Your Friday metal and hard rock news, in one place.
Necrot Sign to Metal Blade Records - New Album and 30-Date North American Tour
Oakland death metal lifers Necrot have officially signed to Metal Blade Records - big news for the metal news circuit. The deal comes with a new album in the works and a 30-date North American tour on the horizon. This is the kind of signing that makes sense - Necrot have been grinding independently for years, earning their audience the hard way, and Metal Blade is the right home for a band at this stage. The label's roster of Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel, and Cattle Decapitation tells you exactly what kind of home this is. Details on the album title, release date, and tour routing are expected soon. Watch this space.
Loathe Launch Live Countdown on Teaser Site
Loathe's cryptic teaser site at astrangertoyou.com - which has been sitting dormant for months, scraping theories out of the scene - is now hosting a live countdown timer. No album title. No release date spelled out. Just a clock, ticking down. The Sheffield band's last full-length was I Let It in and It Took Everything in 2020, one of the defining heavy records of that decade. If this is what it looks like, it's been a long wait - and the scene is paying attention.
Damnation Festival 2026 Stacks Up: Cult of Luna, Satyricon, Carcass, Crowbar, Triptykon
Damnation Festival 2026 just announced its headliners and this lineup is genuinely stacked. Cult of Luna and Satyricon will top the bill at Manchester's BEC Arena on November 7--8, joined by Carcass, Igorrr, Crowbar, and Triptykon - alongside previously announced acts HEALTH, Walls of Jericho, Eyehategod, and Wolves in the Throne Room. For UK-based heavy music fans, this might be the most important two-day event on the calendar this year. Satyricon in a proper arena setting is a different beast entirely.
Ill Niño and Xander Raymond Charles Settle the Split Publicly
Ill Niño and their short-lived guitarist Xander Raymond Charles have issued a joint statement clearing the air after a messy public departure in March. Charles announced he'd been let go weeks before their first scheduled show together - before he'd played a single date with the band. The joint statement is measured, framing the split as mutual and concluding without further drama. It's a clean close to a situation that was getting ugly online. Both parties are moving forward.
Bleeding Through Announce 'The Truth' 20th Anniversary PNW Shows
Bleeding Through are celebrating 20 years of The Truth - their fourth full-length and the record that cemented them in the California metalcore conversation - with a series of Pacific Northwest shows. I Declare War and Extortionist are on the bill. If you've never seen Bleeding Through live, The Truth anniversary is the right occasion. Dates and venues expected soon via the band's socials.
Dance Gavin Dance - HORSE the Band and Wolf & Bear Booked for Offdate Runs
HORSE the Band and Wolf & Bear have been confirmed for offdate shows around Dance Gavin Dance's upcoming tour. Offdate runs like these tend to be loose, loud, and undersold - which means they're often the better show. If you're in a DGD market and the main date is sold out or out of reach, track these.
While She Sleeps - Self Hell Drops April 17
Sheffield metalcore band While She Sleeps release their new album Self Hell on April 17. The band have been building toward this one for a while - heavier, more direct, and with less patience for polish than their earlier work. If the singles are any indication, this is the album that wins back anyone who drifted after SO WHAT?. Two weeks out. Mark it.
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