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Narcotic Wasteland, fronted by guitarist/vocalist Dallas Toler‑Wade of NILE fame, fires the first shot of their August tour with the release of their blistering new single “Fentanyl Zombie Apocalypse.” The track arrives as the band launches the “FENTANYL ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE TOUR,” featuring select dates with support from Visitant, Monochromatic Black, IATT, and Yotuma (dates listed below).

A ferocious blend of technical precision, social commentary, and unrelenting aggression, the single stands as one of Narcotic Wasteland’s most urgent works to date, an explosive warning siren aimed at the escalating fentanyl epidemic and the societal collapse surrounding it.

Dallas Toler‑Wade comments on the new single:

“I am very excited to release our new song, Fentanyl Zombie Apocalypse! The song is, of course, about the fentanyl epidemic and the overall impact it has on an already failing country. Musically, it really captures the mood of this very well. Fast and tricky yet twisted and catchy! Kenji really brought some great bass and keys to the table. And Austin needs a drum set that won’t collapse under pressure! I am super proud of the work we have done together, and I cannot wait to show the world what we have been working on behind the scenes.”

Narcotic Wasteland continues to evolve into one of extreme metal’s most formidable units, featuring Dallas Toler‑Wade, former Nile guitarist, vocalist, and key songwriter; a defining force in technical death metal since the early ’90s. 

Austin Vicars, a high‑octane drummer known for blistering blast beats and commanding stage presence, and Kenji Tsunami, an inventive bassist whose depth, texture, and ferocity amplify the band’s overwhelming sonic assault.

Together, they deliver a live experience that is both punishing and surgically precise, an unrelenting wall of sound that has packed venues and earned critical acclaim throughout recent tours. Narcotic Wasteland has cemented its position as a dominant force in modern death metal, unleashing a volatile blend of razor‑sharp technicality, feral aggression, and raw intensity.

Their music confronts addiction, corruption, and societal collapse with unflinching honesty, powered by musicianship that continually pushes the boundaries of extreme metal. Expect a barrage of new material, explosive performances, and the full force of Narcotic Wasteland’s latest evolution.

Recommended for fans of Nile, Suffocation, Dying Fetus, Incantation, Cannibal Corpse, Dark Funeral, Immolation, and Gorguts. Listen to “Fentanyl Zombie Apocalypse” at the following links:

Spotify – https://orcd.co/fentanylzombieapocalypse

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5D7ruAX63c

FENTANYL ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE TOUR
Narcotic Wasteland – Remaining August 2026 Tour Dates | Select dates with support from Visitant, Monochromatic Black, IATT, and YOTUMA:

August 18 – Saint Paul, MN – Amsterdam Bar & Hall With Visitant
August 19 – Cudahy, WI – X-Ray Arcade With Visitant and Yotuma
August 21 – Scranton, PA – The Ritz Theater With Visitant and IATT
August 22 – Wallingford, CT – Cherry Street Station With Visitant
August 23 – Lowell, MA – Taffeta Music Hall With Visitant
August 25 – Louisville, KY – Portal With Visitant
August 26 – Atlanta, GA – 529 With Monochromatic Black and Visitant
August 27 – Nashville, TN – The Cobra With Monochromatic Black and Visitant
August 28 – Raleigh, NC – Chapel of Bones With Monochromatic Black and Visitant
August 29 – Salisbury, MD – Lurking Class Skate Shop With Monochromatic Black and Visitant
August 30 – Charleston, WV – Live at the Shop With Monochromatic Black and Visitant

More info: https://linktr.ee/narcoticwasteland

Source: ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS

Frank Beard, the drummer of ZZ Top for the past 56 years, died on August 17 at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, surrounded by family. He was 77 and had been in hospice care.

In a statement, Billy Gibbons said: “Today, Elwood and I lost a great friend and collaborator, and the world lost one of the most naturally innovative drummers and a great and true son of Texas. His signature backbeat was key to keeping ZZ on top. The band of which he was part for six decades is going to keep on keeping on as he had wished.”

In early August, Beard dropped out of ZZ Top’s “The Big One!” tour due to health issues, with Gibbons and bassist Elwood Francis continuing to perform, with drummer Michael Monahan filling in. Following Beard’s passing, the band announced it would cancel its August 18–19 shows in Salt Lake City and Colorado Springs. The tour is set to resume August 22–23 at ACL Live at The Moody Theater in Austin, Texas — described by the band as one of Frank’s favorite venues and a city that had long been something of a second home for him.

Beard had been a member of ZZ Top since 1970, playing on every studio album the band released, beginning with ZZ Top’s First Album in 1971. In the band’s early years, he was known by the nickname “Rube” and credited as “Rube Beard” on the first album and on Tres Hombres, though his real name appeared on Rio Grande Mud and on every subsequent release. In a longstanding irony, Beard was the only member of ZZ Top who did not have a beard — typically wearing only a mustache, though he did sport a tidy beard for a period in the 1990s.

Beard resided in Richmond, Texas, where he owned and operated the Top 40 Ranch. He was a scratch golfer, well known locally for his participation in tournaments and community events.

ZZ Top was founded by Gibbons in 1969; both Beard and longtime bassist Dusty Hill joined the following year. Hill died in July 2021 at age 72, with Francis — a longtime guitar tech and roadie for the band — taking over on bass thereafter. Beard is the second of the band’s three original members to pass away.

