Iron Maiden legend Bruce Dickinson has offered fans a tantalising insight into his upcoming new solo album, which is expected some time early next year. Speaking to VSX, the singer promises that the follow-up to 2024’s well-received The MandrakeProject will be a heavy affair, though it will in no way be a direct sequel to that album.
‘I’ve got a new record coming out next year, new solo album,” he confirms (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “It’s kind of standalone. There’s one song that has a bit of something to do with Mandrake. The album is heavy as shit.”
Explaining why he didn’t simply want to churn out a Mandrake Part 2, Bruce continues: “I try to not repeat – not because it’s bad. You want to move on and put different nuances on things. It’s like, I would say, if you have an amazing girlfriend and you start thinking, ‘Yeah, I’m getting a little bit bored’…just turn the lights down and turn it a different way, and you see a side that you think, ‘Oh, my God, she’s absolutely incredible.’ Just the red light there or the green or whatever, and you see the same person in a different day, in a different light.
“Music is something which you try not to stick too much of a format,” he continues. “I’m within a particular style, for sure. But I try and vary it as much as I can.”
The Mandrake Project marked Bruce’s first solo album in almost 20 years following 2005’s Tyranny Of Souls, meaning that he’s operating at a relatively prolific pace as a solo artist right now. That’s on top of Iron Maiden’s ongoing Run For Your Lives world tour, which finished up its latest European leg at a spectacular show at Knebworth in the UK last month, with North American, South and Central American, Asian and Australasian dates still due to take place across the rest of the year.
Ten Cent Tiger are a punchy indie-punk outfit roaring out of Boorloo/Perth. Since forming in 2022, the band has built a fierce local reputation on intricate guitar work, infectious hooks, and raw melodic urgency.
Following their 2024 debut EP, Moments, the band pushed their sonic boundaries in 2025 with the breakout singles “Growing Pains” and “Autophobia.” Balancing high-energy guitar friction with deeply honest lyricism, “Autophobia” captures the frantic anxiety of self-isolation, a cathartic release that earned the band a nomination for WAM Song of the Year.
I love the pace and the mood, no frills and pure energy with a fantastic performance by the band. The guitars are very inspired and the rhythm section is very creative. It’s a super solid tune, straight to the point, energetic and catchy, with a quality production as well.
Give “Autophobia” a go by clicking on the Spotify player below and follow Ten Cent Tiger on social media, if you like what you hear.
The Linda Lindas have shared one of their most crushing tracks to date, which is set to appear on their upcoming album dropping later this month.
Titled ‘Blood On Our Hands’, it is a track that matches its sound to the subject, with lyrical turns around the downright evil way that the world is feeling right now. Not holding back in calling out the injustice and incompetence, it delivers its message via downtuned and devilish hardcore, the sort that would make the likes of Terror nod along in agreement.
It’s the sort of release that showcases just how broad the band’s influence within punk and alternative music stretches, and will have plenty a pit swelling every time it is played live.
Bassist Elouise Wong had this to say about it:
”We’re living in very dark times and it’s really easy to feel hopeless,” says Eloise Wong. “‘Blood On Our Hands’ is about doing what you can, not just on national boycott days and marches, but thinking every day about where your money goes and what you put your money towards, and we have to do our best to support each other.”
The track is set to appear on the band’s new full-length ‘Gotta Get Out’, which will be released on August 28 via Reprise/Warner Records.
It will also feature ‘Closer’, which features a guest appearance from Hayley Williams:
Anyone unconvinced by Greta Van Fleet’s return to action, pay heed, for their return to action has now been augmented by a hard-fought victory in our most recent Tracks Of The Week fracas. This historic triumph is despite the close attention of London’s one-man rock’n’roll phenomenon Cam Cole, who finished second. So congratulations to them. And indeed, to him.
Third place was swallowed up by Hannah Wicklund, so congratulations to her, too. And now? We start again, with eight new candidates lined up to assume legendary status. We hope you enjoy them.
