Page 29 – That Eric Alper

Download Festival Rebrands As DLXXIII With Limp Bizkit, Guns N’ Roses, And Linkin Park

Music

Eric Alper

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Jan 18, 2026

Download Festival Rebrands As DLXXIII With Limp Bizkit, Guns N’ Roses, And Linkin Park

Download Festival announces the first headliners for its newly retooled DLXXIII edition, with Limp Bizkit, Guns N’ Roses, and Linkin Park set to lead the bill. The 23rd edition of the iconic European festival embraces a refreshed identity while doubling down on its roots, spotlighting 90s-era influence across rock, metal, punk, emo, hardcore, alternative, and classic rock at Donington Park.

The first lineup announcement confirms a stacked and wide-ranging undercard, including Architects, Bad Omens, BABYMETAL, The Pretty Reckless, Bush, Electric Callboy, Trivium, Mastodon, Feeder, Halestorm, and Pendulum. The bill also features Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, horror-leaning metalcore favourites Ice Nine Kills, and Black Veil Brides, alongside landmark first-time appearances from Cypress Hill and Dogstar, featuring Keanu Reeves. The reveal was marked by an immersive launch event at the Barbican, complete with a bespoke short film, the unveiling of The Apex Rings created with The Great Frog, and a taste of the expanded District X experience planned for DLXXIII.

Giant Rooks Open Reflective New Chapter With “The Future Is Cancelled”

Music

Eric Alper

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Jan 18, 2026

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Giant Rooks Open Reflective New Chapter With “The Future Is Cancelled”

Giant Rooks return with their new single “The Future Is Cancelled”, a quietly powerful release that highlights the band’s range and emotional precision. Following a year of major milestones, including sold-out homecoming shows in Hamm and the chart-topping success of ‘How Have You Been?’, the song presents Giant Rooks in a more introspective light. Built around delicate piano lines and restrained vocals, it moves gently between melancholy and renewal, offering clarity without abandoning warmth.

Produced in the UK by Jonathan Gilmore, the track balances intimacy and scale with ease, giving its reflective mood a subtle sense of forward motion. That contrast carries into the accompanying video, which shifts from black-and-white to colour to mirror themes of loss, rediscovery, and quiet resilience. Rather than resignation, “The Future Is Cancelled” reads as a calm act of defiance, reaffirming Giant Rooks’ ability to pair big ideas with emotional honesty while continuing to evolve on their own terms.

Fred Again.. Expands USB Universe With “HARDSTYLE 2” Collaboration

Music

Eric Alper

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Jan 18, 2026

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Fred Again.. Expands USB Universe With “HARDSTYLE 2” Collaboration

Fred again.. releases “HARDSTYLE 2”, a high-impact new track with KETTAMA and Shady Nasty, continuing the fast-moving new era of his ever-evolving USB project. The track follows recent USB-era releases alongside Caribou, Floating Points, Danny Brown, BEAM, PARISI, and Amyl and the Sniffers, all feeding into a larger concept that blends constant release with live performance and visual art. Alongside the music, Fred’s USB shows have featured a recurring installation by visual artist Boris Acket, reinforcing the project’s focus on immersion and collaboration, while appearances with figures like Thomas Bangalter underline the scope and ambition of this new USB chapter.

Night Terror Channel Classic NWOBHM Fire On Debut Release ‘Return Of The Witches’

Music

Eric Alper

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Jan 18, 2026

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Night Terror Channel Classic NWOBHM Fire On Debut Release ‘Return Of The Witches’

Rising from the energized ashes of Seven Witches, Night Terror is the new power metal project masterminded by guitarist Jack Frost, uniting a formidable lineup of metal veterans. Vocal icon Jason McMaster, drummer Karl Wilcox, bassist Dennis Hayes, and special guest keyboardist Eric Ragno bring the spirit of classic heavy metal roaring back to life on the debut album ‘Return Of The Witches’. Built on Halford-style screams, thunderous rhythm work, and unapologetic riffs, the record reconnects with the raw power of early NWOBHM and the legacy of Seven Witches’ ‘Passage To The Other Side’ era. Frost calls the project “true classic metal,” while McMaster describes the songs as a deep creative pull shaped by the DNA of Dio, Sabbath, UFO, and British steel, delivering a release that sounds revived, purposeful, and fiercely alive.

