You aren’t ready for this! Aussie extreme metal cohort King Parrot, will be returning to UK shores, bringing their no holds barred, off kilter live experience back to the UK in September in support of 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 9 date run of headline shows all over 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 of veteran bass player Derek Engemann (Scour, Philip H Anselmo and The Illegals, ex-Cattle Decapitation) and he will be joining the band again as he did on the US tour.
Matt Young, vocalist for King Parrot says “We’re really excited to be returning to the UK after our massive run with Pantera and Power Trip last year.” Commenting on what fans can expect from the upcoming UK dates, “We can’t wait to bring our full headlining set out and we’ll be delivering cuts from every album including a whole swag from the new record. Looking forward to seeing our UK mates this September!”
King Parrot are recent additions to festivals in Europe like Summer Dying Loud (PL), Metal!!! 2026 (CZ) and Get Lost Fest (DE) and they are putting the finishing touches on their more extensive European jaunt, however wanted to get the news out to fans of their return to the UK immediately. Get down with the crown and shit on your liver as King Parrot comes to destroy venues across the UK as only they know how!
KING PARROT – UNITED KINGDOM – SEPTEMBER 2026
THUR 10TH – COBBLESTONES – BRIDGWATER FRI 11TH – THE BUNKHOUSE – SWANSEA SAT 12TH – VICTORIA INN – DERBY SUN 13TH – CASTLE AND FALCON – BIRMINGHAM MON 14TH – DISTRICT – LIVERPOOL TUE 15TH – 1865 – SOUTHAMPTON WED 16TH – NAMBUCCA – LONDON THUR 17TH – BRICKMAKERS – NORWICH FRI 18TH – IVORY BLACKS – GLASGOW
Swiss hard rock veterans Shakra are thrilled to announce their return with a new album, “Just Live Loud!”, set for release on September 4, 2026, via Frontiers Music Srl.
To coincide with the announcement, the band share the title track, along with an official music video, available below.
The band described the new single as “a powerful track for everyone who has waited too long, hesitated too often and held themselves back too many times. The song is a call to break out of your shell, shake off the doubts and stop postponing life. It is not about simply being loud. It is about living out your own freedom, dreaming big and finding the courage to take the next step – even when the perfect moment has not yet arrived”.
“Musically, “Just Live Loud!” brings together everything we stand for: driving guitars, a strong hookline, raw energy and that unmistakable blend of hard rock, melody and clear attitude. The song sounds like a new beginning, like adrenaline, and like the feeling of finally being fully alive again. Stop waiting. Live your freedom. Now. Just Live Loud!”, they continued.
Shakra return with renewed fire and unstoppable energy on “Just Live Loud!”, their explosive new studio album and the band’s very first release through Frontiers Music Srl. Fuelled by massive riffs, soaring melodies, and the unmistakable chemistry that has defined Shakra for decades, the album captures the spirit of classic European hard rock while pushing the band into a heavier, more modern sonic territory.
Vocalist Mark Fox commented: “Becoming a father has changed the way I look at many things. When I watch my daughter grow, discover the world and face every day with this incredible curiosity, I find myself asking even more consciously what life is really about. For me, the answer can now be summed up in three words: JUST LIVE LOUD! Don’t live halfway, don’t wait forever, don’t hide. I recorded the vocals for this album on my own in my basement. It was a very intense process that strongly confronted me with myself, my self-criticism and my responsibility. At the same time, it showed me that true freedom always comes with responsibility. For me, this tension is exactly what lies at the heart of this album.”
Guitarist Thomas Muster added: “Over the last 30 years, I’ve written many songs for Shakra. Heavier stuff, sometimes even poppier songs, and some really soft tracks. And even though I was ultimately always happy with the albums, I still always had this feeling inside me that musically, there simply had to be a little more. An even better riff, an even better hookline, simply even better songs. With ‘Something You Don’t Understand’ from the Snakes & Ladders album, I had that feeling of the perfect song for the first time”.
