Good Charlotte have announced a run of UK and European tour dates, and they’ll be bringing Yellowcard along for the ride.
With the band set to headline Slam Dunk Festival this weekend, it’s not long until they’ll be back on UK soil.
The pop-punk legends will play a run of arena shows across the UK and Europe in October, and with Yellowcard joining them, it’s set to be a big one.
Actually, it’s going to include some of the biggest shows the Madden brothers have ever played on this side of the world, including nights at London’s O2 and Manchester’s Co-op Live.
Fingers crossed we get to hear that epic GC x YC collab live.
Tickets go on sale May 29 at 10am local time.
Check out the full list of dates below.
NOVEMBER
8: STOCKHOLM Hovet 11: MUNICH Zenith 13: BRUSSELS Forest National 14: DÜSSELDORF Mitsubishi Electric Halle 16: AMSTERDAM AFAS Live 17: PARIS Zenith Paris La Villette 19: LONDON The O2 20: MANCHESTER Co-op Live
Good Charlotte are on the cover of Rock Sound right now, where Benji joined us to chat through 30 years of GC, their biggest live shows to date, and the importance of the band’s eighth album ‘Motel Du Cap’.
Benji also told us about working with Yellowcard on their collaborative single ‘Bedroom Posters’, and finally having the chance to tour together after so many years.
“We were all kids when both of our bands started out.. I’ve always felt like Ryan’s voice is different from anyone else in the scene. They’ve been through similar experiences to us, and they survived it too. They learned a lot of meaningful lessons from it, and now they’re in the best place they’ve ever been. I love the song we did with them, and I’m really excited to do more shows together. I’ll do anything with those guys.”
Glaswegian interdimensional space rockers The Cosmic Dead have finished their tenth album.
The Cosmic Dead are from Glasgow, Scotland. They are heavy psych stoner rock purveyors said to be “inter-dimensional space-travelling explorers,” a feat presumably accomplished through the application relevant necessary agents. Their first album came out in 2011 (I think), and nine more have since materialized, counting the latest. The band is now Omar Aborida (bass, guitar), Tommy Duffin (drums), Calum Calderwood (fiddle), and Luigi Pasquini (synth).
There are four long tracks on the record. “Furthur” is a sixteen-minute quest that is primarily instrumental for the first few minutes with what sounds like chanting urging you on. Later on, the chanting is more recognizably singing, although it maintains a ritual quality even then. The music is spacey and groovy, spiced with many boops and beeps. Aggressive passages do emerge, particularly in the final third. It is something to experience. “Stronger” is a radio-length song with Primus-like rhythms. It leads you to bloom inside smiles that break through in the form of moderately displaced lips.
“Aurora” is very contemplative. As it moves along, the music quickens and becomes searching. I did a lot of looking around, but I never actually found anything. The guitar is fantastic. “Aether” is the final piece of the puzzle. It presents a mystical desert vibe and had me thinking about djinn riding gigantic dangerous beasts across sand dunes that they were merely displaying to onlookers, not threatening them. The composition evolves into a more active stance, bringing you along with it. While all the music on the record is compelling, this song is the one I will remember longest. Recommended.
Beyond The Beyond comes out on Friday, April 17th through Heavy Psych Sounds Records. Listen and buy at the links below.
Blaze Bayley, Jase Edwards, Jeff Hateley and Steve Danger hit the road in May to celebrate 40 years of their classic, unchanged lineup — a rare and powerful milestone in British rock. British rock legends Wolfsbane return to the road this May as Blaze Bayley, Jase Edwards, Jeff Hateley and Steve Danger celebrate an extraordinary milestone — 40 […]
Another taste of that new album we know is on the way, this one takes things in a more vicious direction, featuring some fantastically ferocious vocals from frontwoman Chrissy Costanza. Overflowing with emotion and blisteringly powerful, it’s another sign that their next era is going to be something very special.
