Exploring Birdsong have given us another taste of their long-awaited debut full-length, and it’s guaranteed to get stuck in your head instantly.
Photo by Luke Tatlock
With ‘Every House We Built’ set to be released on June 26 via Long Branch Records, the trio’s latest track is titled ‘Spy In The House Of Love’.
Following on from the release of ‘42‘, ‘Romanticise’ and ‘You Like It Best When It Hurts‘, this one showcases another flavour of their sound.
Speaking of the track, vocalist Lynsey Ward has shared:
“I came across the book ‘A Spy in the House of Love’ by accident one day, and immediately felt compelled by how the phrase had organised a lot of messy feelings while being in the throes of a heavy break-up. There is actually very little that the book and our song have in common, but discovering it did catalyse a great deal of focus creatively and personally. Everyone at some stage has felt confused or betrayed in heartbreak, and we are far from the first to write a song about it. It is quite new territory for us, though!”
With just over a month left until we finally have that album, take a look at the artwork and tracklisting for ‘Every House We Built’ below.
1. Archipelago 2. 42 3. Romanticise 4. Footprints 5. Arrhythmia 6. Spy In The House Of Love 7. I_You 8. The Warning 9. You Like it Best When It Hurts 10. Cartography 11. Every House We Built 12. Meadowlands
Exploring Birdsong will be heading out on the road for a string of headline shows later this year.
Check out the dates below.
SEPTEMBER
23 – GLASGOW Classic Grand 24 – LONDON Islington Assembly Hall 25 – BRISTOL Strange Brew 26 – MANCHESTER Gorilla
On Wednesday, May 13th Canadian roots, rock, and soul band Bywater Call are excited to announce the release of their third studio single of 2026, ‘No One Else‘, and the July 29th release of their forthcoming fourth studio album ‘Broken Souvenirs‘. The album is available to pre-order – here. The single is available on all […]
The singers discussed their stalkers and their experience inside a trailer struck by gunfire, according to a police report. A woman has been charged with attempted murder.
Savatage are set to release the previously unreleased official live recording, Madness Reigns From The Gutter (1990), on 26 June 2026 via earMUSIC. The album captures the band during their explosive Rulin’ Gutter tour following the release of Gutter Ballet.
Carefully restored from the original master tapes and newly mixed and mastered, the 19-track release showcases Savatage at what many fans consider their creative and live performance peak. The line-up featured Jon Oliva, Criss Oliva, Chris Caffery, Johnny Lee Middleton and Steve ‘Doc’ Wacholz.
Reflecting on the era, Jon Oliva said, “The Gutter Tour was Savatage at its live show peak. It was six months where madness definitely reigned in the gutter. Enjoy it friends!”
Savatage Unearth Lost 1990 Live Album Madness Reigns From The Gutter. Photo: Frank White
At a time when Florida’s Metal scene was becoming increasingly extreme, Savatage pushed forward with a unique blend of melody, theatricality and Heavy Metal power. Madness Reigns From The Gutter (1990) documents that transition in full force, combining crushing riffs with emotional depth and dramatic atmosphere.
The release will be available in Europe as a CD Digipak and Heavyweight black 3LP gatefold edition on 26 June 2026, with the digital release available worldwide the same day. The US physical release follows on 18 September 2026.
The album arrives alongside Savatage’s highly anticipated Prelude To Madness 2026 tour, which will reunite fans across Europe with one of Heavy Metal’s most influential bands.
Savatage – Madness Reigns From The Gutter (1990) – Tracklisting
1. City Beneath The Surface 2. White Witch 3. Of Rage And War 4. She’s In Love 5. Mentally Yours 6. 24 Hrs. Ago 7. Legions 8. Strange Wings 9. Hounds 10. Temptation Revelation 11. When The Crowds Are Gone 12. The Dungeons Are Calling 13. Holocaust 14. Sirens 15. Power Of The Night 16. Hall Of The Mountain King 17. Gutter Ballet 18. Thorazine Shuffle 19. Devastation
Mötley Crüe have launched celebrations for their 45th anniversary with a major North American summer tour and a series of exclusive limited-edition releases. The band recently delivered a high-energy performance on the American Idol season finale alongside country superstar Carrie Underwood.
