Mad About Rock

  Norwich, England - Slay Promotions announce the full line up for the debut ‘SLAYFEST’ on the 24th and 25th May 2025 In association with Plug Studios, Mosaic Music and UK Thrasher, Slay Promotions have assembled two stacked days of Heavy metal talent from across the country at Voodoo Daddy’s Showrooms in Norwich Organiser James Morgan said: "I'm so pleased to be able to offer this excellent line-up to Norwich and proud to be a part of the vibrant metal scene that Norwich has to offer. I hope that SlayFest 2025 is the first of many to come and that people enjoy attending the event as much as I have enjoyed creating and promoting it. Thank you all so much for your support and just generally being awesome metal loving individuals." Saturday Line Up features Midlands Heavy Metal Stars ‘Fury’, Norwich Metallers ‘Uridium’, Essex Alt Metallers ‘Chemiqueen’, London thrash tinged metalheads ‘War Grave’ Birmingham heavy hitters ‘Kensei’ with the special guest slot being filled by ...

  PARADISE SLAVES, a brand new band featuring former members of 36 CRAZYFISTS and DIECAST, are pleased to announce their debut single, ‘ A FEVER TO DEFEAT .’ Watch the lyric video and listen here .  The Boston-by-way-of-Anchorage quartet cements an uncanny union between vocal powerhouse Brock Lindow (36 Crazyfists), solo artist and guitarist Tyler Stroetzel, guitarist Jon Kita (Diecast), bassist Brad Horion (Diecast), and drummer Ryan Manning (Pentagram, Blitzkid).    Mutual admiration and respect sparked the initial flame for Paradise Slaves, yet their newly forged friendship lit up their chemistry as brightly as a pyre. That same energy surges through their full-length debut album, due out via Spinefarm in 2025. Their first single mirrors what brought them together and the one thing that affected us all at the top of this decade. "It's specifically about COVID," says Lindow. "It was written at the height of the pandemic."    As the story goes, Killswitch Eng...

  UK metalcore band THE FIVE HUNDRED are thrilled to announce the release of their upcoming third studio album, ‘GHOSTWRITER’, set to drop on February 28th 2025 via Prime Collective. In celebration of the announcement, the band has unleashed a fierce new single, ‘RAINMAKER’, which features guest vocals from Aaron Matts of ten56. Delving into the dark narrative of a bleak, authoritarian dystopia, ‘RAINMAKER’ paints a vivid picture of a society suffocated by oppressive control, where hope is a distant memory - watch the accompanying video below. The band explains,"’RAINMAKER’ builds an intense, foreboding atmosphere through relentless riffs and haunting melodies, reflecting the desperation and simmering rage of a people on the brink of rebellion.The fiery crescendo, punctuated by Aaron Matts' brutal vocal delivery, symbolizes a violent upheaval as fire rains from the sky, obliterating the old order." Since their emergence in the early 2010s, THE FIVE HUNDRED have captivat...

  It’s showtime! In honour of it being Halloween week, BLOODSTOCK was going to treat you to a spooktacular vampire pun. But it sucks. So let’s creep it real with some more bands joining the bill, because we all know that you ghouls just wanna have fun. And in case you missed the fangtastic news about more weekend tickets being released, read on for further details and mark your calendar for 9am, November 5th, for that’s when they go on sale! No tricks! Hot on the heels of the monstrously good news about MASTODON joining the bill last Friday, here’s another 15 bands to bewitch you… BLOODSTOCK is pleased to welcome thrash-lovin’ Norwich metal maestros SHRAPNEL , innovative Canterbury doomsters FAMYNE , and Danish blackened death/doom metal merchants KONVENT to the Ronnie James Dio stage on Friday. Emerging from Germany’s extreme metal void with a fresh take on all things black/death, THE SPIRIT are added to Saturday’s bill. Sunday’s lineup now includes atmospheric, dark symphonic m...

