Former Mastodon guitarist and singer Brent Hinds has confirmed in a recent social media rant that he was indeed kicked out of the band. Hinds responded to a newly shared video of a 2012 Mastodon performance where he harshly criticized his ex-bandmates Troy Sanders and Brann Dailor in the comments of the clip. “My Guitar sounds great, but Troy and prawn  sound absolutely horrible,” Hinds wrote. “They are way out of key ..embarrassing and they kicked me out of the band for embarrassing them for being who I am ..but what about who they are ? f**k these guys. I’ve never met three people that were so full of themselves. It’s disgusting.” Mastodon members have not publicly responded to his recent comments, instead only wishing him well in an earlier statement. Meanwhile, Hinds continues performing with other projects, and Mastodon have enlisted guitarist Nick Johnston as his touring replacement. (Consequence of Sound)

Hatebreed guitarist Wayne Lozinak is recovering well after having a benign brain tumor removed in a craniotomy on August 4th. The surgery followed the musician experiencing stroke-like symptoms after their Download Festival performance in June. Lozniak shared a heartfelt Instagram update on his condition on Sunday (August 10), writing: “I’m finally home. Last week was rough! But I’m getting better every day. Gonna be a while before I get fully recovered, but it’s going good!” He went on to thank fans, loved ones, and his surgical team in the post, which also features a photo of the gnarly scar that stretches across his entire head. While Lozinak recovers, touring bassist Matt Bachand has filled in for him on guitar during the band's live shows, with Carl Schwartz covering bass duties. Hatebreed continues their European tour throughout August before preparing for a series of upcoming U.S. festival appearances. (Consequence of Sound)

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Arising Empire Records

Arising Empire Records

Photo Credit - Chris Klumpp

It brings to mind legendary horror movie classics: The power metal recording kicks off with extremely tough, brutal, and fast-paced numbers, spinning an enigmatic storyline around its mysterious protagonist and only revealing his secret. This technique is similar to the blockbusters The Others (featuring Nicole Kidman) or The Sixth Sense (featuring Bruce Willis) — where the grand finale is nothing short of epic.

Photo: Clay Patrick McBride

   Photo credit: Angel Pinango

According to Vital Vegas, Metallica is considering a residency at the Las Vegas Sphere, a venue that has previously hosted U2, Dead & Company, and Eagles. While the website does not have concrete evidence to support these claims, it has accurately predicted other Sphere residencies. When asked about the rumors during a surprise interview with Howard Stern, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich stated, "I'm not going to confirm anything, because there's nothing to confirm. But I'm not going to deny it, because we're all such fans of this venue." Ulrich acknowledged that the band is considering the Sphere, but emphasized that nothing is finalized. Stern also inquired about Metallica's potential interest in performing the halftime show at the next Super Bowl, which will take place in the band's hometown of San Francisco. Ulrich's response was unequivocal: "Fu-k yeah of course we would." (COS)

GRAMMY-nominated heavyweights TRIVIUM — vocalist/guitarist MATTHEW K. HEAFY; guitarist COREY BEAULIEU; bassist PAOLO GREGOLETTO; and drummer ALEX BENT — are thrilled to announce the release of their forthcoming, three-song EP STRUCK DEAD. It arrives on October 31 via longtime label Roadrunner Records. While it may only be three songs in length, in typical Trivium fashion, it packs a powerhouse punch, thanks to masterful riffing and the dual-style vocal prowess the band has built its nearly three-decade reputation on! It was produced by Trivium and recorded with Mark Lewis at the band's Hangar Studios in Orlando, Florida. It was mixed and mastered by Josh Wilbur.Today, the band also shares the video for the first single "BURY ME WITH MY SCREAMS." The song premiered via Heafy's "Chaos Hour" show on Sirius XM Liquid Metal."In 2023, we decided it was finally time to take the next step with The Hangar space we purchased — it was time to turn it into a full studio," says Gregoletto. "We brought in designer Roger D'Arcy, thanks to an introduction from Mark Lewis, and set out on a year-long build. While construction was underway, we were deep in rehearsals for The Poisoned Ascendancy Tour, celebrating Ascendancy's 20th anniversary. What started as an idea to release one single during the tour quickly grew into two, then three, as we kept writing while we were waiting for the build-out to be completed."He continues, "During that time, the energy of revisiting Ascendancy started bleeding into these new songs. Matt poured a lot of his personal struggles from the past year into the music, and we used the writing process as a cathartic release. Those sessions evolved into a three-song EP that we're incredibly proud of, and we can't wait to debut 'Bury Me With My Screams' live at Bloodstock Open Air Festival."STRUCK DEAD EP TRACK LISTING:"Bury Me With My Screams""Struck Dead (Pain Is Easier To Remember)""Six Walls Surround Me"

New Hampshire quartet GREAT AMERICAN GHOST — Ethan Harrison[vocals], Niko Gasparrini [guitar], Grayson Stewart [guitar], and Anthony Laur [bass] — have unleashed their cover of Deftones' classic "Hole in the Earth" from 2006's Saturday Night Wrist.On the surface, it's an unexpected pivot for the unapologetically political foursome. But a deeper dive into the subject matter reveals it's not as much of a surprising choice as it seems. Ultimately, Great American Ghost deliver an absolutely stunning rendition of a Deftones' fan favorite by adding a post-hardcore kinetic energy to the choppy, chunky riffing and emotional heft of the original. "'Hole in the Earth' was our first and only choice when we decided to tackle a Deftones song," explains Harrison. "Not only is it our collective favorite by one of our biggest influences, but the subject matter really resonated with us at the time of recording. I'd encourage anyone listening to explore the story behind the song — and know that GAG was in a very similar place when we tracked this. We're really proud of how it turned out."  Back in 2012, Great American Ghost rose up out of the Northeast with an undeniable and unpredictable signature style. They quietly progressed over the course of Everyone Leaves [2015], Hatred Stems From The Seed [2017], and Power Through Terror [2020] (named one of RIFF's 60 Best Metal Albums of 2020), while tallying millions of streams. Leveling up, 2022's Torture World EP earned widespread acclaim. NO ECHO christened it "a 4-song EP as brutal as its title suggests," and V13 raved, "It may only be four tracks long but every single one of these fourteen savage minutes will absolutely maul you to within an inch of your life." Along the way, they toured with everyone from The Ghost Inside to Alpha Wolf and Fit For A King. Signing to Sharptone Records, they hit the studio with producer Will Putney and crafted Tragedy Of The Commons, which arrived in early 2025.

On 16 May, LANSDOWNE made a big splash with their latest radio single "Make it a Lie". The song marks the first release under their new label Odyssey Music Network – an intense, emotive and modern hard rock track dedicated to the emotional conflict of finally breaking free from a toxic relationship.

Arising Empire

Fresh off a breakthrough year that saw them sell nearly 10,000 tickets on their first-ever US headline tour, Melbourne's Thornhill are set to take their biggest stage yet: supporting Sleep Token across their completely sold-out "Even In Arcadia" US arena tour this September and October.

FINGER ELEVEN (@finger_eleven) one of the best-selling Canadian bands of all time, are experiencing a vibrant, full circle moment. The multi-platinum Juno Award-winning group—Scott Anderson (vocals), James Black (lead guitar, backing vocals), Rick Jackett (rhythm guitar), Sean Anderson (bass), Steve Molella (drums)—criss-crossed America last summer with long-time former labelmates Creed, revisiting the summer of ‘99. “People were just smiling the whole time—it was contagious,” guitarist Rick Jackett declares. “We forgot we had so many friends in America. That was a cool feeling.”

In Vogue Records

From Thriller Records