In 1986, legendary vocalist Paul Di’Anno who was the unmistakable original voice behind Iron Maiden’s formative years launched a bold new chapter with the release of Fighting Back, the explosive debut album from Battlezone. Following his departure from Iron Maiden, Di’Anno refused to look backward. Instead, he forged ahead, assembling Battlezone to deliver a fresh assault of raw British heavy metal power. Originally released through Raw Power Records in the UK, Fighting Back captured Di’Anno’s unmistakable grit and intensity while showcasing a revitalized creative fire that reaffirmed his status as one of metal’s most commanding frontmen.
Featuring standout tracks including “Welcome to the Battlezone,” “Warchild,” “Running Blind,” and the title anthem “(Forever) Fighting Back,” the album fused aggressive riffs, streetwise energy, and melodic power into a statement of resilience and reinvention. Recorded in East London and produced by Ian Richardson alongside the band, the record introduced a formidable lineup featuring guitarists John Hurley and John Wiggins, bassist Pete West, and drummer Bob Falck.
Four decades later, Fighting Back remains an essential document of 1980s heavy metal and to celebrate this 40th Anniversary Deko Entertainment has remastered and repackaged this landmark release from the former Iron Maiden frontman. It will be available in August on 180G vinyl in two Limited Edition colors, CD, and contains the bonus track “Rising Star”.
For fans of classic heavy metal, collectors of NWOBHM history, and those who continue to celebrate the enduring legacy of Paul Di’Anno, Fighting Back stands as a powerful reminder of an artist who never stopped fighting.
(Forever) Fighting Back Welcome To The Battlezone Warchild In The Darkness The Land God Gave To Caine Running Blind Too Much To Heart Voice on the Radio Welfare Warriors Feel The Rock Rising Star (Bonus Track)
Following the seismic impact of his recent singles “Rose McGowan” ft Rose McGowan and the Corey Taylor-assisted “Blame,” KID BOOKIE – the artist who famously refuses to be boxed in – has officially announced his new full-length studio album, ‘Cheaper Than Therapy II,’ arriving October 16th via FLG Records.
KID BOOKIE has spent over a decade dismantling the barriers between UK rap, alternative rock, and heavy metal. From his early days earning recognition on BBC Radio 1Xtra to his MOBO nomination for Best Alternative Music Act, BOOKIE has evolved into a formidable voice in the British alternative scene. ‘Cheaper Than Therapy II‘ serves as the definitive evolution of his 2021 predecessor, blending trap aggression with soaring melodic hooks and unflinching emotional honesty.
The 11-track project is a masterclass in collaboration, and features a diverse roster of icons that reflect BOOKIE’s unpredictable creative universe. The album sees a return of his long-standing creative bond with Slipknot’s Corey Taylor on the searing track “BLAME,” and features a historic collaboration with Rose McGowan. The record also boasts appearances from UK rap royalty Lady Leshurr, Shona McGarty, and a special interlude from Kate Nash.
Produced largely by long-time collaborator Ziey Kizzy alongside BOOKIE himself, and featuring production from Sid Wilson (Slipknot) and Romesh Dodangoda (Bring Me The Horizon, Nova Twins), the album – recorded at ETB Audio Visual – boasts a sonic collision of icons and emotion.
Central to the album’s emotional core is the new single “Prettier.” Confronting the harrowing realities of domestic abuse and the vital importance of highlighting difficult subjects, Bookie uses the track to demand a higher level of honesty in art.
“’Prettier‘ continues the story of ‘Pretty’ from ‘Volume 1,’ digging into the thoughts and feelings that keep us tethered to toxicity,” says BOOKIE. “We stay because of rose-tinted lenses, whether in romance or any relationship that fails its intended purpose. I chose to create a video inspired by the fact that hope doesn’t always win; life doesn’t always favour the brave or the hurt. Happy endings are a fallacy – portraying life in its most brutal form is the true reality. I do this because creating uncomfortable moments triggers reflection. I hold no reservations in challenging the status quo; it’s important to bring to light what is done in the dark to tell the stories that usually go unspoken.”
Disclaimer: This video contains scenes of domestic violence, sexual assault, and suicide. Viewer discretion is highly advised.
‘Cheaper Than Therapy II’ captures KID BOOKIE at the height of his powers, trading underground cult status for undeniable main character energy. After storming the UK iTunes Rock Chart Top 10 and cementing his place on the Official Independent Charts with 2024’s ‘Songs For The Living // Songs For The Dead,’ BOOKIE has evolved beyond the “breakthrough” labels. He isn’t just a contender; he’s the one setting the pace for the entire genre.
Speaking on the spirit of the new record, KID BOOKIE shares:
“‘Cheaper Than Therapy II’ is the closest thing to a full circle fuck you imaginable. After losing a home, a relationship, friends, family, agents, labels, and more, there was a time I had no hope but a remnant of a dream and a small flame. “Cheaper Than Therapy” was always about giving the underdog their moments, not just me. An underground artist bringing the legends and stars of rock and beyond into a melting pot of post-genre feeling and mood whilst asking them to bare their truths in audio format. Bringing through similar guests from Volume 1, CTT2 aims to show that through all life throws at you, whether you’re the maverick, the disruptor, or able to bring the people together, doing it on your own terms for the sake of redemption was the therapy we all needed. Welcome to ‘Cheaper Than Therapy II.’”
