Daniel Caesar is a Canadian R&B and soul singer-songwriter, born Ashton Dumar Norwill Simmonds in Scarborough, Ontario, and raised in Oshawa. The son of gospel singer Norwill Simmonds, he grew up in a deeply musical and religious household before developing his own approach to R&B, soul, gospel, and alternative music. His earliest self-released projects introduced the warm vocals, spiritual questions, and emotionally direct songwriting that would become signatures of his work. Those independent recordings helped him build an audience well before his first full-length studio album arrived. Caesar’s early catalog includes the Birds of Paradise, Praise Break, Acoustic Break, and
October! Finally! With Aftershock closing out the festival calendar (for outdoor events, at least – we see you Damnation!), our eyes are cast ahead to the autumnal and winter months where we can get stuck into tours and new albums aplenty. That in mind, we’re once again rounding up some of the best metal songs around.
But first, the results of last week’s vote! It was a tight race for a podium position with all three bands coming within 15 votes of each other, but ultimately Clutch won out with the swagering Wasted Lands over Dragonforce and Apocalyptica, whose own fine efforts landed them in second and third respectively.
We’ve got a diverse spread again for you this week, from medidative alt. metal to deathcore, metalcore and even some Brazilian thrash and Japanese nu metal. As ever don’t forget to cast your vote in the poll below – and enjoy some loud music this weekend!
Hatebreed – The Carrion Choir
You’ll never guess what Hatebreed have done: made another wicked Hatebreed record! Consistency has always been key for the hardcore bruisers, and their contributions to the field of metalcore can never be overestimated. Fatal Paradox won’t be out till November 6, but The Carrion Choir shows their music is as thuggishly unstoppable as ever, Slayer riffs meeting chugging breakdowns and NYHC style barks.
Distant – The Shallow Gaze (feat. Darius Tehrani)
Oh you want heavy heavy? Distant aren’t exactly known for their restraint, the Dutch/Slovakian deathcore mob delighting in some punishing breakdowns on The Shallow Gaze. With an appearance from Spite’s Darius Tehrani, it’s a proper beatdown of a track that’ll surely have crowds crabwalking and crushing invisible oranges in no time.
A Perfect Circle – To Whom It May Concern
Nothing can keep Maynard James Keenan down. Not content with releasing a Pusicfer album earlier this year and headlining festivals with Tool, the multi-hyphenate has also unveiled a new single for A Perfect Circle in To Whom It May Concern. Gentle and driven largely by Maynard’s distinctive melodic tones, it’s a nice taster for where the band may be headed on a follow-up to 2018’s Eat The Elephant.
EMNW – Party Loud
Lets pick up the pace, shall we? It’s been 25 years since Andrew W.K. declared we should Party Hard, now Japanese newcomers EMNW are telling us to Party Loud too. Riffing on nu metal but with a distinctive sense of Japanese bubblegum melody, it’s an energetic first showing we’ve heard from the group and might be a tad late for summer anthems of 2026, but could be a nice early forerunner for next year…
Tony Iommi – Stormwatcher
If you’re in the mood for something more classically heavy metal, it doesn’t come more classic than Tony Iommi. The Brummie boster’s new solo album From The Dark is coming later this month on October 23, and new single Stormwatcher is some primo trad metal glory, right down to its choppy, trudging riff while Jørn Lande belts out his best NWOBHM impression.
Pryti – Corner Of Midnight
Speaking of Brummies, Pryti also has a new single out. Corner Of Midnight shows her continued growth as an artist, each new release finding a sleeker sound and somehow even bigger hooks than before, definite echoes of the likes of Evanescence or Linkin Park in her sound whilst never sounding derivative of those acts. She’s not released an album since 2022, but this influx of new music suggests we might not be waiting much longer for a new record…
Feuerschwanz – In Extremo
Legs up – it’s time for the heavy metal can-can. It wouldn’t be the weirdest thing you’d see at a Feuerschwanz show – not by a long mile. The German folk metallers clearly delight in having a massive knees-up with their medieval-themed folk party anthem In Extremo, fist-pumping anthemia that was born for festival fields the world over even if you don’t speak a lick of German.
Annicke Shireen – Loud Hag
T’is the season for self-styled Dutch witch rocker Annicke Shireen. A contributor to Heilung and several other projects besides, she’s gearing up for her solo debut Delirium on November 13. Loud Hag finds her in the foreboding tones of occult rock, doomy riffs and light melodies proving a powerful combination.
To The Grave – Limb From Limb
Dark, suffocating and more brutal than a game of blindfolded-whack-a-mole in a slaughterhouse, To The Grave’s Limb From Limb is a great demonstration of Aussie deathcore. There’s no courting arena anthemia here: this is mired in 90s death metal, the only concession to not beating you to death with your own ears in the widdly guitar line that pops up before they drop a nasty, sub-dropping breakdown. New album Liberation Front is out today.
