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Singer-Songwriter Gus Englehorn Hits the Road With Holy Fuck Ahead of Debut Album ‘The Broken Balladeer’

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Gus Englehorn has a full spring mapped out. The singer-songwriter shares new single and video “Better Watch Your Step,” the latest preview of his debut album ‘The Broken Balladeer’, out February 27, while announcing an extensive tour that runs from Quebec through Europe and back across North America with Holy Fuck.

After album launch shows at Montreal’s La Sotterenea and Quebec City’s L’Anti, Englehorn heads to SXSW before a run of European dates in Germany and the Netherlands. He returns to North America in April to join Holy Fuck across 19 dates, hitting Lee’s Palace in Toronto, Sala Rossa in Montreal, Elsewhere in Brooklyn, Space Ballroom in Somerville, and Schuba’s in Chicago, among others. Tickets are on sale now.

2026 Tour Dates:

March 5: La Sotterenea, Montreal, QC

March 6: L’Anti, Quebec City, QC

March 12–18: SXSW, Austin, TX

March 20: Noch Besser Leben, Leipzig, DE

March 26: Blauer Salon, Tübingen, DE

March 27: Altes Volksbad, Mannheim, DE

April 1: Hafenklang, Hamburg, DE

April 2: V11, Rotterdam, NL

April 8: Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON (with Holy Fuck)

April 9: Sala Rossa, Montreal, QC (with Holy Fuck)

April 10: Tubby’s, Kingston, NY (with Holy Fuck)

April 11: Space Ballroom, Hamden, CT (with Holy Fuck)

April 12: The Rockwell, Somerville, MA (with Holy Fuck)

April 14: Elsewhere Z1, Brooklyn, NY (with Holy Fuck)

April 15: Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA (with Holy Fuck)

April 16: Pearl Street Warehouse, Washington, DC (with Holy Fuck)

April 17: Kings, Raleigh, NC (with Holy Fuck)

April 18: Eastside Bowl, Nashville, TN (with Holy Fuck)

April 19: The Earl, Atlanta, GA (with Holy Fuck)

April 20: Eulogy, Asheville, NC (with Holy Fuck)

April 21: Hi-Fi, Indianapolis, IN (with Holy Fuck)

April 22: Schuba’s, Chicago, IL (with Holy Fuck)

April 23: Turf Club, St. Paul, MN (with Holy Fuck)

April 24: X-Ray Arcade, Milwaukee, WI (with Holy Fuck)

April 25: Brachland Ballroom and Tavern, Cleveland, OH (with Holy Fuck)

April 26: Loving Touch, Detroit, MI (with Holy Fuck)

Def Jam Recordings China Launches in Chengdu, the Beating Heart of Chinese Hip-Hop

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One of the most storied names in hip-hop history just planted its flag in China. Universal Music Greater China has officially launched Def Jam Recordings China in Chengdu, widely recognized as the capital of Chinese hip-hop, marking a significant expansion of the label’s global footprint and a major new chapter for urban music in the region.

The launch comes with a clear creative direction. Def Jam Recordings China will focus on Guofeng Hip-hop, a genre that draws from Chinese language, cultural references, and storytelling traditions while engaging with modern production and global music trends. The label is partnering with Migu, a leading digital content platform under China Mobile with over 160 million users, on content development, talent discovery, marketing, distribution, live performances, and street culture-driven merchandise.

Three acclaimed Chinese rappers have been named Special Guest Curators: Xie Di, Yitai Wang, and Deng Dianguo “DDG.” Their role is to identify, mentor, and spotlight emerging voices from across China, feeding new talent directly into the Def Jam Recordings China ecosystem. The launch event took place at Eastern Suburb Memory in Chengdu, a landmark cultural district built from transformed industrial heritage.

“Def Jam has always been built around dynamic voices,” says Tunji Balogun, Chairman and CEO of Def Jam Recordings. “The goal is not to copy what’s worked elsewhere, but to support Chinese artists in defining hip-hop on their own terms.” UMG Executive Vice President Adam Granite and Universal Music Greater China Chairman Timothy Xu echoed that commitment, emphasizing global pathways for artists who remain rooted in local culture.