Bleed From Within Expand UK And Ireland Run With ‘The Dying Sun’ Tour

Music

Eric Alper

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Jan 18, 2026

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Bleed From Within Expand UK And Ireland Run With ‘The Dying Sun’ Tour

cottish metal heavyweights Bleed From Within announce additional dates and major updates to their ‘The Dying Sun’ UK and Ireland tour following overwhelming demand. After selling out their original Edinburgh date in under 30 minutes, the band add a second night in the city alongside a newly announced stop in Aberdeen, marking their first show there since 2018. The run also upgrades Nottingham to Rock City and confirms full-tour support from Disembodied Tyrant and Baest, turning the tour into the band’s biggest and most explosive headline run to date. Calling the response the craziest of their career, Bleed From Within head into March with momentum at full force.

BLEED FROM WITHIN ‘THE DYING SUN’ TOUR 2026 DATES:
01 March 2026 – Edinburgh, The Liquid Room SOLD OUT
02 March 2026 – Edinburgh, The Liquid Room NEW SHOW
03 March 2026 – Aberdeen, Lemon Tree NEW SHOW
05 March 2026 – Dublin, The Academy
06 March 2026 – Liverpool, O2 Academy SELLING FAST
07 March 2026 – Leeds, Stylus
08 March 2026 – Nottingham, Rock City VENUE UPGRADED
10 March 2026 – Norwich, Epic Studios SELLING FAST
12 March 2026 – Bristol, Electric Bristol
13 March 2026 – Southampton, The 1865 SELLING FAST
14 March 2026 – Birmingham, O2 Institute SELLING FAST

Fleabustiers Unveil Cinematic Prog Tale On New Single “Tragic Carpet”

Music

Eric Alper

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Jan 18, 2026

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Fleabustiers Unveil Cinematic Prog Tale On New Single “Tragic Carpet”

Progressive rock collective Fleabustiers share their new single “Tragic Carpet”, out now, accompanied by a striking motion design video that places human creativity at its core. Blending ambitious prog structures with hypnotic oriental influences, the track pairs rich musical detail with socially aware storytelling, marking one of the band’s most layered and expressive releases to date.

Unfolding like a modern retelling of The Arabian Nights, “Tragic Carpet” follows an underestimated heroine who rises against a tyrant. “At first, the music made us think of a magic carpet, then it grew darker and became a ‘tragic carpet,’ symbol of struggle and revolt,” the band explain. That central image carries a double meaning, reflecting both collapsing systems of power and personal experiences of control and resistance. The song’s ending deliberately resists a clean resolution, capturing the uneasy space where justice and bitterness coexist.

In an era dominated by AI-generated content, Fleabustiers emphasize the irreplaceable value of human collaboration. “What mattered to us was bringing together two visions: ours and another artist’s – not a soulless algorithm’s,” they say of working with director Nolan Bourrel. The motion graphics video brings deserts, palaces, and glowing colours to life, mirroring the song’s shifting emotional tone. Together, sound and visuals form an immersive statement for listeners drawn to music that connects story, experimentation, and contemporary social questions.

Jesse Creatchman Finds Momentum And Meaning On New EP ‘Quick Wins’

Music

Eric Alper

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Jan 18, 2026

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Jesse Creatchman Finds Momentum And Meaning On New EP ‘Quick Wins’

Montreal folk-rock songwriter Jesse Creatchman returns with ‘Quick Wins’, a four-song EP driven by grit, reflection, and forward motion. Framed as both mantra and mission, the release centers on momentum and the power of small victories, pairing Creatchman’s weathered voice with road-tested storytelling rooted in Folk Rock and Americana traditions.

“I needed a quick win,” Creatchman says. “So I started with what I had – the four tunes I’d recorded a few years back.” Originally tracked live off the floor, the songs were left unfinished after lost overdubs pulled him into another project. That changed when producer and guitarist Tom Shemerr of The Damn Truth stepped in, pausing work on Creatchman’s next album to help bring ‘Quick Wins’ across the finish line.

The EP gathers “Heat of the Summer Night”, “Highway Time”, “Tommy Is a Heartbreaker”, and “Put Your Trust in Me” into a cohesive whole that reads like a road-worn journal. “I released these songs as singles to generate momentum,” Creatchman explains. “I prefer album releases – it’s what I grew up on – so now here they all are together.” Honest, unpolished, and purposefully human, ‘Quick Wins’ captures an artist chasing the sun and finding clarity in simply finishing what he started.

