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Pop punk rockers THE WILD HAZE have released several EPs, with all new music, an album with 12 songs expected out someday. But the band does into talks about their song writing, lyrical context, history, and the plans for the future. 

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, you planned it or did it come out just like that? 

The idea for the band name came from the band Beach Slang. At the time, their album The Things We Do to Find People Who Feel Like Us had just been released.

There’s a song on the album called “Ride the Wild Haze.” We really identified with the lyrics, and the instrumental part reminded us a lot of ourselves as a band. The song was playing as we were on our way to our rehearsal space, which was very secluded on a farm at the time, and it was very foggy—that’s when I (Stephanie) came up with the idea for The Wild Haze.

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

I think all of us listened to pop punk and punk rock as teenagers. We grew up with it in the ’90s and 2000s.

I, Stephanie, used to listen to the soundtrack from the movie American Pie back then and got to know a lot of bands, and my first concert at 14 was Green Day in Zurich. But we all listen to different genres too, ranging from metal/hardcore punk to stoner/sludge, Swedish rock punk bands, rock ’n’ roll, indie, and even country. We’re very open-minded as long as it’s good, honest music.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

Lars, the guitarist, and I, Stephanie, already knew each other. We were part of the same scene and hung out in the same places. We met Sascha through an online post when we were looking for a drummer. But he didn’t join us until years later and served as our substitute drummer for the first few years. We met Jake at a song contest in early 2017, where he was playing with his band Killjoy at the time. We also met our first drummer (Sascha) and our first guitarist, Remo, through online ads. Phil was our session guitarist on and off over the years, but he was also a permanent member of the band, and we knew each other from the same scene even before the band was formed.

4. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

We don't live in the same place. Sascha is from Basel. Jake and Phil are from Zurich, and Lars and Stephanie live in Baden, a suburb of Zurich, where we now have our rehearsal space. Before that, it was in Lucerne and Zurich. Switzerland is small, and we all live just a half-hour to an hour’s drive from each other.

The scene in Zurich is a bit bigger, and there are good bands like Nofnog, My Name Was Claire, Kabuki Joe, Desert Lily, and Back East. As friends and talented musicians, we highly recommend them.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

Stephanie writes the lyrics to the songs. So, in the early days, I’d definitely say Green Day, Avril Lavigne, Blink-182, Sum 41, and Social Distortion. But as a teenager, I also listened to a lot of country music, like Johnny Cash. Lars, who writes the riffs and melodies for us, had earlier inspirations like Pennywise, Good Riddance, Sum 41, Catch 22 and The Hellacopters.

6. What are your songs about? (What specific themes do they cover?)

Our songs are about life with all its ups and downs, about not giving up, pursuing your dreams, about love and pain, and feeling like an outsider—as well as all the difficult but also good things in the world.

7. Do you write your own songs? (Discuss the songwriting process in detail.)

Yes, we write all our songs ourselves. Either Stephanie comes up with the lyrics and a melody first, and Lars adds the guitar part. Then we bring the idea to the rest of the band, where the other members contribute their ideas. Or Lars has written a riff or a melody, and then we adapt it to the lyrics and work it out with the band.

8. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

We've released four EPs so far. Our first EP is on Bandcamp. Back then, it still had lyrics in both English and German. The subsequent releases—Stupid Girl, Strikes and Gutters, and Crash and Burn—have been released on all platforms, including Tidal, Spotify, Apple Music, and more. We make honest music with heart and a passion for music. So far, it’s all DIY. We make music because we enjoy it and because we’re passionate about it, and we hope people feel that too.

9. Do you have any new music in the works?

Yes, over the past year we’ve written an album with 12 songs or more. Unfortunately, Stephanie was—and still is—on sick leave, so we wrote new songs whenever we could. Since gigs haven’t been possible since the middle of the year for these reasons, Jake, our guitarist, has studied audio engineering, and we’re currently recording demos in our living room/rehearsal space. You definitely have something to look forward to. It’s our best work yet. We’ve put in many months of work, and people can look forward to something new as well as the familiar, improved The Wild Haze sound—a good mix of dark and punk, as you know it, with plenty of variety and a willingness to experiment.

10. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

We’ve planned two shows so far. Whether they go ahead depends on how quickly our singer recovers. We hope it will be soon, but in the meantime, we’ll be working on new music. You can look forward to it.

11. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

We envision our future as a band filled with lots of shows, meeting great people and bands, and more tours in Europe, the U.S., and Asia. We’ve already gotten some inquiries, haha, but that’s still a ways off :) We’ll keep playing and writing good, honest music. This is just the beginning.

12. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

You can listen to our music on all major platforms. We’ve ordered more CDs and T-shirts and will be announcing them on our social media channels. We’ll have a website soon, but until then, you can definitely reach out to us via DM on our channels and at our shows.

Ed Fielding Photography

Post-hardcore band VERSUS have their debut album out titled "The Catalyst", with all new singles expected out this spring! The band discusses their show plans, beginnings, and the future!

1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

Versus started way back in 2016-ish as a three-piece grunge band – back then we were just playing shows to our friends just to have some fun, but over the years we started gaining some traction, and Versus evolved into what it is now. Over the years we have had changes in our line up and the dynamics of the band, with our first drummer moving to Australia through to our bassist and founding member, Bear, who has just stepped down – we have an amazing bunch on talented individuals in the band now – Calvin on drums (he is a machine to say the least), Rob on guitars (who has successfully redefined a lot of our sounds and direction) and Shortie on vocals/bass (temporarily standing in for Bear). All of us have been in various bands over the years, in fact there are too many to mention here, but we connect and write so well together as Versus that our past bands feel like a different lifetime these days.

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

The name of the band initially was You Me Vs The World as at the time I think we were all in very difficult places in our lives and the band was our way of fighting back and releasing some of that energy and resilience – since then the name was shortened over the years until we ended up with Versus, even though all of our lives have changed (as you’d expect over the years) for the better, however we know that many folks are struggling with either daily life or even the geo-political climate that we are all facing at present, so it’s more a representation of how the majority of folks in the world must feel at points in their lives. 

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend? 

We are based in a city called Leeds (Yorkshire, UK) and the scene over here is steadily getting better after the pandemic, when before it was such an eclectic and thriving music scene! There are a lot of bands that are up and coming, but there is another band from Leeds that you should check out – they are called Pulverise and are a female fronted rap metal band with killer riffs and great stage presence. 

4. How would you describe your style?

Hard-hitting, mind-blowing and super energetic post-hardcore.

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

We released our first full length album (The Catalyst) in December last year – we wrote the album as a bit of a renewal/rebirth/the next evolutionary step for the band, so while every song tells its own story, the album is cohesive and has a running theme all the way through. We just want people who listen to it to enjoy the music and let themselves feel something, be it happiness, sadness, anger etc – we just want to hit that emotional resonance.

6. Do you have any new music in the works?

We are currently working on 2 singles that are due out in the back end of April and June, as well as our second album (not titled yet) that we are planning to release at the back end of this year. 

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

We have a couple of busy months ahead of us in the UK and then we are wanting to hit some of the festivals over the summer before going out on tour nearer the end of this year. 

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band? 

That’s a hard question – to be honest we just want to write and perform music to our fans – we wouldn’t be in the position we are now if it wasn’t for the support of the fans that follow us, buy our merch and records and show up to shows.

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

Versusbandinc.com is always the main place to go to for our music, merch and everything in between, but also, we are on the usual social media sites, YouTube and Spotify! 

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?

We want people to walk away after listening to us for the first time remembering what they felt emotionally, whatever that may be, and as long as they feel something we have done things right. 

Post-hardcore, alternative metal go getters JAWFANE were established in 2021, but since then they have experienced some member changes, but have a stable line-up as of now. Since then, though, they have released seven singles, two EPs, an instrumental EP and debut EP "Me and All on My Demons". An all-new full-length LP is in the works, with more releases planned as well. The band talks with us about their releases and furthering plans ahead.

1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.

Est. Feb 2021, Jawfane has seen a few member changes but for the last year and a half we have been:

Cory Pack: Guitar/Vocals

Chase Schumann: Bass/Vocals

Jesse Marquez: Synth/Vocals

Aj Chacon: Drums/Vocals

We started with no plan, other than to write music and have fun. Along the way we realized that our stories really resonated with people and have been diving into more pointed topics, like loss of personal friends, growing up without parents/mentors, and remembering our big dreams from when we were much much younger. Every band wants to make it and we are no exception but at the same time, it’s our journey and we have no issue walking it our own way.

2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?

Paul Graham, who features on our upcoming single “Raise” and who is our original vocalist came up with the name. It's not a “word” in the dictionary. It is an intentional misspelling of the medieval word “jawfain” meaning lockjaw, in simple terms “fane” is word that means temple/sanctuary, so in the literal our band name means “Word Temple”, a place you can speak freely, in this case create freely without judgement or barriers. We hold that motto close.

3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?

We are from Lebanon Tn, about 30 mins east of Nashville. Most of went to high school here, went on our first dates here, and learned to play our instruments here. Lebanon doesn’t have a big music scene but Nashville obviously does, and we are proud to be a part of it as well, but home is Lebanon, Nashville is where the stage closest to us is.

