Italian death metal act GORGE announce the release of their debut full-length album “Deeds of Horror”, set to arrive on August 27, 2026 via Time To Kill Records. The band also unveils the first single taken from the record, “Visions Before Dying”, now available on all digital platforms.
“Visions Before Dying” is a relentless death metal assault, driven by blistering speed and suffocating intensity reminiscent of the classic brutality associated with bands like Suffocation and Dying Fetus. The song moves between ferocious blastdriven passages and crushing, cavernous grooves, creating a violent dynamic that feels both chaotic and oppressive. Lyrically, the track explores the mysterious threshold between life and death. Inspired by psychological and metaphysical films such as Altered States and Jacob’s Ladder, the song dives into the unsettling visions and dreamlike experiences that might occur in the final moments before the body gives out. “Visions Before Dying” imagines the mind drifting through fragments of memories, distorted realities, and unknown dimensions, where dreams, hallucinations, and subconscious fears merge into a final sequence of surreal revelations, a descent into the last visions the brain may conjure as consciousness slowly fades into darkness.
Tracklist:
1. Sacred Misconception 2. Visions Before Dying 3. Mortal Decimation (Deeds Of Horror) 4. Interlude 5. Unhinged Punishment (ft. Angel Ochoa) 6. Without Inheritance 7. Fear Of Losing Another Vital Limb 8. Repetition Of The Kill
Formed in 2025 by Edoardo Nicoloso (Fulci, Jorelia, TV-Crimes) and Roberto Sava (Jorelia), GORGE were created with the intent of exploring death metal in its most direct and uncompromising form, drawing inspiration from the raw energy of the genre’s foundational years while developing a personal and dynamic approach.
The band’s approach is rooted in a direct, riff-driven philosophy that draws heavily from the foundational era of Suffocation, Dying Fetus, Gorguts and Malevolent Creation, updated with just the right amount of modern weight without compromising its original identity. GORGE blends death metal with a gritty hardcore sensibility, resulting in a groovy yet ferocious sound that avoids overused slam dynamics in favour of tighter songwriting and internal rhythmic variation. At the centre of everything lies the riff, treated as the primary narrative force across all compositions, supported by a constant attention to structural tension and release.
In tribute to Chris Cornell, KING ULTRAMEGA presents a high octane interpretation of SOUNDGARDEN‘s “Loud Love” joined by Lzzy Hale (HALESTORM) leading on vocals, Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT / METAL ALLEGIANCE) on guitars and drum performance by Dave Krusen (PEARL JAM). KING ULTRAMEGA are raising funds and awareness for MusiCares, the Recording Academy’s nonprofit that provides mental health services, addiction recovery support, and emergency assistance to members of the music community.
“Loud Love” appears on SOUNDGARDEN‘s 1989 full length Louder Than Love and remains a fan favorite that showcases Chris Cornell‘s incredible range. Wanting to honor Cornell and the iconic track, and evoke the spirit of this era, Mark Menghi‘s process for this release saw him take an old school approach in order to achieve the analogue warmth of the original recording.
On the new release, Lzzy Hale shares: “If there was ever a time to be spreading a message of LOUD LOVE, It’s now.”
Produced by Mark Menghi, “Loud Love” was mixed and mastered by Josh Wilbur. The cover artwork design is by Mark Menghi and the accompanying video is by Tom Flynn.
The “Loud Love” Lineup Is:
Vocals: Lzzy Hale (HALESTORM) Guitars: Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT / METAL ALLEGIANCE) Bass: Mark Menghi Drums: Dave Krusen (PEARL JAM)
Lzzy Hale comments on her approach for tackling vocal duties on “Loud Love”, “I don’t think I’ve ever been a good imitator, but I did try to put myself in Chris’ shoes. It’s more about placing yourself inside the song so you can steal its soul. I like to imagine I am the writer and then go about making it my own whilst honoring the original.”