Founded in 1984 in downtown New York, Def Jam built its legacy through LL Cool J, Public Enemy, the Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Kanye West. The China launch is the label’s most ambitious geographic expansion in years, and Chengdu, with its organic hip-hop community and thriving live music ecosystem, is exactly the right place to start.

Swedish Extreme Metal Destroyers Humanity’s Last Breath Drop Crushing New Single “Godhood”

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Fresh off a sold-out European run with Lorna Shore, Humanity’s Last Breath show no signs of easing up. The Swedish extreme metal outfit releases “Godhood” alongside a dystopian video by Riivata Visuals, another calculated strike from a band that has spent over a decade pushing the outer limits of heaviness.

“Godhood” lands exactly where you’d expect from a group built on aural dissonance and maximum sonic weight. Dense, crushing, and relentless, the track adds another strong entry to a catalog that keeps raising its own bar. The dystopian visual treatment from Riivata Visuals matches the music’s intensity without trying to overshadow it.

Humanity’s Last Breath was founded by guitarist and producer Buster Odeholm, who also plays with Swedish progressive metal legends Vildhjarta and drums with metalcore standard-setters Thrown, alongside vocalist Filip Danielsson. The band’s approach to heaviness is architectural, building walls of sound that feel genuinely immersive rather than simply loud.

“Godhood” follows recently released single “Anthracite,” continuing a run of new material that signals something significant is building. Two strong singles in quick succession from a band of this caliber means more is coming, and that anticipation is fully warranted.

East Coast Hardcore-Gazers Negative Love Make a Striking Entrance With Self-Titled Debut EP

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Five tracks and a fully formed identity. Negative Love’s self-titled debut EP is out now on Static Era Records, and it announces a band that already knows exactly what it wants to sound like.

Produced by vocalist Brendan Williams, the EP sits at the intersection of hardcore, alternative rock, and shoegaze, moving fluidly between aggression and atmosphere without losing its footing in either direction. Vocals stretch from raging to floaty, heavy riffs dissolve into fuzzed-out swirls, and pockets of experimental ambience pull the whole thing into genuinely dreamlike territory. It’s a broad sonic palette handled with real confidence for a debut release.

Formed from members across New York, Connecticut, and Maryland, Negative Love brings together Brendan Williams on vocals, Mitch Olshansky and Chris Marchesseault on guitar, Kevin McCauley on drums, and Peter Bruno on bass and vocals. The five-piece hit hard and cohesive on this first outing, with each track shifting the emotional register just enough to keep the listener fully engaged.

The Negative Love EP is out now through Static Era Records.

German Thrash Metal Icons Kreator Unleash Ferocious 16th Album ‘Krushers Of The World’

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Sixteen albums in, and Kreator still hit harder than most bands manage on their first. ‘Krushers Of The World’ is out now, produced by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios, the same partnership that delivered ‘Phantom Antichrist’ and ‘Gods Of Violence’, and the result is the most massive-sounding record of their catalog.

The ten-track album opens with the rabid aggression of “Seven Serpents” and never lets up. “Barbarian,” “Deathscream,” and “Psychotic Imperator” showcase Sami Yli-Sirniö’s majestic lead work alongside some of Ventor’s fastest drumming on record. The title track and “Satanic Anarchy” bring monumental mid-tempo groove, giving bassist Frédéric Leclercq room to dominate. “Tränenpalast” pays tribute to Dario Argento’s Suspiria, with Britta Görtz of Hiraes adding a vicious vocal layer over dark, hook-driven melodies.

The album cover, created by Zbigniew Bielak (Ghost), weaves classic Kreator visual trademarks from ‘Coma Of Souls’, ‘Out of the Dark… into the Light’, and ‘Pleasure To Kill’ into a richly detailed, occult-laden tapestry. It’s one of the most striking pieces of metal art in recent memory, and it rewards a long look.