Locals we love to hang with:

Hollow Wake (Mt. Juliet TN)

Gryme (Clarksville TN)

Five Year Winter (Nashville TN)

4. How would you describe your style?

Post-hardcore/Alternative Metal.

FFO: Alexisonfire, AFI, Deftones, and Don Broco

5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?

We released 7 singles, and an EP, “Me and All On My Demons”, the Ep is not currently available only on Youtube at present. We are working through some issues to get it back on streaming. In Jan 2026 we released an Instrumental Ep featuring some live only tracks, and March 10th we released “Raise” featuring Paulsdeeep. We have some more releases planned with a full-length LP in the works.

6. Do you have any new music in the works?

2026 is gonna be a big release year for the band, we have 4 planned for the year at present with some hope for a 5/6 depending on how it goes in the timing department. Our future LP will be 12 tracks alone.

7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?

We are currently booking for the year, right now our only show is a headliner on May 2nd at the Roxglass Bar and Music Venue, in Cave City Ky.

8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?

To continue building our sound and evolving, we have really dug deep and are starting to see the songs that work creates, and we have a large backlog of songs we want people to hear. 2026, for us, in a celebration of being a band for 5 years. Put simply. More shows. More songs.

9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?

We are on all streaming services, but if you wanna get involved www.jawfane.com, and sign up for our email list. We don’t spam you, only the big things and we try to keep it once a month. Bandcamp.com if you wanna own our music and shout out to band camp for band camp Fridays.

10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music?

Honesty, we strive to remove the layers and show what’s truly underneath. We hope it’s thought provoking, and that it has a lasting impression on them, even if it takes a few listens.

Universal Pictures International (UPI) today, announces the official title, key artwork and International theatrical plans for the upcoming Iron Maiden feature documentary, now titled IRON MAIDEN: BURNING AMBITION.

Documenting one of the most iconic journeys in music history, the film will be released in cinemas in the UK on May 7th 2026. 

Directed by Malcolm Venville (Churchill at War) and produced by Dominic Freeman (Spirits in the Forest – A Depeche Mode Film), the feature‑length documentary charts Iron Maiden’s remarkable five‑decade journey.

Alongside the band, the documentary features on‑camera reflections from prominent admirers including Javier Bardem, Lars Ulrich, and Chuck D, each speaking about Iron Maiden’s influence on music, culture and generations of fans worldwide.

The newly released key art by Albert "Akirant" Quirantes, offers the first visual look at the documentary.

Formed in East London in 1975, Iron Maiden have grown into one of the world’s most influential and enduring rock bands. Across 50 years they have released 17 studio albums, sold over 100 million records, and performed almost 2,500 concerts across 64 countries.

The documentary arrives as the band continues its two year Run For Your Lives world tour, which included a triumphant homecoming performance at London Stadium a short distance from where it all began five decades ago.

A recently announced, one of a kind, celebration named EddFest in historic Knebworth Park, England, on July 11th forms part of over 50 shows worldwide in 2026.

IRON MAIDEN: BURNING AMBITION IS IN CINEMAS FROM MAY 7TH

TICKETS ON SALE - VISIT https://www.ironmaidenfilm.com/

American Doom/Post-Metal musician Jake Worden released his debut album "Born into Black". The release was recorded, mixed and mastered in "Sonic Landscapes Recording Studios" by Jimmy Shellberg.

Check out the new album linked below:

https://open.spotify.com/album/1rhxkxcwIkdVJo39DPdaA8

https://jakeworden.bandcamp.com/album/born-into-black

Jake Worden is a multi-instrumentalist and composer from Jackson, Michigan, who began playing guitar at 12 and evolved into a solo metal artist after early band projects dissolved. Influenced by acts like Metallica, Type O Negative, Gojira, and Amon Amarth, he developed a distinctive style he calls Orchestral Doom Metal, blending classical instrumentation with slow, melodic heaviness. His debut album «Born into Black» has drawn growing attention from press and underground musicians alike.

A Love Letter to the Past: Heidi Shepherd Reflects on the Past 25 Years in Her Most Personal Release Yet, Exploring the Life Lessons That Forged Her Identity

Butcher Babies return with their powerful new single “Lost In Your Touch,” produced by Howard Benson, this marks the second release from their forthcoming album via Judge & Jury Records. Blending emotional vulnerability with crushing intensity, the track serves as a key chapter in an album that functions as a deeply personal love letter to vocalist Heidi Shepherd’s past reflecting on the experiences, relationships, heartbreaks, and hard-earned lessons that have shaped her over the last 25 years. It’s a record rooted in self-reflection and growth, honoring where she’s been while embracing the strength and clarity of who she has become today.