Sweat – Hilary
A loose-limbed, glam-booted banger with highly melodic feet in the camps of Heart and Cheap Trick, the latest single from these Pittsburgh rockers is a joyous thing to ingest. Also a strident calling card for their new album, In Dreams, which comes out in September. “Hilary lands in the sweet spot between glittering glam rock and late-’70s power pop,” the band say. “It’s a loud tribute to the friendships that become lifelines and the people who stay when things get messy, heavy, and uncomfortable — the ones who always show up when it matters most.”
Kris Barras Band – Beautiful Lie
The MMA fighting, blues noodling, hard-rocking singer/guitarist has the black attire and full sleeve tattoos of a metalcore star, but on Beautiful Lie he’s all about the oomphy yet tender hard rock with a moody, melodious heart under all the heavy, riffed-up muscle. Not long now til the release of its parent album, Monsters We Made – in fact, it’s out this week, accompanied by an in-store tour across the UK, with a full headline tour to come in October.
The Bites – Whenever You’re Ready
One of those rock’n’roll party-ready cheesefests whose substance sneaks up on you, Whenever You’re Ready put us in a great mood – it’s merrily, even proudly Route One lyrics (‘son of a gun / on the run’ etc etc) bounding into a warm, swinging pop rock chorus. Simple but effective harmonies complete the picture. Almost McFly-esque, but with more old-school heft. Feeling a little off today? Stick this on, turn it up and get some of those denim-clad Californian sunrays into your soul.
Grace Bowers – Eat Shit And Live
Earlier this year Grace Bowers quit Youtube, stating “I’m deeply uncomfortable with the amount of old men here. I’m no longer interested in playing blues or whatever the hell keeps attracting yall. I’m done.” It was a sad reflection of a certain portion of the online world (even if dismissing the blues itself feels a little reductive), but now she’s back with a bright, snappy bang – singing and playing on this taste of her next chapter. As a singer Bowers has something of a young Gwen Stefani going on, and her guitar chops here are full of punk rock teeth, sort of like the Runaways meeting Tom Morello for a jam.
The Pineapple Thief – New World Order
New World Order is the opening track of the British progressive quartet’s new album, Far And Wide, and it’s a biting, punchy beast with a note of dystopian menace. Still imbued with the moodiness and light, clever touches we expect from them, but packing an extra level of hard-hitting edge that nods to the increasingly big stages and globe-trotting adventures they’ve had in recent years (including successful first South America shows and an expanded US live presence).
Frenzee – Unapologetically Me
Need some proper, no-bullshit punk rock’n’roll with a feminist kick in your life this week? Meet Frenzee, the Greek-Australian siblings with Bikini Kill, Motorhead and Amyl & The Sniffers in their hearts and sweaty gigs written into their DNA (not to mention the marathon traditional Greek folk sets that guitarist Adonis and drummer Nikos cut their teeth in as kids). Unapologetically Me is fast, furious, over in about two and a half minutes and bursting with beefy, riffy fire – a strong showcase for these guys, in other words.
Jack J Hutchinson – Rise Again
Kicking straight in with an absolute ripper of a riff (conjured up one soundcheck), Jack J Hutchinson’s new track finds him channeling his blues-come-southern foundations into a big, upward-punching rocker – laced with the richness and grit of his heroes. “I told my producer Josiah that I wanted to write a track that sounded like a mix between Blackberry Smoke and Led Zep,” Jack explains, “with a melodic chorus like Neil Young’s anthemic rockers.”
Crossbone Skully – Thunder Love feat. Phil Collen
In which Crossbone Skully mainman Tommy Henriksen continues his apparent quest to create music for people who think it’s all been downhill since Def Leppard finished touring Hysteria. There are gang vocals and booming drums and a euphoric chorus and executive production from “Mutt” Lange, and just in case that isn’t enough, Leppard’s very own Phil Collen guests on guitar and backing vocals. Oh, and there’s a girl wearing a Pyromania t-shirt in the video. The Leppard vibe is recreated so perfectly it feels churlish to call out any lack of originality, and besides, we’re enjoying the results too much to complain.
Daniel Sparrow has been writing songs since his teens, refining his craft through years of bands and live stages to capture life’s highs, lows, and everything in between. Now charting a solo path, he blends classic influences with fresh inspiration to forge a sound that feels both nostalgic and modern.
