Mad About Rock

  Hauntologist, a new project established by black metal stalwarts The Fall and Darkside, will release its debut album on 2 February via No Solace on CD and digital formats. To get a taste of the upcoming album, the band has released the first single “Ozymandian”. Listen to “Ozymandian”:  YouTube - https://bit.ly/hauntologist-ozymandian-YT Spotify - https://bit.ly/hauntologist-ozymandian Although the material is only about to be released now, the roots of the project go back many years and due to the band members’ busy schedules, they were waiting for the right time to unleash their creativity. The Fall - known for his work with Owls Woods Graves, Over the Voids… and as a live bassist for Mgła - and Darkside - known as the Mgła and Kriegsmaschine drummer - decided to venture further than the typical and conventional boundaries of black metal in their musical exploration. Over the years, the band has undergone numerous clinical deaths and reanimations but eventually recorded...

  In a recent interview, when asked what it means getting airtime on BBC radio with a tune that roasts it, WEAK13 singer & guitarist Nick J Townsend replied "It’s feasible that it’s the most catchiest and radio-friendly tune they’ve ever received so them not playing it or dismissing further support for intelligent original music would arguably be more inappropriate". Nick added "Hey, it’s written with love, I’m an artist being artistic. Do you really think they’d prefer a song called 'I’m always played on the BBC'? This is punk 4D chess, it’s taylor-made for them and it’s pretty catchy so I’m actually giving them exactly what they want; let’s see if they’ll embrace the song even more. I can easily write a bigger tune". On The BBC is available now at: Apple Music | Spotify | & other major stores WEAK13 are: Nick J Townsend – Vocals/Guitars | Wesley Smith – Bass | Neel Parmar – Drums Band links: Official Website | Facebook | Youtube | Instagram |...

  Metal masters SYLOSIS have announced their first run of UK & Ireland headline dates in eight years for April 2024. The dates come in support of the band's new album, A Sign Of Things To Come, that was released earlier this year through Nuclear Blast Records. Josh Middleton comments: "After a killer run with Malevolence, I can’t wait to get back out to the UK and play in some of my favourite cities! This will be the first chance we’ve had to get deeper into the catalogue and trying out some of the new songs we haven’t played before! We really can’t wait for these shows! See you there!" SYLOSIS 2024 UK & Ireland Tour 03.04 - Southampton, Engine Rooms 04.04 - Bristol, The Fleece 05.04 - Norwich, The Waterfront Studio 06.04 - Dublin, Whelan's 07.04 - Belfast, Limelight 2 09.04 - Edinburgh, La Belle Angele 10.04 - Glasgow, Cathouse 11.04 - Leeds, The Key Club 12.04 - Colchester, Arts Centre 13.04 - Cardiff, the Globe 14.04 - Nottingham, Rescue Rooms Tickets for a...

  Joining the ranks at Sliptrick Records: Jifnotcif (UK) Punk | Alternative | Rock Jifnotcif are an alternative punk rock band, based out of the West Midlands UK. Fiery, catchy, melodic & distinctive, Jifnotcif have paved a way to compose a unique sound from a range of alternative influences that generate a modern tale of the punk explosion. After various releases and many gigs at the start of the millennium, the band went on hiatus. Fast forward to 2018, the band had stayed in very regular contact & been involved in various other projects separately & together in some cases. An random offer was put across, the idea to play a reunion gig at a local skate park to benefit a mental health charity. Holding their own with the new breed of bands, ideas quickly formed for a new EP with Jifnotcif now able to take the chemistry and confidence of greatly received material into a new dimension. With expanding influences and a massive effort by Lez to create neck bending solos, the...

  For the final time as a collective, Grammy-nominated band Sum 41 have announced their upcoming double album, Heaven :x: Hell, expected for release on 29th March, 2024 via Rise Records. Heaven :x: Hell is the most ambitious album from Sum 41 yet - Heaven is 10 tracks of snarling high energy pop punk, while Hell consists of ten heavy metal anthems spiked with fret-burning solos, thrashing riffs, and fist-pumping hooks. The band has been straddling the line of pop-punk and metal for their entire career, and Heaven :x: Hell is a testament to their innovative sound and unmatched skill, proving them as pioneers 27 years after the bands inception. Heaven :x: Hell is available to pre-save and pre-order now at https://sum41.lnk.to/HeavenHell On the new album, vocalist Deryck Whibley says, “Once I heard the music, I was confident enough to say, ‘This is the record I’d like to go out on.’ We’ve made a double album of pop punk and metal, and it makes sense. It took a long time for us to pav...

  Bleed From Within have had an extraordinary year. They recently stepped off of the Lamb Of God Headbangers Boat cruise, following on from a colossal summer run which took in both headline shows, performances with Heaven Shall Burn and festival appearances at the likes of Brutal Assault (Czech Republic), Summer Breeze (Germany) and Alcatraz (Belgium), finishing up with a 13-date tour supporting Trivium across the UK. This was all on top of a hugely successful debut American tour earlier this year with August Burns Red and The Devil Wears Prada. Now today, Bleed From Within are pleased to announce that 2024 will be another extraordinary year. They have been announced as special guests to Slipknot on their upcoming UK and European tour, set to take place across December 2024. The run has been dubbed the 'Here Comes The Pain' tour, celebrating Slipknot's 25th anniversary. Bleed From Within stated: "Slipknot are a band that we all grew up listening to so when we got the c...