Mötley Crüe performed a powerful medley of their classic hits Home Sweet Home and Kickstart My Heart, as a duet with Underwood, the 8-time GRAMMY® Award winner and American Idol Judge. You can watch the performance below.
The Return Of The Carnival Of Sins Tour begins on 17 July 2026 and marks the band’s first extensive touring run in two years. The tour will visit 35 cities across North America and celebrates the 20th anniversary of the original Carnival Of Sins tour.
As part of the band’s Giveback Initiative, $1 from every ticket sold will be donated to ASAP! (After School Arts Program) to support music and arts education for students. Tour tickets and VIP packages are available from motley.com/tour.
Mötley Crüe – The Return Of The Carnival Of Sins Tour
Ahead of the tour, Mötley Crüe have announced the limited-edition Crücial Crüe 1981 – 1989 box set, available from 10 July 2026 via BMG. The release includes the band’s first five studio albums: Too Fast For Love, Shout At The Devil, Theatre Of Pain, Girls, Girls, Girls and Dr. Feelgood.
The box set will be released as a 5LP picture disc collection, a 5CD picture disc replica set and an ultra-limited hand-numbered Crüeseum exclusive edition.
Containing many of the band’s defining tracks, including Live Wire, Looks That Kill, Home Sweet Home, Girls, Girls, Girls, Dr. Feelgood and Kickstart My Heart, the release celebrates one of the most successful and influential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal catalogues of the 1980s. Pre-orders are available from crue.lnk.to/CrucialCrue.
Mötley Crüe continue to remain a major force in rock music more than four decades into their career, with billions of streams, sold-out tours and continued appearances across film, television, sports and popular culture.
Mötley Crüe performs with Carrie Underwood on American Idol season finale. Photo: Disney/Eric McCandless
Mötley Crüe – The Return Of The Carnival Of Sins Tour
Sat, Jul. 4, 2026 – Winnipeg, MB – Princess Auto Stadium * Sun, Jul. 12, 2026 – Vancouver, BC – PNE Amphitheatre * Fri, Jul 17, 2026 — Burgettstown, PA — The Pavilion at Star Lake Sat, Jul 18, 2026 — Buffalo, NY — Darien Lake Amphitheater Mon, Jul 20, 2026 — Clarkson, MI — Pine Knob Music Theatre Wed, Jul 22, 2026 — Toronto, ON — RBC Amphitheatre Fri, Jul 24, 2026 — Gilford, NH — BankNH Pavilion Sat, Jul 25, 2026 — Bangor, ME — Maine Savings Amphitheater Mon, Jul 27, 2026 — Camden, NJ — Freedom Mortgage Pavilion Wed, Jul 29, 2026 — Saratoga Springs, NY — Albany Med Health System at SPAC Fri, Jul 31, 2026 — Holmdel, NJ — PNC Bank Arts Center Sat, Aug 1, 2026 — Mansfield, MA — Xfinity Center Mon, Aug 3, 2026 — Bristow, VA — Jiffy Lube Live Wed, Aug 12, 2026 — Alpharetta, GA — Ameris Bank Amphitheatre Fri, Aug 14, 2026 — West Palm Beach, FL — iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre Sat, Aug 15, 2026 — Tampa, FL — MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre Mon, Aug 17, 2026 — Charlotte, NC — Truliant Amphitheater Wed, Aug 19, 2026 — St. Louis, MO — Hollywood Casino Amphitheater Fri, Aug 21, 2026 — Shakopee, MN — Mystic Lake Amphitheater Sat, Aug 22, 2026 — Tinley Park, IL — Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre Mon, Aug 24, 2026 — Cuyahoga Falls, OH — Blossom Music Center Tue, Aug 25, 2026 — Cincinnati, OH — Riverbend Music Center Thu, Aug 27, 2026 — Grand Rapids, MI — Acrisure Amphitheater Fri, Aug 28, 2026 — Noblesville, IN — Ruoff Music Center Tue, Sep 8, 2026 — Kansas City, MO — Morton Amphitheater Thu, Sep 10, 2026 — Dallas, TX — Dos Equis Pavilion Fri, Sep 11, 2026 — Houston, TX — The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Sun, Sep 13, 2026 — Albuquerque, NM — First Financial Credit Union Amphitheater Wed, Sep 16, 2026 — Phoenix, AZ — Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre Fri, Sep 18, 2026 — Chula Vista, CA — North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre Sat, Sep 19, 2026 — Long Beach, CA — Long Beach Amphitheater Mon, Sep 21, 2026 — Salt Lake City, UT — Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre Wed, Sep 23, 2026 — Wheatland, CA — Toyota Amphitheatre Thu, Sep 24, 2026 — Mountain View, CA — Shoreline Amphitheater Sat, Sep 26, 2026 — Ridgefield, WA – Cascades Amphitheater