His single, “Virus,” delivers an intense, fast-paced punch packed with infectious guitar grooves and standout vocal performances. Lyrically, the track delivers a dark yet empowering message centered on resistance and truth.
Stream “Virus” on the Spotify player below, and follow Daniel Sparrow to stay updated on future releases.
Flirtations advert, Record Retailer, 29 May 1969, page 21
Originally formed as The Gypsies with three sisters – Betty, Ernestine and Shirley Pearce plus their friend Viola Billups, New York-based The Flirtations were originally brought to England by promoter Roy Tempest in December 1967 for a nationwide tour backed by Dagenham, east London outfit, The Trend.
Betty Pearce had departed before this tour commenced and the trio performed as The Fabulous Marvelettes. Despite the confusion and anger this caused, particularly from club owners who mistakenly believed they were getting the Motown superstars The Marvelettes, the tour was successful enough for the vocal trio to return to Britain in spring 1968 for a second tour, billed again as The Fabulous Marvelettes.
For this second tour, they were once again backed by The Trend, who comprised Norman Cummins (lead guitar/vocals), Pete Cole (bass/vocals), Bob Mather (sax), Cliff Reuter (keyboards) and Frankie Morgan (drums).
This isn’t a complete gig list for this tour
Tour dates:
8 March 1968 – Clockwork Orange, Chester, Cheshire with The Upside Down World (Chester Chronicle)
11 March 1968 – Rawmarsh Baths, Rotherham, South Yorkshire with The Original Drifters backed by The London All-Stars (South Yorkshire and Rotherham Advertiser)
20 March 1968 – Sheffield City Hall, Sheffield, South Yorkshire with The Original Drifters backed by The London All-Stars (Sheffield Star)
After this tour, the trio relocated to Britain and reverted to their original name, The Flirtations, recording prolifically in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
As The Trend was working with other soul artists from mid-1968 onwards, it’s not clear who the backing band was on the gigs below and we’d welcome any further information.
20 April 1968 – Britannia Rowing Club, Nottingham with The Staxmen and King Kat Knyte (Nottingham Evening Post)
11 May 1968 – Britannia Rowing Club, Nottingham with Clyde McPhatter, The Staxmen and Ways and Means (Nottingham Evening Post)
21 June 1968 – Hemel Hempstead Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Herts with Chicago Setback and Granny’s Intentions (Hemel Hempstead Evening Post)
12 July 1968 – Marvifab Mayfair, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear with Urge, Coloured Rain and Traine & Mystics (Sunday Sun)
The Widnes Weekly News, 19 July 1968, page 22, has a picture and a spread on the trio
Photo: Melody Maker, July 1968
27 July 1968 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)
15 August 1968 – Royal Pier Pavilion, Southampton, Hants (Southern Daily Echo)
22 August 1968 – Locarno Ballroom, Bristol (Bristol Evening Post)
23 August 1968 – Locarno, Derby (Derby Evening Telegraph)
24 August 1968 – Imperial, Nelson, Lancashire with Doctor Marigold’s Prescription, The Smythe Brothers, The Index Trend and Pancake Tuesday (Lancashire Telegraph)
29 August 1968 – Assembly Hall, Worthing, West Sussex (Worthing Herald)
The Derby Evening Telegraph, 31 August 1968, page 4, has a pic and spread on them
31 August 1968 – Civic Hall, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with Clyde McPhatter (Luton Evening Post)
1 September 1968 – Giant Bank Holiday Rave All Nighter, Mojo Festival, Queen’s Hall, Leeds, West Yorkshire with Ben E King and Clyde McPhatter, The Fantastics, Tim Rose and The Time Box (Huddersfield Daily Examiner)
12 September 1968 – Cedar Club, Birmingham with Soul Show & The Phoenix City Truth (Birmingham Evening Mail)
12 September 1968 – Locarno Ballroom, Bristol (Bristol Evening Post)
13 October 1968 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel)
14 October 1968 – Club Cedar, Birmingham with The Soul Show (backing group), The Third Stone from the Sun (Birmingham Evening Mail)