  GHOST announced its biggest world tour to date beginning with 55+ shows across the U.S., Europe, the UK, and Mexico next year. The GRAMMY-award winning Swedish theatrical rock icons will traverse the globe from the tour's April 15 opening night at the AO Arena in Manchester UK, headlining scores of the world’s most notable arenas—including the band’s first ever show at New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden on July 22. Further dates will be announced as they are confirmed. The 2025 world tour will be GHOST’s first outing since its RE-IMPERATOUR 2023 wrapped up its North American run with two sold-out shows at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles—performances that were immortalized in the band’s record-breaking debut feature film RITE HERE RITE NOW — now available for pre-order on DVD, to stream at VEEPS, and to purchase or rent via iTunes or Amazon — and its chart-topping soundtrack album. News of the tour first broke via a new installment of GHOST’s long running Chapters webisode serie...

  Fiery South punks CHUB can’t be stopped. The rowdy quartet recently destroyed the new band stage at Bloodstock Festival, and now the party metal punkers have dropped their infectious new single and video, 'Carolina Reaper' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNLjJq5Q1zo Check out the band, here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4bGpqwO0AyHLatPN4DRDoy . Born out of long-standing friendships aided by beer bongs and circle pits and accompanied by the soundtrack of a Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater game, CHUB were formed in 2019 in the quiet and tranquil English seaside town of Eastbourne, which in true CHUB style, is the perfect juxtaposition for the rebellious four-piece. Featuring Ben (vocals), Kyle (drums), Greg (guitar and vocals), and Zakk (bass and vocals), CHUB had shifted, tweaked and solidified their blistering sound by 2023 to high and mighty standards. The release of their debut album, AL BUM, along with their first festival appearance at Rebellion threw down a marker for the ...

  Tickets on sale NOW for £38.50 | Under 12’s - FREE | 12-16’s £20 Leicester’s premiere indoor rock and metal festival, Uprising returns for its eighth instalment on Saturday 24th May and it's coming armed with an eclectic mix of bands. Joining Uprising 8 are…. EARTHTONE9 Kicking us off, returning British Metal heroes EARTHTONE9 who have released their first new music in 11 years, ‘In Resonance Nexus’. The release shows a confidence and vision of the future, with a hefty back catalogue and a legendary status, they are a band you do not want to miss. Check out the band's latest single ‘Oceanic Drift'. ESOTERICA Making their Uprising debut are the ethereal progressive rockers ESOTERICA, who hail from London. With four studio albums and an eagerly anticipated fifth on its way, the band will bring their atmospheric melodies, commanding vocals, and intricate instrumentation to wow audiences. They aim to captivate fans and leave them wanting more. ESOTERICA is for fans of Lacu...

  BLOODSTOCK is thrilled to announce that special guests on the Ronnie James Dio stage on Sunday will be…. wait for it…. none other than highly revered, four-headed metal behemoth MASTODON . The group are just off the road in the USA with festival alumni pals LAMB OF GOD, dropping the collab track ‘ Floods Of Triton ’ to celebrate their co-headline Ashes Of Leviathan tour. You can check out a ‘making of’ interview here . Perhaps you caught MASTODON headlining BLOODSTOCK all the way back in 2016? Investigate the treasure trove of live tracks from that set on BLOODSTOCK’s YouTube at your leisure, including ‘ High Road .’ If you’re extra crushed now you didn’t manage to snap up a weekend ticket before they sold out, read on for good news… Additional weekend tickets Festival HQ saw a lot of social media posts after weekend tickets for next summer’s event sold out, with fans disappointed they missed out on tickets. While a limited number of day tickets will be made available in due cou...

  French melodic death metal outfit Apocryphal have unveiled their third single “My Hero Inside” taken off their upcoming album “Facing The End”, which is scheduled for release on 12 November 2024 via The Circle Music. The new single, as well as the full album, features Soilwork and The Night Flight Orchestra vocalist Björn "Speed" Strid on vocals. Watch the video to “My Hero Inside” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoCHU2fW7k4 The single is also available via all major streaming services. Pre-order the “Facing The End” album now via The Circle Music: https://thecirclemusic.gr/product-category/the-circle-releases/?filter_artist-name=apocryphal Pre-save the album on digital platforms: https://thecirclemusic.lnk.to/FacingTheEnd “The song ‘My Hero Inside’ delves into the dependencies and the lies we tell ourselves when we fall prey to these afflictions,” said the band. “It perfectly reflects the various states generated by addiction, alternating between dark, violent pas...