On drawing inspiration from Chris, Hale continues, “I feel like I’m always learning something from Chris. Every few years I’ll discover something deeper in his lyrics, or higher in his range. But there is an authenticity that comes with Chris that can’t be taught or trained for. I believe every word he writes. I’m inspired by his control over his animalistic vocal range, and his poetry, but also how honestly he sings.”
Alex Skolnick explains his process on preserving Kim Thayil’s guitar style, “Kim’s playing has a strong sense of groove as well as a rawness and honesty that was especially refreshing when this song first came out (a time of much overproduction & perfection in hard rock). I tried to strike a good balance between referencing and respecting Kim‘s original parts, while also bringing some of my own flavor and ideas, without getting in the way.”
Skolnick reveals what it was like working with Menghi outside of METAL ALLEGIANCE: “For the most part, Mark and I have recorded originals in Metal Allegiance, songs that started with a blank page. This time we had a solid road map. In the past, once we had drum tracks, it didn’t matter which of us followed up or whether we tracked separately or simultaneously. This time, we were very dependent on capturing a live performance together in the studio, which was a fun challenge. This tune seemed to require the bass and guitar being locked in while going to tape, I think it’s probably true of most of the Soundgarden catalogue.”
Mark Menghi discusses his choice of line-up for “Loud Love”: “I knew I wanted Dave to play drums on this tune from the jump. Who better than the dude that played drums on arguably one of the greatest records of all-time and whom also helped lay the groundwork for the Seattle explosion in the late 80’s/early 90’s? I was already in the studio with my Metal Allegiance bro Alex Skolnick putting this finishing touches on a then new Metal Allegiance tune (which turned out to be Black Horizon) when I asked ‘Hey would you wanna play on this King Ultramega track?’ I just off-the-cuff asked him… what makes it better is I said, “see that old school tape machine over there in the corner? We are going to record our parts together, live, at the same time, the old school way on reel-to-reel!'”
He continues, “The last piece of the ‘Loud Love’ puzzle was the amazing Lzzy Hale. Having her complete the lineup for this tune is truly humbling. If you listen to the OG version of ‘Loud Love’, Chris’ vocals are just absolute insanity and who better than Lzzy to tackle this? Lzzy has complete vocal dominance, carries such a strong presence and quite frankly is one of the best vocalists in modern rock today.”
A key component of this cover is the analogue production. On taking this creative decision Menghi explains, “It was very important to me to keep this particular song as old school as possible. I wanted to catch the warmth, vibe and feel of the original track which meant (to me) recording to tape, in the same room together and live. Imagine that? A world where you record with other humans in the same room and in analog no less! Reel-to-reel tape recording is a lost art form and was very excited to go back to the recording days of the past for this track. Alex and I are no strangers in recording together; but this was the first time we have ever recorded live together, with real amps blasting and the tape machine running. Truly was a special feel, to capture that live energy.”
Dave Krusen of PEARL JAM, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017, opens up about revisiting this classic SOUNDGARDEN track. “Seattle was a very turbulent place in the late 80s / early 90s and I think the best thing to come out of it was all the great music. I was a huge Soundgarden fan. I got to meet Chris and Matt when we (Pearl Jam) were working on 10 and they were working on Temple Of the Dog. It was a huge thrill for me. The fact that I was asked to be a part of this King Ultramega record was a huge honor. I was very intimidated to try and tackle the drum parts in ‘Loud Love’, but the guys I was recording with made it no pressure and a lot of fun.”
Krusen shares a personal memory of Chris, “I’ll never forget in 1993 backstage at a Pearl Jam show, Chris came up and said ‘Hey Dave, it’s Chris. Do you remember me?’ every time I talked to him, he was always such a sweet guy to me. I miss him and his music. Plus Matt has always been so gracious and cool to me, letting me share his drum throne, was also a huge honor.”
About KING ULTRAMEGA:
KING ULTRAMEGA is a passion-driven musical project honoring the life, voice, and genius of Chris Cornell, one of the most gifted artists of our time. It launches in conjunction with SOUNDGARDEN’s long-overdue induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
This project did not begin with a single, dramatic moment. Instead, it grew quietly and gradually, an organic result of years of conversations, inspiration, and deep reverence for a musician whose impact remains immeasurable.