18 October 1968 – Odeon Taunton, Taunton, Somerset with Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, About Face, Dr Marigold’s Prescription, Justins Timepiece, The Santianos and The Vertical Movement (Western Daily Press)
2 November 1968 – Wakefield Theatre Club, Wakefield, West Yorkshire with Johnnie Ray, Audrey Jeans and Jackie Farn (Huddersfield Daily Examiner)
11 November 1968 – Cragburn Ballroom, Cragburn, Scotland with Marmalade and The Verge (Greenock Telegraph and Clyde Shipping Gazette)
27-28 December 1968 – Annabel, Sunderland (Newcastle Evening Chronicle)
29 December 1968 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire (Evening Sentinel)
11 January 1969 – Music Hall, Shrewsbury, Shropshire with Jasson Hertz and Shady Lane (North Shropshire Journal)
1 February 1969 – Market Hall, Haverfordwest, west Wales with Nightime Pipeline and Night Before (Pembroke & West Wales Guardian)
8 February 1969 – Civic Hall, Nantwich, Cheshire with The Jaytree Organisation (Evening Sentinel)
29 March 1969 – Royal Links Pavilion, Cromer, Norfolk with Blue Ulysses and Sleepy Talk (Eastern Evening News)
5 April 1969 – Town House, Wellington, Shropshire with Seeburg Discotheque (North Shropshire Journal)
12 April 1969 – New Century Hall, Manchester with The Government, Pete Doyle, Rag Dolls and Peter Lee (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle)
The Runcorn Weekly News, 17 April 1969, page 12, has a story on the band
10 May 1969 – Music Hall, Shrewsbury, Shropshire with The Swing Ensemble (North Shropshire Journal)
The Grimsby Evening Telegraph 24 May 1969, page 6, has a pic and story on the trio
We’d like to hear from anyone who can provide more information in the comments section below
Get ready for one of the most anticipated open-air rock events of the summer! Rockowizna Festival returns to Kraków on August 28–29, 2026, bringing a massive wave of distortion, high-energy performances, and an unforgettable atmosphere to the historic grounds of the Polish Aviation Museum (Lotnisko Rakowice-Czyżyny).
Bringing together legendary Polish rock staples alongside high-octane international acts, this year’s edition promises two intense days of live music across generations of rock and metal fans.
Two Days of Pure Energy: The Kraków Lineup
The organizers have put together a stacked roster of heavyweights, underground favorites, and stadium-filling acts split over the two-day event.
Day I – Friday, August 28
Day one kicks off with a raw blend of gothic glamour, thrash metal, punk, and modern alternative rock:
Lord of the Lost (Germany’s dark-rock icons bringing their dramatic, industrial-tinged sound)
Acid Drinkers (Polish thrash metal legends returning to tear up the stage)
Nocny Kochanek (Poland’s beloved heavy metal parodists known for their hilarious lyrics and stellar musicianship)
Pull The Wire (Energetic punk rock anthems)
The Analogs (Street-punk veterans bringing raw street credibility)
Day II – Saturday, August 29
The second day steps up the melody, nostalgia, and sheer rock adrenaline:
Lacuna Coil (The Italian symphonic/gothic metal titans delivering massive riffs and soaring dual vocals)
Coma (One of Poland’s most iconic alternative rock bands)
Royal Republic (Sweden’s explosive rock ‘n’ roll disco hitmakers guaranteed to get the crowd moving)
Dżem (Immortal Polish blues-rock legends)
Zenek Grabowski (Unfiltered solo madness and high-energy fun)
Romantycy Lekkich Obyczajów (An eclectic blend of alternative, pop-punk, and folk-rock)
Festival Essentials & Tickets
When: August 28–29, 2026
Where: Muzeum Lotnictwa Polskiego / Lotnisko Rakowice-Czyżyny, Kraków, Poland
Tickets: Both 2-day passes and single-day tickets are available now via official ticketing platforms including eBilet.pl and Eventim.pl – tickets can also be purchased right here.
Whether you’re in it for the international headliners or the best of the Polish rock scene, Rockowizna Kraków is set to be a highlight of the August festival season. Grab your tickets early before tiers sell out!
REZN – Cycles In The Infinite Dream (Sargent House) [Matt Bladen]
Doom? Prog? Psych? Saxophone? Flute? Lap Steel? Ok you got me, I guess I’ll dive into and probably love another album from Chicago, Illinois, virtuosos REZN.