  Award nominated independent rock and metal festival, Takedown Festival has today unveiled the day splits and stage times of the 2024 edition and announced nine more artists confirmed to play the festival. Joining the line-up will be London mathcore masters Pupil Slicer who will be performing their critically acclaimed new album ‘Blossom’ in full, UK nu-metal star Deijuvhs, Acres, The Hara, Calva Louise, Blanket, Harbinger, Lastelle, and Sumer. The announcement of day splits and stage times has revealed that Creeper will be headlining the Laney Stage on the Saturday, just after nu-gen star Cassyette takes to the stage. The Saturday line-up also sees Kid Kapachi headlining the Total Rock Stage, Graphic Nature closing the ‘Metal For Good’ stage and Mimi Barks topping the ‘Divergent’ stage. On the Sunday, Dinasaur Pile-Up will the closing the festival as headliners of the Laney Stage, Terrorvision will be concluding to Total Rock Stage, Pupil Slicer take on the ‘Metal For Good’ stag...

  Emerging industrial duo, NOX PULSO have unveiled their explosive new single and video, 'Night Trap', out now, and it’s a call to arms for anyone craving something fresh and original. Watch the video, here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9c3uTqSNfo In an increasingly over-saturated market, every fan, record label, radio station, and website are screaming for something unique. NOX PULSO are certainly that. Hatched in the summer of 2022 and brought together by two long standing friends, Duncan Williams (Vocals and Guitar) and Matt McIvor (Electronics and Vocals), NOX PULSO are inspired by the fictional nightclub scenes in films like Blade, The Matrix, and The Crow and draw inspiration from a glut of influences ranging from Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, and The Prodigy, through to Rammstein and Front 242. The dynamic duo strive to bond genres, drawing from the fundamentals of dance, electro, and alternative metal to amass a sound that packs pulsating metal with thoughtful synth...

  DREAM STATE have released a brand new single 'Anxious State Of Mind' taken from the bands brand new EP 'Still Dreaming' out on 26th January 2024. Speaking about the new single the band said, "'Anxious State Of Mind' is the next single from our upcoming EP 'Still Dreaming', available January 26th. The song is about overcoming change and finding light at the end of the tunnel, and being there for someone whilst they navigate through a difficult chapter of their life. It continues the EP's theme of not giving up and wraps it up in a positive, fun, & bouncy song. It's one of our favourites from the EP and we can't wait to play it live on our headline tour next year!' Listen to new single 'Anxious State Of Mind' HERE After a jam packed year with festivals including 2000trees and Burn It Down Festival and supporting Funeral For A Friend at the Cardiff International Arena and touring across the UK and Europe with ...

  German black metallers Der Weg Einer Freiheit are the next band to be confirmed for next year’s Fortress Festival. This will be an exclusive UK 2024 appearance from the black metal experimentalists on the festival’s main stage. Der Weg Einer Freiheit join a stellar line-up of special bands and exclusive shows. Previously confirmed bands include Triptykon with a 2024 UK exclusive and mainstage headlining show, Wolves in the Throne Room with a 2024 UK exclusive and mainstage headline “Two Hunters” set (the first time the iconic album will be performed live in the UK), second stage headliners Misþyrming with a 2024 UK exclusive show, second stage headliners Regarde Les Hommes Tomber with a UK exclusive show for 2024, Blackbraid with a debut and exclusive UK show, Panopticon with a 'Roads to the North' anniversary full album set, Furia with an exclusive UK show, and Fluisteraars with a debut and exclusive UK show. The highly-regarded Portuguese act Gaerea will also visit the Nort...

  As December extends its frosty fingers, BLOODSTOCK is getting in the festive spirit with some early Xmas gifts by way of another chunky 2024 announcement. If you’re hoping for some heavy metal next summer, BLOODSTOCK’s got your presents wrapped up with a bow on top! And if you want to give the gift of heavy metal (yes, we mean a ticket for BLOODSTOCK 2024), you can now download a special festive card when you order at the ticket store to help present it to the lucky recipient! Don’t miss BLOODSTOCK’s Festive Facebook Live at 7pm on Dec 7th for some seasonal fun & oh maybe some prizes… and we suggest you keep your eyes (and your sprouts) peeled for who knows what other treats might be in store across the festival’s socials later this month… On the Ronnie James Dio main stage, grindcore & melodic death metal pioneers CARCASS land Sunday’s special guest slot. The “most influential band out of Merseyside since The Beatles” released their current studio album, ‘Torn Arte...