“There is not a singular moment in time that led to this project,” says bassist and producer Mark Menghi, the driving force behind KING ULTRAMEGA. “It was a trail of events that led to the formation of KING ULTRAMEGA and the evolving creation to pay tribute to the voice of a generation.”
It started in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, when Menghi recorded a version of “Rusty Cage” with friends. What began as a creative release soon became something larger. With every step forward, the project deepened in meaning and purpose. “I kept crossing the mental roadblock of ‘you are entering uncharted waters, are you sure you wanna do this?'” Menghi reflects. “Chris is one of those dudes if you cover, you better do it justice.”
The decision to continue became clear when SOUNDGARDEN guitarist Kim Thayil joined the project and re-recorded one of his own iconic tracks. “Once Kim got involved and re-recorded one of his own songs, I knew something was brewing,” Menghi says.
Thayil embraced the project wholeheartedly. “I’m super honored to record alongside all the amazing musicians appearing on the KING ULTRAMEGA project,” he says. “I’m equally proud that it celebrates SOUNDGARDEN in this tribute to the songwriting of Chris. Ultra-admirably, everyone’s participation is supporting the work of the MusiCares Foundation. Thank you Mark Menghi, Charlie Benante and Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM).”
For Menghi, this project is as personal as it is musical. “I went through some very difficult times in my life. I should not be here right now, but I am,” he shares. “I like to think my past trials and tribulations helped me understand Chris just a little, hence the formation of KING ULTRAMEGA.”
Song selection was guided by instinct. “My mood. It’s really that simple,” Menghi explains. “‘Rusty Cage’ was recorded simply because it’s one of my favorite songs featured on one of my favorite records.” Other songs came to Menghi during moments of reflection and inspiration. “There is a bunch more in the can right now, all with drums fully recorded, which are currently being worked out for future releases.”
The goal was never to reinvent Cornell’s work. It was about honoring it with the respect it deserves. “It really is only about honoring the legacy of Chris Cornell. Nothing more,” Menghi says. Each musician brought their own voice, but always in service to the song and to Cornell’s memory.
“Each musician has their own individual musical stamp,” Menghi explains. “You hear the absolute best of each one of them. You are talking about musicians who helped invent and shape musical genres and helped define their generations in popular culture, not just music, but society as a whole.”
The cast of collaborators is remarkable. Kim Thayil, Charlie Benante, Joe Satriani, William DuVall, Bill Kelliher, Alissa White-Gluz, Kenny Aronoff, Menghi himself, among many others. The mix of past friendships and new connections created a unique bond among them. “I think back and go ‘did I really ask Joe Satriani to do an instrumental reinterpretation of one of the greatest modern vocal songs ever recorded?’ or ‘what the fuck was I thinking asking the great Kim Thayil to re-record one of his own classic Soundgarden songs?'” Menghi laughs. Yet, no egos entered the room. “Each participating musician saw the vision and understood that this is about honoring the legacy of not only an inspiring musician, but an amazing husband, father and man.”
For Menghi, Cornell’s music has always been a constant presence. “Chris Cornell has been one of only a very small handful of musical constants in my life,” he says. “I never waivered, not once.”
Certain moments in the process were surreal. Recording with Thayil was one of them. “I remember thinking back saying to myself ‘holy fuck, I’m on a SOUNDGARDEN song with Kim Thayil. What planet are we on?'”
Throughout it all, Menghi served as the project’s creative director, always guided by one central question. “How would Chris like this?” Every choice, from guest musicians to mixes to artwork, was measured against that standard. “If there is even a shred of uncertainty at any point in the process, back to the drawing board we go.”
The recordings were completed remotely over several years. The final tracks were mixed with care to ensure a cohesive sound that still captured the raw emotion of the performances.
Hope is the underlying theme that runs through KING ULTRAMEGA. It is an offering to longtime fans and an invitation for younger listeners to discover the timeless brilliance of Cornell’s work. “KU is just a blip in the Chris Cornell universe,” Menghi says. “We are a subtle reminder that Chris was a true musical genius.”
