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Not long before the debut album from Black Water Redemption landed in my lap, I had come across an old Black Star Riders ticket stub from a gig in Dublin in 2013. Opening that night was an engrossing Southern rock outfit from Southampton called Western Sand. It only clicked with me there and then that they seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth.

Black Water Redemption

Release Date: Out Now

Words: Brian Boyle

Well, lo and behold, when browsing through this album’s press release, serendipity struck. I miraculously discovered that a couple of members have resurrected themselves as Black Water Redemption, who are going into battle once again with a self-titled debut album. 

Having had a bit of previous, I could not help but have a high degree of expectation before the first spin. And with this being a debut album, kicking off with filler fodder was never an option.

Although far from an open-mouthed Welcome To The Jungle moment, Stand For Something is bold enough to whet your appetite. But then things get interesting, as Praying For The Sun announces itself like an outlaw kicking a saloon door wide open.

Vocalist Adam Chambers immediately marks his territory and fires up a towering anthem full of power and purpose.

A word of warning, though. If you thought guitarist Tyler Hains and bassist Dan de Vries were just going to pick up where they left off with the Southern bite of Western Sand, then think again. This is a much bigger and bolder operation, bulging with big kahuna attitude. You get things like the confrontational I Gave It All peppering out riffs and melodies all over the place.

Lighting Strikes has the same threat about it, even if you have heard the chorus a million times before.

At eight songs and 34 minutes long, there is room for a ballad, and a fine one at that. And you have to say hats off to the lads for not going for the glory on the piano-led Fly Like The Crow. This song never changes gear and triumphs in its restraint. 

Then it is time to batten down the hatches again, with some meat-and-potatoes Metal on the self-explanatory Ride Or Die and All Guns Blazing.

It is hard to deny there is a very formulaic sound to them, but they are not trying to reinvent the wheel. These songs are direct and defiant and very much a case of take us as you find us.

They sign off with another ballad. However, this time it’s designed to leave a right dent in you, and that it does. This is Wanted Dead Or Alive on steroids, with Hains virtuosity a real highlight.

Hains and de Vries, along with hugely impressive singer Adam Chambers and powerhouse drummer Chris Allen, have a good thing going here, and by the sounds of it, I suspect there is even better to come.

You can find out more about Black Water Redemption at linktr.ee/blackwaterredemption.

Far And Wide, the 16th album from The Pineapple Thief, comes with a few delicate changes but remains resolutely recognisable as The Pineapple Thief.

The Pineapple Thief – Far And Wide 

Release Date: 9 October 2026

Words: Robert Adams 

The first thing that long-time fans will notice with Far And Wide is that the band are no longer on the K Scope label, which was their home for the last 20 years.

Bruce Soord explains this change. “Our contract with K Scope finished after the It Leads To This album. We’ve been with K Scope since we started, and they were fantastic to us. We took the decision to have a look and see what else was out there. Inside Out were very interested, and we made the decision to move forward with them.

‘I have nothing but complimentary words for the incredible team at K Scope, so there’s definitely no animosity, just a natural progression.”

With Far And Wide, the band made a conscious decision to pare back the amount of guitar parts and vocal harmonies. “We realised, for instance, that you don’t need more than two guitar parts at any one time,” frontman/founder Bruce Soord says. “Why have we got four or five guitars? Why have we got six-part harmonies when there’s only three of us singing?

We deliberately created those constraints, because we thought, we’re a rock band, there’s five of us on stage, this is what we should be about in the studio.” 

“You do start to imagine what a song would look like on a stage, and sometimes that does influence the arrangement,” Harrison adds. “Like, ‘his would be amazing live when we do this, if this section just went into this other thing, and you can picture it with the lights and the atmosphere on stage.”

The results of this sonic pruning have not diminished the power of the material found on Far And Wide. Indeed, it is quite the opposite.

Far And Wide utilises space as an instrument. This, in turn, creates atmosphere and Far And Wide becomes a complete statement spread across nine tracks, rather than a selection of playlist-friendly songs.

Album opener New World Order grabs the listener right from the off with a beautiful guitar riff from Soord. Couple that with a wonderful Gavin Harrison drum beat and your ears are in heaven.