It’s been a decade since they formed and defined their own niche in the music world, coming from the heavy foundations of psychedelic stoner doom over the years and across five previous albums they’ve added extras that have shifted them into the prog-sphere, using instruments I’ve mentioned that may be more at home in jazz or country genres.
It’s this experimentalism that has gained them a very dedicated following and positive reviews across the board, fusing cavernous doom riffs and a tsunami of synths, on new record Cycles In The Infinite Dream they’ve expanded their minds to go further into psychedelia while amplifying the other elements of their music as well.
The album explores “the nexus of our waking and nocturnal worlds” as if lost in the subconscious, they weave a sonic tapestry that combines multiple skilled performances into nine complex songs, that never stay too long as prog often does, but squeezes a lot into run times that are between 4 at their shortest and 8 at the longest.
With Rob McWilliams up front on guitars/vocals, he’s joined by Phil Cangelosi on bass and rainstick, Patrick Dunn on drums and Spencer Ouellette, who has a lot of work to do with synths/lapsteel/sax/flute/keys, this is the four piece who create all of incredible music here as Natalie Drakes and Ómkara Gil add violin and cello to two tracks, to add yet more musical dexterity and dynamism.
Dreamy textures on Aerial Birth, through to the Mastodon meets King Crimson of Transient, and the cascading melodic doom of The Vessel which reminds me of Pallbearer while Primal Thread takes me into the realms of Elder whom REZN will be supporting on tour next year. That promises to be a brilliant set of shows as Cycles In The Infinite Dream is another incredible record from these Chicago innovators. 9/10
Dead Meadow – Foundlings (Heavy Psych Sounds) [Rich Piva]
Dead Meadow rules, so any new Dead Meadow material is very welcomed, even if it is an odds and sods type deal, like the band’s latest release, Foundlings. Foundlings is one of those “deep dive into the archives” type releases that, not surprisingly, has some pretty great songs on it, both covers and original material from sessions over the past two decades.
What makes this one even more special is that it is dedicated to late band founder and bassist Steve Kille, who recently passed away from cancer and who plays on all of the tracks on Foundlings.
So what are these seven songs all about? Fuzzy, spaced out psych goodness that you expect from one of the best bands ever to do it, like on the opener, Lost To Light, which quality-wise is as good or better than anything that wound up on the great Voyager To Voyager, the sessions from which it was recorded. A killer version of the track Nobody Home, from the 2018 record The Nothing They Need, recording for an EarthQuaker session, is up next and it is more of the same greatness from the band, with the rhythm section locked in and that guitar tone, highlighting how great the band is live, even if it is live in the studio.
Also recorded live in the studio, Kingdom Of Heaven is a cover of a Powell St. John, who I have not heard of before, but whose song is a spacy, atmospheric Twin Peaks vibes journey that has a killer solo. We even go back to 2001’s classic Howls From The Hills, and a session version of the killer trippy-as-hell Everything’s Goin’ On. Sure, throw in a cover of one of the greatest songs of all time, The Beatles’ Tomorrow Never Knows, done in Dead Meadow fashion, and have me listen to it 20 times in a row.
This one is worth the price of admission alone. While we are at it, let’s get a cover of the Led Zep classic No Quarter. Also great. From The Children Of Planet Earth closes Foundlings out, and is a weird, synth driven mindbender that closes this set up perfectly.
Any Dead Meadow is great Dead Meadow, and the seven “from the archives” tracks on Foundlings are certainly worth your time, especially if you are a fan who can’t get enough of unheard material from one of the best bands out there. RIP Steve Kille. 9/10 Emptiness – Nowhere Speaks (Season Of Mist) [Mark Young]
Emptiness’s Nowhere Speaks is a timely reminder that its simply impossible for me to like every piece of music that I hear. There are some things that were they to fall into someone else’s lap then the conversation would be different and to be fair I have been on a good run so I guess it’s the law of averages.