Finnish symphonic metal band VOV returns with ‘Longing‘, a fast, driving single built on groove, double-kick power and an anthemic chorus. The song keeps moving direct, physical and uplifting, while carrying a sharp emotional charge. ‘Longing‘ captures the pull of a connection just out of reach. Desire and distance collide; hope stays alive, but it […]
Cognizance – In Light, No Shape (Willowtip Records) [Mark Young]
This is an accomplished release that overall charts a high path as it moves from start to finish. First listen and you think, yes, this ok but on a repeat listen there was a click with me. There are numerous tags associated with it, and with the band themselves, noting that they sit within that technical/progressive sphere where prowess sometimes overshadows songcraft.
So lets get into it, as they get into Transient Fixations, a reasonably short blast of brutality and technical metal. So far, so good. As openers go, it does what it needs to do in getting you engaged. The production is quality, vocals are harsh and guitars are heavy but with a clarity to them. Its when we get into Inflection Chants then they start striking through those tags associated with them – the progressive nature of their material starts to make itself known.
What shone for me was that they combined that technical approach whilst keeping it interesting for those who may find it slightly less exciting than ‘normal’ death metal. And this pays dividends later, the machine gun opening of A Game Of Proliferation satisfies on a primal level before it takes that melodic turn. I have to shout out David Diepold on drums here, at times playing with deft touches and manic ferocity, providing the base from which the trio of Alex Baillie (G&V), Apostolis Karydis (G) and Chris Binns (Bass) can build from. Without that steadying anchor, I feel that the songs would flounder.
They don’t attempt to plough one furrow on repeat, Vertical Illusion drops the velocity in part, bringing an almost melancholic feel until it becomes too much and the tempo is increased once more. It’s the choice of arrangements that impress, bounding into A Reconfiguration which from a player’s perspective would be quality to jam to. I’ve said this many times, that if a song or album can inspire you then they are doing something right.
The material on here is light years beyond my ability, but I can appreciate for what it is. What else works in their favour is knowing when their songs should end, they don’t try to extend song lengths out without it being necessary. For me, this Is massive as the songs come in, do what they need to and go. They don’t attempt to shoehorn as many super-difficult melody lines as possible, everything you hear is to suit the song.
They close up with The Zone, a stylish exercise in speed and touch; it ensures that they achieve their aims in making sure that the album wraps in the same way it started, always looking forward and constantly moving. It’s a strong album, and if anything you could argue that the songs suffer from sharing a similarity in sound which I think is unavoidable.
However, that is being overly picky. If you come at this from a fan perspective, it’s quality right through, no interludes or overlong songs to puncture its momentum. For lovers of technical metal, this is something that is right up your street. 8/10
Phillip Sayce – Scorched Earth: Volume 2 Live in LA / London (Atomic Gemini Records) [Matt Bladen]
Blues and blues rock is at its best when it’s live and raw, usually virtuosos, playing incendiary guitar riffs and filling the room with electric energy. So it’s because of that why blues players nearly always have as many live albums as they do studio.
The latest on for veteran blues rocker Philip Sayce is Volume 2 of his Scorched Earth live series, with cuts drawn from his sold out Baked Potato L.A and The Garage London shows, it captures Sayce showing off his skills in front of packed full houses who hang on every riff and soulful vocals of this performance.
