GUEST POST: Sea Sleeper’s Top Albums of the Year 2020


Ghost Cult continues our “End of Year Guest Post Extravaganza” with a slew of posts from bands, industry, PR pros, and more! We’ll be sharing lists, memories, and other shenanigans from our favorite bands, partners, music industry peers, and other folks we respect across the globe. In this edition, we have a list from Portland Death Metal band Sea Sleeper. Their self-titled debut album is coming out soon via Metal Assault Records. Continue reading


Ghost Cult Albums of the Year 2020 – Part 1 (75-41)


It feels rather redundant to preface this year’s celebration of the music that got us through what was annus horribilis maximus unprecedentius with much of a narrative of 2020 because we were all affected. We all lived through it. Some of us in un-splendid isolation. Some of us irreversibly overhauling the way we live, work, and support our dependents. Some of us welcomed changes we had to make while mourning the root cause behind them and that each and every person on this planet we call home was affected, impacted, and touched in a negative way by the events of a global pandemic and high-profile political situations.Continue reading


PODCAST: Episode 132 – Ghost Cult’s Album of the Year Countdown Part 1 with Steve Tovey


Ghost Cult kicks off our massive 2020 Album of the Year Countdown! Chief editor Keefy is joined by the esteemed Steve Tovey (The King is Blind), our Senior Editor Emeritus of Ghost Cult! We run down the big list with a brief discussion of our rankings from 75-31, with a deep dive into the albums ranked 50-31! All in all, over 300 albums were considered and voted on by our staff of worldwide contributors: writers, correspondents, photographers, and more. Check back here for the full list and a deeper look at albums 75-31 on our site and for Part II of the podcast series click here:

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REVIEW: Devin Townsend – Order of Magnitude: Empath Live Volume 1


Devin Townsend is a music extraordinaire who is well-known for his many different and successful projects that he has participated in over the last 25 years or so. Whether it be Strapping Young Lad or Devin Townsend Project the man has always thrown his heart into it. He is a Canadian machine that expertly and consistently generates epic-scale music in many diverse forms. Last year he released his latest solo album, Empath (InsideOut Music). He took his essence to a new level of eccentricity with a masterful embodiment of bonkers meets serene. Many cling to the wilds that is Dev for his honest presentation, whether that be in Jazz, Metal, or whatever genre he chooses to express himself with. His devotees gather in the masses at his shows for a guaranteed excellent and entertaining performance. Last December he brought his uncommon magic to England and much like his actual works, the presentation was a little unconventional. Dev is about to release his new live album, Order of Magnitude: Empath Live Volume 1 (InsideOut Music) documenting that European tour. It will be released as a limited deluxe 2CD/Blu-Ray/DVD artbook package, a limited 2CD+DVD digipak, gatefold 3LP+2CD vinyl box set, and more.

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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


NEW MUSIC FRIDAY: June 19th New Music Releases


Purchase And Stream All The New Music Released Today!

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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


GUEST POST: Black Mirrors – Top Albums Of 2018


One of the most exciting bands of 2018 has been Black Mirrors. Their summer release Look Into The Black Mirrors released via Napalm Records. The band has been kind enough to share their top albums of 2018 with Ghost Cult and our readers. Continue reading


Prognosis Festival With Haken, TesseracT, Witchcraft, Leprous Announces Schedule


Prognosis Festival takes flight this spring with a stacked lineup! Led by Haken, TesseracT, Witchcraft, Leprous, Soen, Alex Skolnick Trio, Sleepmakeswaves, Jo Quail and many more on March 22nd and 23rd. The festival takes place at the legendary Effenaar venue, Eindhoven in The Netherlands. Day tickets are on sale now at the link below and now you can see the daily lineups! More information will be announced soon for clinics and conferences surrounding the festival. Continue reading