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Nuclear Messiah Unite 36 Rock and Metal Legends on Thunderous All-Star Album ‘Black Flame’

Eric Alper
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Nuclear Messiah Unite 36 Rock and Metal Legends on Thunderous All-Star Album ‘Black Flame’

Nothing quite like ‘Black Flame’ has been attempted before. Nuclear Messiah’s thunderous all-star concept album, out now via Cleopatra Records, unites 36 of the most iconic musicians in rock and metal history across five decades, built around the visionary guitar mastery of former Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland.

Poland’s melodic fluidity, experimental phrasing, and sheer command of tone have made him one of the most distinctive voices in metal since ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’ Cleopatra founder Brian Perera frames the project perfectly: “Chris isn’t just a guitarist, he’s a spirit of sound. Nuclear Messiah was built around his brilliance and brought to life by an army of legends who share his passion and precision.”

The latest single “Electric Burn” is a monster closing statement. Featuring fellow Megadeth alumni Marty Friedman and Chris Adler alongside Blue Öyster Cult bassist Joe Bouchard and Marc Lopes, it’s a soul-searing slice of molten metal that closes the album at full throttle. Poland doesn’t undersell it: “‘Electric Burn’ is just that, this song is on fire. Chris Adler is smokin’ hot and the rest of the band follows suit. I mean, come on, freakin’ Marty Friedman is on this track.”

The album opens with William Shatner’s commanding spoken introduction before blazing through new material and eye-opening covers, including a killer take on Uriah Heep’s “Look At Yourself” and tracks drawn from Lucifer’s Friend, May Blitz, and NWOBHM heroes Holocaust. Every song was composed by the lineup that performs on it, making ‘Black Flame’ a genuine living timeline of hard rock, prog, and metal from the pioneers of the past to the trailblazers of today.

Produced by Brian Perera, Derek Hughes, and Jürgen Engler, with A&R direction from John Lappen, this is more than a collaboration. It’s a metal summit, and it delivers on every level.

‘Black Flame’ is out now via Cleopatra Records.

‘Black Flame’ Tracklist:

The Prophet Of Fallout feat. Chris Poland & William Shatner

Devil Won’t Let Go feat. Chris Poland, Ronnie Romero, Vinnie Moore, Vinny Appice, Don Airey, Steve Di Giorgio

Death Or Glory feat. Chris Poland, Thor, Bob Daisley, Glen Drover, Fred Aching

Ride The Sky feat. Chris Poland, Arthur Brown, Vinny Appice, Alan Davey

Dice And Thunder feat. Chris Poland, Rick Wakeman, Ronnie Romero, Bumblefoot, Steve Di Giorgio, Fred Aching

For Mad Men Only feat. Chris Poland, Pat Travers, Joe Lynn Turner, Alan Davey, Shawn Drover

Nuclear Messiah feat. Chris Poland, Lance Lopez, Greg Walker, Tim “Ripper” Owens, Vinny Appice, Don Airey

Look At Yourself feat. Chris Poland, Sebastian Bach, Derek Sherinian, Bob Daisley, Mick Box, Carmine Appice

She’s So Evil feat. Chris Poland, Joel Hoekstra, David Ellefson, Don Airey, Andrew Freeman, Simon Wright

Black Flame feat. Chris Poland, Ronnie Romero, Jonathan Cain, Phil Soussan, Glen Drover, Chris Adler

Electric Burn feat. Chris Poland, Marty Friedman, Joe Bouchard, Marc Lopes, Chris Adler

The Numbers Behind the Music: What the Highest-Grossing Concert Tours of All Time Tell Us (Updated For May, 2026)

Eric Alper
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The Numbers Behind the Music: What the Highest-Grossing Concert Tours of All Time Tell Us (Updated For May, 2026)

There is a thread that runs through almost every entry on the list of the highest-grossing concert tours of all time, and it goes deeper than talent or fame. It is longevity, reinvention, and an almost stubborn refusal to stop connecting with audiences. Look closely and you will notice that the artists who dominate this list, from The Rolling Stones to U2 to Taylor Swift, all share something that does not show up in the spreadsheets: they built communities, not fanbases. The Stones set the all-time touring record three separate times across three different decades, a testament to how a live show can evolve while staying absolutely true to its core. U2 and the Stones are tied at eight years each as the top-grossing tour of the year, a stat that would genuinely surprise most casual music fans.