Do not let Soord’s angelic voice lull you into a false sense of security, though.

There are very deep themes running throughout Far And Wide. Hold The Ashes is probably one of Bruce Soord’s most personal lyrics. Dealing with the passing of his father last year, the track darkly points to our mortality and the legacies we leave behind.

“Come on, I’ve been waiting still living, holding on for what, I couldn’t say,” opens Still Living, with a beautiful piano from Steve Kitch which feels so fragile it might break at any moment. Harrison’s drums and Jon Sykes exquisite bass line join the proceedings, and we are off.

The track ebbs and flows like a wandering stream, taking you to unexpected places. It is a masterclass in song arrangement.

A pounding tribal drum, coupled with one of the heaviest guitar riffs that The Pineapple Thief have ever recorded, blasts us into God Knows. Eight bars later, it disappears into soft piano and Soord’s angelic croon. These boys certainly know how to play with atmosphere.

This Empty Space and Scattering Like Flies both break the six-minute mark, and once again we are taken on a blissful musical journey, with Soord’s reassuring vocals underpinning very real emotions. 

Through The Noise is another slow burner, taking roughly three minutes for the drums and guitars to come to the fore. This is not just some noisy trope that other bands can be guilty of. Instead, The Pineapple Thief show their mastery of slow-build atmospherics.

Penultimate track Who Wants It is probably the most ‘pop’ song on the album, but things are never quite as they seem, and it is all the better for it.

They leave the album’s longest track to the very end. No Exceptions clocks in at seven minutes 16 seconds and is just a majestic piece of music. Flowing seamlessly through emotions and feel, it is a truly majestic way to end a glorious album.

What should happen after it is finished is to take a deep breath, compose yourself, then start the whole album again from the beginning.

Like I said at the start of this review, Far And Wide is a complete album, rather than a selection of tracks to cherry-pick for a playlist. A lot of thought has gone into creating a mood and atmosphere with this album and, as such, it deserves to be listened to front to back in one sitting.

Far And Wide is just magnificent.

The Pineapple Thief release Far And Wide on 9 October 2026 via Inside Out. Pre-orders are available from thepineapplethief.lnk.to/FarAndWide-Album.

Cherry Red [Release date : 9.10.26] Leaders rather than followers, Newcastle metal band, Satan grew up alongside Venom, Raven, and The Tygers Of Pan Tang. But while these bands made a few waves, Satan didn’t get the attention they deserved. … Continue reading →

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their new cinematic single, “Red Dead Reckoning.” charges forward on razor-sharp electric riffs, pounding percussion, raw, raspy lead vocals, and a piercing classic rock guitar solo that ignites an explosive showdown atmosphere. Energetic, powerful and in between a few genres, I find it very enjoyable from start to finish.

Give it a go by clicking on the Spotify player below and follow A.D.A.M. Music Project if you like what you hear. 

Just a few days ahead of their upcoming tour with TUNGSTEN and KILMARA, INDUCTION are back with a very special release: The modern power metal outfit led by guitarist Tim Hansen has unleashed a video clip for the brand-new version of their epic anthem ‘Gods Of Steel‘, featuring none other than Kai Hansen (Helloween, Gamma Ray) on guest […]

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Southern Rock legends Molly Hatchet released their new single incl. video ‘Once A Gambler‘ today. The song is taken from the upcoming studio album ‘Lost Horizon‘. Guitar player Bobby Ingram: “Win or lose, playing the game, living your life at high speed. Gambling that the winner takes it all. Once a gambling man, always a […]

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Two years into their 50th anniversary celebratory Run For Your Lives tour and nearing the end of the 16-date US leg, Friday night saw Iron Maiden roll into a balmy Los Angeles for two sold-out shows at LAFC’s state-of-the-art BMO Stadium. They were joined by two of the Big Four Thrash legends, Anthrax and Megadeth, in support.

Iron Maiden – Megadeth – Anthrax

BMO Stadium, Los Angeles – 27 September 2026

Words And Photography: Matt Roberts

Two years into their 50th anniversary celebratory Run For Your Lives tour and nearing the end of the 16-date US leg, Friday night saw Iron Maiden roll into a balmy Los Angeles for two sold-out shows at LAFC’s state-of-the-art BMO Stadium. They were joined by two of the Big Four Thrash legends, Anthrax and Megadeth, in support.