“And now comes “Just Live Loud!”, the Shakra album I always wanted to write, but somehow never quite managed to until now. And it comes with 12 great songs! If I could take only one Shakra album to the famous desert island, it would definitely be this one”, he continued.
Produced with a raw yet polished approach, “Just Live Loud!” delivers a powerful mix of thunderous anthems, emotionally charged ballads, and adrenaline-fueled rockers designed for both festival stages and late-night highway drives. From razor-sharp guitar work and pounding rhythms to towering vocal hooks, every track reflects the band’s commitment to authenticity, passion, and pure rock’n’roll attitude.
Lyrically, the album celebrates resilience, freedom, brotherhood, and the determination to live life at full volume – themes that resonate deeply with the band’s own journey through the international hard rock scene. “Just Live Loud!” also marks an exciting new chapter for Shakra, combining the experience and songwriting strength of their legacy years with a fresh creative momentum that feels more vital than ever.
The band proudly stated: “For over 30 years, we have been walking this path with Shakra. We have always worked on ourselves, put many things aside and given everything to push this band forward – without compromise, without a safety net. We have dared, we have taken risks, and we still do. But this very path has also given us our freedom: to find our purpose away from the ordinary, to lose ourselves in it, and to do what we burn for”.
“Just Live Loud!” brings all of that together in one album: origin, attitude, energy and the view ahead. As long as this fire is still burning, we will keep moving, keep daring and keep giving everything. Living louder is hardly possible – JUST LIVE LOUD!”, they added.
With this landmark release, Shakra reaffirm their status as one of Switzerland’s premier hard rock exports and prove that true melodic heavy rock is alive, loud, and ready to conquer a new generation of fans.
“Just Live Loud!” Tracklist:
1. Let The Show Begin 2. Wasteland Warriors 3. Just Live Loud! 4. Left Outside Alone (Feat. Seraina Telli) 5. Demon Of The Night 6. Legends Never Die 7. Lost Generation 8. When We Were Young 9. Another Day In The Universe 10. New Tattoo 11. High Above The Storm 12. Screaming Silence 13. Left Outside Alone (Solo Version)
Line Up: Thom Blunier – Lead Guitars Mark Fox – Vocals Thomas Muster – Guitars Cyril Montavon – Bass Roger Tanner – Drums Follow SHAKRA: Website Facebook Instagram
Two-time JUNO Nominee ‘Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar’ released their new live album A Beautiful Buzz via Gypsy Soul Records on May 22, 2026. Captured during the band’s Love Is All Around tour across Western Canada in 2022, the album documents the raw power, soul, and communal energy that have made Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar one of Canada’s most electrifying live acts.
The CD and limited-edition gatefold double vinyl editions of the album are available via www.samanthamartinmusic.com/store with the digital edition available on all streaming platforms HERE.
The album is preceded by the singles “My Crown,” “The Shape I’m In,” and “Them Changes” — an irresistible first taste of the sweat-soaked, soul-driven performances that define A Beautiful Buzz.
Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar occupy a rare space in modern roots blues music: deeply reverent of soul and gospel tradition, yet unafraid to push those forms into something louder, sweatier, and fiercely alive. Led by Martin’s unmistakable, powerhouse vocal delivery, the band has earned a reputation as one of Canada’s most commanding live acts, equal parts grit, grace, and emotional force.
A two-time JUNO Award nominee and seven-time Canadian Blues Award nominee for Female Vocalist of the Year, Samantha Martin has long drawn comparisons to the great soul shouters of the past. As Rhythm & Booze put it, “Samantha Martin’s name can be talked of in the same sentence as Etta James, Tina Turner, and Aretha Franklin. It’s soul for the modern age with a turbocharger.” Paris Move (France) went further, calling her “indispensable, Samantha Martin, the new Southern soul tornado.”