For Menghi and his collaborators, KING ULTRAMEGA is both a deeply personal labor of love and one of the greatest honors of their musical lives. “To be here thirty-plus years later paying tribute to whom I believe was the king of those times is one of the greatest musical honors of my life.”
MusiCares helps the humans behind music because music gives so much to the world. Offering preventive, emergency, and recovery programs, MusiCares is a safety net supporting the health and welfare of the music community. Founded by the Recording Academy in 1989 as a U.S. based 501(c)(3) charity, MusiCares safeguards the well-being of all music people through direct financial grant programs, networks of support resources, and tailored crisis relief efforts.
BraveWords Records is pleased to announce the signing of COLIN PETERIK. Colin is a “Power Pop” master of hooks and melodies and when you realize that his father is the legendary Jim Peterik, who co-wrote the iconic Rocky III anthem “Eye of the Tiger”, it makes complete sense. Colin is putting the finishing touches on a new album due out later this year, but in the meantime you can check out his latest single “Swans” on Bandcamp.
Colin talks about signing with BraveWords Records, “Giles, Michael, Tim and BraveWords have believed in me since day one, so it was exciting and surreal when they asked me to be on the label. I look forward to doing big things with them, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to join their stacked roster as a recording artist”.
Colin shares the backstory for the songs “Swans”, “My Dad (Jim Peterik) introduced me to Prefab Sprout about 5 years ago. He has showed me so much great music over the years, but this underrated British group must have slipped through the cracks!
Quickly I devoured their entire discography. I was obsessed with the lead singer/songwriter, Paddy McAloon and how he weaved words with melodies like I’ve never heard before.
“Swans” is a beautiful song from their 1997 album “Andromeda Heights”. The protagonist warns his lover that he’s bad news, and there’s still time for her to turn around. Paddy’s silky-smooth vocals express longing; using swans and foxes as metaphors.
I found myself singing it while waiting in a never-ending line at Disney World with my kids, and began working on the track that very night. When we got home, I recorded and finished the track. It was a lot of fun to get into it- I could almost feel the psychic connection with Paddy, singing his lyrics on the mic.
The original version’s production is very minimal, with no percussion, just ethereal keyboards. I decided to take it in a lo-fi hip-hop/jazz direction, which I think fits the mood well. We added some sax, flute, and horns as a finishing touch. I’m very happy with the result, and I hope Paddy has a chance to hear it someday. I’d love to meet him one day.”
“SWANS”
Produced and Performed by Colin Peterik
Lyrics by Paddy McAloon
Video created by Mark Misch
About COLIN PETERIK:
Colin Peterik is a singer/songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist from Chicago, IL. His songs, including 2022’s “My Secrets” have racked up millions of plays and garnered him a loyal fanbase. His upcoming fourth solo album “That’s Cool (Or I’m Sorry)” expands on his already eclectic catalogue while focussing his sound and craft.
Albion’s masters of folklore, riffs and legends return with another slab of tomb-shaking, crypt-kicking occult rock. Green Lung have revealed their latest track, ‘Necropolitan Line‘, a Motorhead-meets-Deep Purple subterranean rampage across London’s infamous Necropolis Railway.
‘Necropolitan Line‘ is taken from Green Lung‘s forthcoming new record, Necropolitan, due out on Friday September 11th 2026. A monumental portrait of the power of nature over the dreams and dominion of humankind, Necropolitan is also a grand celebration of the occult lore and heavy music scene of the band’s birthplace, the city of London.
Green Lung stated:
“Is there a more fitting subject for a Green Lung song than the Necropolis Railway, a real-life train line that carried corpses and mourners across London in the late 19th Century? Mix in some inspiration from 1972’s London Underground-set shocker Death Line, a madcap neoclassical organ/guitar duel that evokes Richie Blackmore and Jon Lord at their finger blistering best, and a record Lung BPM of 180, and you have the second single from our fourth album. We can’t wait to play this one live for the first time at the Acid Bath show in Manchester on Thursday. Mind the doors!”