Anthrax

Anthrax got the evening’s proceedings underway to a rapidly growing crowd in the sun-soaked stadium at the unusually early time of 6:10 with a short, sharp, 40-minute blast of their most familiar tunes. 

Various members of Anthrax have gone on record over the years expressing their admiration, love and respect for Iron Maiden, and the smiles on their faces make it patently clear to everyone present that they are having the time of their lives, thrilled to be sharing a stage with their heroes and biggest influencers.

Caught In A Mosh opens proceedings, instantly igniting the first pit of the evening, which continued to whirl and multiply for the remainder of the night. This was followed in quick succession by Madhouse, Metal Thrashing Mad and a brutal cover of Trust’s Antisocial before we had the sole sampler of the newly released Cursum Perficio album in the form of It’s For The Kids.

It’s all over too fast, though. Indians is announced as the set closer, but three minutes in, it came to an abrupt and unexpected halt. This allows Scott Ian the chance to address the audience whilst singer Joey Belladona took leave of the stage to shake hands with seemingly the entire front row of the barrier.

The reason for the stop in the music, as Ian explains to the crowd, is because the band is concerned that some of the audience are not having as much fun as they should be.

The crowd roar their disagreement at his accusations, but he rather tersely continues, accusing the people in the seats of sitting on their asses all week before instructing them to stand. “It’s Friday fuckin’ night. This is a Metal show,” he bellows, “Stand the fuck up!” And remarkably, to a person, they all do.

“As for the rest of you,” he continues, “If you’re in the pit, keep doing what you’re doing. If you’re not, jump up and down, bang your fuckin’ heads, throw your fist but LA, we’re all gonna fuckin’ move, okay?”

He ends his rant with an almost apologetic, “I’m not yelling at you. I’m just so happy to be here.” And with that they were gone.

Megadeth

Megadeth are next up, and like Anthrax before them, they take to the stage with a shortened setlist, in this case a nine-song, 50-minute blast through full of classic fan favourites. 

By the time they appear, it is completely dark, a full moon dominating the sky over the stadium, and the instantly noticeable difference between the two bands is the demeanour.

Anthrax are smiles, energy, headbanging and almost demanding audience participation. Megadeth are more serious and static.

It is 25 minutes and five songs into the set before Dave Mustaine addresses the audience for the first time, thanking them for making the band’s 17th record, self-titled and released earlier this year, their very first Billboard 200 Number 1.

We have to wait for the introduction to set closer Holy Wars before we hear from him again, this time after a lengthy pause, perhaps to control his emotions, a heartfelt and at times inaudible thank you to all the fans in lieu of his pending retirement at the end of their current touring commitments in the Spring of 2027.

He follows the thanks with a dedication, “To you all.”

It dawns on me at this moment that this could be the very last time myself and almost every other person in the stadium could be seeing Megadeth and Dave Mustaine.

It was time for a small spot of contemplation and a personal thank you to Lars and James for their decision forty odd years ago that was ultimately responsible for the creation of Megadeth and their timeless Metallic catalogue.

Iron Maiden

For this observer, one of the most spine-tingling moments in all of music is when the opening bars of UFO’s Doctor Doctor filter into the air at an Iron Maiden concert.

They have been using the song as a set opener for 25 years now, so everyone in the building knows what it signifies and what is about to happen. Tonight is no different.

The crowd is at a fever pitch when the track ends, so it almost feels anticlimactic for darkness to descend before a two-minute animated video flashes to life on the massive back screen.

Focusing on the band’s formative days, in particular the East London boozers in which they learnt their trade a half century ago, it plays out to the accompaniment of The Ides Of March.

On its conclusion, a quick stroll through a dimly lit tunnel finds us face to face with Killers era Eddie. We’re accompanied by the opening strains of Murder In The Rue Morgue and mere seconds and a flash of light later, Simon Dawson’s machine gun intro takes us into the song proper as the band burst forth from the wings.

