Mad About Rock

  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...

  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 ...

  Brit alternative rock duo LOST VELVET drop their debut album Dark Cells, out on Friday 4th September. Mixed by Michael Patterson, whose credits include Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross and Puscifer, Dark Cells finds LOST VELVET somewhere between post-rock atmosphere, shoegaze haze and industrial unease — combining distorted guitars, darkwave textures, subtle electronics and intertwined vocals. We exclusively caught up with the band and asked for this track by track breakdown of the album: 2003 “2003” blends shimmering guitar, enthralling piano and commanding drums into an almost euphoric dream-pop pull before collapsing into waves of dark rock, dissonance and unsettling tension. Built around sharp dynamic shifts between light and heavy, the track captures the spiral of unspoken thoughts and the feeling of becoming lost inside your own head." Dark Cells “Dark Cells” is the heaviest and most immersive track on the album, combining thunderous guitars, hypnotic dual vocals and shadow...

  Brit heavyweights XENITH are close to unleashing their debut album, 'To No Avail', on Friday 28th August, which showcases their deadly blend of melodic death metal and thrash. Ahead of the album release, they have dropped new single/video 'Incite The Tragedy'. See the video for the track below. We exclusively asked the band to give us the top five tracks that have greatly influenced their sound and debut offering: Opeth - The Moor "The influence of Opeth on Xenith can’t go overstated. They really showed me  that you can incorporate as many influences as you want into a song and still  make it cohesive. The Moor in particular really inspired us to open our album  with a folky acoustic passage." Panopticon - A Superior Lament "Similar to Opeth, Panopticon is another band that really helped me think less about staying within confined genres. A Superior Lament opens with such a ballsy riff but its also so beautifully melancholic, this was key inspirat...

  British alt-rock icons Mallory Knox have officially released “Afterglow”, their brand new single featuring original frontman Mikey Chapman. Marking their first studio release since original lead vocalist Mikey Chapman rejoined the band, ‘Afterglow’ serves as the opening statement for a forthcoming collection of new material written and recorded over the past year. Marking a bold new era for the band - now comprised of Chapman alongside core members James Gillett and Dave Rawling - “Afterglow" carries deep personal significance for the band, tracing back to the very moment they decided to reunite. "Afterglow is the very first song Dave, James and I jammed out after deciding to write again as a band," shares lead vocalist Mikey. "The song reflects the anticipation, excitement and hope we found in those initial moments as we brought the band back to life. Lyrically, I wanted to embody the mantra that I had been telling myself for some time at that point - that there ...

  You aren’t ready for this! Aussie extreme metal cohort King Parrot, will be returning to European and UK shores, bringing their no holds barred, off kilter live experience in September, supporting their new album “A Young Person’s Guide To King Parrot”. The last time we welcomed the quietus quartet, they were decimating stadiums nationwide and all over Europe opening for Pantera and Power Trip in 2025. In the summer of 2026, the boys from down under are excited to announce their return with a late summer run of headline shows all over Europe and the UK. The new album has received a rousing reception by the metal community with tracks like “Fuck You and the Horse You Rode In On” and “It’s A Rort” and their accompanying videos being lapped up by old and new fans alike. King Parrot recently completed a monstrous 39 date US tour alongside Gwar and Soulfly and are firing on all cylinders leading up to their return to the UK and Europe. Most recently the band have enlisted the services...

  Welsh bilingual nu-metal duo C E L A V I release their fierce new single and video, AR DY LINIAU (ON YOUR KNEES), ahead of their forthcoming EP, PRAELIA. Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqnfUU_RGHo Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4OEzNJIkgsH8PTw0y86ATx . AR DY LINIAU (ON YOUR KNEES) combines pummelling riffs, engulfing hooks and intense emotion, blending the duo's early-2000s nu-metal influences with a sinister industrial approach. Formed by married duo Gwion Griffiths and Sarah Wynn Griffiths, C E L A V I have earned support from Metal Hammer, BBC Radio 1, Kerrang! Radio and BBC 6 Music, alongside a Match of the Day sync. BBC Radio 1 declared: “CELAVI — remember that name.” The single follows a landmark appearance at Download Festival, where C E L A V I became the first band ever to perform in Welsh at the festival. Their journey to Download is documented in Sgrechian (Screaming), produced for Welsh-language broadcaster S4C's digital pl...

  Scottish rock band KELOWNA unveil their debut album, 'Superstar', on Friday 28th August. With the band growing and momentum building, we exclusively asked the guys for the songs that have greatly shaped their sound: Rival Sons - Nobody Wants To Die "The song's powerful blend of blues, soul and modern rock struck a chord with vocalist Davy Wilson, while still echoing the timeless influence of Free and Bad Company, two bands that have shaped him enormously as a singer-songwriter. That combination of raw emotion, dynamic musicianship and classic rock spirit is something we strive to capture in our own music. Our track ‘Midnight Rider’ in particular was heavily inspired by this". The Datsuns - Harmonic Generator "The Datsuns debut album was the first album bought by guitarist Paul Mooney with his own pocket money as a kid. He was drawn in by the simplicity of the guitar riff, and how rather than using complex chords or melodies, it's the static rhythm of...

  Scottish alt-rockers STAY FOR TOMORROW have released their alluring 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 Listen to the band at - https://open.spotify.com/artist/0wSKwPQseYDh9uczNFczmY Since forming in 2018, the Dunfermline four-piece have released a string of singles, such as Villains, Breathe and In The Way, and have toured the UK, developing a melodic, guitar-driven sound influenced by The Killers, Panic! At The Disco and Fall Out Boy. Their upcoming album, When Hope’s Gone explores themes of perseverance, resilience and self-belief. Speaking about the album, guitarist Nic Holson says: “This album shows the evolution of Stay For Tomorrow over the past few years, through lineup changes and the growth and solidifying of our sound. It carries a message of hope, resilience, and a reminder to stand up...