The video, directed by Tracy Mathewson and featuring animation from Joseph Brett, is a tribute to the early 70s German TV show Beat Club, which featured Lung antecedents such as Sabbath, Purple and Lucifer’s Friend. Featuring an introduction from longtime roadie Metal Joe, we enter the band’s own warped version of the show, titled Crypt Club. Will future episodes follow? Only time will tell…
Necropolitan – tracklisting OUT: September 11th 2026
01. Open the Hellmouth 02. Dance to the Grave 03. Black Magick Radio 04. Necropolitan Line 05. Evil in this House 06. Together in Death 07. Ozymandias 08. Alostrael (Be My Babalon) 09. To the Gallows Born
On the week that Necropolitan is released, Green Lung will be visiting some selected record stores to sign vinyl and CDs, plus fans will have the chance for a photo op with their very own Goatwizard. Head to greenlung.co.uk for more details!And keep your eyes peeled for more events as we get closer to release…
Later this year, Green Lung will be embarking on their European Dance to the Grave Tour MMXXVI. Special guests will be High On Fire with support from Gnome. The tour poster was designed by the band’s frequent collaborator, Richard Wells.
GREEN LUNG DANCE TO THE GRAVE TOUR MMXXVI w/ High On Fire & Gnome
03-Dec BE Antwerp @ Trix 04-Dec DE Frankfurt am Main @ Batschkapp 05-Dec DE Munich @ Backstage 07-Dec AT Vienna @ Arena 08-Dec DE Leipzig @ Anker 10-Dec DE Hamburg @ Große Freiheit 36 11-Dec DE Berlin @ Astra Kulturhaus 12-Dec DE Cologne @ Carlswerk Victoria 13-Dec NL Tilburg @ O13 14-Dec FR Paris @ Bataclan 16-Dec UK London @ The Roundhouse 17-Dec UK Bristol @ Bristol Electric 18-Dec UK Manchester @ Manchester Academy 19-Dec IE Dublin @ The Academy 20-Dec UK Glasgow @ SWG3 Galvanizers
With producer Tom Dalgety (Opeth, Ghost) at the helm, this time handling everything from recording to mixing, the band decamped to Rockfield Studios in January 2026, following in the muddy footprints of some of their key inspirations, from Black Sabbath to Queen to Judas Priest. Sonically, they were set on capturing their megalithic live sound more accurately than ever – stripping back their usual dense, multilayered arrangements to their rawest, leanest form and recording much of the album live to capture their Sabbathian heaviness, frenzied Hammonds and haunting Mellotrons as faithfully as possible.
The result is an album that combines the soaring hookiness of This Heathen Land with an uncompromising rawness and heaviness, and takes the band’s distinctive brand of sonic storytelling to macabre new heights.
If, a year after Black Sabbath’s Back to the Beginning show and the death of Ozzy Osbourne, you had any doubts about the future of traditional British metal, Necropolitan will lay them to rest. Here is a band taking the torch from the heavy metal godfathers and running with it, bursting with all the musicianship and storytelling flair that has kept the genre’s flame burning for a half-century, and using it to temper a lyrical and sonic world that is entirely their own.
A cult band in every sense of the word, Green Lung emerged from London’s heavy rock scene with self-released debut EP Free the Witch (2018).
Drawing on a host of peculiarly British musical influences, from doomy hard rock to pastoral prog and psych to the Hammer Horror theatrics of the NWOBHM, the band have swiftly risen to the forefront of the UK metal scene.
Lyrically celebrating the folklore, myths and legends of Britain, they conjure the wild and witchy spirit of their forebears for a new generation.
Green Lung have released three critically acclaimed albums, Woodland Rites (2019), Black Harvest (2021) and This Heathen Land (2023). They have toured internationally with Clutch, Opeth and Unto Others, and performed on festival stages from Roadburn to Download. Their latest album This Heathen Land landed at #1 on the UK’s Official Rock and Metal Album Chart.