The Local Romance – Ecdysis
Sticking in Down Under, alt metallers The Local Romance are tickling the Architects/BMTH radio-metal senses nicely on new single Ecdysis. Granted, the song goes a lot heavier than either of those bands are likely to these days, but it only adds to the satisfying clatter of styles the band offers.
Critical Fear – Age of Darkness
Hailing from Brazil, Critical Fear have been kicking out high-speed thrash riffs for almost 20 years now. That said, upcoming album Dark Fate is only their third and arrives on December 11. Age Of Darkness shows what the band are all about – evil 80s-style thrash with echoes of Slayer and Kreator, as well as a few of their own countrymen. It’s solid, satisfying and exactly what the doctor ordered if you’re looking for classic-style speed.
Inherited – Wasted Space
If you’re tired of hearing hardcore that sounds like its been produced like Drake, Inherited have your back. The Zeeland, Netherlands crew are scrappy and feral on Wasted Space, chucking in death metal growls to drive home the fact they aren’t planning on doing sportswear ads anytime soon. Their new EP All 4 One is out today.
Graveyard, hailing from Gothenburg, are one of the bands that represent the musical diversity and creativity of Sweden’s west coast. Gothenburg may have a well-established home base for death metal and bands like Graveyard have developed a very different sound in the city — one that has carried them through the 2010s and beyond. With Innocence… Continue Reading →
Johnny Depp lends his presence to the latest single by Glenn Richards and the Venus Lakes, out now on Depp’s own IN.2 Records. The track, entitled Cold Hands, Warm Heart, features the Hollywood actor on accompanying vocals and has been lifted from the band’s new album, The Great Behind, due for release on 9 October. […]
‘Lifeline‘ is the first single from Missing Toys‘ debut album ‘Not A.I.‘ (out: January 15th via Pride & Joy Music on CD, LP, digital). This track features none other than guitar legend Dann Huff (Giant)! Stream – here Missing Toys is an AOR and Orchestral Art-Rock supergroup formed by Mecca frontman Joe Vana. The band’s […]
While the music world battles with AI artists creeping into the charts and the radio stations, it is reassuring to know that real musicians playing real music will never go out of style. As good as an algorithm can create something, it will never have soul. But over here in the real world, Sari Schorr has it ingrained into her very DNA.
Sari Schorr
The Lexington, London – 29 September 2026
Words And Photography: Paul Monkhouse
Launching her forthcoming album Running Wild with an intimate gig upstairs at The Lexington, this was the perfect setting to see an artist who has built her reputation not just on her extraordinary vocals but also her way of making everyone feel like family.
Given that the new opus is the best of her career, she has plenty to smile about, and it is probably not long before she makes the leap to the stages of Eventim Apollo and the Royal Albert Hall. Such is her upward trajectory.
Hitting the ground running, Mr. In The Middle is a strident opener, no guts no glory soul power that sets out her stall for the evening and leads straight into a stomping Running Wild, barely pausing for breath.
Sari Schorr – The Lexington, London – 29 September 2026. Photo: Paul Monkhouse/MetalTalk
Schorr is beaming. The weight of the studio and one album she refused to put out in favour of this new one is now old news, the freedom of the road and the chance to play songs she is proud of giving a tangible air of release that lifts things just a little higher.
Tuesday night may not be the most rock ‘n’ roll evening of the week, but that matters little as the singer and her band are seemingly incapable of giving anything less than blood, sweat and tears, everything laid out on the stage.
It is this commitment to the cause that brings everything to bone-deep life, for this touring band the choice of the behatted Ash Wilson on guitar is a masterstroke, his quicksilver riffs and ability to make the guitar talk brings to mind Rory Gallagher at his finest.
On keys, Carl Hudson is no slouch either, his solos adding flavour but avoiding all the unnecessary frills that drift into free jazz territory that some are guilty of.
Sari Schorr – The Lexington, London – 29 September 2026. Photo: Paul Monkhouse/MetalTalk
The Stonesy strut of Monday Morning gives drummer Russ Parker and bass player Carl Stanbridge the opportunity to lay down canyon-deep grooves, but the ensemble are more than capable of toning things down to a delicate touch with the touching Man On Fire, a song Schorr wrote about her father.
There is also a touch of Gospel in the slowly building King Of Rock ‘N’ Roll, Schorr’s honey bourbon vocals enough to make the angels weep and sinners get baptised as it grows and grows, the layers and tension building.
There is an easy tight-but-loose feel in the outfit’s playing that gives each number extra life and swing, but when they aim they hit the target every time, Wilson’s phenomenal solo during Better Day unleashing something primal in the six-stringer.
Along with the Steve Marriott feel to ballad Finding My Way, another peak was hit when travelling troubadour Marco Cinelli joined the party on an impromptu run through of Love The One You’re With, the audience happily embracing the chance to sing along.
