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  • “Anything can be black metal. It’s so much broader than just corpsepaint and tremolo picking.” Mysterious underground extreme metallers Qasu have no interest in playing by the genre’s rules

    Based across the US and UK, Qasu are honouring black metal’s enigmatic past while carrying its sound into the future

  • Reviews: Armored Saint, Acid Reign, Rival Cults, Opensight (Simon Black & Matt Bladen)

    Armored Saint – Emotion Factory Reset (Metal Blade Records) [Simon Black]

    A new Armored Saint album is always something I look forwards to. Since I came across probably their magnum opus Symbol Of Salvation in the early 90’s they’ve always been a band that meant something to me, being my first exposure to the American branch of the Power Metal family (although in reality that’s a label that struggles to fit a band as distinctively in a sub-genre of their own as the Saint find themselves). 

    They never really broke big time out of the USA in their original incarnation, and ironically by the time that final album from their first run landed on my platter, they had already scattered to the winds. At their time their back catalogue on Chrysalis was a mystery here in the UK, so Salvation served as both, err a symbol, and a tombstone to an act that I was unlikely to ever see any more of with vocalist John Bush then ensconced in Anthrax, and the band seemingly gone forever, and their back catalogue with them.

    Their reunion in the late 90’s passed me by as well, but when I discovered that the Salvation line-up was not only back but recording I dived back in with delight. The release that coincided with this was 2015’s Win Hands Down and suddenly ‘delight’ seemed too small a word. I’m well versed with the discography now, but for me those two aforementioned releases remain the high-water mark to beat.

    Enter Emotion Factory Reset.

    It takes me by surprise from the first song. Saw raw and aggressive are John Bush’s vocals on opener Close To The Bone, that I find myself wondering if there’s actually someone else behind the mike stand. The material jumps around a bit too, stylistically nodding to all eight of its studio predecessors, not least in the production values, which really do scale up and down a lot. 

    Given the effort that went into recently revamping the 3 Chrysalis holy grail albums of my lost 20’s, it’s a surprise that such a rough and ready style has been adopted in places, but that I suspect is a consequence of the fact that the material here has been a long while coming, and was cut in five different studios.

    The other gut instinct I have about is because of its fragmented production; the album suffers a little from lack of consistency. When bands usually get together they assemble a bunch of tracks as a pre-production exercise, which collates whatever’s been bubbling on the back burners and to consolidate maybe an album and a half’s worth of material which they can then hone refine and cull in the more expensive production facilities to get a thematically consistent rounded end product. 

    Emotion Factory Reset by its very nature is a more eclectic mix stylistically, and I get the feeling that the whole point of the exercise was not to create a thematically rounded statement of intent, but to nod to the past, hint to the future and most importantly produce a bunch of songs that they simply just like. And it’s that honest intent that saves this from being a dilettanteish mess, and more like the missing Greatest Hits that I would probably have chewed my own arm off to get hold of in 1995. 

    By the time I’m through the first time, I’m circling back again with any sense of wariness and consistency buried by the knowledge, that this too is probably going to turn out to be yet another high-water mark, even if it does take a few spins to get deeply in. 8/10

    Acid Reign – Daze Of the Week (Back On Black) [Simon Black]

    Being old enough to have lived through the time of the so-called Big 4 of British Thrash, Acid Reign were an act I always had a soft spot for. 

    Unlike their US equivalents, longevity and global success wasn’t for most of these acts. The early 90’s wiped most of them out and whilst Onslaught and Xentrix have rebooted and recovered to an extent, Sabbat were never coming back as a recording outfit, and Acid Reign came late to the revival party. But the key word here is ‘party’, which is something that they’ve more than made up for since. 

    Having seen them live last year, I was blown away by how energetic and thoroughly entertaining they are live, mostly because frontman H (the only original member still standing) is like ADHD in a bottle when he gets an audience to work, which he will to within an inch of their lives.

    The reality is this is only their fourth studio album across as many decades, and seven years since they last hit the studio. The line up, guitars excepted is the same that came together for the 2015 reboot, and they’ve clearly gelled in the studio as well as on the boards. Daze Of The Week wastes no time ripping holes in your eardrums, with a brutally precise, catchy and insanely energetic splatter of tracks that sounds as on the nose and in your testicles as The Fear was way back when I were a lad.

    I missed out on 2019’s The Age Of Entitlement, but the key difference today is in production and song-crafting. The youthful enthusiasm of the 80’s saw them being a bit more naïve in their arrangements, but all ten of the tracks here are well crafted, with any padding well and truly sifted away. If you are going to spend a long-time gestating material between releases, it allows you to selectively hone, and clearly a lot of time has been spent crafting these beauties as precisely as possible.