“This is heavy metal how it should be done”The Guardian
Recipients of high praise from NPR, The Needle Drop, Brooklyn Vegan, Decibel and Metal Hammer, Wailin Storms have caught fire since migrating to North Carolina in 2014. Now, the Durham natives are fanning the flames even higher with their upcoming fifth album and first for Season of Mist. On The Arsonist, the band deliver a fiery baptism of Southern gothic rock.
“[…] moves between raw blues punk, gothic rock and folk-leaning melancholy, with an intentionally human and unpolished sound”, Distorted Sound wrote upon the release of the album’s title track.
“[…]soaring and enthralling”, CVLT Nation wrote about second single “You Never Answered”.
Today, Wailin Storms are premiering a suspenseful music video for the third and final advanced single from The Arsonist with Treble. With the ghost of David Lynch riding passenger seat, “Dead End” takes a harrowing post-punk turn.
“‘Dead End’ is about seeing yourself after you die”, Wailin Storms vocalist and guitarist Justin Storms says. “It’s the first song on The Arsonist and one of the first that was written for the album. It flowed out of me while I was messing around with my Strymon El Capistan guitar pedal. It sets the tone by jolting you straight into a fever dream that’s filled with cryptic messages from beyond.
Wailin Storms are igniting the stage this summer with a headline U.S. tour. The band will perform “Dead End” and other songs off The Arsonist for the first time, along with crowd favorites from across their critically-acclaimed discography.
Wailin Storms 2026 The Arsonist U.S. Tour
July 17 – Durham, NC @ Stanczyk’s [Album Release Show] July 29 – Johnson City, TN @ The Hideaway July 30 – Atlanta, GA @ Star Bar July 31 – Knoxville, TN @ The Pilot Light August 1 – Cincinnati, OH @ Motr August 2 – Youngstown, OH @ Westside Bowl August 3 – Columbus, OH @ Dirty Dungarees August 4 – Pittsburgh, PA @ The Government Center August 5 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery August 6 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Gutter August 7 – New Hope, PA @ John and Peter’s August 8 – Richmond, VA @ Cobra Cabana
The Arsonist calls back to Wailin Storms’ past. Recorded by Matt Talbott of Hum in full analog, the album rekindles the band’s roots in raw-to-the-bone blues punk. Like a truck leaving the Roadhouse in Twin Peaks, “Dead End” swerves behind bone-rattling drums and noisy scrapes of guitar. “So much music is drowning in sterile digital production”, Storms says. “With this album, we recorded everything in analog. We didn’t touch a computer until mixing”.
Inspired by Lynch and René Magritte, Wailin Storms throw heavier splashes of surrealism into the fires of The Arsonist. “Dead End” begins innocently enough – that is, until the nightmare takes hold. “Calm night, birds keep plucking out our eyes”, Storms sings as if lulled into a trance by the heavy swings of bass. The video stages a crime that would thrill Hollywood’s dark heart, but the album is inflamed by real-life anxieties. Seas rise; cars go screaming through the night, though already, on its opening track, the band warn that it’s too late.
“Don’t save me”. With one more punch of the gas, “Dead End” bursts into flame.
“I’ve always been fascinated with fire”, says Storms, who was raised by a church pianist and a Baptist preacher. As a child, growing up in Corpus Christi, Texas, he came dangerously close to accidentally burning his family’s house down. “It speaks to our inherent attraction to danger and annihilation, but also, our hope for transformation”.
Tracklist 1. Dead End (4:48) [WATCH] 2. Heart of Mine (5:13) 3. You Never Answered (4:53) [WATCH] 4. The Arsonist (4:52) [WATCH] 5. Never Rest (4:59) 6. Saved (4:24) 7. Patient Night (3:22) 8. The Wind (6:01) 9. It’s All Dark Now Where Your Eyes Used to Be (6:30)
Since migrating to North Carolina’s inland coast circa 2014, Wailin Storms have caught fire with noisy, bluesy explosions of Southern gothic rock. Hot on the heels of critical high praise and thunderous applause from crowds on both sides of the Atlantic, the band’s fifth album and first for Season of Mist fans their flames with reckless abandon. While surrounded by darkness from the outside world, The Arsonist burns with all of our heart’s desires.
