DragonForce – Warp Speed Warriors


Before we start, go back and take another look at the cover art.

Go on, I’ll wait.

See, while some bands go for a subtle or even abstract “don’t judge a book by its cover” approach, other bands are Dragonforce. Everything emblazoned on the cover to ninth full length studio release Warp Speed Warriors (Napalm Records) is represented here through the medium of eardrum destroying sound. No room for understatement, metaphor or artifice – just a bold, blinding explosion of light, colour and comic book action.Continue reading


Warner Music Group Intends to Buy French Digital Music Company Believe SA, Owner of Nuclear Blast Records and Tunecore


One of the largest record labels in the world, Warner Music Group (WMG) has announced it intends to purchase Believe SA, a French digital music company. Among the many companies Believe owns includes a controlling stake in Nuclear Blast Records (acquired in 2018) and its offshoot Blood Blast Distribution, as well as Tunecore a Brooklyn, New York–based digital music distribution, publishing and licensing service founded in 2006. Tunecore distributes music through online retailers such as iTunes, Deezer, Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Google Play, Tidal, Beatport. According to the press release you can read below, Warner “would provide Believe with strategic support and financial stability to help the development and growth of the Company, including by accelerating its expansion into new geographies.” Nuclear Blast founded in 1987 in Germany, is home to some of the greatest bands in Metal such as, Slayer, Anthrax, Testament, C.O.C., Nightwish, Sepultura, Sabaton, In Flames, Lamb of God (Europe), and countless others. In addition to their legendary main brand known for Rock, Pop, Country, and Dance music, WMG owns a ton of sub labels boasting some of the biggest names in Hard Rock, Metal and Punk like 10K Projects, 300 Entertainment (Highly Suspect, Waterparks), Asylum, Atlantic (Shinedown, Halestorm) Big Beat, Elektra Entertainment (formerly: Metallica, Slipknot & Paramore – current: twenty one pilots, Brandi Carlile, Sturgill Simpson) Erato, First Night, Fueled By Ramen (Fall Out Boy, Jimmy Eat World, A Day To Remember), Nonesuch, Parlophone (Iron Maiden), Reprise (Lamb of God in the USA, Deftones, Disturbed, Crosses), Rhino (boxed sets, vinyl and CD reissues, and countless legacy releases), Roadrunner (Gojira, Turnstile, Motionless In White, Trivium, newly signed Deafheaven, Coheed and Cambria, Stone Sour), Sire, Spinnin’, Warner Records, Warner Classics, and Warner Music Nashville. WMG’s music publishing arm, Warner Chappell Music, as well as artist management and services divisions. If the sale goes through, it remains to be seen what shape the deal would have and what impact is might have for Nuclear Blast and Tunecore. Stay tuned for more news on this story.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Enterprise Earth – Death: An Anthology


The sign of a confident album is when the guest appearances bolster rather than salvage the work put in by the primary artists. Thus, Enterprise Earth’s Death: An Anthology (MNRK Heavy) is a certified scorcher in which the 11 featured tracks stand tall, both independently and as an aggregation of technically aligned Deathcore.

The wealth of intricacies and variety is but the starting point for this behemoth. So let’s get into it.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Ryujin – Ryujin


The new year is off to a good start because Ryujin’s shining new self-titled album Ryujin (Napalm Records) is about to be released. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Sophie Lloyd – Imposter Syndrome


 

YouTuber. If there was ever a word with the ability to separate people into two distinct age groups in less than a second, then this is the one. It’s a term that didn’t even exist twenty years ago, yet for some, it’s just another word used without a second thought. But for others, it’s the grating sound of hyperactive internet personalities desperately trying to keep the attention of their trend-obsessed subscribers by constantly shouting, screaming, waving their arms about and overreacting wildly to literally everything.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Art of Shock – Shine Black Light


 

Like many other bands, Los Angeles-based Art of Shock were hit particularly hard by the Covid-19 pandemic back in 2020. Having just released their second full-length, Dark Angeles, the band was forced to cancel pretty much everything including all touring plans but instead of letting frustration get the better of them, they set to work writing material for what would become Shine Black Light (Century Media Records).

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ALBUM REVIEW: Lockjaw – Relentless


 

Setting what surely must be some sort of record, Texan metalcore merchants Lockjaw finally release their full-length studio debut twenty-five years after coming into existence. Formed in 1998, the band garnered a decent live reputation but disappeared shortly into the 2000s. Reactivated with a little tweaking in the personnel department, the independently released ‘Deadlights’ single appeared in 2018 followed by four more songs released over 2021 and 2022. Always moving towards a full-length album, Lockjaw 2.0 now deliver on that promise with Relentless (AISAUS/The Orchard), a record sure to please many a groove metal enthusiast.

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FESTIVAL REVIEW: Sonic Temple Art and Music Festival, Live at Crew Stadium Part 1


 

Sonic Temple Art And Music Festival returned to Columbus, Ohio for the first time after taking three gap years.

Let’s begin with a little context. The inaugural instance of Sonic Temple was in 2019. Leading up to the event, festival promoter Danny Wimmer Presents (DWP) had discontinued an arrangement with AEG Presents to jointly produce Rock On The Range, the festival in Columbus, Ohio that Sonic Temple replaced. So, Sonic Temple needed to be different enough from Rock On The Range to dispel any raised eyebrows about the move. DWP also broke off ties at about the same time with AEG for their jointly created Carolina Rebellion festival and started a new one in its place called Epicenter. While those moves might have been sound business decisions, it still turned out to be a tough year for DWP festivals.

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Watch Trivium Perform “Pull Harder On The Strings of Your Martyr” Live in Chicago


 

Trivium continues to tour the world in support of their 2021 album – In The Court of the Dragon (Roadrunner Records), Ghost Cult’s Album of the Year for that year! The band continues to share pro-shot video of their current world tour. Watch them play their early-era classic “Pull Harder On The Strings of Your martyr” now!

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