If you’ve not heard anything by Philip Sayce before then you could say there’s some Gallagher, a bit of Vaughan and a lot of Hendrix in the way he plays, psychedelic rocker One Foot In The Grave and plenty of soul on Once, will tell you exactly what you need to know. Sayce even gives us his version of Hendrix’s Spanish Castle Magic.
A live trio with Sam Bolle (bass) and Bryan Head (drums) behind him, there’s no frills here, as other blues rock players have moved into orchestras and brass, Sayce keeps it simple as just there musicians delivering raucous blues and roll.
Soul and emotion coming in on the grooving Peace Machine which closes with a killer solos section shifting into as some bouncy country on Lady Love Divine and jamming with Morning Star where’s there a little bit of Norwegian Wood in the solo section. Scorched Earth: Volume 2 is Philip Sayce setting the stage on fire, expertly mixed and mastered by Mark Rains and Brian Lucey for full sonic power, it’s blues rock in the best place for it, on stage cranked out of the amps by a white hot band of veteran players. 8/10
Scarab – Transmutation Of Fate (Brutal Records) [Mark Young]
Anyone up for slice of Death Metal with an Egyptian twist? Of course you are!! Its another new band for me, one that suggests that there is a high level of Eastern promise heading my way. I’ve mentioned before that EP’s are a great way of providing a stepping on point to a new band, and its no exception here.
Now, I suppose we need to address other exponents of Egyptian style/themed death metal (looking at you, Nile). I’m not sure if there is a real comparison to be made between them, other than they both play death metal and both focus on a specific area but there is room for both.
In the case of Transmutation Of Fate, it plays out like a cinematic experience, the run times of each song whilst initially long don’t feel like it as they unspool. Yes, they each possess the core death metal ingredients – guttural vocals, blast beats, velocity of approach but there is a definite emphasis on making each song a living statement. My worry was that they would be a little cringe, but no, each is delivered from a place of authenticity, and steeped in atmosphere.
From the opener Vow Of The Sphinx (Abo El-Houl) through to Monarch Of Violence (Oriasirius) the effect is the same; the melding of traditional instruments, the use of keys and that overall drive to make this a complete experience whilst not losing sight that this is heavy metal and needs to be exciting and as visceral as possible. It’s an expansive and some cases epic listen, but what Scarab do is make sure that the core requirements are observed.
All the atmosphere in the world is for naught unless there are whacking great riffs to back it up, and this is what they have. I’m assuming that having a specific focus won’t be for everyone, and that is one of the wondrous things about metal, we don’t all have to like the same things. I would say that you should give this a go, because at its heart is quality death metal. 8/10
The Order – Empires (Massacre Records) [Matt Bladen]
Empires goes from one extreme to another, and I say that as final song Bonehead’s Back – Promises And Illusions is a dramatic funk metal rife that closes the record with all the sounds of Cherone and Bettencourt. There is a menagerie of styles here as Swiss band The Order show off the skills they have harnessed over a 20 year career.
The Order have always had a political edge to them, this record for instance deal with political manipulation and the inevitable collapse of oppressive regimes. They kick off with thrash, getting the adrenaline pumping from the title track as they lean on heavy metal beginnings when things get more aggressive as they rage at the establishment though some modern sounding heavy rock.
One of their killer weapons, are the vocals of Gianni Pontillo, he has gritty style with some massive choruses on Warriors, in the vein of Udo/Accept, the grooving The Last Call, then he has a sleazy snarl on Living For The Nightlife and melodic balladry on Wherever I Go, which is probably why he’s recently become the vocalist of Nazareth, as he can carry off the gruff and bluesy delivery of Dan McCafferty, adding a his own European charm.
I read that Gianni joining Nazareth will not be limiting The Order’s recording and touring, which is a good thing as The Order are a great heavy rock band which can turn their hand to many things. 7/10
The Mighty Lemon Drops are the latest band to get a limited ‘dinked’ edition to mark the 40th Anniversary of their debut album, Happy Head. Dinked is a collaboration between some of the UK’s most proactive and industrious independent music retailers and run by Natasha Youngs (Resident, Brighton) & Rupert Morrison (formerly of Drift, Totnes), […]
Ten years ago, The Half Moon, Putney saw the very first live show of a brand new band made up of some of the industry’s most experienced and talented artists, one which instantly stole the hearts of many people from the very first listen. A decade, fourteen CDs (if you count EPs, compilations and lives), many memorable live shows and adventures along the way, we are back here to celebrate all things Cats In Space.