Those comparisons aren’t casual. Over the course of their catalogue, discerning listeners will hear echoes of Mavis Staples, Sharon Jones, Otis Redding, Booker T. & the MG’s, and the Memphis Horns, all filtered through a modern, road-hardened sensibility. It’s classic soul DNA delivered with contemporary urgency and volume. As Glide Magazine noted, “a jaw-dropping display of vocal prowess that highlights this band’s brand of supercharged blues. Comparisons of soul greats run rampant, but like Brittany Howard, Samantha Martin might be the next musical game changer.”
Mixed by Renan Yildizdogan and Ross Hayes Citrullo, the in-house team at Gypsy Soul Records, A Beautiful Buzz marks a first for the band: a long-overdue live album capturing the raw electricity that has defined Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar onstage for over a decade.
Recorded during the band’s Love Is All Around tour across Western Canada in 2022, A Beautiful Buzz was born under extraordinary circumstances. Originally scheduled for January and repeatedly delayed by the final wave of COVID-era disruptions, the tour finally launched in November, with Martin six months pregnant. Undeterred, a 13-person touring party loaded into a sprinter and rental car and pushed west from the sub-zero cold of Saskatoon toward the West Coast.
Night after night, the shows carried a heightened emotional charge, but one final performance stood apart, crackling with urgency, joy, and the awareness that one chapter was closing just as another was about to begin. That moment became A Beautiful Buzz, a testament to resilience, love, and transformation, capturing a band at full throttle and an artist on the edge of profound personal change.
For many listeners, the album lands somewhere in the lineage of Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs & Englishmen, a communal, unrestrained live soul revue where horns, grit, gospel, and sweat collide. It’s not a polished live souvenir; it’s the sound of a band at peak intensity, feeding off the room and giving it everything back.
With a new studio album already in development for 2027, A Beautiful Buzz stands not as a detour or placeholder, but as a deliberate statement, finally committing to record the live force that made Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar essential in the first place.
The Love Is All Around tour, initially set for January 2022, faced the trials of postponement until November 2022—marking the closing chapter of COVID-era delays.
“By the time the tour kicked off, I was six months pregnant with my son,” reflects Samantha. “I’ve never been one to be easily deterred. So, clad in a winter jacket that barely zipped, our 13-person touring party loaded into a sprinter and a rental car and embarked on a tour from the sub-zero temperatures of Saskatoon to the balmy West Coast of Canada.”
“Each show was a whirlwind of energy and emotion, but one stood out above the rest. Perhaps it was the excitement of the final show, or it was the realization that my life was about to change in a big way. Whatever the reason, the atmosphere was electric, filled with a beautiful buzz that I wanted to share with you. This album captures the magic I felt, and is a testament to resilience, love, and the power of music amidst life’s transformations.” – Samantha Martin
A BEAUTIFUL BUZZ – ALBUM TRACK LISTING
1- Love is All Around – 3:35 (S. Martin, J. Chisholm) 2- Don’t Have To Be – 3:02 (S. Martin, A. Beer-Colacino, A. Warner) 3- You’re The Love – 3:37 (S. Martin, C. Chaffey) 4- Good Trouble – 3:18 (S. Martin, S. Vinnick) 5- All Night Long – 4:39 (S. Martin, C. Chaffey, M. McCallum, D. Yates, D. Nash, S. Marriner) 6- The Shape I’m In (feat. Steve Marriner) – 3:58 (Robbie Robertson) 7- I’ve Got a Feeling – 6:58 (S. Martin, C. Chaffey) 8- My Crown – 5:53 (Rench) 9- Loving You Is Easy – 7:25 (S. Martin) 10- “Band Intro” – (1:48) (S. Martin) 11- Pass Me By – (3:31) (S. Martin, C. Chaffey) 12- Them Changes – 3:54 (George Buddy Miles) 13- Loving Cup – 6:25 (M. Jagger, K. Richards)
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Recorded November 26, 2022 @ A.C.T. Theatre in Maple Ridge, BC Mixed by Renan Yildizdogan and Ross Hayes Citrullo at RHC Music in Toronto, ON Mastered by Phil Demetro Mastering in Toronto, ON
Lead Vocals & Acoustic Guitar: Samantha Martin Background Vocalists: Tafari Anthony & Sherie Marshall Electric Guitar: Curtis Chaffey Bass: Ian McKeown Drums: Will Fisher Keys: Jeff Heisholt Trombone: Emily Ferrell Saxophone: Andrew Moljgun Trumpet: Brian Walters Special guest vocalist and acoustic guitar on “Shape I’m In” and 2nd electric on “Them Changes” and “Loving Cup”: Steve Marriner
IMPURE WILHELMINA are premiering the full album stream for their new album Le Sanglot. The veteran post-hardcore band’s ninth album arrives as their most radical transformation yet. While they continue to lean heavier on alt. rock melodies, for the first time in their 30-year history, all song are sung in French.
