Paul Gilbert re-releases his 1991 album Tribute to Jimi Hendrix via Music Theories Recordings / Artone Label Group – celebrating its 35th Anniversary, it becomes officially available digitally for the first time.
Listen to Gilbert’s take on ‘Highway Chile.’ Talking about the song, he says, “When I was 5 years old, my uncle Jimi Kidd insisted that I buy the “War Heroes” album by Jimi Hendrix. I dutifully bought it, and “Highway Chile” quickly became one of my favorite songs.”
Check out Gilbert’s interpretation of ‘Highway Chile’ HERE
It’s the album that almost never was, or never should have been. Picture the scene, it’s 2 June 1991 and Paul Gilbert was invited to the Frankfurt Jazz Festival in Germany to trade a few solos with Albert Collins, who was headlining the festival.
At the time Gilbert was riding high with Mr Big and Lean Into It had not long been released. “I was already in Europe, finishing up a Mr. Big tour, so the travel would be easy. I said, “Yes!,” Gilbert says.
However, shortly after arriving at the venue, Gilbert learned that Collins had suffered a sudden health issue and would be unable to perform. “The promoter was panicking and asked me to be the headlining act instead,” Gilbert says. “I didn’t have a band with me. And I didn’t have any solo material prepared.”
The promoter quickly assembled a backing band using the bassist and drummer from Ten Years After, the group led by Alvin Lee, who were also appearing at the festival.
It was only hours before showtime. “The only thing I could think to do was to quickly rehearse some Jimi Hendrix songs and make the solos long enough to fill up a whole set. I told the promoter, “We only have time to learn 5 songs, so I’m going to have to play REALLY LONG SOLOS.” The promoter said, “It’s a jazz festival! That will be great!”
So the band and Paul jumped into rehearsal, and a couple hours later, did the show with scorching renditions of ‘Red House.’ ‘Hey Joe,’ ‘Highway Chile,’ ‘Midnight’ and ‘Purple Haze’ – “It turned out great,” he says. “I don’t think I’ve ever played such long solos in my life!”
Track listing 1. Red House 2. Hey Joe 3. Highway Chile 4. Midnight 5. Purple Haze
Having balanced tradition and innovation for over three decades, Taake remains fiercely independent while continually pushing its own creative boundaries. That uncompromising vision finds new expression on the ninth full-length album, En Skog av Nidstang.
Past years of increasing isolation, detached from contemporary trends and largely removed from the influence of other music, the creative drive of songwriter Hoest has only intensified, resulting in four expansive compositions that flow naturally from the inspired mindset behind 2023’s critically acclaimed Et Hav av Avstand.
The recordings for En Skog av Nidstang were completed south of Bergen, in the moss-covered forests around the island of Borgøy. In the surroundings depicted by the ill-fated Norwegian painter Lars Hertervig, Taake embraced the focused seclusion of the landscape, relying less on modern technology or studio excess, but on intuition, confinement, creativity, and a mastery of the rudimentary tools of the trade.
And today, fans will, for the first time, get a taste of the album with the release of the track “Einstoeingen og Eg” which can be downloaded or streamed at: https://orcd.co/einstoeingen-og-eg
En Skog av Nidstang sounds unmistakably like Taake. Reckless thrashing riffs mix with brooding gloom, chilling melodies emerge from violent intensity, and moments of desolate reflection give way to untamed aggression. The result is an album that celebrates the enduring power of an unyielding artistic vision; proof that, after 33 years, Taake remains as vital, distinctive and relevant as ever.
Recorded, mixed and produced by Bjørnar Erevik Nilsen (VULTURE INDUSTRIES) and mastered by Øystein G. Brun (BORKNAGAR), track listing for “En Skog av Nidstang” is as follows:
Einstoeingen og Eg
Et Dyr tok min Hud
Engler
Av Guds ville Naade
En Skog av Nidstang will be available in jewel case CD, digipak CD, Cassette, LP (the first pressing of which will contain an A2 Poster), Ltd Edition White and Transparent LPs (limited to 500 copies each) and Digital formats.