Something else worth noting for those of us who live inside this industry: the shift from records to revenue happened right here on this list. Michael Jackson and Pink Floyd were the first acts to crack the $100 million barrier back in 1987 to 1989, at a time when album sales were still king. Fast forward to the 2020s and Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour closed out at $2.07 billion from just 149 shows. That is a fundamental redefinition of what a concert tour can be. Coldplay, meanwhile, has been quietly building the second-highest-grossing tour in history across 223 shows, proving that consistency and sustainability can rival spectacle every single time.

As of May 2026, here are the top 10 highest-grossing concert tours of all time:

1. Taylor Swift, The Eras Tour (2023 to 2024) $2.07 billion. 149 shows. An average of nearly $14 million per night. Nothing in the history of live music comes close.

2. Coldplay, Music of the Spheres World Tour (2022 to 2025) $1.52 billion across 223 shows. Still ongoing and already the most-toured entry in the top ten by number of dates.

3. Elton John, Farewell Yellow Brick Road (2018 to 2023) $939 million over 330 shows across five years, making it the longest run in the top 20.

4. Ed Sheeran, Plus Minus Equals Divide Multiply Tour (2022 to 2025) $875.7 million from 169 shows, surpassing his own Divide Tour record and cementing him as the greatest touring machine of his generation.

5. Ed Sheeran, Divide Tour (2017 to 2019) $776.2 million from 255 shows, making Sheeran the only artist to hold two spots in the all-time top five.

6. U2, 360 Degrees Tour (2009 to 2011) $736.4 million from just 110 shows. The production required its own structural engineering team for the stage and redefined what a stadium concert could look and feel like.

7. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, 2023 to 2025 Tour $729.7 million and one of the most remarkable late-career commercial achievements in rock history, fueled by a fanbase that has followed The Boss for five decades.

8. The Weeknd, After Hours til Dawn Tour (2022 to 2026) $693.2 million reported to Pollstar, though Live Nation has reported over $1 billion when including all 153 dates. Still ongoing as of this writing.

9. Harry Styles, Love On Tour (2021 to 2023) $617.3 million from 169 shows, a stunning figure for an artist only a few years into his solo career and a sign of how powerfully he converted a global fanbase into a live music force.

10. Pink, Summer Carnival (2023 to 2024) $584.7 million from 97 shows. Pink remains one of the most extraordinary live draws in the entire industry, and this number makes the case louder than any ticket sale figure ever could.

What ties all of these together is something the music business has known for a long time: in a world where streaming has made music nearly free to consume, the live experience has become more valuable than ever. People are buying memories. And the artists on this list figured that out before almost everyone else.

Black Orchid Empire Tap Into Dark Japanese Folklore for Ferocious New Single “Scissormouth”

Eric Alper
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Black Orchid Empire Tap Into Dark Japanese Folklore for Ferocious New Single “Scissormouth”

Black Orchid Empire have never done anything halfway. “Scissormouth,” the fifth single from their forthcoming album ‘Lore’, is out now on Year Of The Rat Records, and it’s exactly the kind of heavy, hook-driven rock track that reminds you why this band has built such a fierce and loyal following.

The song draws from the Japanese folklore myth of Kuchisake-Onna, the Slit-Mouthed Woman, a scissor-carrying demon who asks “do you think I’m beautiful?” with no safe answer available. Vocalist Paul Visser breaks it down: “The myth of Kuchisake-Onna is so dark and unsettling we immediately knew it had to be a song. There is no answer that doesn’t result in horror. We love this tune and had so much fun with the imagery. The ending is especially brutal.”

That instinct for dark, narratively rich material is what separates Black Orchid Empire from the pack. Their sound combines heavy-hitting savagery with intense melodic beauty, technical grooves and gigantic sing-along choruses working together rather than against each other. It’s a genuinely difficult balance to strike, and they nail it every time.

The band arrives at ‘Lore’, due May 8th, with serious momentum behind them. Supported by BBC Radio 1, Spotify, Apple Music, Knotfest, PROG, and Kerrang, and with previous album releases on Long Branch Records and Season Of Mist, their new home at Year Of The Rat Records feels like the right platform for their biggest move yet. Live, they’ve shared stages with Skunk Anansie, HED P.E, INME, and played festivals including Download, Tech Fest, and Planet Rockstock.