Speaking about the track, the band have shared:
““Dead Man Walking” is about how the cost of survival was the person you used to be. It explores the return home from war only to find that, although everything looks the same, you yourself are so deeply different that you no longer fit. There’s a stranger staring back at you in the mirror, the ghost of someone you once were. Everyone thinks you’re fine because you made it out alive, but they don’t realise you never really did.”
Against The Current will return to the UK and Europe for a run of headline shows this Autumn.
Take a look at the full list of dates below.
OCTOBER
30 – GLASGOW SWG3 (TV Studio) 31 – LEEDS Leeds Beckett Students Union
NOVEMBER
01 – MANCHESTER Academy 03 – BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute 04 – LONDON O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire 06 – PARIS Le Trianon 07 – SAARBRÜCKEN Garage 08 – BRUSSELS Ancienne Belgique 11 – KÖLN E-Werk 12 – UTRECHT TivoliVredenburg 13 – HAMBURG Grosse Freiheit 36 14 – BERLIN Metropol 16 – VIENNA Simm City 17 – MUNICH Muffathalle 19 – ZURICH Komplex 457 20 – STUTTGART LKA Longhorn 21 – WIESBADEN Schlachthof
The band are also back on the cover of Rock Sound, celebrating their past, present and future in a brand-new interview.
Get your magazine alongside a world exclusive t-shirt design, only at SHOP.ROCKSOUND.TV
You can also pick up a special ‘Chrissy’ cover variant, with deluxe A4 poster print, at SHOP.ROCKSOUND.TV
If you, like many of us here at Last Rites, are an ancient, or at least ancient-adjacent, then perhaps you’ve been listening to death metal for quite some time. For my part, I happen to be falling apart enough to have been there since its inception, which equates to four decades of having my head bashed in by metal’s most brutal off-shoot. I have indeed ingested some rather questionable and / or damaging fare in that span, and at this point my only hope for being startled by a release in the same way I was for, say, the Deicide debut or the way Symphonies of Sickness dragged grind into the game is for a modern record to very literally spew lethal refuse into my face the moment the music escapes from the speakers.
Release date: May 29, 2026. Label: Pulverised Records.
Yes, I realize ‘physical impairment’ isn’t necessarily the end-goal of every death metal record, but I’m just trying to find a practical way to illustrate why some death metal bands in the modern age that receive wide acclaim elsewhere might not get the same—if any—applause in the tumbledown halls of Last Rites. The answer is pretty straightforward: The LR collective has been cramming this shit into our ears for long enough that a Xerox of a photocopy of a facsimile of Left Hand Path or Cause of Death probably won’t titillate the dangus the same way it did decades ago. That is not, in fact, intended to be some sort of lame flex, it is simply the fallout of overexposure.
Does that mean the death metal needle only moves around these parts when the death metal itself is so buried in the underground that it literally needs to crawl from a toilet to catch our attention? Not necessarily. Check out our collective No. 1 album from 2025, Unbirth’s excellent Asomatous Besmirchment. Sure, it’s not exactly as… basic as, say, Frozen Soul, but it’s also not exactly Sulfuric Cautery’s Killing Spree, which also made our list.
Bottom line: At this point on the timeline, there are as many death metal bands swimming in the public pool as there are bacteria, so if you’re stepping up to the plate playing “good old fashioned death metal,” it better cross all the i’s and dot all the t’s if you hope to catch the attention of those who’ve been toiling in the death metal mines for decades.
Have you yet had the pleasure of New Jersey flatteners Funebrarum? Being “active” over the course of the last three decades and releasing only two full-lengths leading up to Beckoning the Void of Eternal Silence isn’t exactly the most ideal route to renown, but what Funebrarum lacks in quantity is outweighed by quality, so we’re still very much operating in the black. And if you’ve still managed to avoid dipping thy blessed piggies into the pool, know that, as much as I triple heart their punishing debut Beneath the Columns of Abandoned Gods, I think at this point I’d recommend working backwards from Beckoning because this record marks a terrific place to start for anyone interested in what it might feel like to be brought to your end at the behest of straight-up DEATH METAL that both hits like a sloooowly rumbling tank AND transforms into a Mecha that uses a fusion-powered hammer to pound your pulp until full evaporation.