The post ZZ TOP Drummer FRANK BEARD Has Passed Away At 77 appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Despite his name, the ZZ Top drummer was the only band member without an iconic beard. Continue reading…

After making their live debut over the weekend, the band have seven more shows on deck.

The post Evil Island (The Blood Brothers, Etc.) Firm Up Their Fall Touring Plans appeared first on Theprp.com.

The Brazilian deathcore band will have their new album “The Pain Made Me Who I Am” out this Friday.

The post AXTY Premiere “All I Love” Music Video appeared first on Theprp.com.

The Most Underrated Christian Bands Fantasy Draft was originally published on HM Magazine by Nao Glover.

Mason is joined by his friends Justin Jones, Joe Calderon, and Jeremy Gould to do a fantasy draft of the most underrated Christian bands of all time. What Christian bands do you think are most underrated? Check out Idle Threat, The Rumors are True Podcast, become a supporter of this podcast, and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Spreaker. You […]

The Most Underrated Christian Bands Fantasy Draft was originally published on HM Magazine by Nao Glover.

Gene Simmons is gonna drop an I told ya so.

The post The 2026 ‘MTV Video Music Awards’ Have Retired The ‘Best Rock’ Category appeared first on Theprp.com.

MVD Entertainment Group has locked in September 22, 2026, for the digital release of Heavy Healing, a new documentary built around dispelling old myths and putting a spotlight on the healing power of aggressive music.

Metal, hardcore and their offshoots have long been dismissed by parents, teachers and religious leaders as noise rather than music, written off as disorderly, violent and bad for young people’s health.

Reality tells a different story. Plenty of people dealing with serious illness and mental health struggles have leaned on heavy music to get them through some of the hardest stretches of their lives.

Heavy Healing gathers candid, first-person accounts from artists, fans and industry veterans, people who have turned to (or become) “controversial” musicians for inspiration while recovering from cancer, anxiety, depression, strokes, heart attacks, cerebral palsy, blood diseases, diabetes and HIV/AIDS, among other conditions.

The film features Jesse Leach (Killswitch Engage), Lou Koller (Sick Of It All), Jaret Reddick (Bowling For Soup), Mike IX Williams (Eyehategod), Vinnie Stigma (Agnostic Front), Eddie “Sutton” Pomponio (Leeway), Jesse Malin (Heart Attack, D-Generation), Jimi Hazel (24-7 Spyz), Michael Alago (former A&R executive, Metallica, White Zombie), Michael “Kaves” McLeer (Lordz Of Brooklyn), Jimmy G. Drescher (Murphy’s Law), Brian “Mitts” Daniels (ex-Madball), Adam Blake (H2O), and one of the film’s makers and its inspiration, music business veteran Seth Abrams, among others.

Seth Abrams offers: “I’ve survived several severe, life-altering medical ordeals. When you strip away the doctors and family and friends’ support, it’s the music that gets you through it all. In my case, I specifically leaned on Suicidal Tendencies‘ ‘You Can’t Bring Me Down.’ Heavy Healing gives a voice to those who have relied on heavy, aggressive music to recover from any number of things, medical, emotional, or both.”

Heavy Healing director Howie Abrams adds: “As someone who has worked with underground bands for over four decades, I’ve encountered far too many musicians who are forced to cope with one disorder or another. That said, it’s incredible to see how they’ve been able to rely on the extreme music we grew up with to help them remain motivated and to recover. Our hope with the film is that others can draw just as much inspiration from the music as our interviewees have.”

About the filmmakers:

Seth Abrams has worked across the music industry, from street promotion and marketing to A&R and tour management. An aortic dissection followed by a paralyzing stroke on his left side at age 34 planted the seed that would become Heavy Healing. During the spring of 2019, Seth Abrams also went through seizures and a short-term memory-erasing brain infection, and he has leaned on recorded and live music throughout his recovery ever since.

Howie Abrams has a long history in heavy music, holding A&R, product management and music publishing roles at labels including In-Effect Records, Roadrunner Records, Jive Records/Zomba Music and Warner Chappell. He shifted his focus to books in 2013 and has since published ten, including biographies of H.R. of Bad Brains, Vinnie Stigma of Agnostic Front and the Koller brothers of Sick Of It All, as well as The ABCs Of Metallica. Over the years, he’s also worked with Shelter, Vision Of Disorder, Nuclear Assault, Sepultura, Type O Negative, Misfits and plenty more, and produced television for the MSG network and Fuse. Heavy Healing marks his directorial debut.

Jammi York is a New York City-based freelance photographer and videographer with more than two decades of experience, having shot everything from live music and celebrity portraits to fashion imagery, protests in Nicaragua, and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. York‘s work has run in entertainment and news outlets around the world.

The post “Heavy Healing” Documentary Sets For September Release, Spotlights SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, AGNOSTIC FRONT & More appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Cult Of Luna are back with a new single, “A Way Back”, available for streaming together with a Dehn Sora-directed visualizer. The song is part of the band’s forthcoming long player In The Shadow Of Your Shadow, due on November 6th, 2026.
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On November 20th, 2026, Swedish sludge/stoner unit Domkraft will put out their fifth studio album dubbed Night Songs. The latter was recorded at the renowned Studio Gröndahl in Stockholm, Sweden by David Castillo. Karl Daniel Lidén handled the mix and mastering. To taste a first piece of the new music, check out the “Void Runner” single.
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