Tracklist: H.A.T.E BLAME (ft. Corey Taylor) Familiar (ft. Lady Leshurr) C.E.L.A.Y.N (ft. Ziey Kizzy) Rose McGowan (ft. Rose McGowan) Prettier Day After Day (ft. Shona McGarty) Kate Nash’s Interlude (ft. Kate Nash) Disasterpiece Hold You Down Still Stuck In My Ways
[Photo Credit: Chantik Photography by Sonja Schuringa]
After recently unveiling their new album title track “Far From God” to an overwhelmingly positive response from fans worldwide, with both the single and its official music video rapidly gaining strong streaming numbers across platforms, Portuguese Dark Metal pioneers MOONSPELL now return with the next haunting chapter from their forthcoming studio album. Following a frenetically-acclaimed live appearance at Wave Gothic Treffen just a few nights ago, today, the band releases the official music video for their brand new single, the album opening track “Cross Your Heart”.
Where “Far From God” explored tragic vampiric romance and the spiritual decay of modern Gothic Metal, “Cross Your Heart” turns its gaze toward the endless roads that connect and separate us. Blending the classic atmosphere of the band’s legendary Irreligious era with a modern and sharper edge, the song unfolds as a dark, melancholic and emotionally gripping anthem. Driven by brooding melodies, grounded riffing and emotional depth, “Cross Your Heart” pairs Fernando Ribeiro’s unmistakable vocals with a reflection on mortality, memory and the fragile nature of life spent in motion.
Fernando Ribeiro comments on the track: “Reminiscent of Irreligious with a modern and dark twist, this gothic metal song tells us about the shrines that we can frequently find on the roads of all countries in the world and that are erected as a painful memory to those who departed in car and bike crashes, often too soon, every time too painfully. Like a band who made miles upon miles and a few crashes themselves, we are privileged observers of the daily and nightly life on the roads, the promised cities, the bitter disappointments, the anguish of a portable life. Before such powers we can only cross our heart and hope to live enough before our time does come.”
Born out of five years of creative searching, doubt and ultimate rediscovery, their forthcoming album marks a powerful return for the band. Far from playing it safe, MOONSPELL deliver a work that feels like a rebirth: darker, sharper and emotionally unfiltered. Rather than bending to modern trends, the band double down on identity and substance, presenting a bold and beautiful statement of Gothic Metal in its purest essence: dark, romantic, dramatic and unapologetically heavy.
Thematically, Far From God moves through Baudelairian love, existential guilt and redemption, Christlike resurrections and the quiet nobility of creatures of the night. Vampires, werewolves and sacred symbolism are not escapism here, but vehicles for genuine dark emotion: solemn, romantic and unfiltered. The album rejects artificial gloss in favour of fantasy grounded in sincerity, rediscovering the heart of Gothic Metal in its most authentic form.
Far from God– produced with Jaime Gomez Arellano (Paradise Lost, Sólstafir, Ghost among many others) – shines like a black diamond, luminous yet shadowed in texture and colour, both musically and sonically. It reconnects with the darker spirit of MOONSPELL’s classic era while sounding powerful and contemporary. Far From Godis not nostalgia; it is a statement. A Gothic Metal hallelujah. MOONSPELL’s21st century Irreligious. It’s not only a powerful reminder that MOONSPELL remain a defining force in the genre they helped shape, but an album that will truly save Gothic Metal from boredom and predictability!
[Artwork painted by Eliran Kantor]
Far From God will be released on July 3, 2026 via Napalm Records. Pre-order the album HERE!
Far From God Tracklist: 1. Cross Your Heart 2. Far From God 3. Biblical 4. The Great Wolf in the Sky (ft. Alicia Nuhro on strings) 5. Your Promise of Light 6. For the Love of Mortals 7. Our Freedom to Fall 8. Reconquista
MOONSPELL upcoming Live Dates 2026:
02.07.2026 (PT) Porto de Mós – Festas de São Pedro 10.07.2026 (FI) Kotka – Dark River Festival 16.07.2026 (PL) Bolków – Castle Party Festival 02.08.2026 (BU) Plovdiv – Ancient Theatre of Plovdiv (Opus Diabolicum Orchestra Show) 06.08.2026 (DE) Schlotheim – Party.San Metal Open Air 28.08.2026 (RO) Câmpulung Muscel – Posada Rock Festival 12.09.2026 (PT) Sintra – Quinta da Ribafria 18.09.2026 (UK) London – Cosmic Void Festival 19.09.2026 (TR) Istanbul – Bosphorus Open Air Metal Fest 31.10.2026 (PT) Porto – Hard Club (Halloween Show)
MOONSPELL is: Fernando Ribeiro – Vocals Ricardo Amorim – Guitars Pedro Paixão – Keys Aires Pereira – Bass Hugo Ribeiro – Drums
Canadian metal maverick Devin Townsend recently announced the long-awaited release of his ambitious, orchestral-metal opus ‘The Moth’, out 29th May 2026 via InsideOutMusic.
Now, he has revealed another part of The Moth narrative in the shape of the visceral and heavy double-single ‘Prepare For War / The Big Snit’. Watch the video, directed by Studio Sparks, below.
UK progressive, alternative metal band HAKEN return with their first new music in 3 years, in the shape of ‘in a fever dream’. This new track sees the band working with a producer for the very first time, bringing George Lever (Loathe, Sleep Token ) on board to help shape the next stage of the band, crafting some of the most emotionally direct material of the bands career so far. For this track, the band enlisted renowned bassist Bryan Beller (The Aristocrats, Dethklok, Joe Satriani) to contribute.
YES, who is Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, Jon Davison, Billy Sherwood & Jay Schellen, are proud to announce their 24 th studio album ‘Aurora’ will be released on the 12th June 2026 via InsideOutMusic/Sony Music.
Now the band are extremely pleased to launch the new single ‘Turnaround Situation’, accompanied by a visualizer created by Matt Hutchings (who also made the video for ‘Aurora’). Watch it now here:
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 ) 