KISS, Biffy Clyro, System Of A Down and More Booked for Download Festival 2021


Download Festival will return for 2021, featuring headliners KISS, Biffy Clyro, and System Of A Down and many more bands including A Day To Remember, Mastodon, Control The Storm, Gender Roles, Jamie Lenman, Myles Kennedy & Company, Deftones, Korn, The Distillers, Steel Panther, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, The Darkness, Black Veil Brides, Creeper, Alestorm and The Pretty Reckless. Seventy-three bands in all have been announced! Tickets go on sale on August 7th at 9 AM GMT. More bands have yet to be announced. The three-day festival takes place on 4-6 June 2021 at the spiritual home of rock in Donington Park, Leicestershire. Tickets will go on sale at this link here. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Black Spirit Crown – Gravity


Black Spirit Crown’s first proper album sits right on the line between Doom and Stoner Metal with hints of Prog seeping through. The fuzzy riff work is rooted in Sleep and Electric Wizard tradition, the hustling tempos remind me of Orange Goblin, and the tripped-out atmospherics and vocal filters echo Howling Giant or Mastodon. These traits were already distinct on the Red Sky EP released in 2017 and the Cleveland group takes them to even further extents with Gravity (Self-Released).

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Hellfest 2020 is Officially Canceled, 2021 Fest Announced


Faith No More in Boston, by Meg Loyal Photography

Crushing news for the summer festival season in Europe, as France’s legendary Hellfest, has been canceled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The festival announced today it was unable to host the festival, which takes place in Clisson, France, outside of Paris. Hellfest 2021 is already announced for next summer. The 2020 edition was to have had Faith No More, and Down will be joined by Deftones, System Of A Down, Incubus, Korn, Mastodon, Opeth, Deep Purple, Judas Priest, The Offspring, Infectious Grooves, The Darkness, Obituary, Death DTA (the Death tribute featuring members of Death), At The Gates, Entombed AD, Sacred Reich, Devin Townsend, Meshuggah, The Black Dahlia Murder, Dying Fetus, Misery Index, Mayhem, Abbath, Rotting Christ, Primordial, The Great Old Ones, Wardruna, The Hu, Taake, Watain, Alcest, Borknagar, Gaahl’s Wyrd, Electric Wizard, Baroness, Om, Witchcraft, Black Mountain, Elder, ASG, Envy, Mono, John Garcia & the Band of Gold, High On Fire, Pelican, Killing Joke, Perturbator, Life of Agony, 3TEETH, Inter Arma, Body Count, Suicidal Tendencies, Youth of Today, Slapshot, Jesus Piece, Higher Power, Social Distortion, Anti-Flag, Agnostic Front, Reverend Horton Heat, Grade 2, Code Orange, and more. Dumb and Dumbest Podcast had an episode dedicated to the fest last summer. Continue reading


Mastodon, Frank Carter And The Rattlesnakes, Alter Bridge, The Darkness, Sepultura and More Added to Download UK


A bunch of new bands have already been added to the bill on this year’s Download UK Festival. The new acts include Alter Bridge, Bowling For Soup, The Darkness, The Distillers, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Mastodon, Funeral For A Friend, The Menzingers, Employed To Serve, 3 Doors Down, Milk Teeth, Motionless In White, Holding Absence, Lacuna Coil, Loathe, Sepultura, Amaranthe, Cemetery Sun, Fire From The Gods, Gender Roles, Haken, Hatari, Heavy Lungs, Higher Power, JJ Wilde, Kill The Lights, Modern Error, Northlane, Press Club, Polyphia| The Raven Age, Renounced, Shvpes, Sleep Token, SULLII, The Glorious Sons, The Hara, The Skints, Tempt, Twin Temple, Thy Art Is Murder, Wage War, and Will Haven! Also announced are the Day And Stage Splits, WWE NXT UK returns, and Kerrang! Radio Hosts the Finding Fresh Blood contest for a chance to perform on The Avalanche Stage. 2020 Download headliners Iron Maiden (Legacy Of The Beast Tour), Kiss and System Of A Down this summer and takes place on 12 – 14 June 2020 at the spiritual home of rock in Donington Park, Leicestershire. Continue reading


RECAP: Electric Wizard – Midnight: Live at The Worcester Palladium


The Palladium, Worcester, MA 11/22/19

Ghost Cult caught Electric Wizard on their all-too brief recent US tour last month. The six date run saw the British Doom Metal legends supported by Kvlt Punks Midnight for a run of clubs and theaters, as the band is still supporting 2017s excellent Wizard Bloody Wizard album. Having just spend a good deal of 2019 on the road, including a stop here for Pyscho Las Vegas, the band brought out a setlist celebrating their etire twenty-five year career. Check out these photos from Hillarie Jason.

