Mad About Rock

  Continuing a banner year, the Swedish masters of heavy metal SABATON re-up their 2025 hit 'Templars' with a brand-new version featuring Leigh Kakaty of Platinum-certified, chart-topping rock powerhouse Pop Evil. The song is now available on all DSPs and digital download providers via Better Noise Music. It's a collision of two different genres of hard rock that feels completely seamless. Yesterday, SABATON welcomed Pop Evil frontman Leigh Kakaty to the stage during their set at Louder Than Life in Louisville, KY. Surprising tens of thousands of fans, they debuted this version together, leading to one of the standout moments of the massive fest. Kakaty infuses the track with a rush of fresh energy and fire. Between blasts of distortion and thunderous drums, his soaring vocals take flight. All of this momentum culminates on the chantable chorus: “Templars on the march, charge from the temple.” Regarding the new version, SABATON vocalist Joakim Brodén says: “'Templars...

  Scottish alt-rock crew STAY FOR TOMORROW will release their forthcoming album, 'When Hope’s Gone', arriving Friday September 25th. The record is jam packed with a host of singles, including their new track ‘The Fallout’. With the band climbing high, we exclusively asked them for a track by track breakdown of the album: “"In The Way" is a relentless expression of frustration and drive, capturing the tension between ambition and resistance. Every line hits with precision, balancing aggression with determination. The song demands movement, urging listeners to make a choice: commit to the fight or step aside." “Restart” is an empowering anthem about breaking free from the confines of everyday life and emotional struggle. It captures a longing to escape routine and rediscover direction, resonating with anyone feeling stuck. The song offers a hopeful message of transformation, encouraging listeners to take control and begin again." “Nonsense” follows brea...

  MIKEY BALL & THE COMPANY continue to rise with their new single, 'Warning Signs', out now. The track is taken from their upcoming album, 'Keep The Fire Burning', due Thursday 24th September. Rooted in heartland and classic rock, the single delivers strong hooks and heartfelt songwriting, offering a taste of what’s to come. Watch the video for Warning Signs here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPGm9bvKPVU Listen to the band at https://open.spotify.com/artist/535ECYGwdTDflsLYtJbjqW . Recorded three years after their debut album, Through The Night, the new record marks a shift in perspective. Where the band’s early work leaned towards escapism and open-road optimism, the new material turns its attention towards the pressures and frustrations of modern life, while refusing to settle into cynicism. “This album is influenced by honesty in hopeful optimism,” says frontman Mikey Ball. “It acknowledges the frustrations of modern life without allowing them to define t...

  i-ATLAS have unveiled their new single and video, Touch The Sky, out now, ahead of the release of their debut EP, 'Beyond The New Horizon', out on Friday. Watch the video, 'Touch The Sky', here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3MzcA8C1kY With the band on the rise, we exclusively spoke to Ondy and Andre about the tracks that have helped shape their sound: Ondy’s choices: Limp Bizkit – Gimmie the Mic "I picked this song, coz I love Limp Bizkit’s phat riffs and even phatter beats, but I thought this song was a missed song by most people. Being on the Results May Vary album, surprisingly, it’s not even a Wes Borland riff, as he’d left the band then. I think the DJ effects are awesome; that kinda give a small mellow breakdown, just for a few bars at the end of the verses, before then going mental again. I love it!" Muse – Unravelling "In my opinion, by far the most amazing Muse track ever. My Mrs and I quite often rock out to Muse very early in the...

  Brighton three-piece MONOVOID bring a fresh approach to heavy music with a debut built on riffs, experimentation and years of shared musical experience. MONOVOID release their debut album, Dissolving the Brain, on Friday 27th November, with a new video for Ruinous Belief arriving on Friday 20th November. For now, check out their last video for 'Conspirator', here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRNAxMEnnuw Formed in Brighton in 2024, Tom Humphrey, Brian Thomas and Guillaume Croizon came together with a simple aim: to get back to playing the heavy music they had once fallen in love with, while using everything they had learned through years of playing, writing and recording. Their music pulls from Mastodon's progressive heaviness, Meshuggah's rhythmic complexity, Converge's aggression and Gojira's weight, while drawing on a much wider range of heavy music. The point has never been to fit neatly into one genre, but to combine the elements they enjoy into som...

  Athens thrash metal band Eternal have premiered the new music video for “Man Down (In the Front Row)”, the latest track taken from their forthcoming debut album, Conspiracy of Warheads, due for release through Floga Records on 2 October 2026. Watch the new video here: https://youtu.be/v7b7tYMsnOU A fast, direct account of the chaos surrounding live music and touring, “Man Down (In the Front Row)” captures crowded venues, loud amplifiers, late nights and the consequences that can follow. The track offers another side of a debut album otherwise driven by themes of war, government manipulation, conformity, violence and psychological pressure. Across ten tracks, Conspiracy of Warheads channels the speed, precision and political distrust of ’80s thrash into a record shaped by Eternal’s own experiences as a young band developing through writing, recording and extensive live performance. Since forming in Athens in 2022, Eternal have shared stages with Suicidal Angels, Amken, Karma Vi...

  Scottish alt-rockers STAY FOR TOMORROW have released their new single and video, 'Nonsense', out now. The track is taken from their forthcoming album, 'When Hope’s Gone', due Friday 25th September. Check out the video for Nonsense, here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFdj-ROonnQ Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf "I feel a song that has influenced part of our sound and the way we write music is Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf. You might think that’s an unusual choice, but I feel we aim to bring that same anthemic and theatrical feel to our songs, with big production and a sense of scale. No two songs are the same, and we always try to make each one as big and full as possible. We really focus on getting the most out of the production and theatrical elements, which helps give our music its own identity and makes our sound difficult to pin down" - Gemma  Wickham - (Piano/Synth/Bass Synth/Backing Vocals) Blind Man by Black Stone Cherry "Black Stone Cherry have ...