Plans are being drawn up for multiple tours, and in the meantime, TAAKE has been confirmed for the following appearances:
01 Aug: Full Rewind, Flugplatz Roitzschjora, D 06 Aug: Monument, Göteborg, SE 07 Aug: Kollektivet Livet, Stockholm, SE 08 Aug: Club Destroyer, Sundvall, SE 12 Aug: Midgardsblot, Borre, NO 21 Aug: Wolfszeit, Eisfeld, D 04 Sep: Barrak Music Hrad, Ostrava, CZ 30 Okt: Det Akademiske Kvarter, Bergen, NO 17 Dec – 20 Dec: Metalowa Wigilia X-Mass 2026 more to be announced
Yesterday officially kicked off the start of RIVERS OF NIHIL‘s 2026 European summer dates including shows in support of Queensrÿche along with headline and festival dates – the first being tonight in Köln, Germany with Queensrÿche at Essigfabrik and concluding on July 2 in Lindau, Germany at Club Vaudeville. The run also sees RIVERS OF NIHIL performing on stages at Into The Grave Fest (NL), Hellfest Fest (FR), Graspop Fest (BE), and Tuska Fest (FI). Full list of dates below.
In honor of this tour, RIVERS OF NIHIL have posted a live video performance of “Hellbirds” shot at a sold-out Tavastia in Helsinki, Finland, March 16, 2025 from the band’s headline run. Watch HERE!
The band comments; “This live version of ‘Hellbirds’ comes from our 2025 EU headlining tour with Cynic, Beyond Creation, and Daath. We had a blast headlining in Helsinki for the first time and we are looking forward to playing for all of you again in a few weeks at Tuska!“
RIVERS OF NIHIL Europe Summer 2026: 06-12-26 DE Köln Essigfabrik w/ Queensrÿche 06-13-26 DE Vechta Gulfhaus Headline Show 06-14-26 NL Leeuwbergen Into The Grave Fest 06-16-26 DE Hamburg Markthalle w/ Queensrÿche 06-17-26 DE Frankfurt Batschkapp w/ Queensrÿche 06-18-26 FR Clisson Hellfest Fest 06-20-26 BE Dessel Graspop Fest 06-22-26 GB Manchester Club Academy w/ Queensrÿche 06-23-26 GB London Islington Assembly Hall w/ Queensrÿche 06-25-26 PL Warsaw Hybrydy Headline Show 06-26-26 LV Riga Melna Piektdiena Headline Show 06-27-26 FI Helsinki Tuska Fest 06-29-26 SE Gothenburg Monument Headline Show 06-30-26 SE Lund Mejeriet w/ Queensrÿche 07-01-26 DE Hannover Pavillon w/ Queensrÿche 07-02-26 DE Lindau Club Vaudeville w/ Queensrÿche
RIVERS OF NIHIL‘s eponymous fifth full-length, released on May 30th, 2025 via Metal Blade Records, reaped 2.8 million Spotify streams globally and toppled Billboard charts upon its first week of release earning the band’s self-titled release charting positions worldwide, along with plenty of accolades from press and influencers, which can be seen below.
European Chart Entries from release day/week: #60 Official Top 100 Albums DE weekly #21 Official Top 100 Albums Downloaded DE weekly #22 Official Top 100 Albums Midweek DE weekly #9 iTunes Top 10 Albums AT daily #33 iTunes Top 100 Albums DE daily #87 Official Top 100 Albums CH weekly #12 Official Top 20 Rock/Metal Albums DE weekly #44 Official Top 75 Albums AT weekly
USA – Billboard: #2 Current Hard Music Albums #7 Current Rock Albums #7 Independent Label Albums #9 Current Digital Albums #23 Current Album Sales
Canada – Billboard: #1 Hard Music Albums #7 Current Digital Albums #8 Top Current Albums #23 LP Vinyl Sales
Australian iTunes Entries from release day: #1 Metal Chart #7 Rock Chart #28 ALL Chart
“It’s not just album marketing speak to say that this genuinely feels like a new era for the band,” wrote Decibel Magazine. Blabbermouth concurred crowning the offering, “one of this year’s most unmissable metal (and prog) records… RIVERS OF NIHIL are beginning to sound unstoppable,” while Metal Injection lauded a record that’s, “sonically sound, emotionally poignant, experimental in the right places.”