    Yet at the same time they achieve the magic juice of maximum scarcity, which is to make the recording sounds as crisply immediate and spontaneous as they are on stage. Loads of bands try and capture that zeitgeist, incorrectly thinking that aping old school analogue is the way to achieve it, whereas Acid Reign have clearly spent a lot of time rehearsing, pre-producing and nailing things to within a gnat’s whisker, and probably banged them out in the studio very fast. 

    Old school Thrash done properly is still a joy to listen to, and that, dear reader is all you can ask for. 9/10

    Rival Cults – Our Gods Need Blood (Seeing Red Records) [Matt Bladen]

    I’m a big fan of gothic rock, especially that post-punk style of goth that came out of the late 80’s, romantic baritone vocals, jangling guitars and songs that ooze with dark machismo and sexuality.

    Bands like The Cult, The Mission, Sisters of Mercy and Type O Negative are the acts that have been the blueprints. In recent years Unto Others, Creeper or anything involving Mat McNerney seem to be the bands that are bringing this style of rock back, but you can add the name of Santa Barbara band Rival Cults to that list.

    Formed by guitarists Adj Tejada (rhythm), Casey Shropshire (lead) and vocalist Cole Tyler Barrington, they quickly started writing and brought in bassist Cane Fletcher and drummer Richard Rhiger and drew from dark subject matter such as alcoholism to form their style as a band.

    Leading to their debut full length in 2023 which cemented their gothic rock identity and penchant for personal lyricism as it was inspired by Barrington’s path out of addiction but doing so they wanted to put “more rock in our goth” by dialling up the volume with bigger and badder, riffs and solos to move towards a more grandiose musical offering.

    The lyrics have evolved from personal rebirth into songs about “love, faith, desire, and mortality” these more hedonistic ideals fitting their dirtier and heavier rock n roll. Rival Cults are not a band who live in the past, this is gorgeous goth rock for the 21st Century, worshipping those statuesque gods of old but a bringing their own vampiric swagger and maudlin mystery to the genre.

    Come quickly as Our Gods Need Blood and it has to be yours! 8/10

    Opensight – The Outfit (Inertial Music) [Matt Bladen]

    There probably aren’t too many rock/metal albums that start off with the Morricone-esque trumpets you’d find in a Spaghetti Western, but then Opensight are not your typical rock/metal band. 

    They’re one the UK’s biggest purveyors of ‘cinematic rock’ all their albums build around a storyline, like a movie, telling a story from beginning to end through evolving musical dynamics but always staying within the soundscapes of film genres rather than musical ones, the funkadelic riff on Final Cut for instance. With The Outfit they throwback to the glory days of 70’s grindhouse, where gritty crime capers, westerns, bloody horrors we all there to grab your imagination and offer cheap thrills and spills. 

    There’s nothing cheap about Opensight though, they’re a talented crop of musicians who probably just as much musical education as they do media. After the Procesión De La Muerte’s brass subsides it’s straight into Killer Outfit where the bad guys in the black hats ride into town, segueing into the spooky and surreal world of In Plain Sight which has that customary Theremin used in all horror/sci fi movies. 

    What I do find about Opensight is that they don’t let the conceptual stuff get in the way of the songwriting, everything on the record is quite immediate and pulls you in quickly, there aren’t too many instances where the style is more important than the substance. 

    In regards to the substance, Opensight hook their sound to classic heavy rock and metal from the same period of their movie period though with a few modern touches with Muse and Faith No More being two due to the Western themeing and experimental style, while there’s also some Jeff Wayne influences of course. The Outfit reasserts that’s Opensight’s cinematic rock style is here to stay, another story driven record from this innovative act. 7/10

  • Country Singer-Songwriters John PayCheck & Struggle Jennings Join Forces To Reignite The Outlaw Spirit On New Single Collaboration “Sons Of The Spark,” Arriving May 15

    [Single Art | Download PNG] DSP Links: [Pre-save/Pre-add] PayCheck’s ‘Better Plan Tour’ bound for more than 26 U.S. states and 43 cities in 2026 BOOK NOW: Interviews, guest appearances & studio performances [request online] NASHVILLE, […]

    The post Country Singer-Songwriters John PayCheck & Struggle Jennings Join Forces To Reignite The Outlaw Spirit On New Single Collaboration “Sons Of The Spark,” Arriving May 15 appeared first on INFRARED MAGAZINE.