The official music video for “Krushers Of The World” is out now, set in a post-apocalyptic Berlin with themes that feel as urgent as anything the band has put to film. “Hordes! Krushers Of The World is yours now,” says frontman Mille Petrozza. “We hope you will enjoy it as much as we do. See you on tour.”

The Krushers Of The USA Tour runs through May with Carcass and Cold Steel, hitting 13 dates including Welcome to Rockville, Sonic Temple, Maryland Deathfest, and First Avenue in Minneapolis.

‘Krushers Of The World’ Tracklist:

  1. Seven Serpents
  1. Satanic Anarchy
  1. Krushers Of The World
  1. Tränenpalast
  1. Barbarian
  1. Blood Of Our Blood
  1. Combatants
  1. Psychotic Imperator
  1. Deathscream
  1. Loyal To The Grave

Krushers Of The USA Tour 2026 (with Carcass and Cold Steel):

May 7: Revolution Live, Fort Lauderdale, FL

May 8: Welcome to Rockville, Daytona Beach, FL

May 10: The Masquerade, Atlanta, GA

May 11: The Mill & Mine, Knoxville, TN

May 12: The Ritz, Raleigh, NC

May 14: Palladium, Worcester, MA

May 15: Roxian Theatre, McKees Rocks, PA

May 16: Sonic Temple, Columbus, OH

May 18: Capitol Theatre, Davenport, IA

May 19: First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN

May 20: Romova Theatre, Chicago, IL

May 22: Paramount, Huntington, NY

May 23: Maryland Deathfest, Baltimore, MD

Singer-Songwriter Jann Klose Hits the Road in 2026 With New Album on the Way

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Jann Klose is moving. The globe-trotting singer-songwriter has an extensive run of 2026 tour dates locked in across the U.S. and UK, with stops ranging from intimate house concerts to storied New York stages. The dates support his eighth studio album, due in June, and the momentum behind this run is real.

The upcoming album reunites Klose with producer Marcus Dembinski, who helmed his acclaimed ‘Surrender’ record. The guest list is striking: Everett Bradley (Bon Jovi, Seal), Marcella Detroit (Shakespears Sister, Eric Clapton), Rachel Flowers (Dweezil Zappa), and Alphonso Horne of the Late Show with Stephen Colbert are all confirmed contributors, with more names still to come.

Meanwhile, Klose’s latest single “When I’m With You” has cleared 150,000 views on YouTube. The video, directed by Sam Casey and shot entirely in stop motion on location in New York City, is a genuine visual achievement that matches the craft of the music itself.

The tour runs through September, hitting Fort Myers, London, Port Washington, Youngstown, two nights at The Bitter End in New York, The Sellersville Theater in Pennsylvania with Craig Thatcher, and house concerts in Orleans and Shrewsbury, MA. It’s a deliberately curated routing that prioritizes connection over volume.

2026 Tour Dates:

March 15: House Concert, Fort Myers, FL

April 17: One Marylebone, London, UK

May 10: Port Washington Public Library, Port Washington, NY

May 25: House Concert, Youngstown, OH

May 29: Private Event, New York, NY

May 30: The Bitter End, New York, NY

May 31: The Bitter End, New York, NY

June 6: The Sellersville Theater, Sellersville, PA (with Craig Thatcher)

September 26: Brick Hill House Concerts, Orleans, MA

September 27: House Concert, Shrewsbury, MA

Stryper Frontman Michael Sweet Goes Deep With New Solo Album ‘The Master Plan’

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Michael Sweet is making the album he’s been building toward his entire life. The Stryper frontman announces ‘The Master Plan’, a worship-inspired solo record due April 3rd via Frontiers Music Srl, and shares the title track alongside an official lyric video. It’s his most personal solo work to date, and the ambition behind it is clear from the first listen.