The praise didn’t stop here with outlets across the globe chiming in with their take on the band’s self-titled release. “RIVERS OF NIHIL dare to experiment, and it pays off” says Deaf Forever (Germany) who gave the release an 8/10 while Arrow Lords of Metal (Netherlands) gave the album a 9.5/10 stating “This is progressive death metal of the highest level!” FUZE (Germany) said “For several years now, RIVERS OF NIHIL have stood for more than just progressive death metal, and with their self-titled album, they are pushing this development even further. Thus, this work perhaps lays the perfect foundation for what may yet come in the band’s hopefully long career.”
Watch RIVERS OF NIHIL‘s videos for “House Of Light,” “American Death,” and “Water & Time” HERE.
RIVERS OF NIHIL: Adam Biggs – bass guitar, vocals Andy Thomas – guitar, vocals Brody Uttley – guitar, piano, keys, programming Jared Klein – drums, vocals
GRAMMY nominated guitarist and songwriter Samantha Fish is pleased to announce the release of her new live album Paper Doll Live and new live single “Rusty Razor Live.” The album is available on vinyl, CD and digital HERE.
The new single “Rusty Razor Live” is accompanied by a live performance video that can be viewed on YouTube HERE.
Stream all the video performances from the live album from the YouTube playlist HERE.
Fish’s first official live album, Paper Doll Live, captures the electrifying stage presence that has made her one of the most compelling performers in modern blues and roots music. Recorded at Knoxville’s historic Bijou Theatre, Paper Doll Live marks Samantha Fish’s first official live album. Capturing a band firing on all cylinders in front of a packed crowd, the record features soaring harmonies from Nashville gospel legends The McCrary Sisters and showcases the raw intensity that has made Fish one of the most celebrated live performers in contemporary roots music.
Samantha Fish’s electrifying stage presence is on full display on Paper Doll Live, a collection that captures the acclaimed guitarist, singer, and songwriter at her most powerful. As PopMatters notes, the album finds Fish “doing what she does better than almost anybody currently wandering the American roots-and-blues highway: taking a stage and turning it into a weather system.”
Her reputation as a live performer is equally celebrated by Vintage Guitar, which calls her “a triple-threat performer” and declares that “you’d be hard-pressed to find a better, blues-based rock-and-roll show.” Throughout the set, Fish delivers what Offbeat describes as “punchy songs, impassioned vocals, [and] tear-it-up guitar solos,” while Guitar Player praises Paper Doll Live as “arguably Fish’s most authentic concert souvenir.”
The two-time GRAMMY nominee has built her reputation the old-school way: onstage, with a live show critics have called “wild, raunchy… an absolute must-see” and praised for its “savage guitar work and commanding stage presence.” Paper Doll Live captures that energy in full force — raw, immediate, and impossible to fake.
“There’s a fire that comes across in live performance that doesn’t always translate in studio albums,” says Fish. “The stage lays all of that bare.”
Emerging from Kansas City’s rich blues lineage and shaped by influences ranging from Prince and Leonard Cohen to the legends of Mississippi Hill Country blues, Fish has spent her career transforming live performance into both proving ground and catharsis. From cold-calling bars as a teenager to headlining international festivals, she has forged a live show that balances grit, vulnerability, and explosive musicianship.
“If Paper Doll was a declaration of artistic power,” Fish says, “Paper Doll Live is the sound of that power unleashed.
With the release of Paper Doll Live and tour dates stateside and internationally ahead, Samantha Fish continues to cement her status as one of the most electrifying live performers in modern roots music.
A 2x GRAMMY-nominated guitarist, singer, and songwriter, Samantha Fish is widely recognized as one of the most dynamic artists in contemporary blues and roots music. The Kansas City Hall of Fame inductee and multiple Blues Music Award winner has built a global following through relentless touring, fearless songwriting, and critically acclaimed releases including Runaway, Black Wind Howlin’, Wild Heart,Chills & Fever, Kill or Be Kind, Faster, the chart-topping collaboration Death Wish Blues with Jesse Dayton, and Paper Doll. Fish has shared stages with artists including Slash and The Rolling Stones and has appeared at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival. She continues to push boundaries while delivering electrifying performances that connect deeply with audiences around the world.