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Hellfest 2020 Books Faith No More, Deftones, System of A Down, Korn, Judas Priest and More!


Hellfest has announced its 15th-anniversary lineup for summer 2020, and it looks like a dream! Already announced Faith No More, and Down will be joined by Deftones, System Of A Down, Incubus, Korn, Mastodon, Opeth, Deep Purple, Judas Priest, The Offspring, Infectious Grooves, The Darkness, Obituary, Death DTA (the Death tribute featuring members of Death), At The Gates, Entombed AD, Sacred Reich, Devin Townsend, Meshuggah, The Black Dahlia Murder, Dying Fetus, Misery Index, Mayhem, Abbath, Rotting Christ, Primordial, The Great Old Ones, Wardruna, The Hu, Taake, Watain, Alcest, Borknagar, Gaahl’s Wyrd, Electric Wizard, Baroness, Om, Witchcraft, Black Mountain, Elder, ASG, Envy, Mono, John Garcia & the Band of Gold, High On Fire, Pelican, Killing Joke, Perturbator, Life of Agony, 3TEETH, Inter Arma, Body Count, Suicidal Tendencies, Youth of Today, Slapshot, Jesus Piece, Higher Power, Social Distortion, Anti-Flag, Agnostic Front, Reverend Horton Heat, Grade 2, Code Orange, and many more. Hellfest takes place June 19-21 in Clisson, France near Paris and ticket info is coming soon! Continue reading


Download Festival UK 2020 Adds Volbeat, Killswitch Engage, Babymetal, The Pretty Reckless, Airbourne, Skillet, Baroness, and More!


A bevy of bands have been added to Download 2020! New on the bill are Volbeat, Killswitch Engage, Babymetal,The Pretty Reckless, Airbourne, Skillet, Baroness, Lit, Bush, Wednesday 13, British Lion, Electric Wizard, Periphery, Obituary, Pup, Dying Fetus, Bleed From Within, Dead Label, Stone Broken, Blues Pills, Puppy, P.O.D., Wayward Sons, Wargasm, Dead Posey Blackout Problems, Bleed From Within, Cellar Door Moon Crow, Chelsea Grin, Dead Label, Dead Posey, Lotus Eater, Marianas Trench, Powerwolf, Puppy, Theory, The Last Internationale, The Wildhearts, and Uncured.and more to be announecd. They join headliners Iron Maiden (Legacy of the Beast Tour), Kiss and System Of A Down next year. The world’s premier rock event takes place 12 – 14 June 2020 at the spiritual home of rock in Donington Park, Leicestershire. Tickets are on sale now at the link below. Check out Ghost Cult’s 2019 Download coverage here!Continue reading


REVIEW: Psycho Las Vegas 2019 – Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino


As far as large multi-day fests go, Psycho Las Vegas is still pretty wet behind the ears having only just had their fourth annual incarnation this August but already it has begun growing into what will likely continue to be the summer juggernaut of partying and music. New this year, to the dismay of many, was the location change from the off the strip and perfectly themed haunt, The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, to the megaplex that is Mandalay Bay. Gone is the feeling of a true fest take over and in its place, a sprawling amalgamation of “psychos” and people from any town USA or abroad there simply to gamble, throw pre-wedding bashes, get drunk or maybe attend a conference (*ahem* “conference”). Once everyone got their bearings and navigated through this corporate mega casino/hotel/shopping mall, pushed back a few drinks or whatever preferred substances they were into, and found the locations of the four stages, the complaining ebbed and instead, people experienced the fest for what it is. A gigantic party with a great combination of bands playing for four days.Continue reading


Electric Wizard Books Fall US Tour


UK Doom Metal greats Electric Wizard will return to the US this fall for a tour. Dates include St. Petersburg, FL, Atlanta, GA, Silver Spring, MD, Brooklyn, NY, Philadelphia, PA and Worcester, MA. Direct support on all dates to come from Midnight. The tour follows last month’s Psycho Las Vegas Festival. The band will perform songs from the band’s nine albums in a twenty-five-year-long career. They continue to support their acclaimed 2017 album Wizard Bloody Wizard. Since its release, the band has played select shows in the United States and overseas including high profile appearances at the likes of London’s iconic Shepard’s Bush Empire, Up In Smoke (Switzerland), Deathfest (Netherlands), and more. Electric Wizard is commonly (and rightfully) referred to as “the heaviest band in the world,”. Continue reading