Caveat numero uno: You gotta love it slow, baby.
Slow, yes, but not exactly funereal slow—the kind of slow that makes you think of giants on a crucial trek, not sap running down a 300 year-old oak. And those sluggish stretches are often spiced with atmospheric keys and / or a penchant for crushing with the sort of serious weight that might leave you wondering if the planet’s just been tea-bagged by Galactus. Point of fact: As much as I’d agree that Funebrarum is a band largely rooted in a… less swift form of death metal, calling them death / doom isn’t terribly accurate because, despite a foundation clearly built on rotted death metal, there’s also a ferocity built into each song that conjures a parallel dimension where the early interpretation of Carcass might’ve ended up on Peaceville rather than Earache. That is to say, there’s a distinct doomed grind element here whenever the record decides to hustle, and it hustles nearly as often as it slogs.
“Anhela Odor Mortuorum (The Adepts)”: A rotted death metal grinding wheel that catches you in its cogs and pulverizes your bones into a grouting paste—hey, that’s just the sort of reduce, reuse, recycling we need in our world today. That crumbling decay that chews the corners here (and up and down the entirety of the record) is certainly magnified by sole founding member / chief architect Daryl Kahan’s approach to some of the most decrepit, rumblingest vocals you’ll hear from a living creature that’s not an irascible grizzly bear with a festering thorn in its paw. And what’s this we hear? Why, it’s extreme metal’s busiest gadabout Phil Tougas, the newest recruit to the ever-shifting gaggle packed in behind Kahan. Tougas is actually… a little restrained on this record? Is that even possible? Did Kahan chain one of Phil’s arms to a radiator? Whatever happened, Tougas gives the whole of Beckoning the Void of Eternal Silence a perfect little pinch of noodling melody, but it’s never used to a degree that might make trick the listener into believing this is anything but a vehicle bent on flattening with relentless brutality.
If you need another taste of what’s in store, cram “From Rotting Burial Shrouds” into your worried ears, a song that emphasizes the more hostile face of the band for the bulk of its run, but still manages to sliiiide into that absolutely crushing groove that guides the overall vibe of Beckoning’s 50-ish minutes. That’s not Tougas on the pretty little splash of melody this time around, but rather GOREMENT legend Patrik Fernlund. Squeeee! Squeeeee, I say!
Caveat numero two-o: Don’t come to this party looking for innovation.
Does that come across as a slight? If so, it’s fully unintentional. Again, this is all caps DEATH METAL that doesn’t bother with infusing Tubular Bells, “Us and Them” or some farkakte Dream Theater potpourri into the mix. Instead, heed the following directions: Pound, grind, rumble, grumble, repeat as necessary, just as Funebrarum has done basically since day one. In the hands of a lesser band, that might result in something far less convincing, but here the outcome is an absolute triumph. GET SQUASHED.
The restless creative drive that shaped Damon Albarn into one of modern music’s most adventurous figures first took shape in England during the late 1980s. Born on March 23, 1968, in Whitechapel, London, Albarn spent much of his youth in Colchester, Essex, where he developed an early fascination with music, theater, and visual art. He studied at the East 15 Acting School before attending Goldsmiths College in London, where he met guitarist Graham Coxon. That partnership eventually led to the formation of Blur alongside bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Originally performing under the name Seymour, the band adopted
16th May 2026 Words: Matthew Williams
Photos: Jessi Lotti
Day two of Desertfest began with a few weary heads stood outside The Underworld waiting patiently for the doors to open, but full of excitement for the day ahead. First up were London trio Instar Sling who I’d only seen clips of via YouTube, but I was suitably impressed. There’s lots of feedback as they stand still, poised to make their crushing assault on our unsuspecting senses. And wow, what a racket they make. The cascading crushing drum sound signals for the bass to rip your head off as their slow, menacing doom works superbly with the low growling vocals. There’s no variant from this relentless wall of noise throughout their set, and there are ripples of warm and appreciative applause from the people gathered inside and they’ve set the tone for the day.