6.19 Grolloo, Netherlands – Holland Intl Blues Festival 6.20 Dortmund, Germany – Musiktheater Piano 6.21 Chiari, Italy – Istituto Salesiaino “San Bernadino” 6.23 Loceri, Italy – Parco Urbano 6.25 Rubigen, Switzerland – Muhle Hunziken 6.27 Vienne, France – Jazz a Vienne 6.28 Erlangen, Germany – E-Werk Kino 6.30 Mannheim, Germany – 7er-Club 7.01 Aschaffenburg, Germany – Colos-Saal 7.02 Hamburg, Germany – Fabrik 7.04 Helsinki – Puisto Blues 7.23 Rochester, New York – Martin Luther Jr Memorial Park at Manhattan Sqaure 8.14 Lincoln, CA – Thunder Valley Casino Resort 9.11 New Braunfels, TX – Brauntex Performing Arts Theater 9.12 Dalas, TX – The Kessler Theater 9.13 Houston, TX – The Heights Theater 9.16 Colorado Springs, CO – Phil Long Music Hall 9.18 Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater 9.20 Telluride, CO – Telluride Blues & Brews Festival 9.23 Monterey, CA – Golden State Theater 9.24 Napa, CA – Uptown Theater Napa 9.25 San Luis Obispo, CA – Fremont Theaer 9.26 Grass Valley, CA – The Center For the Arts 9.27 Menlo Park, CA – The Guild Theater 9.29 Portland, OR – Revolution Hall 10.3 Everett, WA – Kings Hall Everett 10.4 Sandpoint, ID – Panida Theater Inc 10.31 West Hollywood, CA – Whisky A Go Go***
Today marks the release of the highly anticipated new studio album stop/go by art rock sensation Ok Goodnight. To celebrate the occasion, the band has unveiled an impressive third single ‘Top of the Bottom’. The track unfolds gradually, evolving from a progressive foundation driven by constantly shifting rhythms into dense walls of sound centered around Casey Lee Williams‘ immense vocal power. It ultimately reaches its climax with a metal-inspired breakdown and an impressive guitar solo by Eve, who is currently touring with the band as live lead guitarist. The single is accompanied by a haunting black-and-white music video in which childhood memories collide with elements of horror, once again showcasing Ok Goodnight‘s artistic finesse and creative ambition.
Vocalist Casey Lee Williams comments: “At heart, we’ve always felt moved and empowered whencreating with heavy sounds and themes in our music, and this song is no exception. ‘Top of the Bottom’ explores humanity’s common obsession with the idea of sin, self-hatred, and cult mentalities. It felt extremely cathartic to write this track and to continue expressing ourselves in a metal soundscape with some newfound techniques and production methods.”
Ok Goodnight gained attention on the international music scene with their previous album The Fox and the Bird (2023), which was highly acclaimed by fans and critics alike. Eclipsed (DE) labeled it “the prog discovery of the year!” and Rock Hard (DE) called it “the best concept work of the year and an absolute prog highlight.” Like The Fox and the Bird in its time, the new album stop/go will be released without the support of a label, to ensure that the quartet from Boston – formed by graduates of Berklee College of Music – can continue to unfold their creative vision with total freedom while retaining their adventurous spirit.
Ok Goodnight consists of musicians who honed their skills while studying at Berklee College of Music. Casey Lee Williams (vocals), Martín de Lima (piano/guitar), Augusto Bussio (drums/guitar), and Peter de Reyna (bass) combine refined musicianship with creative artistry.
In early 2019, the band released their first single, ‘Rapture’, followed later that year by their debut album, Limbo. In 2020, they released an EP titled Under the Veil. In 2023,Ok Goodnight self-released the concept album The Fox and the Bird to worldwide critical acclaim.
After three years of touring and writing, Ok Goodnight now look ahead to the release of their new album. stop/go promises a fresh artistic approach to progressive sounds, organically crossing genre boundaries between rock, metal, and beyond. The introspective lyrics by vocalist Casey Lee Williams reflect ever-changing relationships and the challenges of finding one’s true direction in an enigmatic world.
