Mad About Rock

  We’re excited to announce 22 new band additions and a venue update for Mangata Festival 2026, taking place on Saturday 5 September 2026 in Nottingham. With five stages spread across three city-centre venues, this is shaping up to be the biggest edition of Mangata Festival yet. We’re pleased to confirm that Mangata Festival 2026 will once again feature five stages, working closely with Rescue Rooms, Rock City, and The Tap & Tumbler. Rescue Rooms will host the Main Stage, with the Red Room stage upstairs, located at Masonic Place, Goldsmith Street, Nottingham (NG1 5LB). Just a few minutes away, Rock City on Talbot Street (NG1 5GG) will host the Beta stage and the Black Cherry Lounge stage. Around the corner, the Tap & Tumbler at 33 Wollaton Street (NG1 5FW) will host our fifth stage, which will be free entry with no ticket required. On the Rescue Rooms Main Stage, joining previously announced Raised By Owls, Red Method, and In Search of Sun, we’re thrilled to welcome our ...

  UK metalcore band THE FIVE HUNDRED are thrilled to announce the release of their upcoming third studio album, ‘GHOSTWRITER’, set to drop on February 28th 2025 via Prime Collective. In celebration of the announcement, the band has unleashed a fierce new single, ‘RAINMAKER’, which features guest vocals from Aaron Matts of ten56. Delving into the dark narrative of a bleak, authoritarian dystopia, ‘RAINMAKER’ paints a vivid picture of a society suffocated by oppressive control, where hope is a distant memory - watch the accompanying video below. The band explains,"’RAINMAKER’ builds an intense, foreboding atmosphere through relentless riffs and haunting melodies, reflecting the desperation and simmering rage of a people on the brink of rebellion.The fiery crescendo, punctuated by Aaron Matts' brutal vocal delivery, symbolizes a violent upheaval as fire rains from the sky, obliterating the old order." Since their emergence in the early 2010s, THE FIVE HUNDRED have captivat...

  𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗦 𝗕𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗘𝗗 (𝗕𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 - 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲) Formed in 1998, the Stéphanois have become pillars of extreme metal over the years with 8 albums and tours around the world. Inspired by morbid themes and the twists and turns of the human soul, their clever mix of brutality with a clearly assumed unhealthy side, is a reflection of the experiences that their singer had in his profession as a nurse in a psychiatric hospital. After their opus "Obscene Repressed" released in the middle of a pandemic, the four fierce BENIGHTED come to take their revenge and promise real torture to your neck during this warm-up ! 𝗧𝗘𝗡𝟱𝟲. (𝗗𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 - 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲) New gem from the French-speaking scene, the guys from TEN56. made a very notable appearance under the Altar during the 2023 edition. Led by the charismatic Aaron Matts (ex-Betraying the Martyrs) and supported by his 4 brothers in arms, the TEN56. are climbing the ranks as quickly as their views so...

  Following the release of their debut EP ‘Downer Part.1’ in 2021 and staggering single ‘Yenta’ earlier this year, ten56. make a welcomed return with a dual video for new tracks ‘Traumadoll’ and ‘RLS’. Having initially burst onto the scene in the midst of the pandemic, ten56. have so far had a short but impressive journey. Fronted by Aaron Matts (ex Betraying The Martyrs) and also including members from Kadinja and Uneven Structure, ten56. have quickly surpassed 8 million streams on Spotify and become a viral sensation within the metal community. Check out the official video for 'Traumadoll' & 'RLS' below: ‘Traumadoll’ & ‘RLS’ sonically showcase two different sides to ten56. as they continue to push the boundaries of their genre and defy expectations of their sound. ‘Traumadoll’ delivers the heavy breakdowns and vicious vocal delivery of vocalist Aaron Matts we are familiar with, whilst forthcoming single ‘RLS’ serves us a more mellow, reflective side. Both ...