NataliezWorld

Sunny southern California has hosted various horror conventions over the years, one is known as the world's largest Halloween and Horror convention around, located at the seaside town of Long Beach! Taking place for it's 8th year running, it's a jammed packed weekend of Halloween fun and all the scary goodness. Taking place at the Long Beach Convention Center the weekend of August 15th through the 17th, the crowds had spoken, with drawing in tons of people, having Saturday single day tickets sell out, along with weekend tickets to this festive event. 

Upon given access as part of the media team, arriving for the first day/night would be that Friday evening August 15th, where the main goal was to tackle what was known to all as the "Hall Of Shadows", a darkened atmosphere shredded in darkness, with strobe lighting, fog machines, dim lighting, with mood lighting in various greens, oranges, and purple lighting, fitting that Halloween color scheme.

As crowds gathered round, to explore the numerous "mini" haunted houses set up across the floor, with numerous photo opportunities as well, all were truly excited and rather frightened at the experience, walking through those maze houses, with other scare actors, scaring many within the shadows of the fog effects. Each house and photo opportunity had its own uniqueness and total flare, grabbing your scares and attention at the ready. My team had total fun, exploring the floor, checking out the set up, and taking it all in really.

Following this night would be the next day, second day where the vendor assortment would be drawn out, checking out the numerous aisles selling merchandise, ranging from tasty sweets, appeal, toys, jewelry, accessories such as stickers, keychains, umbrellas, to book cases, clocks, etc. Some of the shops visited included JayQ Artistry, featuring models displayed in glamours costumes and make-up affects.

Two appeal shops offered some mini draped caps for numerous outfits, and dresses, picking up a bat shawl, with pink bat dress from Double  Trouble Appeal, with another dress offering with spider webs in blood red from Wax Poetic Clothing. Following more walking stopping by 187 Killer Pads having a mini birthday display with black and white cake and balloons, getting a chance to take a snap was so much fun!

Next up would be a scavenger hunt type of experience from Luminous Comics and Force Of Nature Productions, this booth having black and white decked out characters of their story "Tales of Blaze City", where you would go out and located said characters around the convention center, once found, you got to meet the main character behind it all the Illustrator, with all of this having various characters, artwork, and much else told in their showcase happening this fall at the Sawyer's Playhouse in North Hollywood.

Another booth was Revenge Of featuring pinball games and comic books, such titles included Dracula, Stranger Things, and the exclusive 2 book tie in called "Dark and Twisted Death Mask", by Storm King Comics, where the artist Amanda and Cat and creator were present to provide signings for buying said books! Grabbing some copies and having that done was quite the experience.

Aside from these vendors and booths explored, the whole vendor floor hall, was not just made up of merch displays, but more photo opportunities; with various props and characters roaming about. The other side of the hall had guests doing meet and greets, including the horror master himself John Carpenter! Him being best known for his music and movie working's including Halloween!

Everything done here and there was on the downstairs halls, whereas upstairs in the lobby halls, were more vendors, characters, and panels set up, discussing attractions happening at theme parks, guest speakers, movie screenings, and rooms with eerie experiences of props and decor to witness. 

All in all though, this year's Midsummer Scream was a pleaser, because it brought it more of a crowd than year's prior. This year it had my team having more fun than beforehand, and it has us walking away with not just goods and a good old fun time too!

Italian Melodic Death/Thrash Metal band S.R.L released their new single "Sine Requie Luctamur". The release was recorded in the band's home studio and mixed/mastered by Marco "Panda" Delle Fate.

Check out the single linked below:

https://open.spotify.com/album/70gUKeMcRe8UJBJA0qtUFH

Formed in 1992 in Terni, Umbria, S.R.L. is an Italian heavy metal band blending members’ diverse backgrounds into a unique sound. Their name reflects both limited responsibility in society and a tribute to 70s Italian rock bands. Described as “the Minstrels of Y2K,” they sing in Italian about daily life, mixing styles from crossover to melodic death metal. Current lineup: Jerico Biagiotti (Bass), Rodolfo "RawDeath" Ridolfi (Drums), Cristiano "Alcio" Alcini (Guitars), Panduk (Guitars) and Francesco "Khaynn" Bacaro (Vocals)

MEGADETH are set to release their forthcoming album via MUSTAINE’s Tradecraft imprint in partnership with Frontiers Label Group’s new BLKIIBLK label.  It will launch with the project's first single (TBA) in tandem with global pre-orders this fall.