The album moves into acoustic-oriented territory, built on warm harmonies, layered vocals, and a spiritual sincerity that Sweet has never put this directly at the center of a record. It’s a deliberate departure, and it works. The title track alone carries enough melodic and lyrical weight to signal that this project operates on a different level than anything in his solo catalog.

“I can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted to make this record,” Sweet says. “It’s certainly not cookie cutter by any stretch of the imagination. It’s one of a kind and very eclectic and unique, but that’s exactly what I wanted.” Co-produced by Sweet and Jeff Savage, and mixed by Danny Bernini at Spirithouse Studios, the album brings in lush keyboards, considered guitar work, and vocal arrangements that give each track room to breathe.

Ten songs make up ‘The Master Plan’, from the opening title track through to the closing “Worship You,” each one contributing to a cohesive vision of faith, encouragement, and musical depth. Sweet has spent decades as one of Christian rock’s most recognizable voices. This record reframes what that voice is capable of.

‘The Master Plan’ arrives April 3rd via Frontiers Music Srl.

‘The Master Plan’ Tracklist:

  1. The Master Plan / 2. Lord / 3. Stronger / 4. Eternally / 5. You Lead I’ll Follow / 6. Desert Stream / 7. Believer / 8. Again / 9. Faith / 10. Worship You

Legendary Drummer Josh Freese Receives Drum Workshop’s Prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award

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Josh Freese gets his flowers. Drum Workshop, Inc. honored the legendary drummer with its Lifetime Achievement Award at the NAMM Show 2026, a recognition that is as overdue as it is deserved for one of the most versatile and in-demand drummers the music industry has ever produced.

The scope of Freese’s career is genuinely staggering. His credits span Michael Bublé, Nine Inch Nails, Suicidal Tendencies, Guns N’ Roses, Weezer, Sting, Devo, Katy Perry, Danny Elfman, M83, The Replacements, Glen Campbell, and Avril Lavigne, among dozens more. He has also co-written with Queens of the Stone Age, A Perfect Circle, and Guns N’ Roses, making him as much a creative collaborator as a sideman.

Most recently, Freese stepped into one of the most scrutinized seats in rock, joining the Foo Fighters for two years following the death of Taylor Hawkins. He handled it with the same locked-in professionalism that has defined his entire career. Sting put it plainly: “Any band that Josh graced with his presence on the kit was fortunate indeed.”

“Thank you to DW Drums for this incredible lifetime achievement honor,” Freese says. “My journey’s been shaped by the countless musicians, crews, family and friends who believed in me and supported me along the way.” DW founder Don Lombardi, who has known Freese since his teenage years, called the recognition well earned, citing his contribution to drummers worldwide.

From playing drums at Disneyland at age 12 to logging sessions with rock’s elite across four decades, Josh Freese’s career represents something rare: total reliability at the highest level, across every genre, every situation, every stage.

The Cure, Gorillaz, and Moby to Headline Bulgaria’s Boldly Ambitious New PhillGood Festival

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Bulgaria is making its move. PhillGood, a brand new three-day music festival, arrives in Plovdiv this summer, July 17–19, headlined by The Cure, Gorillaz, and Moby. It’s a statement lineup for a first-year festival, and the setting matches the ambition.

Plovdiv is no ordinary backdrop. Set along the city’s Rowing Canal and framed by seven hills, the festival grounds sit within one of Europe’s oldest cities, where Roman ruins and Ottoman architecture share space with a thriving contemporary arts scene. PhillGood plants world-class music directly inside that landscape, and the combination is genuinely compelling.

The Cure open the festival on July 17th, making their Bulgarian debut, joined by Wolf Alice, dream-rock outfit Just Mustard, and French electronic producer Perturbator. Night two belongs to Gorillaz, bringing their full visual and musical universe to the Balkans for the first time, with Belfast hip-hop trio Kneecap and electro-punk duo Sleaford Mods rounding out the bill.

Moby closes the festival on July 19th, a fitting choice for a lineup that spans decades of genre-defining work. Beyond the main stage, two additional stages showcase emerging talent and broader sounds, reinforcing that PhillGood is building something with range, not just a namecheck lineup.