  Brit post-hardcore unit MERCERS will unveil their debut EP, 'The Liminal Tapes', on Friday, 17th July. The band have also just released their new single and video, 'New Stockholm'. Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwoUNQCAMM8 Listen to MERCERS on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0hUc6FIsCsAGv1muQXWDHZ . Formed in 2025, MERCERS bring together vocalist Olly James and guitarist/programmer Phil Bashford, both previously known for their work in nu-metallers, FONY. However, this is not a reunion, but a continuation of a long-standing songwriting partnership behind much of FONY’s material, including Routine Irregular and Circles. What began as an idea to revisit and reshape older material into the form it was always intended to take quickly developed into something far bigger. With the addition of drummer Richard Titheradge and guitarist Simon Glover, the project evolved beyond its original concept and found its own identity. The Liminal Tapes...

  UK metallers FAIL THE ENEMY return with new music and a heavier, synth-driven sound. The band will release a new EP, Sandcastles, out Friday 9th October, alongside their current single, Borrowed Hope, which is out now. Listen to Borrowed Hope, here - https://open.spotify.com/track/5JaYkmazk4o1RHA6wNr5UC , and watch the video, here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPQAbqWqbe8 Since reforming in 2023, the three-piece have been rebuilding their sound from the ground up, bringing together modern metalcore, anthemic rock, and 80s-inspired synth textures. The result is a sound that’s heavy, melodic, and built on contrast and atmosphere. Their new material draws on themes of mental health, love, loss, and the aftermath of difficult years, shaped by what the band have been navigating since getting back together. The upcoming EP has been in the works for around three years, and the band say it’s the closest they’ve come to capturing exactly what they set out to do when they returned. Th...

  XENITH continue their rapid rise with new single and video Killer Instinct, out now. The track is the first to be lifted from their debut album 'To No Avail', due Friday 28th August, and showcases the band’s fierce energy and intent. Watch the video for 'Killer Instinct' here: Check out the band on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6JlB8LJTRgdQTgOtO8XVb8 Hailing from Manchester, UK, and comprised of vocalist and guitarist Billy Hourigan, drummer Karim Treifi, bassist Jamo Morris, and guitarist Casey Dennis, XENITH emerged in 2024 with their fiery self-titled debut EP, which blended razor-sharp thrash with bludgeoning melodic death metal. The release introduced a band defined by relentless musicianship and a clear sense of identity. They followed swiftly with the faster and more aggressive single, Swim, before closing the year by sharing the stage with thrash legends, Evile, proving themselves to be a formidable live act. Their debut album, To No Avail, conti...

  LOST VELVET are carving a space between post-rock atmosphere, shoegaze haze, and industrial unease with a sound that feels vast, intimate, and slightly unhinged. They release their debut album Dark Cells on Friday 4th September, led by their brand-new single and video, Right Back, which is out now. Check out the video here: Listen to the band at - https://open.spotify.com/artist/43VZcpziN2RTPNRbrdMgAT Hailing from Reading, England, LOST VELVET are the project of multi-instrumentalist and producer Robert Butcher and vocalist Melissa Morris. The duo blend intertwining guitars, darkwave textures, and dual-vocal interplay into music that feels fragile yet immediate. Taking influence from Radiohead, Deftones, Nine Inch Nails, and Massive Attack, they build expansive sound worlds rooted in ‘90s alternative music with a darker edge. Since emerging in 2025, the band have drawn strong early attention, including support from BBC Introducing across multiple regions. Their work moves betwe...

  Having wrapped up their vast Arcane Dimensions Tour earlier this year, symphonic metal powerhouse EPICA have now unveiled a soul-stirring live version of their track 'Sirens - Of Blood And Water', featuring the formidable Alissa White-Gluz, Elize Ryd and Charlotte Wessels. This spine-tingling version which was also captured on video, was recorded early this year at EPICA's biggest headline show to date - a sold-out night at Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome in front of 10,000 fans. Watch the video for 'Sirens - Of Blood And Water (Live At Ziggo Dome Amsterdam)' here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrHXFY3Gzs8 Listen to 'Sirens - Of Blood And Water (Live At Ziggo Dome Amsterdam)' here: https://epica.bfan.link/sirens-of-blood-and-water EPICA - TOUR DATES 29.06.26 | Middenvijver Park | Antwerp, BE w/ Iron Maiden 17.07.26 | John Smith Rock Festival | Laukaa, FI 23.07.26 | Hills of Rock | Plovdiv, BG w/ Sabaton & Savatage 25.07.26 | Release Athens | Athens, GR w/ S...

  Brit hard hitters GARROW HILL charge onwards with their potent new single and video, 'Eaten by Crows', which will be followed by their new EP, 'IX', out on Friday 31st July. Check out the video here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89ZCS97bxC0 We exclusively asked the band to give us the top five tracks that have greatly influenced their sound: Anthrax – Belly of the Beast "The bass tone on Belly of the Beast—that snarling mid-range grind and relentless rhythmic punch—has become a core influence on Garrow Hill. It shaped how we approach low-end presence: aggressive, articulate and always driving the song forward. That sound pushed us toward tighter arrangements, stronger dynamics and a more commanding sense of groove throughout our music." Dead Kennedys – Nazi Punks Fuck Off "The confrontational lyrical attack of Nazi Punks Fuck Off showed us the power of direct, uncompromising songwriting. That influence pushed Garrow Hill toward bolder writin...