Heidi Shepherd shares:  "10 years ago, I watched the love of my life fall in love with someone else. I watched him fill my shoes with another girl’s touch. She slowly took my place in the late-night phone calls and early morning coffee.

He replaced “us” with her name on his lips. I bent between this new reality and the past that my body and heart so desperately wanted back. As I watched this unfold, I couldn’t help but wonder if they shared the same, deep emotional bond we once shared, and if 'she gets lost in his touch like I do'.

This song brings me back to those heartbreaking moments alone; reflecting, growing, and finding myself again. I don’t take a love like that for granted now. It’s special, and deserves to be put on a pedestal.

Recording this song with Howard was really special. From the get go, he understood the emotion and story behind the lyrics. We both knew this song was going to be special, and treated it with the emotional sensitivity needed to not just hear the song, but to feel it."

Howard Benson adds, "I gravitated to this song immediately because of the vulnerability of the lyrics. To me, as a producer, if I can get lyrics like this that I know the vocalist will deliver.. like Heidi delivers the emotions in this song ... that's so critical to the track connecting.” 

STREAM "Lost In Your Touch"

https://ffm.to/lostinyourtouch

WATCH the Official Music Video for "Lost In Your Touch" right HERE.

Hard-hitting Los Angeles heavy metal outfit ANUBIS continues their relentless march toward the release of their highly anticipated forthcoming album with the premiere of their third single, "Nuclear Dawn." Following the momentum of their previous releases, "Nuclear Dawn" serves as a high-octane testament to the band’s evolution, blending traditional thrash elements with the melodic precision that has become their hallmark in the SoCal metal scene.

"Nuclear Dawn" explores themes of systemic collapse and the haunting reality of a world on the brink. The track showcases the band's tightened chemistry, featuring blistering fretwork and a powerhouse rhythm section that provides the perfect backdrop for its apocalyptic lyrical narrative making it one of the most intense tracks we’ve put together for this record.

"A furious onslaught of sonic precision and catchy melodies, ‘Nuclear Dawn’ delivers aggressive ferocity and melodic elegance all in one kick-ass package."  explains guitarist Ulises Hernandez.

“Nuclear Dawn” is available on all digital streaming/download platforms or watch the video, created by Scott Rudd Films from the artwork of Adi Dechristianize, HERE https://youtu.be/-meMf6UutfQ?si=rxO7eRryyuP9U_lH

Midsummer Scream announces its return to the Long Beach Convention Center August 7-9, 2026. The three-day event will bring Halloween and horror fans from around the world together for a weekend of thrilling delights! Passes available now at midsummerscream.com.

Midsummer Scream's 2026 theme will be “Horror Musicals.” As seen in this year’s hand painted event poster by pop-culture artist Stephen Andrade, the event will take inspiration from Broadway classics including “Phantom of the Opera,” The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and the music video “Thriller,” among others!

Highlighting this year’s theme, Lionsgate will bring Repo: The Genetic Opera to Midsummer Scream to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Darren Lynn Bousman’s venerable cult classic starring Anthony Head, Alexa Vega, Paul Sorvino, Sarah Brightman, Paris Hilton, and Bill Moseley. Both Darren Lynn Bousman and Bill Moseley are confirmed as special guests at Midsummer Scream, with more cast and crew to be announced.

"The year’s theme is for all of the theatre kids that are a huge part of the haunt and horror community,” said David Markland, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Midsummer Scream. “We will be honoring horror musicals of all kinds with a variety of panels, presentations, and performances all weekend.”

Markland continued, “But if musicals aren’t your thing, we won’t have any less for horror fans looking to satisfy their thirst for slashers, scares, and gore.”

Additional special celebrity guests coming to Midsummer Scream includeMatthew Lillard (Scream, Five Nights at Freddy’s), Barry Bostwick (Rocky Horror Picture Show), Jasmin Savoy Brown (Scream 5, 6, and 7, Yellowjackets), and many more to be announced.

The Hall of Shadows will be open all three days, featuring more than a dozen haunted attractions and displays set within a massive, darkened area of the convention center. This fog-filled “scream park” is included with all passes to Midsummer Scream, with many of the attractions featuring priority queues for VIP/Gold Bat passholders. Haunters this year include Eulogy Collective, Fear Farm, Straite to Hale Productions, H&L’s Realm of Horror, The Dreich Society, CalHauntS, The Haunt With No Name… Yet, Decayed Brigade, and many more. Additional details will be revealed soon!