  Liquid Death presents Download Festival, the greatest rock and metal festival of all time, has today revealed nu metal legends Limp Bizkit as the latest addition to next year’s jam-packed line-up. The band join the recently announced headliners Queens Of The Stone Age, Fall Out Boy and Avenged Sevenfold, as well as over 80 more names from the rock world. This year’s festival will take place on 14-16 June 2024 at the spiritual home of rock in Donington Park, Leicestershire. Tickets are available now at www.downloadfestival.co.uk . Known for their high-energy performances and ground-breaking fusion of rock, hip-hop, and metal, Limp Bizkit are set to bring their infectious sound and electrifying stage presence to the hallowed grounds of Download Festival. Returning to the festival after ten years with their string of hits spanning nearly two decades, Limp Bizkit are set to show audiences why they’ve rightly cemented their place as one of the most influential and enduring acts in th...

  Irresistible nu-metal crew CELL GAMES have laid down a maker with the release of their new single and video, Jailbreak, out now. Watch the video, here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIejA0Eo0KA Hailing from Ireland and initially conceived in 2020 as a recording project by guitarist Tristan Carroll, and vocalist Maximillion Foy, CELL GAMES have been making their mark on the Irish metal scene since 2022. Completed by Tonči Vrdoljak on drums and Deb Finn-O'Brien on bass, the nu-metalcore rapscallions take cues from Linkin Park, Korn, Disturbed, and Slipknot, and have managed to cleverly mark a fresh imprint on the nu-metal genre. CELL GAMES have picked up acclaim for a glut of well-received singles and have been praised for their buoyant energy in a successful run of live performances, all serving to increase the band’s army of followers and budding fanbase. The unstoppable four-piece will charge further ahead with their engrossing new single, Jailbreak. The song is a burly s...

  LONDON December 1st: Bruce Dickinson last night unveiled the dramatic, action-packed video for ‘Afterglow Of Ragnarok’, the first single to be taken from his upcoming solo album The Mandrake Project. In front of a packed audience on the opening day of CCXP23, Brazil’s huge Comic-Con event in Sao Paulo, he premiered the spectacular film and revealed further details about the album and forthcoming comic series in partnership with Z2, including releasing 2,000 CCXP-exclusive versions of the comic to the delight of the international comic community. The Mandrake Project will be released on March 1st, via BMG. Across ten inventive, expansive and absorbing tracks, Bruce Dickinson and his long-term co-writer and producer Roy Z, have created one of 2024’s defining rock albums. Sonically heavy and rich in musical textures, it sees Bruce bring to life a musical vision long-in-the-making, and features some of the finest vocal performances of his career. Recorded largely at LA’s Doom Room ...

  Alkaline Trio serves up another helping of Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs in the form of “Bad Time,” the darkly melodic second track to be released from their 10th album, due January 26th, 2024 on Rise Records. “Bad Time” follows last month’s unveiling of the album’s frenetic title track — hailed by Consequence for its “fresh approach” and by Brooklyn Vegan as "classic Alkaline Trio… their grim yet catchy punk sounds as unmistakable as ever” — with a more subdued yet no less intense vibe. This makes perfect sense, as the lyrics find Trio guitarist/vocalist Matt Skiba finding the eyes of multiple storms in the form of the same friend’s voice: “‘Bad Time' was initially inspired by a friend and crush who happened to call me while I was on tour in El Paso, Texas as an active shooter situation was happening just across from where we were staying. We could hear gunshots and sirens as the situation escalated. My friend asked if it was a bad time to talk, and I said no — I really wanted ...

  Exactly one week ahead of their forthcoming EP release, UK Nu-Core band ‘Break Fifty’ have unveiled a brand-new single called ‘I Still See You’. Taking on an unravelling journey, ‘I Still See You’ reveals a desperate desire to escape an unending nightmare, concealing hidden self-doubt. It's a chilling portrayal of pain, creating a poignant reflection on the depths of despair”. Stream ‘I Still See You’ here and watch the official music video below. Break Fifty vocalist, Angus explains, "Unveiling the narrative, ‘I Still See You’ lyrics depict a relentless cycle of nightmares where blossoms morph into darkness. Lingering pain and silent screams echo, offering a chilling exploration of self-doubt and hidden agony. it captivates, leaving an indelible mark on the soul with its profound exploration of torment. As the song unfurls, it bravely confronts past trauma, beckoning listeners to ‘tear away every memory of that day’ giving a feeling of trying to forget the ever present pas...

  Today, COPENHELL adds LIMP BIZKIT, MR. BUNGLE, STEEL PANTHER, BODY COUNT, CHELSEA WOLFE, EIVØR, NIGHT VERSES, THE SCRATCH, TWIN TEMPLE, 802, DEATHBYROMY, HULDER and UNTIL I WAKE to the 2024 poster and brings the total amount of announced bands for next year’s festival to 56 – so far! Around the turn of the century, hip-hop, metal and alternative rock was the efficient cocktail that sent LIMP BIZKIT towards the pinnacle of fame as one of the most important bands in the wave of nu-metal that washed over the world around 25 years ago. Through time, musical innovation and a string of controversies have gone hand in hand for the band, which has retained its relevance as a rebellious and self-ironic rock band with top-class guitar playing from Wes Borland and the characteristic rap vocals from charismatic front man Fred Durst. An important page in the book of music history and pop culture will be opened when the group visits COPENHELL for the first time – and is guaranteed to kickstart...