Mad About Rock

  Monday 23 March 2026: With less than three months to go, Download Festival has revealed the thrilling line-up for its ultimate playground, District X. Featuring the likes of Five, Electric Six, Dick & Dom, The All-American Rejects, Creeper, MODESTEP, Bat Sabbath, TokenGrass and all sorts of other wild and wonderful delights, District X promises to take Downloaders to another dimension once again. Taking place from 10-14 June 2026 at the legendary Donington Park, Download Festival continues to re-define the traditional festival experience. Weekend camping tickets have now sold out, but final remaining weekend arena and day tickets are available now at www.downloadfestival.co.uk . This year, iconic 90s boyband Five will live up to their lyric “Five bad boys with the power to rock you” by playing Download Festival for the very first time and bringing their high-energy hits like ‘Slam Dunk (Da Funk)’ and ‘Everybody Get Up’ to Donington Park. Five won’t be the only act bringing a...

  No rest for the wicked. Since the release of their latest full-length, The Nothing That Is, FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY has remained in constant motion. Today, the band marks the kickoff of their massive US tour alongside headliners LAMB OF GOD by unleashing a brand-new standalone single: 'The Wretch.' Driven by relentless galloping riffs and punishing percussion, 'The Wretch' features the band's trademark earth-shattering breakdowns balanced by haunting, melodic layers in the chorus. It’s the definitive soundtrack for their return to the stage. FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY's Will Putney states, “True to our general nature, "The Wretch" is another relatively pessimistic and grim glimpse into our worldly outlook. In a time where nothing seems to be getting any better at home or abroad, we find there can always be a moment of comfort in the thought of burning it all down. We hope this song is that temporary oasis for you as well. Thank you for listening.” Stream/purcha...

  KORN have announced their monumental return to the UK, as they are set to play across the UK in October/ November 2026, marking their first UK & Ireland Tour in over a decade. They will be joined by special guests ARCHITECTS and YOUTH CODE. Korn changed the world with the release of their self-titled debut album in 1994. It was a record that would pioneer a genre, and blur others-leading into a larger cultural movement. Since forming, Korn has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide, collected two Grammys, toured the world countless times, and set many records in the process that will likely never be surpassed. Korn has continued to push the limits of the rock, alternative and metal genres, while remaining a pillar of influence for legions of fans, and generations of artists around the globe. The level of Korn’s reach transcends accolades and platinum certifications. They are “a genuine movement in a way bands cannot be now,” attests The Ringer. They represent a new arc...

  Making another major move and breaking down walls once again, the Swedish masters of heavy metal SABATON have joined forces with leading historically accurate naval multiplayer game, World of Warships, and released a brand new single and music video entitled ‘Yamato’ — available in-game and on all DSPs now. It is being released by Better Noise Music on the heels of 2025's Legends, which marked SABATON's first album for the label. ‘Crossing The Rubicon’ (feat. Nothing More) from the album was also the band's first-ever Top 10 single on the Billboard Rock Chart. This song notably marks the second World of Warships collaboration between the band and developer Wargaming following the mega-popular ‘Bismarck’. For the first time, a SABATON-branded Yamato is also available in World of Warships in addition to dialogue by vocalist Joakim Brodén and bassist Pär Sundström. Along with different bespoke items in game, Brodén can take the helm of the ship while the standard battle soun...

  Diverse powerhouse hard-hitters, OPENSIGHT, announce their breathtaking new album, The Outfit, set for release on Friday 15th May via Inertial Music. The band have also just released the engulfing new single and video, 'In Plain Sight'. Watch the video here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqEDqzO9Qlw Listen to the band at - https://open.spotify.com/artist/4nuByHPiaXckms2WRkAYTX Known for their immersive sound and emotional weight, OPENSIGHT blend atmosphere with urgency, drawing influence from the genre-defying experimentation of Faith No More, the dynamic heaviness and depth of Opeth, and the melodic power and drive of Iron Maiden. The result is a sound that feels cinematic yet visceral, balancing intensity, melody, and invention. Already critically acclaimed by Metal Hammer, Powerplay Magazine, Moshville Times, and other respected media outlets, and following on from the success of their previous album, Mondo Fiction, OPENSIGHT are ready to push further forward with the...

Alice Cooper announces the release of his definitive autobiography, ‘Devil on my Shoulder’, published by Ebury Spotlight on 8th October 2026. This long-awaited autobiography finally lifts the lid on one of the greatest lives in music. Building on over sixty years of rock folklore, Cooper will support the book’s launch with an intimate 8-date UK speaking tour. Each evening will feature the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee in conversation with a special guest moderator, followed by an audience Q&A, offering fans a rare glimpse behind the greasepaint and guillotines. There are two, seemingly irreconcilable, Alice Coopers - the murderous, morally corrupt theatrical character who threatened the moral fibre of the western world… and the man who plays him, a sober pastor’s son who has been happily married for 50 years. Along the way, the two became schizophrenically intertwined. And in a haze of pioneering rock n roll, alcohol, drugs, iconic songs and wild gigs, guillotines, slaughtere...

  UK heavy hitters KNOCKED FOR SIX return with their most personal release to date, unleashing the brand-new single and video, 'Faithbreaker', which is out now. Watch the video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DS2WEmoD6jc Listen to the band via - https://open.spotify.com/artist/2jY7I6TXZyI0TDuLjnm2Vu   Already making a prominent name for themselves within the UK’s underground metal scene, KNOCKED FOR SIX take everything you love about modern metalcore and hardcore, and seamlessly merge the two to create something genuinely distinctive. Once you listen, you’re hooked. Following the bone-crushing impact of their first three singles: Blackout The Sun, Seraphim Blood, and Decay, the band are now poised to drop their latest single, Faithbreaker, which as expected, doesn’t hold back one bit. Blisteringly heavy and emotionally exposed, Faithbreaker strips everything back lyrically, delivering a brutally honest account of depression, guilt, and the pressure of expectation. Known fo...