  • A 1987 Hit is Simply the Best Party Song of the Decade

    One 1980s song has everything a party needs—catchy riffs, unforgettable vocals, and an energy that won’t quit.

    The post A 1987 Hit is Simply the Best Party Song of the Decade appeared first on Audio Ink Radio.

  • The Hu Announce New Album Hun And Unleash Boundary-Breaking Single Lost Soul

    The Hu Announce New Album Hun And Unleash Boundary-Breaking Single Lost Soul

    The Hu have announced their third studio album, HUN, which will be released on 24 July via Better Noise Music. Alongside the announcement, the Mongolian Hunnu Rock pioneers have unveiled the new single Lost Soul featuring Jonny Hawkins of Nothing More.

    The new track blends traditional Mongolian instrumentation and throat singing with melodic Modern Heavy Metal influences. Built around pounding percussion, hypnotic riffs and a soaring chorus from Hawkins, the song explores themes of resilience, courage and identity.

    “We have been unpacking surprises one by one,” Galaa of The Hu said. “Hunnu Rock transcends cultures and, in that respect, we have made Lost Soul with Jonny Hawkins. To not get lost on your journey, keeping your values and making your way through life with the courage to face obstacles – these are the messages we are sending our fans with this song.”

    Jonny Hawkins added: “I am so excited to team up with a band as committed to their craft as The Hu. It’s unlike anything I’ve done before.”

    HUN features 11 tracks inspired by Mongolian culture and mythology while expanding the band’s globally recognised sound. The album includes tracks such as Warrior Chant, The Men, Echoes Of My Father, Horsemen and Universe. The digital version will include the collaborative version of Lost Soul featuring Hawkins.

    The Hu earlier announced an extensive UK and European headline tour for September and October 2026 with SKALD as special guests. The run includes dates in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Paris, Berlin and Zurich. The band will also appear alongside Iron Maiden at Knebworth Park on 11 July for the Run For Your Lives tour stop.

    Ahead of the European dates, The Hu will co-headline a North American tour with Apocalyptica before joining the Freaks On Parade US tour with Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson.

    HUN will be available in digital and CD formats worldwide from 24 July, with multiple vinyl editions and exclusive box sets arriving on 11 September. Pre-orders are available from thehu.lnk.to/hun. For a full list of dates and tickets, visit the band’s website here.

    MetalTalk will have an interview with the band out in the coming days. Keep your eyes out here!

    September

    29sep7:30 pmThe Hu, GlasgowO2 Academy Glasgow

    October

    01oct7:30 pmThe Hu, BristolProspect Building

    02oct7:30 pmThe Hu, BournemouthO2 Academy Bournemouth

    03oct7:30 pmThe Hu, NewcastleO2 City Hall

    05oct7:30 pmThe Hu, BelfastThe Telegraph

    06oct7:30 pmThe Hu, Dublin3Olympia Theathre

    08oct7:30 pmThe Hu, BirminghamO2 Academy Birmingham

    09oct7:30 pmThe Hu, LondonO2 Academy Brixton

    10oct7:30 pmThe Hu, ManchesterO2 Apollo

    11oct7:30 pmThe Hu, NorwichUEA

    The post The Hu Announce New Album Hun And Unleash Boundary-Breaking Single Lost Soul first appeared on MetalTalk – Heavy Metal News, Reviews and Interviews.

  • Billy Joel Warns Against ‘Professionally Misguided’ Biopic Plans

    A statement declares that the planned 'Billy & Me' movie will not be allowed to use Joel's music. Continue reading…

  • Jamie Webster: New Single, Album and Tour Announcement

    Jamie Webster enters a new reflective new era, announcing new single, Just Begun, fourth album, Running Round The Sun and UK tour dates. Modern folk hero and British songwriting success story, Webster returns with a new, 12-track album and releases his first new music of 2026, as well as getting back to his roots as […]

    The post Jamie Webster: New Single, Album and Tour Announcement appeared first on Louder Than War.

  • Audren – Think Freedom

    You may agree or not, but we’re living in times when we’re oversaturated with so many music releases

  • Wirriekow Debut With Dark, Myth-Driven EP Canticle Of The Moonshade Realm

    Wirriekow release Canticle Of The Moonshade Realm

    The Awakening (Prelude) opens the Canticle Of The Moonshade Realm, the debut EP from Wirriekow. If there is an argument for not listening to music via streaming, then missing the move into track two, Spaewives Evince (Act 1), or even listening in the wrong order, means you miss the story of the riffs and the atmosphere of this three-act structure rooted in Perthshire myth.

