a band with one or two outside collaborators helping the full realisation, Mathias Poese of Jeffk joins on guitar for plenty of jangling melodies that blend with Dennis’ for these expansive soundscapes while Blaise Brechbühl locks down the undulating grooves joined in the backroom by the urgent drumming of Alessandro Pascolo.
In the press pack it suggests Red Dwarf Star is for fans of Failure, Quicksand & Hum, but I’d also add some Steven Wilson and Fear Factory in their as well due to effect-laden vocals here, a continuation, a new beginning, a reason for being all in one record, it’ll be interesting to see where Red Dwarf Star goes from here. 7/10
Get ready, music fans: Lollapalooza Chicago 2026 is officially on the calendar, kicking off Thursday, July 30, and keeping the energy high through Sunday, August 2.
We’re heading back to the iconic Grant Park in downtown Chicago for four incredible days. According to the latest festival guidance, gates will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, giving you plenty of time to soak up the sun and sounds right by the beautiful Lake Michigan.
The essentials for your planning are pretty straightforward: the festival calls Grant Park home from July 30 to August 2, and you’ll want to move fast on passes. While four-day tickets have already moved to a waitlist, there are still a few one-day tickets up for grabs, as noted in the festival’s official date guidance.
This specific weekend is a big deal because Lollapalooza is way more than just a series of concerts. It’s a massive cultural moment for the city – a tourism powerhouse, a bit of a transit puzzle for the downtown area, and easily one of the most vibrant summer gatherings you’ll find in the Midwest.
Lollapalooza Chicago 2026 Key Facts
Grant Park will be the center of Chicago for four days
Lollapalooza Chicago 2026 is shaping up to be an epic four-day run in Grant Park, featuring a diverse lineup and some serious ticket demand.
You can find the July 30 to August 2 window confirmed on the official Lollapalooza site, and the 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily schedule is set in stone by the festival’s support team.
Item
2026 Detail
Why It Matters
Dates
July 30 to August 2, 2026
Four-day Thursday-to-Sunday festival window
Location
Grant Park, Chicago
Central lakefront setting near the Loop
Hours
11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Long days require heat, food, and hydration planning
Headliners
Charli XCX, Tate McRae, Lorde, Olivia Dean, John Summit, Jennie, The Smashing Pumpkins, The XX
Pop, rock, electronic, K-pop, R&B, and alternative music share top billing
Ticket status
All four-day tickets on waitlist, limited one-day tickets remain
Late buyers may need one-day passes or verified resale
Scale
More than 170 bands on 8 stages, per Lollapalooza
A major multi-stage event inside a public park
Why Grant Park Makes The Festival So Important
Grant Park provides Lollapalooza with an atmosphere that’s hard to beat: a massive urban festival footprint right in the heart of a world-class city.
Unlike other fests where you’re camping in a remote field, here you’re right in the mix of downtown Chicago, surrounded by high-end hotels, CTA lines, great eats, museums, and the lakefront.
Choose Chicago notes that the central location means street closures will definitely be in effect throughout the weekend. Your best bet for getting there stress-free is public transportation, especially since ride-share zones are typically moved several blocks away from the main festival gates to manage the crowds.
Don’t forget to keep an eye on the Chicago weather. Late July can get pretty steamy, and National Weather Service data for Chicago July normals shows typical highs in the mid-80s.
While we’ll need a real-time forecast closer to the date, smart festival-goers always prioritize sunscreen, a solid hydration plan, and breathable gear to keep the vibes chill even when the temperature rises.
The 2026 Lineup Has Wide Appeal
The 2026 lineup is all about variety, bringing together a bunch of different musical worlds. Pitchfork has highlighted a stellar group of headliners including Charli XCX, The Smashing Pumpkins, The XX, Lorde, Olivia Dean, Tate McRae, John Summit, and Jennie, a list that Choose Chicago is also promoting as the top-tier talent for this year.
This curation ensures there’s something for everyone. Pop enthusiasts have plenty to cheer for with Charli XCX, Lorde, and Jennie. Those who lean toward rock and alternative will be stoked for The Smashing Pumpkins and The XX. Meanwhile, electronic fans have a massive draw in John Summit, who is guaranteed to bring high-energy dance vibes to the park.
The lower half of the bill is just as deep. Keep an eye out for sets from Turnstile, Wet Leg, Freddie Gibbs, and Beabadoobee, among many others.
Pro tip: Lollapalooza is great for early arrivals, as catching a strong afternoon set from a rising artist often ends up being the most memorable part of the whole weekend.
Ticket Demand Is Already High
As you’d expect, people are jumping on tickets fast. Looking at the official ticket page, four-day General Admission started at $439, with higher tiers like GA+ ($789), VIP ($1,749), and Platinum ($4,800) offering extra perks. Most four-day options are already on waitlist, so you’ll want to check current availability regularly.
