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Well, he is at it again. Not content with bestowing upon the world an epic rebooting of Balls To Picasso,  or an upscaling of the amazing Skunkworks album, the one and only Bruce Dickinson is allowing us further access into his dark and mysterious solo back catalogue, with a remixed version (or rebirth, if you will) of Accident Of Birth. You lucky, lucky people.

Bruce Dickinson – Accident Of Birth

Release Date: 17 October 2026

Words: Steve Kenton

Now for those who are uninitiated with the legendary Iron Maiden singer’s solo work, this really is one of his finest albums. And with producer Brendan Duffey working his magic, like some audiological warlock, you know it is going to be rather spiffing.

Unlike Balls To Picasso, this album does not feature a re-recording or re-working of any parts to any of the tracks. This is a straightforward remixing of the album, with the introduction of Dolby Atmos and Stereo.

From the moment that the opening track on the album, Freak, fires up, you can hear a significant difference. The guitars sound cleaner, the bass is more enhanced, and the drums don’t sound as ‘muddy’.

As you delve further into the album, you will also notice that the vocal harmonisations on some of the tracks are more defined and have a clarity to them. This is probably most apparent on The Magician, where the chorus is sharper. You can hear the vocal separation.

However, the real winners from this upscaling are Omega and Man Of Sorrows. These two tracks in particular sound so much more expansive. There is a depth and breadth to their sound that just was not there when the album was recorded in 1997.

In fact, all of the numbers featuring acoustic guitar sound so much richer. It is as though you are in the studio as the guitars are being recorded. Arc Of Space and Taking The Queen benefit from that ‘cleaning up’ and separation of sound. 

When listening to both the original album recording and the remixed version side by side, it is quite surprising how muddy and compacted the sound of the original recording is. That is not a criticism of the 1997 version of the album, but a testament to how far the music industry has progressed over the years.

Hearing both together, you get to truly appreciate what Brendan Duffey has done.

Bruce recently said that, “Accident Of Birth was a really important album for me at the time and I think contains some of my very best work.” He is right. The album does not have a bad track on it. It is a dark, brooding, compelling album which is made for this kind of upscaling. 

The new edition will be released in the UK on 17 October 2026 in conjunction with National Album Day UK, followed by its worldwide release on 23 October.

It will be available as a tri-panel digisleeve CD and a double splatter-colour vinyl edition in a gatefold sleeve. Pre-orders are available from BruceDickinson.lnk.to/AOBremixPR.

Westside Cowboy are an English rock band formed in Manchester in 2023 by Jimmy Bradbury, Reuben Haycocks, Aoife Anson O’Connell, and Paddy Murphy. Bradbury and Haycocks handle guitar and vocals, Anson O’Connell plays bass and sings, and Murphy plays drums and also contributes vocals. The musicians came together through Manchester’s music community, with Johnny Roadhouse Music becoming an important early meeting point for the group. Their sound draws from indie rock, alternative rock, country, folk, and older rock and roll without settling neatly into any one category. The band jokingly calls its style “Britainicana,” a useful description for music that

The post Complete List Of Westside Cowboy Songs From A to Z appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

As a relative newbie to the music of Imminence, I had few expectations of their new film Axis Mundi, named after their new album released on 2 October 2026, when attending the premiere in London tonight. The film turned out to be an accomplished piece, with a higher budget than anticipated.

Axis Mundi, the film, was entertaining with a philosophically coherent and highly watchable story. This is no extended music video but instead a short film which marks Imminence out as a band flying high in creative ambition and potential.

“Imminence is meant to be discovered, not predicted,” the band said. “After all these years in our career, we’ve created our own path, our own sound and brought something new to the genre. And this will always be our way.

“With Axis Mundi, we have worked more ambitiously and thoroughly than with any other album before. We have expanded the boundaries of what our art form is and how it is perceived. We have spent countless hours not only crafting the album, but also understanding what it means and says about ourselves as artists and individuals. And we could not be more proud of what we have achieved. We’ve given you everything with this record.”

Without providing any spoilers, at its heart this film is an antiheroes/heroes journey, a corrupted character who makes a mythological passage through challenges to a form of redemption. The medieval scenes and the puppet theatre device, which mimic events in the film’s world, are outstanding, as are the palette and landscapes of the movie.

There are echoes of some very different films. With Imminence being a Swedish band, it is very hard to ignore reminiscences of Bergman’s The Seventh Seal, which explores death, fate and the search for meaning.

The same is true for the British movie Excalibur, with its language of Knights and doomed heroes, and Robert Eggers The Witch in the threatening, folk-horror feel of the forces of nature, the supernatural and the interplay with the human character.

In other words, Axis Mundi has a thematic timelessness about it.

It is so much more than a vehicle for Imminence’s new album, but the crowning glory is the way the sweeping, atmospheric, beautiful melodies from the Axis Mundi album are interwoven in the movie, providing emotion, depth, darkness and light which transcend typical movie scores.

For fans this is a must-see but it should hold interest for all the Metal community and beyond and the best place to see it is the cinema if you get a chance. Axis Mundi feels like a genuine piece of cinema and a perfect accompaniment for the fantastic new album.