“I’ve always been fascinated by fire”, Wailin Storms vocalist and guitarist Justin Storms says before alluding to a time when he came dangerously close to accidentally burning his family’s house down. “It speaks to our inherent attraction to danger and annihilation, but also, our hope for transformation”.
Born the son of a church pianist and Baptist preacher, Justin Storms converted to the church of rock ‘n’ roll after listening to the teachings of his older brother. “He was responsible for getting me into outsider music”. After forming Wailin Storms in his home state of Texas and a pass through New York City, Storms hunkered down in Durham, North Carolina, where he was joined in 2014 by the band’s current drummer Mark Oates (Bats & Mice) and bassist Steve Stanczyk.
Debut full-length One Foot in the Flesh Grave laid a solid foundation for Wailin Storms in 2015 with an East Coast and Midwest tour that led to their first appearance at The Fest. 2017 follow-up Sick City infected more ears with coverage spreading from CVLT Nation to NPR. It was their third album, though, that really opened the floodgates. Rattle was featured by The Needle Drop and named one of the best albums of 2020 by Treble, Riff Magazine, Angry Metal Guy and Machine Music. More attention from Decibel and Metal Hammer came two years later around The Silver Snake Unfolds, which was followed by the arrival of guitarist Ben Melton, as well as shows and tour dates with everyone from City of Caterpillar, pageninetynine and This Will Destroy You to Acid Bath, Eyehategod and Young Widows.
“If Bauhaus, Killing Joke, and Black Sabbath had a child, this would be it”, Metal Injection proclaimed about Wailin Storms.
Brooklyn Vegan concurred. “It’s just loud, heavy, dark rock music, and it’s awesome”.
The Arsonist can be traced back through Wailin Storms’ past. Recorded by Matt Talbott of Hum in full analog, the album rekindles the band’s roots in raw-to-the-bone blues punk as a heated response to today’s vat of overproduced music and AI slop. By experimenting with swoons of Rhodes organ, “Heart of Mine” recalls the Roadhouse from Twin Peaks. “Some of these songs are more primitive and stripped down, harkening back to the four-track recordings that the band started with”, Storms says. “The recordings contain flaws but remain human in all the right ways. They could be a murder ballad or an old folk song that’s sung around the campfire”. Other early influences soak into the songwriting’s weathered fabric: Flannery O’Conner’s grotesque sensibility, Cormac McCarthy’s unflinching fatalism, Old Regular Baptist hymns. With its sideways gust of riffs and moaning chorus, “The Wind” blows loud enough to wake the entire cemetery.
“Because the heart wants what the body wants and the mind wants what the eyes want”, Storms gravely intones. “Won’t you take me through hell”.
Wailin Storms throw heavy splashes of surrealism into the fires of The Arsonist. “Many of the lyrics draw from the same imagery and emotions conjured by David Lynch, especially his film Wild at Heart”,Storms says. “Dead End” opens the album by taking a harrowing turn of its own when the drum’s rattle leads straight into a waking nightmare. “Calm night / Birds keep plucking out our eyes”.
While shrouded by a doomy and dreamy atmosphere, The Arsonist is inflamed by real life anxieties. Taking inspiration from René Magritte, the album’s cover art, which is heavily shadowed except for a tiny house gone up in flames, was painted by Storms himself. “These songs are steeped in the trials and tribulations of everyday life”, he says. The title track is slowly engulfed by love’s eternal flame. “Like the wind controls the sea”, he croons over the gentle sway of his guitar. “You always had a hold on me”. The thunderous climax surges with such feverish intensity that it threatens to send the night of passion up in smoke.