This show would have been held on the exact ten-year anniversary, originally scheduled for the 6 January, however The Half Moon closed its doors in 2025 for extensive refurbishment. In this current climate, where the survival of venues is precarious, that is always a risky move, and it was hoped that this iconic venue really would return. Fortunately, it did, looking smart and sharp, so we are pretending that this is the actual date.
This celebration is a birthday party, not a memorial. Cats In Space are currently putting the finishing touches to their seventh full-length studio album, which promises to be bigger than ever and will be our first capturing on record of the new cats Chris Childs (Thunder, Tyketto) and Sam Wood (Black Star Riders, Wayward Sons).
Cats In Space – The Half Moon, Putney – 25 April 2026. Photo: Dave Craig
Tonight’s show saw the core quartet of Greg Hart (beautiful acoustic guitar), Damien Edwards (wondrous vocals), Steevi Bacon (bongos and an array of percussion instruments producing a massive sound) and Andy Stewart (epic, shining keyboard skills).
The show was billed as Acousti-Cats, the last in a limited run of occasional special shows that have taken place this year, which sees the band re-imagine songs acoustically.
As a concept, this is not new. However, we have learned to expect something a little bit special from Cats In Space and boy did they deliver.
An acoustic set by most bands is a nice time spent listening to some chilled-out and stripped-back power ballads and songs that are relatively simple in construction. We did get these, and they were magnificent, but that is only the beginning of the story.
Cats In Space – The Half Moon, Putney – 25 April 2026. Photo: Dave Craig
From a setlist that was more suggestion than roadmap, the quartet left-turned and gear changed through spontaneous thoughts, off-the-wall conversations, and audience requests, giving an eclectic and surprising set that defied expectations.
You could see that being able to let loose and go with the flow was a real treat after the last few tours, where production values meant that sticking to a more rigid setlist was a necessity. These tours have been incredible, too. Fortunately it is not a case of either/or, more about loving the variety.
In front of a crowd packed with old friends and collaborators and fans coming from far and wide, plus a sprinkling of newbies this show will live long in the memory. It is hard to know where to start with the highlights.
Cats In Space – The Half Moon, Putney – 25 April 2026. Photo: Dave Craig
We can talk about the classics from the back catalogue, such as Scars or Mr Heartache. We can marvel that the band continue to produce show-stopping, breathtaking numbers like This Velvet Rush and A Million Miles.
How refreshing to see songs that had no business being acoustic performed brilliantly. Step forward Thunder In The Night, or Jupiter Calling, or I Fell Out Of Love With Rock ‘n’ Roll.
There were covers too, all well-chosen, with a beautiful Forever Autumn showing off Damien Edwards’s skills. Desperado was intense, and Stray Cat Strut hit the perfect tone. And it was a cover that gave us the most surreal, funny and legendary happening.
Cats In Space – The Half Moon, Putney – 25 April 2026. Photo: Dave Craig
A light-hearted sing-along of We Will Rock You led to a call out for Bohemian Rhapsody, whereupon Greg joked that they would need the entire audience to help them with that, so that was not going to happen.
Never one to resist a challenge, our very own Mark Taylor started up with “Is this the real life…” Cue a performance of this most epic and outrageous of songs performed by the entire venue. And it was all of it, too.
Not the usual stopping before the choral part a la Live Aid, but the full nine yards. The whole hog. Andy Stewart’s piano was truly epic here, as was the rest of the band’s heroic challenge of attempting to keep everyone in the same key and timing. Never mind Only In Vegas – Only Cats In Space, and probably only in London.
Well over two hours and more than twenty-two songs later (we had all lost count by this stage), tonight this corner of Putney felt like a real collaboration between band and audience and true happiness and escapism from the harsh, brutal world outside.
MetalTalk are proud to have championed Cats In Space from the very beginning and are delighted that a band who burst onto the scene with so much promise continues to surprise and delight.
Now, if only the rest of the world would catch up.