  Mark Morton, guitarist and lyricist of Lamb of God and acclaimed solo artist, has released his powerful cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s iconic track, ‘The Needle and the Spoon’ today, listen HERE . This rendition showcases Morton’s deep reverence for southern rock legends while infusing the track with his signature heavy sound featuring vocals from Neil Fallon of Clutch. Fans can watch a special visualizer for the song, HERE .   As a native of small-town Virginia, Morton grew up on the sounds of southern rock, with bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd shaping his musical foundation. For Morton, covering ‘The Needle and the Spoon’ is not just a tribute to a classic; it’s a personal reflection of his own musical roots and the lasting impact of Skynyrd’s bluesy, swaggering rock. “As a small kid in the ‘70s and ‘80s, southern rock bands were the soundtrack of my youth. None of them resonated any deeper with me than Lynyrd Skynyrd. Their signature guitar driven blues-rock has had a profound inf...

  2000trees Festival can today announce five (yes, that is FIVE) main stage headliners for its 2025 event. For the first time in the festivals history, all of the main stage headliners have been announced at the same time, and announced nine months ahead of the event. On Saturday the 12th July, making their 2000trees Festival debut, we have Canadian legends (ie The Only Band Ever) Alexisonfire. Formed in 2001, in Ontario Canada, Alexisonfire are truly one of the great rock bands of their generation, and everyone at 2000trees Festival is besides themselves with excitement at the prospect of this stunning band closing out our 2025 event. From George of Alexisonfire - "Alexis is very excited to be playing 2000trees next year. Let it be known, by the time we are done playing there will be significantly less trees." Joining them on the main stage across the weekend will be four bands, with three of them making their 2000trees Festival debuts, and all utterly fantastic. On Thursda...

  Dare to dance with the dead! Dutch symphonic metal titans EPICA have unleashed their eeriest creation yet, the spine-chilling music video for 'The Ghost in Me (Danse Macabre),' a haunting track that lures listeners into a world where shadows dance and the afterlife whispers. This song is a unique collaboration with Europe’s second-most visited theme park, Netherlands’s magical De Efteling, and their much-anticipated new attraction, Danse Macabre. Drenched in ghostly imagery, the video mirrors the unsettling thrill of De Efteling’s new ride, which opens its gates on October 31st, right in time for this Halloween season. Ever since their childhood, every member of EPICA has loved this theme park that welcomes over 5 million visitors per year. Therefore, this collaboration was a true match made in the otherworld. Submerge yourself now in the music video which was filmed right inside and in front of the new attraction - and as if this wasn’t already exciting enough, the band even...

  Better Lovers drop a highly irresponsible-inspired video with the release of “ Love As An Act Of Rebellion ,” the final preview of their debut album Highly Irresponsible (out this Friday, Oct. 25, via SharpTone Records). “Here’s one more appetizer before the Highly Irresponsible main course is served this Friday,” Jordan Buckley dishes. “Some crispy green beans before your Buddha’s Fest. A blooming onion before your slow roasted prime rib. Unlimited soup and salad before your Tour of Italy. ‘Love As An Act of Rebellion’ is now out everywhere. Learn the words, answer The Knock™️!” Greg Puciato adds: “This song has become one of my personal top three or four on the record. I knew it was the final song in the tracklisting as soon as I heard the instrumental. It runs the gamut emotionally, starting with this immediate frenetic and urgent desperation, and then ending in this place of uneasy acceptance; acceptance with a question mark. Extremely satisfying emotionally and stylistical...

  South London metalcore heavyweights AFTER SMOKE CLEARS have shared the third taste of what's to come on their hotly anticipated sophomore LP, Intentions, with "Serenity", featuring Asleep At The Helm's Jimmy Dahmer. The single comes alongside an official music video, directed by bassist Aaron Dohnt. Notably standing as their most melodic song to date, "Serenity" explores topics of fatherhood and the ever-growing stresses that come with fast-paced city life. Whilst the band are certainly no strangers to potent emotion and wearing their hearts of their sleeves, "Serenity" sees AFTER SMOKE CLEARS at their most emotionally vulnerable yet, casting aside their traditional charged fury in favour of sensitivity. "Serenity" serves as the third single from Intentions, the band's brand new full length LP, which was recorded and mixed by Meyrick De La Fuente (VEXED, Eschalon, Shush) of Floodgate Audio, and is due out November 19th via self-rele...