Three-day, single-day, VIP, and camping tickets are on sale now. For a debut festival, PhillGood arrives with serious intent, and Plovdiv is ready for it.

Rush Deliver the Definitive ‘Grace Under Pressure’ With Massive 40th Anniversary Edition

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Rush’s ‘Grace Under Pressure’ gets the treatment it deserves. UMe/Mercury and Anthem Records release the 40th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition of the Canadian trio’s tenth studio album, out now in five configurations: a 4-CD/Blu-ray, 5-LP/Blu-ray, Super Deluxe Digital Edition, Dolby Atmos Digital Edition, and the full concert video ‘Grace Under Pressure Tour: Live in Toronto 1984’ at video DSPs.

The limited-edition version of the Super Deluxe Edition includes four CDs, one Blu-ray, and a 52-page hardcover book. CD 1 features the album’s original 1984 stereo mix, newly remastered from the original analog stereo master tapes by Sean Magee at Abbey Road Studios. Although Grace Under Pressure was the first Rush studio album not produced by Terry Brown after a decade-long healthy working relationship, CD 2 now features Brown’s new stereo mix of the album, as created from the original studio album’s analog multitracks. To get the ball rolling, Brown reached out directly to surviving bandmembers Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee. Regarding his involvement, Brown confirmed that he “suggested it to Alex and Ged by saying to them, ‘Let me do a couple of tunes. If you love it, we can move forward.’ As it turned out, they did love it.” Brown’s goals for his remix were quite pure. “I had to give the guys something they would be excited about,” the producer continued, “so I went for a little more detail, different reverbs, and a larger footprint, all while maintaining the integrity of the original record.”

CD 3 and CD 4 present the first-ever complete setlist of the show Rush performed on September 21, 1984, at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, which was also newly mixed from the original multitrack audio masters and has now been retitled Grace Under Pressure Tour: Live in Toronto 1984.

The Blu-ray features the above concert on video, newly edited and newly remastered in HD with the audio soundtrack offered in 48kHz/24-bit Dolby Atmos, 96kHz/24-bit Dolby TrueHD 5.1, and 96kHz/24-bit PCM stereo options, all newly mixed by Terry Brown. Its previous incarnation as 1986’s Grace Under Pressure Tour concert home video and CD was somewhat incomplete, and this new full concert experience features 37 minutes of unreleased performances.

Also on the Blu-ray, the full 1984 studio album is newly mixed in 48kHz/24-bit Dolby Atmos and 96kHz/24-bit Dolby TrueHD 5.1 by longtime band associate, producer/engineer Richard Chycki, from the original album’s multitracks along with the newly remastered 192kHz/24-bit and 96kHz/24-bit PCM stereo. Observed Chycki, “Listening to Grace Under Pressure in Atmos, you can really hear Rush’s progress and development as artists, because there’s much more room in the 360-degree soundfield to express it. Things that may have just gone by you in stereo now appear in separate speakers without being gimmicky. Instead, they act as micro-features for the Atmos listener to better appreciate the band’s intent.”

Additionally, on the Blu-ray, Terry Brown’s new album remix is presented in 96kHz/24-bit PCM stereo, along with the band’s music videos for “Distant Early Warning,” “Afterimage,” “The Enemy Within,” and “The Body Electric,” all of which have been visually remastered in HD and presented in 96kHz/24-bit Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and 48kHz/24-bit PCM stereo. (“The Enemy Within” was the very first music video shown by Canadian TV channel MuchMusic, now known as Fuse, on August 31, 1984.)

The Super Deluxe Edition will also include new liner notes penned by Geddy Lee, reflecting on his memories of finding a new producer for the album and reminiscing on a recent re-listen of the album proper. Original album designer Hugh Syme reimagines the original album cover, along with creating brand-new illustrations for each of the album’s eight songs and other related visual elements in the book. Exclusive bonus collectibles in the box include a custom acrylic Grace Under Pressure LED light-up display; a replica of the Grace Under Pressure tour book; a replica Maple Leaf Gardens/Toronto show concert ticket; a Grace Under Pressure Tour total access backstage pass; “Pressure Release” a replica of the six-page press release; three bandmember live photo lithos; and a poster from the Toronto show. All contents are housed in a premium lift-top box.