The band’s new material showcases a collaborative and multifaceted approach to songwriting, with sonic explorations that push creative boundaries. Through their distinctive use of sampling, live performance, and sound design, the group continues to expand the scope of progressive rock. The album’s visual direction focuses on collage to encapsulate the eclectic nature of the band’s music, as the songs on stop/go aim to embody the ethos of mixed-media art.
To celebrate this upcoming milestone release, Ok Goodnight will perform a series of shows throughout 2026, including appearances at Mad With Power Fest in the US, Midsummer Prog Fest in the Netherlands, and select club dates across Europe. To top things off, the band will hit the road again in late 2026 to headline their third North American tour in four years.
Ok Goodnight about their new album stop/go: “After three years of rediscovering Ok Goodnight, writing music in new and exciting ways, and realizing together that this has grown far beyond a college project into a lifelong passion, we are happier than ever to share this new record. With ‘stop/go’, we wanted to encapsulate the feelings often brought upon by the ever-changing landscape of humanity and the societies we experience on such a mass scale. This album explores the themes of cause and effect, taking chances/risks, and the question of free will and how love plays an ultimate role in the way one’s life unfolds and takes all kinds of shapes before them. By the end of the record, we’ve embodied true acceptance of the complexity of human nature and all of the emotions and concepts we’ve explored; we seek empowerment in the comfort of long-lasting friendships and all of life’s beautiful, unpredictable contradictions.”
stop/go track list:
01. No Sound 02. 22 03. Top of the Bottom 04. The Game 05. Spiral 06. Call Me Away 07. The Show 08. Humpty Dumpty (“Some Body!”) 09. The People 10. Where I’m From
Catch Ok Goodnight live this summer! June 5, 2026 – US – Mad With Power – Madison, WI – The Sylvee (with Seven Spires, Twilight Force, and more) June 18, 2026 – EU – Rüsselsheim am Main, DE – Das Rind (with Quidam) June 19, 2026 – EU – Zwolle, NL – Hedon (with Benthos and URSA) June 20, 2026 – EU – Midsummer Prog – Maastricht, NL – Muziekgieterij (with Geoff Tate, Tesseract, and more)
Ok Goodnight are: Casey Lee Williams – Lyrics, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, SFX Martín de Lima – Keyboards, Guitars, Orchestrations, Backing Vocals, SFX Augusto Bussio – Drums, Guitars, Backing Vocals, SFX Peter de Reyna – Bass, Backing Vocals, SFX
Hot on the heels of their explosive summer releases and performances, cinematic hard rock outfit Bastion Rose unveils their most technically ambitious and aggressive track to date: “Waiting.” Available now, the new single is a masterclass in complex, heavy intensity, marking a towering new chapter in the band’s rapidly expanding Blue Rising era.
Drawing undeniable sonic parallels to the intricate, heavy architecture of Tool—a connection made all the more resonant by the band’s previous work with legendary Tool producer David Bottrill on their Traces of Gold and Fade To Blue records—”Waiting” is a sprawling, progressive journey.
The track explores the visceral struggle of self-realization, confronting the internal fires and self-deceptions that keep us trapped.
“’Waiting’ is about that terrifying moment when you finally stop projecting your chaos onto the world and realize the fire is actually raging inside your own head,” says frontman Austin Frink. “It’s about the sheer exhaustion of trying to survive, of ‘bleeding to come alive’ when you feel completely alone. Musically, we needed a sound that was as intense and complex as that internal struggle. This is easily one of the heaviest, most demanding tracks we’ve ever written.”
Bastion Rose are positioning themselves as one of the most formidable emerging acts in heavy music. With recent features in SPIN, Metal Hammer, and Classic Rock Magazine, the band is currently building an undeniable arsenal of material ahead of a highly anticipated 2026 international touring cycle.
Bastion Rose is a cinematic hard rock project based in Bloomington, Indiana. Known for their sophisticated fusion of monumental 70s-era grooves and 2000s era alternative metal intensity, the band has earned international recognition for their high-caliber production and narrative-driven songwriting. Following their David Bottrill-produced debut Traces of Gold, the band is currently unveiling the next chapter of their evolution with the album Blue Rising.
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 ) 