MetalTalk – Heavy Metal News, Reviews and Interviews

Sonic Blast 2026. Riffs, chaos and a seaside festival worth crossing the atlantic for. After a few years of seeing the lineups and pining from across the Atlantic Ocean over my lack of attendance, the 2026 SonicBlast lineup was too good to pass up.

Words And Photogr...

It has always been a tradition that the opening band on a Sunday at Bloodstock brings something different to the festival, and today is no different, with matters kicking off on the Ronnie James Dio Stage with the Basingstoke-based country rockers Bootyard Bandits.

So far in their eleven-year recording career, Kris Barras and his band have been a fairly consistent bunch, and to their credit, a prolific one. Album number five, Monsters We Made, is the latest chapter in their story. 

One of the most authentic talents on the scene, Sari Schorr is a beacon of light amongst a rising tide of AI-generated music. With a voice that would make angels weep and Baptist preachers sound lacking in passion, the New Yorker has done things the hard way, proving herself in clubs and concert halls all over the world.

Initially working as a backi...

It has been a voyage. A trip of a lifetime to Toronto. For me, a lifelong Rush fan, this was something that I had never expected. In October 2025, the announcement that Alex and Geddy were intending to go back on the road with their 50-Something tour set the proverbial cat...