A UK headline run kicks off later this month. All dates are worth catching.

UK Tour Dates:

May 21 – Derby – The Victoria Inn

May 22 – Leeds – Boom

May 23 – Birmingham – Scruffy Murphys

May 24 – Cheltenham – Frog and Fiddle

May 28 – Cardiff – Fuel

May 29 – Guildford – The Star

May 30 – Bournemouth – Bear Cave

May 31 – London – New Cross Inn

Living Legend Paul Anka Delivers Lushly Orchestrated New Album ‘Inspirations of Life and Love’

Eric Alper
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Living Legend Paul Anka Delivers Lushly Orchestrated New Album ‘Inspirations of Life and Love’

Paul Anka has nothing left to prove and everything left to give. The legendary singer-songwriter’s new studio album ‘Inspirations of Life and Love’ is out now via Green Hill Music/Sun Label Group, an eleven-track collection of lushly orchestrated songs that draws from beloved hits and brand new material in equal measure.

Recorded primarily in Anka’s home studio in California, with symphony orchestra accompaniment tracked in Budapest, the album carries the kind of sonic scale that only comes from a musician who has spent seven decades learning exactly what a song needs. It’s available on vinyl, CD, and digitally via Dolby Atmos.

Anka describes the project with characteristic warmth: “Life and Love was unlike anything I’ve done in the last few years. I’m very into the music and the arrangements and the message that we’re trying to give and it’s my gift to all of you.” His take on “That’s Life” strips the classic back to a slow, deeply felt interpretation, doing for it what only Anka could.

The numbers behind this man are staggering. Five Top 20 hits before the age of 18. A number one record with “Diana” at 15. The only artist in history to chart on the Billboard Top 100 in seven consecutive decades. His HBO documentary ‘Paul Anka: His Way’, streaming now on HBO Max, traces that extraordinary journey from teen idol to enduring institution.

His US Tour, A Man and His Music, is underway now.

‘Inspirations of Life and Love’ Tracklist:

I Just Can’t Wait

Anytime

Boulevard

It Was a Very Good Year

Let Me Try Again

Love Never Felt So Good

Freedom For You And Me (Freedom For The World)

I Believe

The Last Time I Saw You

(All Of A Sudden) My Heart Sings

That’s Life

Lykke Li Enters Her Existential Era With Maximalist New Single “Lucky Again”

Eric Alper
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Lykke Li Enters Her Existential Era With Maximalist New Single “Lucky Again”

Lykke Li has always written from the edge. “Lucky Again,” the first single from her forthcoming album ‘The Afterparty’ on Neon Gold Records/Futures, finds her stepping even further out, trading romantic obsession for something bigger, messier, and more honest than anything she’s attempted before.

“I was twirling around in love addiction for all those albums,” she says plainly. “Now I’m going into my existential era.” That shift is all over “Lucky Again,” a maximalist disco-pop track built on cascading strings, relentless momentum, and a Max Richter Four Seasons sample that pushes the song toward pure euphoria by its final moments. It’s a stunning piece of pop construction.

Li describes the concept with characteristic precision: “To me it’s samsara in a song. The wheel of life; winning, losing, living, dying. Having had something and praying you’ll have it again.” She wanted Vivaldi at her wedding or funeral. Instead she got something closer to a revenge heist soundtrack. Both readings work completely.

‘The Afterparty’ was written in Los Angeles and recorded in Stockholm with a 17-piece string orchestra, apocalyptic bongos, gospel brightness, and a whole lot of flute. At just 24 minutes, it’s a confrontation with mortality, hedonism, shame, and survival, a dance record for the end of the world. Li calls her alter-ego on the album “a Ram Dass for f***boys,” which tells you everything you need to know about where her head is at.

Across ‘Youth Novels’, ‘Wounded Rhymes’, ‘I Never Learn’, ‘So Sad So Sexy’, and ‘EYEEYE’, Li has built one of modern pop’s most singular catalogs. ‘The Afterparty’ sounds like the next essential chapter.

Upcoming live dates are stacked, with headline slots at Pohoda Festival in Slovakia, Finsbury Park in London with Wolf Alice, and a Mexico City date at Palacio de los Deportes alongside Robyn.