Fans can click HERE to register for early access to exclusive information and offers surrounding the forthcoming final album and all MEGADETH news. In addition, look for the initial run of farewell tour dates to be announced later this year.

MEGADETH are always and forever the point of no return for metal. It would be nearly impossible to conceive where heavy music and culture would’ve gone without the band founded, fronted, and fueled by vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and producer Dave Mustaine. The blast radius of their impact has only magnified since 1983. Thus far, they have sold 50 million records worldwide, received a GRAMMY® Award (with 12 additional nominations), generated billions of streams, notched seven Top 10 entries on the Billboard 200, and enthralled millions of diehard fans in arenas and stadiums across the globe. Their catalog spans indisputable classics such as the platinum Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? (cited at #8 on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time”), the platinum Rust In Peace, and double-platinum Countdown To Extinction, which captured #2 on the Billboard 200. Meanwhile, Dystopia notched a Top 3 debut and earned a GRAMMY® Award in the category of “Best Metal Performance” with its title track. They only upped the ferocity with The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! in 2022. It saw them return to #3, receive a “Best Metal Performance” GRAMMY® Award nomination for “We’ll Be Back,” and incite rave reviews. Their influence can be felt practically everywhere—whether it be Post Malone proudly sporting a tattoo of “So Far, So Good… So What!,” Homer Simpson’s iPod displaying their moniker during an episode, or Showtime’s smash hit series Billions and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey utilizing MEGADETH in plot points. The band have delivered simultaneously relevant and timeless records in five decades now, setting the pace for the thrash renaissance of the eighties, tearing through the MTV years of the nineties with swagger and style, maintaining their stride in the post-Y2K 2000s, elevating to canonical heights in the social media and streaming era of the 2010s, and unassumingly harnessing the uncertainty and unease of the Post-Pandemic world into their boldest, biggest, and best work yet.

Along the way, MEGADETH extended their influence even further. During 2016, the band entered the spirits world with their very first signature beer À Tout Le Monde followed by Saison 13 in 2019. The brand asserted itself as a player in the beverage space and impressively moved over 15 million pints. Joining forces with Keystone in 2025, they ignite the next phase of Megadeth Beer on the biggest global platform yet.

Beyond his role as a music icon, Dave founded the visionary wine brand HOUSE OF MUSTAINE which uniquely blends music, culture, and fine winemaking. The brand launched with the 2013 Symphony Interrupted Cabernet Sauvignon which was inspired by MEGADETH’s groundbreaking collaboration with the San Diego Symphony.

Russian Alternative/Modern Metal band Age of Rage has released their new EP "Immortal" via Solids Music, revealing a more melodic and hopeful dimension to their sound. The release was recorded at LIHO prod. and Stonehand Records with contributions from Dmitry Lutskovsky, Nikita Lebedev, Dmitry Mashkov, and Anton Podosinov. The cover art was created by Vladlena Malakhova.

Check out the EP linked below:

https://open.spotify.com/album/2UMlSoQF2cDOS4k7flHO88

https://music.apple.com/ru/album/immortal-ep/1829490808

Formed in 2013 in Moscow by vocalist and lyricist Anton Gruzinsky, Age of Rage began as a Heavy Metal band before evolving into a more experimental Alternative/Modern Metal style. Their discography includes eight full-length albums, alongside singles and EPs, and their history features numerous solo shows, festival appearances, and competition wins.

Drawing from the raw bloodlines of blues, rockabilly, goth rock, and American country, Florida's THE NOCTAMBULANT throw open the doors to the void in their new single "Hell Ride - The Second Death". Following their 2021 release “Hellrazor” and European tour with HATE and VADER, THE NOCTAMBULANT return having solidified their distinctive approach.

Smoke and fire choke the air as an unnamed preacher leads his flock—not to redemption, but into the jaws of the abyss. In "Hell Ride - The Second Death" Hammond organs shriek like wounded spirits, sermons curdle into threats, and guitars hammer the final nails into coffins of false hope. Here, salvation is a lie and belief is a death sentence.