Eloa Embraces Folk-Pop Freedom On Intimate New Single “Song For A”

Music

Eric Alper

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Jan 18, 2026

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Eloa Embraces Folk-Pop Freedom On Intimate New Single “Song For A”

Swiss folk-pop artist Eloa shares her latest single “Song for A”, a tender reflection on love, courage, and choosing the unknown. Carried by her distinctive voice and intimate acoustic arrangements, the song mirrors Eloa’s own leap of faith after leaving her job to devote a full year entirely to music. Now travelling across Europe by bus with her guitarist, she performs wherever possible, turning movement, vulnerability, and storytelling into the heart of her creative life. The track lands with warmth and sincerity, capturing the quiet bravery of letting go in favor of adventure.

Eloa was launched in 2020 by Élodie Correa following years fronting the alternative metal band Mingmen. “Since I was a child, I’ve always wanted to tell stories, write my emotions, compose my own music, and find my voice,” she says. Joined on the road in 2025 by a guitarist from Grand Canard Blanc, Eloa continues a year-long journey in support of her debut album, recorded at Blend Studio in Lutry, shaping a body of work rooted in honesty, freedom, and shared human contrasts.

Confess Reignite Defiant Metal Fire With “I’m Your God Now” And Album Reissue

Music

Eric Alper

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Jan 18, 2026

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Confess Reignite Defiant Metal Fire With “I’m Your God Now” And Album Reissue

Iranian-Norwegian metallers Confess continue a landmark year with the release of their searing single “I’m Your God Now”, taken from the reissued edition of their second album ‘In Pursuit Of Dreams’, out now via their EVIN Productions imprint. The remastered release also includes three previously unheard tracks: “Watch The Decay Of Sun”, “Convention”, and “Face-Off”, expanding a record that already holds deep historical and emotional weight for the band.

Discussing the single, the band explain, “When I first wrote “I’m Your God Now”, it carried the rage and defiance of a time when speaking out came with real consequences. Remastering them isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about sharpening the blade.” The track lands with renewed force, channeling resistance and clarity through tightly coiled riffs and unfiltered intensity, sounding as urgent now as when it was first written.

Reflecting on the album’s reissue, frontman Nikan Khosravi describes ‘In Pursuit Of Dreams’ as more than a record. “This isn’t just an album; it’s a piece of history,” he says, recalling its release as the band’s last while still in Iran. The album became a lightning rod for rebellion and expression, placing Confess firmly on the global metal map and establishing the band as a vital voice within Middle Eastern metal.

The reissue arrives alongside continued momentum following Confess’s 2025 album ‘Destination Addiction’, produced by Khosravi and mixed and mastered by Grammy-nominated Alberto De Icaza. That record featured performances from George Kollias and Marzi Montazeri, and earned widespread acclaim from Metal Hammer, Norway Rock Magazine, and Inferno Magazine, underlining the band’s creative and technical evolution.

Confess’s story also reaches a wider audience through their feature in the HULU series ‘Into The Void: Life, Death & Heavy Metal’. Speaking on their inclusion, Khosravi says, “For us, this isn’t just about music. It’s about survival, resistance, and proving that metal has no borders.” Together, the single, reissue, and documentary frame Confess as a band whose music carries lived experience, defiance, and a refusal to be silenced.

MWSOG Ignite Welsh Folk Myth And Revolution On Debut Single “Chwyldro”

Music

Eric Alper

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Jan 18, 2026

0

MWSOG Ignite Welsh Folk Myth And Revolution On Debut Single “Chwyldro”

Welsh collective MWSOG unveil their debut single “Chwyldro”, out now on BWGiBWGAN, binding ancient Cymru to a modern, ritual-charged pulse. Rooted in acid folk, mystical trad, and heavy rock weight, the song opens with a galloping, spell-like rhythm as drums, harmonium, and harmonised voices rise together. The response to the track highlights its fearless atmosphere, where folk storytelling meets darker power and communal intensity.

Fronted by the elemental voice of Mari Mathias, “Chwyldro” channels Welsh myth and resistance through sound. “MWSOG allows me to embody the teachings of the Mabinogi, ancient voices so old we can no longer trace their source,” Mathias says. “Much of what we write follows these quiet threads – the weaving of nature and metal, the pulse between the industrial and the soil.” The song draws directly on the Rebecca Riots, transforming historical rebellion into rhythm, movement, and ritual.

Drummer Luke Huw Llewellyn explains, “We wanted to retell the struggles of our ancestors through modern musical language,” while guitarist Grant Jones recalls the riff arriving fully formed, “like it had been waiting to be found.” Recorded beneath the standing stones of the Preseli Hills and shaped by producer Steffan Pringle, “Chwyldro” arrives as an awakening rather than a debut, carrying Welsh culture, myth, and defiance forward with fire still burning.