Tour Dates:

May 22 – Vivo Rio – Rio de Janeiro

May 24 – Parque Ibirapuera – São Paulo

June 19 – Metronome Festival – Prague

July 5 – Finsbury Park – London (with Wolf Alice)

July 10 – Pohoda Festival – Slovakia (Headline)

September 19 – Palacio de los Deportes – Mexico City (with Robyn)

Pop Icon Willa Ford Makes a Stunning Return With Pet Sounds-Inspired Single “Carousel”

Eric Alper
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Pop Icon Willa Ford Makes a Stunning Return With Pet Sounds-Inspired Single “Carousel”

Willa Ford is back, and she’s brought something genuinely special with her. “Carousel,” the latest single from her first album in over two decades, is out now alongside a music video, and it’s the kind of richly layered pop track that reminds you exactly what this medium is capable of.

Recorded with award-winning arranger, composer, and producer Vincent Ott, “Carousel” draws directly from the symphonic pop of Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys, an influence Ford has carried since childhood. Lavish strings, wildly alternating tempos, and meticulously stacked vocals make the track one of the most ambitious pop productions you’ll hear this year.

Ford describes the process with real candour: “I marched into the studio feeling like it could go well or terribly wrong. I built it part-by-part vocally thinking ‘what would Brian do?’ while also making sure the song showcased my sound.” The result is a gorgeously shapeshifting track about hope, resilience, and the inevitable cycles of a life fully lived.

“Carousel” is the third track unveiled from ‘amanda’, Ford’s forthcoming album, which is out now. It follows “Love4Life,” a euphoric ode to her husband, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Ryan Nece, and “Burn Burn,” a dance anthem of self-salvation. Together, the three singles map out an album that balances pure pop pleasure with genuine self-revelation.

Grammy-Winning Jam-Grass Legends The Infamous Stringdusters Go Deep on Landmark Album ’20/20′

Eric Alper
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Grammy-Winning Jam-Grass Legends The Infamous Stringdusters Go Deep on Landmark Album ’20/20′

Twenty years in, The Infamous Stringdusters aren’t coasting. The Grammy Award-winning quintet’s new album ’20/20′ is out now via Americana Vibes, a twenty-track statement from a band that has spent two decades redefining what bluegrass can be and still isn’t done pushing.

To mark the release, the band has shared the music video for “The Voyageur,” one of twenty tracks on an album that also includes “Working Man Blues,” “Dead Man Walking,” “Up from the Bottom,” “Light at the End of the Day,” and “Dancing on the Moon.” It’s a deep, sprawling record that earns every minute of its runtime.

Banjoist Chris Pandolfi frames the band’s current creative drive with real honesty: “We’ve been around for 20 years, and I feel like we’re putting more into our music, both writing and the live shows, than we ever have.” Bassist Travis Book echoes that: “20 years later, we’re still distilling the best elements of what we all bring to the band.” That kind of self-awareness is rare, and it shows in the music.

The Infamous Stringdusters have always operated at a crossroads, where bluegrass instrumentation and vocal harmony collide with frenzied stage energy and rock and roll attitude. Pandolfi, Book, Jeremy Garrett (fiddle), Andy Hall (dobro), and Andy Falco (guitar) blur the lines between bluegrass, Americana, country, and indie-folk with the ease of a band that has spent twenty years perfecting exactly this.

’20/20′ is the purest distillation of that experimentation yet. Each member brings outside solo work and fresh influences back into the fold, and the results run deep. As Falco puts it simply: “Before we go onstage I like to tell the band ‘remember the joy,’ and we are all still incredibly grateful for the opportunity to make this music with each other.”

Seattle Soul-Rock Favorites The Jaws of Brooklyn Bring Disco Heat to New Single “Where Are You?”

Eric Alper
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Seattle Soul-Rock Favorites The Jaws of Brooklyn Bring Disco Heat to New Single “Where Are You?”

The Jaws of Brooklyn are locked in. The Seattle five-piece have announced their new EP ‘Unstoppable’, due May 15th, and launched it with “Where Are You?”, a shimmering, disco-driven single that captures the all-night energy of romantic pursuit with total confidence.