In any event, it’s the kind of thing that attempts to do something different and ends up being falling short, at least of the promises made in the extensive bio that accompanies the release. Its good enough to explain to those who may not know that its opening track directly where a track from 2014 abruptly finished, bearing in mind that there have been releases in between then and now. I’m not sure if that statement set the tone for me, are those in the community really scratching their collective heads as to what happened back then? I don’t know, I’m sure someone will tell me.
What follows next is a collection that merges differing approaches – true extreme metal, noise, electronica that looks to shine a light on them for how unique they are as a band. One thing their bio gets right is that they have no interest in making things easy for the listener. That’s completely fine, be abrasive and uncompromising but come armed with songs that provoke a reaction, be it joy or pain. Their songs fall largely into the middle groove, offering neither to me.
I expect extreme metal to excite me, to be visceral and here they fail until they get late into things and drop The Clash Of Forces, which at least has a direct, forward kicking movement to it. It is saying a lot that we have got to track 8 before something has landed and has made a mark. Is this what they had in mind, is this what they wanted from this release?
No idea but the cacophony falls away, replaced by Next In Line. It’s a 4 minute track where 2 or more minutes are wasted and any kind of late album momentum is lost. Its more than likely that fans of the band will get onto this immediately, understanding and maybe expecting that the content here will deploy the way it does. For me, it just feels like a gigantic waste of my time.
All For Nothing is the closing piece and lives up to its name. I’ve looped backwards to the start again, just to see if I pressed play at the wrong time, but no. Its definitely you not me. 5/10
Hexorcist are a Death Metal band out of Miami, Florida, in the United States. They’ve been together since 2019, already having a sizable discography then any band would be happy with two demos, a full-length and two splits to their name. Known for their raw sound, your poor ears won’t last long with the sound being turned all the way up.
A unique situation for me today as I’m not only covering their new LP, Crucificial Imprecations, but also a combo release featuring two remasters, one being their first studio effort Evil Reaping Death and the other one is of their first demo, Bestiarum Vocabulum.
Starting off with their first album, Evil Reaping Death, it presents pummelling drums and bass which reach through your stereo and contort your body into shapes that you didn’t think were possible.
In under 40 minutes it achieves chaos and what it set out to do but at what cost? The crop of songs that flow in and out of each other have a real hitting quality to them, a lot of them with dynamic changes which keep you guessing and your head banging. Hexorcist are definitely showing a lot of love here for classic Death Metal, Raw Black Metal and for sure a lot of old-school Doom too.
Now I haven’t heard the original mix but if this is a remaster then you can definitely here it. A lot of the time in this warts and all approach the bass often gets forgotten about but not here, it seems to be turned all the way up. It’s organic though as slides and curves around the other instruments very well.
As I mentioned beforehand, packaged alongside Evil Reaping Death, you also get the band’s first moment with the demo, Bestiarum Vocabulum. This early recording strikes me as more of a full on assault by Hexorcist. What I mean by that is, the instruments come together in one full swoop, comparing it to their other releases, Bestiarum Vocabulum is more like a gun, every little element works together to form a movement, whether the others feels like five archers, shooting their arrows at one target, it’s not the same. 7/10
2026 is a new era for Hexorcist, their last record at this stage was their split with Morbid Messiah which was put out in 2023 and a lot can happen in three years, now Crucificial Imprecations awaits…
The album presents half an hour of power with eight tracks, again keeping things concise which is something that we all like to see. Guess what happens here? Yep full-throttle blasting from every direction, sending you to an early grave.
The drums across the album are the highlight for me, being at times they are so overpowering, they might as well have knocked out the bass and guitar in real-time. Crucificial Imprecations takes on a deep love for Black Metal here, so much so that all of the dynamics and detail are sucked into a black hole.
If you’re looking to be buried by repetition then this record is for you. Compared to the band’s previous material it only really has one thing going for it, it’s an evil scientist that focuses on one thing constantly and rolls around in bed endlessly sleeping on that thought and that is destroying the world that created him.
Thankfully it ends before the point where it gets far too much for me, I can only hear the same thing so many times. I’m left hungry for more and I come out of Crucificial Imprecations with the same feeling that I have a lot of the time with Death Metal, if you want to end existence, it doesn’t have to be done in one way.
It’s easy for a band to make something sound dark but it’s going to take a lot more than that for Hexorcist to scare me. 5/10