“When Impure Wilhelmina fire on all cylinders, the results are usually not only impressive, but they tug on the heartstrings like few others do”, Angry Metal Guy writes in an early review of Le Sanglot.
“Fans of Alcest will be satiated here”, The Razors Edgewrites, “whilst the somewhat chaotic and unstructured nature of the music is rather like Opeth minus the walls and walls of distortion”.
Le Sanglot was released yesterday, May 22 on Season of Mist, and you can hear all 10 vibrant songs by listening to the full album stream on the Season of Mist YouTube channel.
Conceived as the sonic equivalent of weeping, Le sanglot surveys a fractured world with surgical coldness, yet never forecloses on the possibility of grace. Impure Wilhelmina moves between crushing weight and melodic restraint, from the cathartic surge of opening track “Électricité noire” to the fragile radiance of closer “À jamais radieuse,” with the French language sharpening both the imagery and the emotional register throughout. The album introduces the band’s new guitarist Edouard Nicod, whose arrangements broaden the band’s textural scope. It features a collaboration with French artist Mütterlein on “Train mort” the album’s most abrasive song.
Tracklist: 1. Électricité noire (5:01) 2. Cent mille plaies (3:43) 3. Abîme (6:26) 4. Larmes de joie (5:02) 5. Dévoreur d’étoiles (6:00) 6. Train mort (4:03) 7. Frelon ivre (4:40) 8. Blanche réalité (5:35) 9. Demain J’abandonne (4:04) 10. À Jamais radieuse (5:52) Full runtime: 50:28
IMPURE WILHELMINA was founded in 1996 and made a name for itself in the early2000s, with a series of iconic albums – I Can’t Believe I was Born in July (2003) and L’amour, la mort, l’enfance perdue (2005) along with several European tours. Little by little, the quartet led by guitarist and vocalist Michael Schindl won over the hearts of a now loyal fan base, who appreciate how the band turns dark themes into a universe of healing sound.
Impure Wilhelmina’s story is also one of perpetual renewal. The band’s sound has evolved from its gritty beginnings to more mature, melodic productions driven by clear magnetic vocals. Black Honey (2014), Radiation (2017) and Antidote (2021), widely appraised by critics, pushed horizons further yet for the band, signed to the label Season of Mist since 2015.
Throughout the years, Impure Wilhelmina has played hundreds of shows across Europe, performing at underground venues and large festivals alike, including opening for icons such as Gojira, Baroness, Amenra, Sólstafir and Crippled Black Phoenix.
Since 2023, the band has been working on its next album to follow Antidote. The process is enriched by the arrival of new guitarist Edouard Nicod, joining Sébastien Dutruel (bass), Mario Togni (drums) and Michael Schindl (guitar and vocals). Their new album entitled Le sanglot, set to be released by Season of Mist in 2026, will showcase the band’s next radical yet organically logical transformation: lyrics entirely in French, unleashing dimensions of sound you wouldn’t expect, with renewed creative energy.