Sari Schorr – The Lexington, London – 29 September 2026. Photo: Paul Monkhouse/MetalTalk
Valentina could have been written for Tina Turner at her fruity and fabulous height drove like a freight train, but cooling things down again, the delicate gossamer of piano ballad Ordinary Life shimmered, the vocals full of a quiet passion and understanding.
Given her talent and the way she can perfectly craft and convey a story, it did not matter whether the pace of the material was fast or slow. The warmth and tenderness generated by Schorr were life-affirming.
Few artists can leave their audiences practically floating out of a venue, but this New Yorker managed it with ease once again.
A very good and pure soul, the world is a better place with her and her music in it, and this was a night when Sari Schorr displayed exactly why we need that human touch.
Sari Schorr will release Running Wild via Provogue Records / Artone Label Group on 9 October 2026 in Europe and 30 October 2026 in the USA. The album features co-producers Jamie Walker on guitar and bass and Luke Paget on drums, alongside acclaimed keyboard player Bennett Holland. Pre-orders are available from lnk.to/sarischorr.
Sari Schorr will release Running Wild via Provogue Records / Artone Label Group on 9 October 2026 in Europe and 30 October 2026 in the USA.
Swiss hard rock / heavy metal artist Rebel Rose has released the debut album ‘In The Dark She Grows‘, now available digitally. Rebel Rose is the project of Sara Runco, who created the band and leads it as vocalist. The album brings together classic heavy metal and hard rock influences with a modern sound, built […]
BMG, in partnership with Rhino Entertainment, announces the release of ‘Totally Twisted – The Studio Albums 1982–1987‘, a celebration of one of the most explosive and influential periods in rock history with a collection that brings together Twisted Sister‘s classic studio albums from 1982 through 1987. Available as a 5-color-LP box set and a 5CD […]
Acid Reign frontman Howard H Smith has spent decades making noise on stage, but these days he is just as likely to be found behind a microphone doing stand-up or podcasting. For The MetalTalk Lowdown, he takes us from getting pissed with Bruce Dickinson and magical nights at Bloodstock to Limp Bizkit, royalties, anxiety and the importance of sleep.
He also discovers that asking a singer what it feels like to write a great riff may not have been our finest moment.
What’s the most Metal thing you’ve ever done off stage? Hung out and got pissed with Bruce Dickinson for a couple of hours.
What’s the worst gig you’ve ever played, and why? Back in the day, we played Birmingham. We were headlining, and we were there all day as other bands were using our kit. It was totally miserable. Nobody wanted to be there, and Ramsey had a cymbal stolen.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever played, and why? It is probably a tie between McGonagle’s in Dublin in 1990 and headlining the Sophie Lancaster Stage at Bloodstock 2016. Why is that? On both occasions, there was magic in the air all the way through the set. Everybody. Security, crowd and band all knew something special was happening.
Would you choose a platinum record or one perfect, legendary live show? Without doubt a platinum record, because perfect does not exist.
What’s your greatest fear? Anxiety.
What’s the trait you most deplore in yourself? Short answers.
What’s the trait you most deplore in other musicians? Selfishness. We’re a team.
Describe yourself in three words. Short, empathetic, entertaining.
What’s your guiltiest pleasure? Limp Bizkit.
What does a great riff feel like to write? I wouldn’t know. I’m a singer. Who wrote these fucking questions?!🤣
What’s the worst thing a fan has ever said to you? “I thought it was Jayce (producer) singing the beginning of Centre Of Everything.” What the actual fuck, dude! 🤣
What’s the worst thing a critic has ever said to you? That the band would be better off without me. He was killed six months later, so be warned, anyone thinking of giving me a bad review.
If you were not in music, what would you be doing? Stand up. Still do.
What’s one album outside your genre you secretly love? No one should have to apologise for their musical taste, no matter what genre they are a fan of. I like loads of stuff outside Metal.
When did you last cry, and why? Yesterday morning I watched the new documentary No One’s Disciple about Neil Peart. Blubbering mess by the end.
What keeps you awake at night? Unwanted thoughts.
Riffs, royalties or recognition, if you had to choose? Let’s be practical. Only one of those pays the bills and enables the others to happen. So it would be royalties.
How do you want to be remembered? Lyricist, frontman, stand-up. He came, he saw, he made us laugh.
What’s the most important lesson the road has taught you? Prioritise sleep over everything. Without it, you cannot deliver, and you cannot enjoy yourself. We are all batteries, and we need charging every night. Adrenaline can only get you so far.
What happens when the music stops? Everyone goes home.
Catch Acid Reign on the Last Daze Of 2026 Tour this November. Tickets are available at linktr.ee/acidreigntour.
Symphonic metal outfit Zornheym have released their brand new studio album Descending Into Madness, which is out now via Noble Demon. Founded in Stockholm, Sweden, as an ambitious vision by its creator, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Zorn (ex-Dark Funeral), with the goal of realizing his interpretation of the ultimate concept band – a complete fusion of music,… Continue Reading →