One of the bands who had some hype around them today were Molten Slag. The Black Heart was packed in just for their soundcheck and led by Laura Norman, they kick off their set with the excellent “Sickening Crunch”. The drums are high in the mix, with a booming bass and the soothing, echoed voice carries into “Bloodspear”. “We’ve come from Southeast London today and this is our first single from our debut album, it’s called Hot Metal” and the slow intro increases in tempo and volume, as they raise the energy in the room.
There’s a flowing rhythm and great guitar solo during “Bitchfight” and with a Persian sounding intro they ease into “Queen of the Heap” as the vocal slips a bit during the song, but with axe in hand, “Snake Slicer” sees a return to normality as the crowd get moving along to more excellent bass lines. They finish triumphantly with “Whisper my Name” as they push their limits further, with a twiddly guitar solo for the crowd to enjoy and the packed venue leaves fulfilled.
Photo Credit: Jessi Lotti
Plenty of people stayed in the room, as they waited for another London band to make their way to the stage. It must be odd doing a soundcheck in front of an expectant crowd, but that’s exactly what happened for Okay You Win. There’s a big drum intro, nice riffs and clean vocals from Dave Kirk as they start with “Smoke” and “Red Flag” from their upcoming album. They have raucous high intense moments as the singer is expressive and animated, and the riffs they play have got the crowd gripped as the slow and low “Ten Year Trip” rips through us.
Kirk epitomises was it means for these type of bands to play festivals like this, and they can’t quite believe how packed it is for them at 4.20pm on a Saturday afternoon. Armed with a repertoire of superb songs like “The Greatest Lie” and “This Damned Place”, it’s no wonder they have the place rocking, as the singer proudly gives a shout out to the marvellous Psychlona, whose t-shirt he is wearing. Before more crushing riffs are delivered, a beaming Kirk says “it’s been a privilege to be here” as they launch into “End of Days” which gets a crowd clap along as they end with the excellent “Beat Me Down” which has the venue bouncing from side to side.
Another of the “must-see” bands of the weekend for me was heavy, droning post rockers Ian, whose 2025 released album was in my top five of the year. Unfortunately for me, most of Desertfest seemed to agree with me, as The Dev was rammed for their performance. With viewing space at a premium, I was solely reliant on listening rather than watching them and in a way that’s more than enough as they begin with “Building Pyramids”. Their compositions are so impressive that the music flows effortlessly from moody and menacing to full on melancholy. With slow processions, huge noises erupt, juxtaposed with softer, calming tones, the cello is hauntingly beautiful and fits seamlessly into this setting.
“Manuel” sees the lighting altering the mood and textures, as they bring elements of calmness with their serene music but like a budding flower, they burst into life at a moment’s notice and create such drama with their expressive arrangements. More elegance emerges with “Selma” ahead of them reminding us all about respecting everyone and fuck fascists before unleashing yet more powerful and potent music, which concludes with “Fennel” as the crowd stand mesmerised and fully immersed in one of the performances of the weekend.
After this, I needed something different and Birmingham based duo Khost, certainly bring something different. Armed with one guitarist and one bassist, they start the intro with a live bugle before bludgeoning everyone inside The Underworld. “Incinerator” is a huge, crushing industrial wall of noise with the 5-string bass feeling like the Pied Piper, leading all inside towards impending doom. It is phenomenal what these two create, with a range of impressive sounds being summoned from the pedal boards.