    Wirriekow – Canticle Of The Moonshade Realm

    Release Date: Out Now

    Words: Steve Ritchie

    Wirriekow is the brainchild of Martin Robbie, whose previous bands include Mass Worship (Century Media), In Tongues, Anchor and City Keys.

    For this project, he has returned to first principles, recruiting longtime friends Kristian Sator on vocals and Ross Tanbini on drums, the latter currently studying under world-renowned drummer Virgil Donati.

    “This EP is a gritty reflection of the village where it all started,” Kristian Sator said. “Created by my good friend Martin, these four tracks dive into the darker corners of our roots. With Ross on drums and Martin on guitar, it feels like old times. I’m incredibly proud to be a part of this project.”

    Listening, you can feel that Canticle Of The Moonshade Realm is built around a shared musical language. The concept draws on the myths and legends of Perthshire, Scotland, a fertile ground for supernatural horror, but for me, it is the riffs that first dragged me in.

    The narrative follows a protagonist awoken by three witches and drawn through ancient ritual toward a climactic emergence of evil, told across four tracks structured as prelude and three acts, The Awakening, Spaewives Evince, Buried Moon and Seven Stars, and the closing A Thin Place Of Liminal Static.

    The sonic foundation is late ’90s Death ‘n’ Roll, the Swedish sound that Entombed and Carcass defined, filtered through a Scottish sensibility and executed with deliberate authenticity.

    The guitar parts were tracked on an ’80s BC Rich Gunslinger through an original ’80s BOSS HM2 pedal by someone who has previously recorded at Sunlight Studios in Sweden under producer Tomas Skogsberg.

    Mixed by Robbie himself and mastered by Dan Swanö, whose credits include Edge Of Sanity, Nightingale and Witherscape, the EP has an intensity and organic warmth that keeps it from feeling clinical. Sator’s vocal performance, recorded with a broken nose, carries a rawness that no amount of studio polish could manufacture.

    Tanbini’s drumming drives the EP with precision and authority without ever crowding the atmosphere that Robbie has so carefully constructed.

    It was the riffing on Act 1 (which I listened to first) that sucked me in. Do not make the mistake I made. Start from The Prelude and run right through. It is a great 12 minutes.

    Canticle Of The Moonshade Realm is the first in a series of planned releases. On this evidence, the series is worth following. Stream and download at Bandcamp.

    The post Wirriekow Debut With Dark, Myth-Driven EP Canticle Of The Moonshade Realm first appeared on MetalTalk – Heavy Metal News, Reviews and Interviews.

  • Ayr Pavilion Reopens Historic Seaside Venue For Live Rock Shows

    The iconic Ayr Pavilion is set to welcome live music back to its historic stage. Photo: Alastair Mulhearn

    The iconic Ayr Pavilion is set to welcome live music back to its historic stage, marking a new chapter for one of Scotland’s most recognisable entertainment venues. The venue is reopening with a renewed focus on live rock, touring artists, heritage acts and high-quality tribute productions.

    Reintroducing itself to the live circuit as a 650-capacity standing and 250-seated venue, the Ayr Pavilion is positioning itself as an exciting stop for touring acts, heritage artists and tribute shows across multiple genres.

    Situated on the Ayr seafront, the Pavilion has long been a landmark for entertainment in the region, hosting countless performances that have helped shape Scotland’s live music culture. The revitalised venue will feature a state-of-the-art house PA system supported by a professional in-house technical team.

    “We’re really looking forward to welcoming live gigs back to The Pav,” Venue owner Curtis Briggs said. “Its history speaks for itself, and there’s a lot more music in the old lady yet.”

    Ian McCaig of Plan B Events, the team behind the WinterStorm Rock Festival in nearby Troon, is working with the venue to help shape and promote the live programme through the remainder of the year and into 2027.

    “The Ayr Pavilion was pivotal for so many of us kids of the ’70s and ’80s and provided us with so many memorable gigs through the years,” McCaig said. “It will be so good to hear live rock music on that stage again. I can’t wait.”

    Bookings and promoter enquiries are now open. You can find out more details at the Ayr Pavilion Facebook page or on the web here.

    September

    18sep7:30 pmMoving Pictures, TroonAyr Pavilion

    The post Ayr Pavilion Reopens Historic Seaside Venue For Live Rock Shows first appeared on MetalTalk – Heavy Metal News, Reviews and Interviews.