« Rescapé de l’ancien monde, touché par la grâce »
Line-up: Michael Schindl — Vocals, Guitar Mario Togni — Drums Sébastien Dutruel — Bass Edouard Nicod — Guitar Marion Leclercq (Mütterlein) — Guest Vocals on “Train mort”
French post metal band Lost In Kyiv have unveiled their new single ‘Becoming’, featuring haunting guest vocals from Rebecca Need-Menear (i Häxa, Anavae). This is the third single released from their new album We’re All Going To Be Fine, out 19th June 2026 via Pelagic Records.
Tenderness and tension move together as the rising intricacies of electronica and acoustic instrumentation constantly build, support and evolve. Poetry, harmony, heavy peaks and atmospheric passages are sculpted with precision and patience, constantly redefining the energy of the piece whilst keeping the emotional centre, solicitude, a depth of empathetic feeling that permeates ‘Becoming’.
The band comment on the single: “If the album explores the tension between hope and inner collapse, ‘Becoming’ is the moment the glass shatters and your eyes finally open. It is our most atmospheric and melodic song on the album, elevated by our first-ever collaboration with a female singer. Rebecca Need-Menear perfectly embodies this fragile state between dreaming and living.”
Over the course of more than a decade, Lost In Kyiv have refined a sound that fuses cinematic ambition, electronic precision, and visceral live energy into something unmistakably their own. With their new album, We’re All Going To Be Fine, they push that identity further than ever; sharpening their production, intensifying their dynamics, and embracing a darker, more immersive sonic architecture. Lost In Kyiv comment: “We’re All Going To Be Fine explores the tension between hope and inner collapse, and how modern life can disconnect us from ourselves and each other. The songs were inspired by personal experiences, societal pressure, and the idea that we often become our own worst enemy. We were also inspired by the work of Carl Gustav Jung (who is the voice at the end of the album), especially his ideas about exploring the human psyche, as well as themes from movies like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or Melancholia.”
Lost in Kyiv’s music has always thrived on tension between the organic and the synthetic. On We’re All Going To Be Fine, that integration reaches a new level of clarity and depth. The writing and production process was long and exacting, allowing the band to refine every transition and tonal detail. Songs unfold with architectural precision, motifs are introduced subtly before expanding into vast, multi-layered climaxes. Dynamics are handled with patience and control, silence and minimalism are deployed as strategically as explosive crescendos. This careful pacing gives the album a cinematic flow and larger narrative in which struggle and compassion coexist.
Guitars surge and recede in wide, panoramic arcs. At moments they shimmer and support, at others they thrash violently, accumulating layers of distortion and harmonic overtones. Acoustic instrumentation is interwoven with sequenced synth lines, pulsing arpeggiators, and carefully sculpted electronic textures that give the band’s sound a sense of forward propulsion.
Lost in Kyiv continue:“We always wanted to write music around strong themes, and for the first time, we decided to focus on something more internal than on previous albums. Our last four albums, except maybe Nuit Noire, were more about broader and more general themes. This time, we wanted to explore the fragility of mental health and the human psyche, the relation we have with ourself.”
Progressive metal pioneers SAVATAGE can’t wait to return to Europe in just a few weeks with their highly anticipated “Prelude To Madness” Tour, featuring nine headline performances and multiple festival appearances across Europe this summer. The 2026 tour will feature Savatage’s current powerhouse lineup: vocalist Zak Stevens, guitarists Al Pitrelli and Chris Caffery, bassist Johnny Lee Middleton, and drummer Jeff Plate, who has now announced that a good friend will take his place behind the drums for the first two shows — Sweden Rock and Heavy Week-End in early June. Here’s the statement straight from Jeff himself:
“Hey Savatage fans, hey friends. Jeff Plate here. I hope everyone is doing well, getting ready for summer and getting ready to enjoy some live music wherever you might be. Speaking of, Savatage has two amazing shows coming up in the first week of June. For the very first time, the band will be performing at Sweden Rock on June 4, followed by Heavy Week-End in France on June 5. Sharing the stage with Iron Maiden and Sabaton respectively, these are going to be fantastic shows.