Imminence released Axis Mundi on 2 October 2026 via Sumerian Records. For more details, visit sumerian.lnk.to/axismundi.

Vancouver rockers CHASE THE BEAR return with “This Is What You Wanted,” a dark, groove-heavy single that turns the breakdown of a relationship into something unexpectedly danceable. Blending moody synths, driving rhythms, a chorus that sticks with you long after the song ends, and the raw energy of six musicians playing together in a room, the track sees the band pushing their sound in a fresh direction.

Inspired by drummer Connor Brooks’ experience of watching a meaningful relationship unravel, the song explores that difficult point where heartbreak starts giving way to acceptance. Rather than focusing solely on loss, “This Is What You Wanted” captures the process of letting go and figuring out who you are once something important is gone. 

The single follows previous release “Isolation” and will appear alongside upcoming track “Sick Of It All” on a new EP expected in early 2027, with the band’s second full-length album planned for later that year. 

 Recorded live off the floor, the song captures the band’s chemistry while introducing synth textures they hadn’t explored before. Wanting to move away from the increasingly polished sound of modern rock, the band focused on preserving the same gritty, unfiltered energy that defines their live shows. The song sounds fantastic (I love the funky guitars and the groove) and it’s amazingly performed by the band.

The song is part of the playlist Rock Rotation. Give it a go by clicking on the Spotify player below and follow CHASE THE BEAR if you like what you hear. 

2026 has been a year of discovery where I have turned more towards the Post-Rock and Metal world for a musical fix. Now, I do not intend this to come across as entitled and elitist as it may appear, so I will caveat it by saying that my love of music has always been eclectic and wide-ranging. When your favourite band is Rush, then pretty much anything is on the table in my view. 

Hippotraktor – Annihilist

Release Date: 2 October 2026

Words: Paul Hutchings

Belgians Hippotraktor have two previous albums that I now need to deep dive into after listening to Annihilist. By all accounts, Meridian and Stasis are both excellent. The band from Mechelen’s third album only dropped in the inbox recently, so I am reviewing close to its release date of 2 October.

Annihilist is not overly long, 38 minutes and seven tracks focusing on quality rather than quantity. And there is enough of the former to satisfy. 

A contradiction of styles and identity, they swerve from place to place with emotion, cinematic passages, soundscapes and a rhythmic force that is at times gentle yet at other times crushingly heavy.

It is the attention to detail, the complex musical ability to soar with harmonies and then drag the depths with visceral rage, that provokes such intense reactions and appreciation. The bludgeoning parts of opener I Breathe. I Am are contrasted by moments of introspective reflection.

A calm that provides sanctuary amidst a raging storm, it is a phenomenal introduction and evidence that instant appreciation can be achieved. 

Described by guitarist Chiaran Verheyden as “A good blend between the vibes of Meridian and the technicality of Stasis,” Annihilist merely demands that once you are spent here, then you check out the previous two releases.

Atmospheric parts transform with eruptive angular passages and deep breaks. It possibly shouldn’t work, yet it does so without any challenge at all. There is a comforting confidence with performances from the whole band that simply deserve applause.

Central to Hippotraktor, Lander De Nyn’s drumming is top drawer. A relentless battery that forms the basis for the rest of the band, there are moments of animalistic hedonism as well as nuanced control. How control is exerted is something special. 

It is the sum of the parts, though, with Stefan De Graey’s vocals ably supported by those of guitarist Kristof Du Jardin. Harrowing throaty roars combine with perfect cleans on Courageous Apathy, a blistering aural assault that towers to great heights in a mesmerising combination of intricate musicianship. De Nyn’s percussive work is impressive throughout but shines especially bright here. 

Annihilist is a truly joyous release. Melancholic yet uplifting, shimmering sections glisten amidst thicker low-end distortion. The title track is evidence of this, whilst the progressive elements of Everything Is Permissible, with a semi-jazz freestyle collective segment, provide another example of why this band refuses to wear one label.

Heavy yet drenched with emotion, Annihilist is explosive. Complex yet inspiring, the Belgians have added another superb release to the avalanche of music that threatens to overwhelm the final few months of 2026.

Hippotraktor released Annihilist LP on 2 October 2026 via Pelagic Records. For more details, visit orcd.co/hippotraktor-annihilist.

North Hollywood alt-indie band Jet Lag Fuel channel the raw power of early ’90s grunge and the vibrant energy of the modern LA scene into a signature sound that is loud, gritty, and fiercely melodic. Founded on a shared love for heavy-hitting, guitar-driven rock, the five-piece lineup—featuring guitarists Filip Ilic and Jacob Dendy, bassist Carlos Ritchie, drummer Daniel Brown, and newly appointed lead vocalist Rob Liebelt—delivers a formidable, tight-knit sonic assault.

Their standout single “Jealous Eyes” explores the dark, parasitic side of obsession and toxic attachment through a thrilling sequence of shifting tempos and dynamic mood swings. Built on a foundation of razor-sharp riffs and a fluid, hard-hitting rhythm section, the track builds through brooding tension before exploding into a massive, unforgettable chorus that hits with force.

Give it a go by clicking on the Spotify player below and follow Jet Lag Fuel if you like what you hear. 

https://www.instagram.com/jetlagfuel/