This is my first time seeing Dawson behind the tubs with Iron Maiden and my first thought, after years of seeing Nicko McBrain’s monster kit dominating the backline, was how strange this huge production looks with just a single bass drum kit sitting atop the riser. It looks almost lost.

On the whole, I feel the new ‘boy’ did a commendable job, but Nicko McBrain’s (and Clive Burr’s) boots are big ones to fill, and occasionally throughout the evening the fills and shuffles that McBrain seemed to do in his sleep appeared almost conspicuous by their absence.

The set list for the Run For Your Lives tour has been selected from Maiden’s catalogue up to and including 1992’s Fear Of The Dark, so you know there are going to be no fillers, just back-to-back classics. Perhaps the argument for an exception to this rule is the inclusion of Infinite Dreams, which Bruce Dickinson explained was seeing the light of day live for the first time in 35 years.

After Number Of The Beast, he explains to the crowd how he cannot understand where the 50 years since the band started have gone. “A ridiculous number,” he says and one he cannot even begin to comprehend, even though he has been a big part of it all. It is a sentiment felt by the vast majority of the audience. 

Dickinson, as it has been said many times before, is quite simply a force of nature. Now sporting a natty line in man bob/ponytail, the energy the man possesses for a 68-year-old is quite simply staggering, although, to be honest, tonight he does not appear in the best of moods. 

After Two Minutes To Midnight, he complains for the second time in the evening to no one in particular about the “fucking contact high” he is getting from all the “shit” being smoked in the audience. It is a theme he also hit upon on the band’s last appearance in town at The LA Forum. Marijuana is legal in California.

“None of it fills me with joy because I fucking hate it,” he continues as part of his introduction to my personal favourite, The Rhyme Of The Ancient Mariner.

“So does Steve, but smoke away because this next song is a track you can actually trip out to. Look at the sky if you’re smoking dope right now. What can you see apart from the moon? Can you see the gigantic sea bird? No? That’s because you’re all so fuckin’ stoned you can’t see it!”

Throughout the evening, he covers every inch of the huge stage numerous times, often at running speed, zipping from side to side and fitting in numerous costume changes as he goes. 

At one point during Hallowed Be Thy Name, which had begun with him ensconced in an oversized bird cage perched on the backline as opposed to him waiting in his cold cell, I actually felt worried for his health when he started ascending a 45-degree ramp that spanned the stage from behind Dawson’s kit into the upper reaches of the lighting rig. 

Being pursued by a floating ghoul should perhaps have aroused my suspicions, but it simply added to my concerns. It was only when he reached the summit, placed a rope around his neck and disappeared in a puff of smoke that I realised he had cleverly transformed into a hologram.

Energy aside, though, it’s his voice, which in my opinion is honestly sounding better than it has in years, that makes you realise exactly what a tour de force the man is.

The remainder of the evening flies by in a haze of nostalgia, aided by the ever-changing storytelling graphics that appear behind the band on the giant screen. First encore, Aces High, accompanied by a video of Eddie embroiled in a dogfight with an ME110, is dedicated to all the Americans who fought alongside the British and the Canadians in the Second World War. A Message for Mr Trump, maybe?

This is followed by crowd singalong favourite Fear Of The Dark. The evening draws to an all-too-soon conclusion with Wasted Years.

Fifty years is a long time in any context, but when you are talking about the life of a rock ‘n’ roll band then it seems like forever. On the evidence provided tonight, Iron Maiden have a lot more life still left in them.

It just remains to be seen how long they can maintain the attitude, commitment and enthusiasm required to enable them to continue to perform at this extraordinarily high level, a level that sees them still perched at the top of the world Metal tree.

In 1988, Iron Maiden penned the immortal line, “The evil that men do lives on and on.” Thirty-eight years later, and thankfully for the foreseeable future at least, so do they.

Album Review: Crystal Ball – Reset Massacre Records – October 23rd, 2026 Reviewer – Jason Hopper I have listened to Crystal Ball since their beginning. Having seen an advertisement for the band on the back of a magazine cover, I purchased the CD ‘In The Beginning‘ without hearing a note.  It became one of my […]

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