Co-produced with Grammy-winner and Alabama Shakes keyboardist Ben Tanner, ‘Unstoppable’ blends Motown melody, Muscle Shoals soul, West Coast rock and roll, girl-group glitter, and garage grit into something that sounds completely their own. Guitarist Bryan Cohen breaks down the new single with a grin: “It’s a tale of a couple indulging in the all-day, all-night life together, dancing into the next day. Lust, devotion and the dance floor. What could be better?”

The seven-track EP builds on the momentum of their 2025 album ‘Crush On You’, which arrived alongside a period of real transition for the band, most notably the addition of frontwoman Gretchen Lemon. A former schoolteacher, Lemon brought an electric new presence to the group, and the live show hasn’t been the same since. Festival slots at SXSW and Bumbershoot and packed rooms on both coasts tell that story clearly.

Lemon captures the band’s approach simply and perfectly: “We’ve always focused on our live show, and that’s how we made ‘Unstoppable’: by getting into a room together and playing at the same time. That’s what we’re good at. It’s what we love doing.” That ethos is all over the new single, warm, physical, and built for a room full of people.

Tour Dates:

April 25 – Wenatchee, WA @ Apple Blossom Festival

July 4 – Everett, WA @ 4th of July Everett

July 11 – Spokane, WA @ Blessing In Disguise Festival

‘Unstoppable’ Tracklist:

Where Are You?

Lie to Me

Unstoppable

Up All Night

Summer We Forgot

Done With You

Kiss Me

Texas Synth-Pop Duo MISSIO Tap Into Nostalgia and Apathy on New Single “I Remember When”

Eric Alper
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Texas Synth-Pop Duo MISSIO Tap Into Nostalgia and Apathy on New Single “I Remember When”

MISSIO have something to say. The Texas duo’s new single “I Remember When” is out now via Nettwerk, a shimmering, synth-driven track that hits the feeling of collective exhaustion head-on and doesn’t look away.

Built on layered, nostalgic electronics, the track captures the carefree electricity of youth while sitting firmly in the present. The duo put it plainly: “The world is changing and transitioning at such a rapid pace that it feels impossible to keep up with right now. There’s a general apathy that everyone feels but no one seems to be talking about. We want to talk about it.” That’s exactly the kind of creative instinct that separates good bands from necessary ones.

“I Remember When” is the first taste of MISSIO’s forthcoming album, and it arrives as a confident, emotionally sharp opening statement. The production is warm and expansive, letting the nostalgia breathe without softening the underlying unease. It’s a track that rewards a close listen.

The Hollow Crown Tour has wrapped, with MISSIO headlining alongside WesGhost, ThxSoMch, and support from The Haunt, Oxymorrons, and rosecoloredworld. Keep an eye on upcoming dates as the new album takes shape.

Matchbook Romance Unearth Lost Sessions on 20th Anniversary Deluxe Reissue ‘VOICES | VISIONS’

Eric Alper
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Matchbook Romance Unearth Lost Sessions on 20th Anniversary Deluxe Reissue ‘VOICES | VISIONS’

Matchbook Romance are honoring one of post-emo’s most beloved records the right way. ‘VOICES | VISIONS’, the 20th anniversary deluxe reissue of their landmark 2006 sophomore album ‘Voices’, is out now via Epitaph Records, and it comes with two previously unheard tracks pulled straight from the original sessions. Listen here.

“Something Worse Than the Night” and “A Beautiful Day” were recorded during the 2005 ‘Voices’ sessions, recently revisited and completed by the band for this release. They’re not throwaways. Both tracks carry the riff-heavy post-emo DNA that made ‘Voices’ a touchstone for an entire generation of fans, and they slot into the album’s world with ease.

The band framed the decision with real thoughtfulness: “Completing these songs felt like a great way to do this and also allowed us to close the door on a chapter of our career and potentially open some new doors as a result.” That’s a band approaching their own legacy with honesty and care.

‘Voices’ itself remains a remarkably refined record, Andrew Jordan’s vocals soaring above Ryan DePaolo’s melodic guitar work, Aaron Stern’s pounding drums, and Ryan Kienle’s anchoring bass lines. Twenty years on, it holds up completely.

Both new tracks are available now as part of the digital deluxe reissue. A limited 7″ featuring both songs was available exclusively on Record Store Day, April 18th.

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That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

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