Throughout the weekend, Midsummer Scream will present a robust schedule of world-class panel presentations featuring Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights, Knott’s Scary Farm, Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group (Los Angeles Haunted Hayride, The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor, Delusion, Magic of the Jack O’Lanterns, and Festival Fright Nights at Winchester Mystery House), Six Flags Magic Mountain’s Fright Fest, and more Halloween events.

Programming partners include Paramount Scares, Fangoria, Bloody Disgusting, Horror Movies & Beyond, and HorrorBuzz. An eclectic lineup of entertainment and additional programming will be announced in the weeks ahead.

Featuring more than 350 vendors and artists, Midsummer Scream’s show floor will feature an amazing variety of apparel, masks, posters and prints, unique artwork, toys, oddities, and spooky decorations from vendors including The Halloween Shirt Company, Trick or Treat Studios, Backstitch Bruja, Sin City Props, Terror Films, Small Town Weirdo, and Froggy’s Fog.

More beloved components of Midsummer Scream will return, including Paranormal Pixie’s Pumpkin Patch children’s zone, the family-friendly black light exhibit Casa Calavaras, the Black Cat Lounge kitten adoption center, and the Screaming Room Film Festival presented by HorrorBuzz.

For breaking information about Midsummer Scream, sign up for our digital newsletter at MidsummerScream.com. Follow Midsummer Scream on Instagram and Facebook by searching @midsummerscream.

About Midsummer Scream

Midsummer Scream is presented by David Markland (Co-Founder/Executive Director), Gary Baker (Co-Founder/Executive Producer), Claire Dunlap (Co-Founder/Producer), and Rick West (Co-Founder/Creative Director). Their goal is to showcase the diversity of Southern California’s haunt and horror community as a welcoming beacon for fans around the world to converge on Los Angeles for a weekend of excitement, networking, and non-stop spooky fun!

Swedish extreme metal powerhouse Arch Enemy are charging into a new chapter as they unveil the first new musical piece after their latest album cycle with Blood Dynasty.

The new single "To The Last Breath" is a testament to the band's legacy, and a step towards a new exciting era of Arch Enemy: "To The Last Breath" comes not only with powerful music but is also the first Arch Enemy song to feature the latest addition to the lineup — new singer Lauren Hart (ex-Once Human).

Michael Amott, guitarist and founder of Arch Enemy, comments, "Connecting with Lauren has marked an important step in my journey. Working with her was an exceptional experience — her remarkable voice, coupled with her dedication and professionalism, brings a rare level of excellence. I look forward to continuing the collaboration."

While fans and media alike have been rapidly speculating about who might step into the role behind the microphone, the band remained tight-lipped as the anticipation built to a feverous pitch across the metal community. Now, Arch Enemy are back in full force, presenting their ferocious new anthem "To The Last Breath."

Michael Amott adds, "Make no mistake — this song is a reckoning. Musically, it's unapologetically aligned with my original vision for the band — and I believe longtime fans will recognize that immediately. Lyrically, it’s about seeing through deception and dismantling the illusion of control. It captures that moment when you realize you've been fed poison — and you choose to fight back. Once that clarity hits, there's no retreat. It's do or die."

Check out the new video single over HERE.

Swedish melodic death metal pioneers At The Gates have announced the release of their new album, The Ghost of a Future Dead -- out on April 24th 2026 via Century Media Records.

The follow-up to 2021's wildly adventurous The Nightmare of Being, this upcoming release marks a special tribute to frontman Tomas Lindberg, who tragically passed away in September 2025.

The Ghost of a Future Dead was recorded and mixed by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden, comes with artwork created by Robert Samsonowitz / www.rbrt.org.

At The Gates checked in with the following comment about The Ghost of a Future Dead:

"We are proud to finally share some news about our eighth studio album, 'The Ghost of a Future Dead'. The album will be released on April 24, 2026 - more than two years after it was completed in the studio.

"As you all know, Tomas Lindberg passed away last year due to complications from his cancer treatment. Over the past few years, we worked closely with Tomas, discussing and refining every detail to ensure nothing was left to chance.

"In accordance with Tomas' wishes - including the album title, sound mix, track order, artwork, and overall presentation – 'The Ghost of a Future Dead' remains true to form. It combines the ferocious energy and hard-hitting powerful melodies that is the essence of At The Gates. This album is Tomas' legacy".

The album's powerful opening song "The Fever Mask" is being launched as a single today and comes with a heartfelt in memory tribute video to Tomas Lindberg assembled by longtime collaborator Patric Ullaeus / https://www.revolver.se, which can be now seen here: https://youtu.be/EEpFYm-S8qk