The second Grace Under Pressure configuration will be released as a 5-LP plus Blu-ray Super Deluxe Edition, which is the analog equivalent of the 4-CD edition. The LPs in the Super Deluxe Edition have been cut at Abbey Road Studios and pressed on 180-gram audiophile black vinyl at GZ Media in the Czech Republic.

Both the physical Super Deluxe Editions will also be offered at the Rush Backstage online store with three exclusive bonus lithos of Hugh Syme’s new illustrations.

The third configuration will be the Super Deluxe Digital Edition, which is the digital equivalent of the physical Super Deluxe Edition audio tracks.

The fourth configuration, the Dolby Atmos Digital Edition, is the digital equivalent of Richard Chycki’s Atmos mix of all eight tracks from the original 1984 album.

Finally, the fifth configuration is the Grace Under Pressure Tour: Live in Toronto 1984, newly edited, mixed and visually remastered in HD concert video made available to video DSPs.

CD 1: Original Album – Produced by Rush and Peter Henderson / 2025 Remaster on CD for the first time

1. Distant Early Warning
2. Afterimage
3. Red Sector A
4. The Enemy Within
5. The Body Electric
6. Kid Gloves
7. Red Lenses
8. Between The Wheels

CD 2: Original Album – 2025 Terry Brown Mix [Previously Unreleased]

1. Distant Early Warning
2. Afterimage
3. Red Sector A
4. The Enemy Within
5. The Body Electric
6. Kid Gloves
7. Red Lenses
8. Between The Wheels

CD 3: Grace Under Pressure Tour: Live In Toronto 1984 (Maple Leaf Gardens – September 21, 1984) [Previously Unreleased]

1. The Spirit Of Radio
2. Subdivisions
3. The Body Electric
4. The Enemy Within
5. The Weapon
6. Witch Hunt
7. New World Man
8. Between The Wheels
9. Red Barchetta

CD 4: Grace Under Pressure Tour: Live In Toronto 1984 (Maple Leaf Gardens – September 21, 1984) [Previously Unreleased]

1. Distant Early Warning
2. Red Sector A
3. Closer To The Heart
4. Kid Gloves
5. YYZ
6. 2112: The Temples Of Syrinx
7. Tom Sawyer
8. Red Lenses / Drum Solo
9. Vital Signs
10. Finding My Way
11. In The Mood

Blu-ray: Grace Under Pressure Tour: Live In Toronto 1984 – Concert Video (Dolby Atmos / Dolby TrueHD 5.1 / PCM Stereo) [Previously Unreleased]

1. The Spirit Of Radio
2. Subdivisions
3. The Body Electric
4. The Enemy Within
5. The Weapon
6. Witch Hunt
7. New World Man
8. Between The Wheels
9. Red Barchetta
10. Distant Early Warning
11. Red Sector A
12. Closer To The Heart
13. Kid Gloves
14. YYZ
15. 2112: The Temples Of Syrinx
16. Tom Sawyer
17. Red Lenses / Drum Solo
18. Vital Signs
19. Finding My Way
20. In The Mood

Grace Under Pressure – Original Album Surround & Stereo Mixes

1984 Album Mix – Dolby Atmos / Dolby TrueHD 5.1 / PCM Stereo
2025 Album Mix – PCM Stereo

1. Distant Early Warning
2. Afterimage
3. Red Sector A
4. The Enemy Within
5. The Body Electric
6. Kid Gloves
7. Red Lenses
8. Between The Wheels

Bonus Promo Videos

Dolby TrueHD 5.1 / PCM Stereo

1. Distant Early Warning
2. Afterimage
3. The Enemy Within
4. The Body Electric