The slide guitar intro for the mighty “Coven” fills the venue with an eeriness, as sadistic nightmarish laughing builds up their intensity levels further. The bass is rattling and with smoother vocals it’s like a haunting softness that breaks the ear-splitting music. Their pure destructive force comes out further during “14 Daggers” as a hooded Andy Swan delivers more outstanding industrial noise. They up the spookiness with “Many Things Afflict Us, Few Things Console Us” with a pounding drum effect coming through before they end.
Another “must-see” band was Abrams, over in the UK for the first time, but sadly I couldn’t get into the Black Heart as the queue was down the stairs, so I hope that they had a great time playing to a packed crowd. With that, I headed up to The Roundhouse to catch a bit of “with a combined weight of 834lbs, the reigning, undefeated heavyweight champions of the world, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs”. In frontman Matt Baty, they have an energetic and enigmatic singer who works the crowd well, as they churn out “The Wyrm” and “Ultimate Hammer”.
They have a great mix of progressive, stoner sounds combined with elements of psychedelia, and lots of crowd surfers emerge during “Carousel” and “Stitches”. We get told about them playing Desertfest 14 years ago, and watching Sleep from the balcony, hoping one day to play that very stage, and here they are. After thanking headliners Green Lung for inviting them to play, they end with more monstrous songs, “Blockage” and “Toecurler” to wrap up their performance.
Photo Credit: Jessi Lotti
Some fifteen months after witnessing one of their biggest headline shows to date at Manchester’s O2 Ritz, Green Lung returned to the stage for their largest festival show. Saturday night at Desertfest, some 10 years after a few of them walked out of the venue and decided to form a band, is a massive leap for the group. After being locked away for several months recording new music, they released their latest single in the week leading up to the show, whetting the appetite for their return.
With the expectant crowd waiting, singer Tom Templar stands on the barricade and begins “The Harrowing”, as the audience gets their first glimpse of the band. With a gigantic Dorset Ooser taking centre stage “Old Gods” is greeted with rapturous enthusiasm from all within the packed Roundhouse, as Templar introduces the band in his usual manner with lots of words including “old English, mushroom eating heavy fucking metal” as they pick up the pace with new track “Evil in the House”. The bass sound from Joseph Ghast is high up in the mix, and it signals a new direction for their music, leaving the masses wanting more.
Frontman Templer is clearly revelling in his rock star persona, as he prowls every inch of the stage and platform to get a full perspective of just how rammed the place is for them. “Templar Dawn” and “Call of the Coven” add mystique and groove to proceedings before he dedicates the marvellous “Maxine “Witch Queen” to “all the witches out there” as the band go up several levels’ performance wise.
Photo Credit: Jessi Lotti
It’s almost as if the band were made for this moment, they seem polished after so long away, yet you know you are witnessing a band who are destined for arenas and bigger headline festival slots. They are armed with hit after hit, “Hunter in the Sky” was incredible, but never forget what they are all about, so it was great to hear “Song of the Stones” once again. They have that wonderous mystique, mixed with electrifying power as “Graveyard Sun” and “The Forest Church” clearly highlight.
With Templar stood high up in between the keyboards and drums, the emotional sense resonating across the room is palpable as they return to the “Woodland Rites” album and play “The Ritual Tree” with a stunning keyboard sound. “We haven’t played this next song live since 2019” as the bass heavy of “Into The Wild” echoes around the pillars but the rock energy returns during the monstrous “Mountain Throne” with the security working overtime as crowd surfers reign down on them.
The evil, eeriness of their music comes to life as “One for Sorrow” rings out, with that mid-section riff beautifully done before we are introduced to original bass player Andrew Cave, returning to join them for the grand finale of “Let The Devil In”, as Ghast plays sax. With their own Manotour style mascot returning to the stage for one final appearance, Green Lung are back and with their new album due in September, full European tour scheduled for December, the world is their oyster and now is the time for them to take the next steps to fully fledged rock gods.