Ticket Type
Best For
2026 Status Note
Four-day GA
Fans attending every day
Listed as sold out with waitlist option
One-day GA
Fans targeting one lineup day
Limited one-day tickets remain
GA+
Fans wanting lounges and upgraded comfort
Four-day GA+ listed as sold out
VIP
Fans prioritizing viewing areas and amenities
Limited-capacity access applies
Platinum
Premium access buyers
Highest official price tier
To keep things professional and secure, we always recommend sticking to the official ticket site or the festival’s verified resale platform.
Big weekends like this often see a rise in scams on social media, so play it safe to ensure your wristband is the real deal when you show up at the gates.
Schedule Planning Should Start With The Map
Make sure each day you have time for food and rest
You can already start mapping out your weekend on the official schedule page, which features daily tabs from Thursday, July 30, through Sunday, August 2. Just a heads-up: keep checking back as we get closer to July, as set times can occasionally shift for various reasons.
A knowledgeable day plan takes the size of Grant Park into account. It’s a long walk from the north stages to the south ones, especially when the crowds are moving between headliners. Try picking three “must-see” acts each day, one afternoon, one evening, and one closer, while leaving plenty of buffer time for food runs and restroom breaks.
Bag Rules And Entry Prep Can Save Time
Getting through security quickly is all about knowing the rules. Lollapalooza’s bag policy is specific: small clutches or fanny packs (6″ x 9″ or smaller) don’t have to be clear but are limited to one pocket. It’s a simple rule that makes entry much smoother for everyone.
If you need a larger bag, it must be clear and within the 12″ x 6″ x 12″ size limit. Hydration packs are a great call, provided they are empty when you walk in and don’t have too many extra pockets. Keeping your gear minimal is a pro move for a long day in the park.
Your essential festival kit should definitely include your ID, wristband, a card for payments, and earplugs. Throw in some non-aerosol sunscreen and a portable charger to keep your phone alive for those late-night videos, and you’ll be set for a successful four-day stretch.
Be sure to review the full allowed and prohibited list before you head out. Common items like aerosol cans, glass containers, large coolers, and professional-grade cameras without a press pass will be turned away at the gate, so double-check your pack.
Food, Hotels, And Transit Will Shape The Weekend
One of the best parts of the weekend is the food at Chow Town. With over 80 vendors, you can grab local Chicago favorites like Lou Malnati’s, Billy Goat Tavern, or Tacotlan. Whether you’re looking for a classic slice or something from Soul Veg City, the food lineup is just as curated as the music.
Where you stay can really define your trip. Staying in the Loop or South Loop means a shorter walk at the end of the night, while neighborhoods like Wicker Park or the West Loop offer a more local dining scene if you don’t mind a slightly longer train or ride-share commute.
Some solid nearby options for your stay include the Chicago Athletic Association, the historic Congress Plaza Hotel, The Blackstone, or the Hilton Chicago. All of these put you within easy reach of the Grant Park gates for a seamless festival experience.
Why Lollapalooza Still Ranks Among America’s Biggest Festival Weekends
Lollapalooza remains a titan of the American festival scene because it perfectly balances scale, history, and a prime downtown location. Music Business Worldwide reported that the 2025 edition saw about 115,000 fans per day, totaling roughly 460,000 attendees across the entire weekend.
The impact on the city is massive. According to Lollapalooza’s own community impact report, the 2025 event poured over $480 million into the local economy. On top of that, the festival paid $10.28 million in rent to the Park District and generated millions more in local amusement taxes.
Since they started tracking these numbers back in 2010, the festival has contributed an estimated $3.6 billion to Chicago’s economy, proving that it’s a vital part of the city’s summer identity beyond just the music.
The festival has deep roots, starting as a touring act in 1991 under Perry Farrell before finding its permanent home in Chicago in 2005. Today, it’s a global phenomenon with sister festivals in South America, Europe, and Asia, but the Chicago flagship remains the crown jewel.
FAQs
Is there a minimum age requirement to attend the festival?
No. Lollapalooza is an all-ages event. Children aged 8 and under enter for free when accompanied by a ticket-holding adult, with a limit of two children per adult.
Can I leave the park and return later in the day?
Yes. You can leave and re-enter up to two additional times per day. You must scan your wristband at the exit gate before leaving to preserve your re-entry privileges.
Does the festival accept cash for food and merchandise?
No. The festival grounds operate entirely cashless. You must link a credit card, debit card, PayPal, or Venmo account to your festival wristband to make purchases.
How do I access free drinking water inside Grant Park?
Bring an empty reusable water bottle or an empty hydration pack. Free hydration stations are distributed across multiple locations in the park for quick refills.
Are storage options available for personal belongings?
Yes. Lockers are available for rent on-site. These storage units also include access to mobile charging cables inside the locker.
Summary
Lollapalooza Chicago 2026 is set to take over Grant Park from July 30 to August 2, with gates open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. With a diverse lineup and high demand for tickets, it’s going to be a vibrant weekend that will truly transform the downtown Chicago landscape for four days.
For the best time possible, secure your tickets early, keep an eye on the schedule for any last-minute changes, and prep your gear according to the bag policy. Treat the park with respect, stay hydrated in the heat, and get ready for one of the best weekends of the summer.
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John 5 is set to return to… Read More/Discuss on Metal Underground.com