Unfortunately, I will not be able to be there with the band for these two shows. Three years ago I experienced very intense, chronic nosebleeds which resulted in some dangerous blood loss and serious health concerns. This issue was taken care of surgically and all has been good — until a few weeks ago, when the bleeds started again. Having gone through this before, my management and I decided it was best that I not travel, especially by air, until this issue is again addressed and resolved. In my place will be Blas Elias, who has been part of the Savatage/TSO family for a decade and is the perfect man for the job. Blas is a huge fan of the music and has already played some of these songs live with TSO. His years working with Al Pitrelli and Johnny Middleton will make this a seamless transition — the band will be tight and flawless and sound fantastic.
It goes without saying how disappointed I am, but things happen and health is the obvious priority. Having said that, I am confident my doctors will take care of this problem and I will be back with the band in July for the next run in Europe. Thank you in advance for your concern, support, and well wishes. If you are lucky enough to see Savatage at these festivals, raise your fists, sing along, and enjoy some of the best progressive metal music ever written! Take care, everyone — I will see you soon!”
The “Prelude To Madness” Tour promises an explosive setlist spanning the band’s catalog of classic anthems and deep cuts, reinforcing Savatage’s dedication to their legendary devoted fanbase known as “The Legion.” Fans can expect the raw energy and musical craftsmanship that have been intensifying during the band’s transformative decade away from touring. The tour marks the band’s continued triumphant return to the stage, following their successful 2025 European comeback after a nearly two-decade hiatus, with Armored Saint, Vision Divine, and Nevermore joining Savatage on select dates. Looking ahead in their four-decade career, the band is also looking forward to a number of firsts on this upcoming tour — including cities they’ve never played before and a show at the historic Amphitheatre of Pompeii, where they will perform alongside an orchestra for one unforgettable evening.
SAVATAGE “PRELUDE TO MADNESS” SUMMER 2026 TOUR DATES
4 June 2026 –Sölvesborg, Sweden – Sweden Rock Festival* 5 June 2026 – Maxeville/Nancy, France – Heavy Week-End* 19 July 2026 – Istanbul, Turkey – Life Park (NEW VENUE) 21 July 2026 – Bucharest, Romania – Arenele Romane Open Air (Special Guest: Trooper) 23 July 2026 – Plovdiv, Bulgaria – BE4 Hills* 25 July 2026 – Athens, Greece – Release Athens* 27 July 2026 – Pompeii, Italy – Amphitheatre of Pompeii VERY SPECIAL SHOW WITH ORCHESTRA 28 July 2026 – Este, Italy – Castello Carrarese (Special Guest: Vision Divine) 30 July 2026 – Wacken, Germany – Wacken Open Air* 1 August 2026 – Tilburg, Netherlands – O13 3 August 2026 – Pratteln, Switzerland – Z7 Open Air (Special Guest: Nevermore) 5 August 2026 – Villena, Spain – Leyendas Del Rock* 7 August 2026 – Kortrijk, Belgium – Alcatraz Festival* 8 August 2026 – Hamburg, Germany – Elbriot* 9 August 2026 – Geiselwind, Germany – Keep It True* 11 August 2026 – Warsaw, Poland – Progresja (Special Guests: Nevermore & Armored Saint) 12 August 2026 – Leipzig, Germany – Parkbühne (Special Guest: Nevermore) 13 August 2026 – Bonn, Germany – KUNST!RASEN (Special Guest: Nevermore) 15 August 2026 – Moravský Krumlov, Czech Republic – Rock Castle*
THE ROCK ALCHEMIST – Italian Rock Band from Turin with a strong sonic identity that blends modern rock with progressive, hard, alternative, and pop elements!
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 