Amidst the wreckage of The Arsonist, Wailin Storms do find a semblance of peace. “It’s All Dark Now Where Your Eyes Used to Be” ends the album with a ghostly flicker of gothic romance. “I know a place where we can sit and grow old”, Storms offers with grim assurance. A piano tolls like death’s bell as he glimpses up at a church that resembles a skull. “There’s a sliver of hope in coming to terms with death”, he concludes. “Life is temporary and that’s where its beauty lies”.
On The Arsonist, Wailin Storms deliver a fiery baptism of Southern gothic rock.
Lineup Justin Storms – Lead vocals, rhythm guitar Ben Melton – Lead guitar, backup vocals, Rhodes organ, piano Steve Stanczyk – Bass Mark Oates – Drums
Recording credits Recorded at Earth Analog in May 2025
Production Credits Produced and engineered by Matt Talbott Mixed by Mike Lust at Phantom Manor (“Dead End”, “Heart of Mine”, “You Never Answered”, “The Arsonist”, “Never Rest”, “The Wind”, It’s All Dark Now Where Your Eyes Used to Be” Mixed by Dave Downham at Gradwell House (“Saved”, “Patient Night”) Mastered by Dave Downham at Gradwell House
When L.A. Guns hit the Guild Theatre stage last summer, for the launch of their new album Leopard Skin, few in the audience knew what to expect.
Reviews of the album were unanimously impressed, and the band could easily have focussed on that alone. As rocket.net remarked in its review, “this isn’t some nostalgic retread. L.A. Guns aren’t stuck in the past—they’ve evolved naturally, delivering a record that feels fresh while staying true to their roots.”
But those roots were still flourishing, and though the show opened – as did the album – with “Taste It,” it quickly became apparent that the band’s entire history was going to be on display tonight, a truly crowd-pleasing set that delved back to their very first LP – the band’s last single, “Electric Gypsy,” span from that still epochal debut, and it sounds as fresh now as it did way back then.
Whetting the appetite even further, today sees another single come driving into view, the mighty “The Ballad Of Jayne,” first heard on the Guns’ second album, 1989’s Cocked And Loaded, and occupying much the same place in the live show as it did back then, as the band neared the end of the show.
Live, it is a triumphant power ballad that leaves the audience drained and the Guns triumphant. But it was also L.A .Guns’ first major hit single, reaching #33 in the US and #53 in the UK; and, while the song is widely believed to have been composed about Jayne Mansfield, the impossibly glamorous actress who died in a car accident in 1967, Tracii Guns says no, and he should know!
Consistently ranked among the greatest power ballads of the 80s, “The Ballad Of Jayne” has lost none of its power across the ensuing decades – indeed, more or less alone in the ocean of the hopelessly overblown and generally ghastly songs that are also described as power ballads, “The Ballad Of Jayne” remains a truly gut-punching piece of work, as affecting today as it ever was back in the day.
It’s certainly the perfect introduction to Live From The Guild Theatre… at least, if you need one. Past singles “Electric Gypsy” and “Never Enough” should already be firmly entrenched in your brain, and there’s more to come on July 3 when the album hits; and, September 4, when the Blu-ray of the show is released.
Throughout, the Gunners are firing off killer versions of fan favorites tracing all the way back to the beginning, with “The Ballad of Jayne” just one of four songs drafted in from Cocked and Loaded – incredible “I Wanna Be Your Man,” “Rip and Tear” and the set-ender, “Never Enough” are the others.
And across the entire show, L.A. Guns – Tracii, longtime vocalist Phil Lewis, Ace Von Johnson (guitar), Johnny Martin (bass) and Shawn Duncan (drums) – have never sounded better.
Which is quite one helluva achievement for a band that’s been tearing up the stages of the world since 1983!
1. Intro – Taste It 2. Cannonball 3. Electric Gypsy 4. Sex Action 5. Hellraisers Ball 6. Hit and Run 7. Like a Drug 8. Speed 9. One More Reason 10. Theremin Jam 11. Over the Edge 12. Guitar Solo 13. I Wanna Be Your Man 14. Lucky Motherfucker 15. Never Enough 16. The Ballad of Jayne 17. Rip and Tear
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