Watch the video HERE: https://youtu.be/8GXD1VCGIP4?si=tcLthiAMj1-JGd9M

Phoenix groovers/thrashers INCITE have today released Savage New Times via Reigning Phoenix Music. The new album features 10 new tracks that showcase exactly why they are broadly viewed as rising stars in the genre.

To mark the occasion, the band has unleashed a performance video for the title track, one of the most intense and truly “savage” cuts on the record.

Frontman Richie Cavalera comments, "'Savage New Times' is a throwback to 80s  metal that inspired us. It’s meant to be a song about being strong, overcoming, and fighting through the dark days of our lives. It’s a killer track and a great way to end an album as our final battle cry!!!"

Watch the video for "Savage New Times" HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRcqyifLjEY

MEMPHIS MAY FIRE — Matty Mullins (vocals), Kellen McGregor (guitar), Cory Elder (bass), and Jake Garland (drums) — will embark on a headline tour this fall. Memphis May Fire: THE SHAPESHIFTER TOUR LEG 2 kicks off on November 17 in Florida and runs through December 16 in Arkansas. Rain City Drive will serve as direct support, with Nevertel and If Not For Me also appearing.

TOUR DATES:

11/17 — Pensacola, FL — Vinyl Music Hall
11/18 — Chattanooga, TN — The Signal 
11/20 — Greensboro, NC — Piedmont Hall 
11/21 — Myrtle Beach, SC — House Of Blues
11/22 — Richmond, VA — The National 
11/23 — Washington DC — The Howard
11/25 — Hartford, CT — The Webster
11/26 — Sayreville, NJ — Starland Ballroom 
11/28 — Buffalo, NY — Electric City 
11/29 — Detroit, MI — Majestic 
11/30 — Chicago, IL — House Of Blues
12/1 — Madison, WI — Sylvee 
12/3 — Boulder, CO — Boulder Theater 
12/5 — Boise, ID — Treefort Music Hall 
12/6 — Missoula, MT — Wilma
12/7 — Spokane, WA — Knitting Factory
12/9 — San Luis Obispo, CA — Fremont Theater 
12/10 — Riverside, CA — Riverside Municipal Auditorium 
12/11 — Las Vegas, NV — The Portal 
12/12 — Tucson, AZ — Encore
12/14 — Oklahoma City, OK — Tower Theatre
12/15 — Kansas City, MO — The Truman
12/16 — Fayetteville, AR — Ozark Music Hall  

Step into the twisted carnival not once more but twice more. Raven Black, the darkly theatrical metal phenomenon, is about to shatter reality with two devastating new releases: Cry of the Raven and Dead. Known for blending metal’s ferocity with a Tim Burton-esque world of eerie fantasy, Raven Black is ready to deliver their most intense, emotionally charged, and sonically powerful work to date.

Following years of captivating fans with their unique “dark carnival metal” sound, Raven Black returns sharper, heavier, and more fearless than ever. Cry of the Raven promises a soaring, sinister journey through rage, resilience, and redemption—driven by bone-crushing riffs, haunting melodies, and Raven’s unmistakable voice cutting through the storm. Dead sinks even deeper, exploring mortality, loss, and the shadows of the soul with a theatrical ferocity that only this band can conjure.

 CRY OF THE RAVEN

Song is about Raven’s hidden struggle with the demands and pressure while undergoing her own personal and private depression and illness. The stuff people don’t see or know the truth about. We all have some kind of suffering in silence. We are never alone in it but we sometimes choose to keep it hidden. 

Check it HERE. 

 DEAD

A power metal song about a vampire and living as Dead in a world where others do not realize the pain and suffering of living dead but we are sleeping through our lives ignorant to the true meaning of life.

Check it over HERE. 

Lorna Shore’s latest single “Prison Of Flesh” (out today) is one of the metal band’s heaviest to date, fueled by vocalist/lyricist Will Ramos’ raw feelings about his family’s history with dementia and the toll it takes on the person and those around them.
 
Says Ramos of the deeply personal new track, “This song is exactly what I imagine a lot of people expected of us to put out. We took all the heaviest stuff we had to create this incredibly dark, high-stress/tension song. I personally think the breakdown at the end of this is one of my favorites that we’ve ever written and I’m excited to see how people engage with this one.”
 
Ramos adds, “The lyrics for this song are about my family and our history of dementia. The idea that the world is falling apart, and about the fear of losing touch with reality. ‘They’re coming to get me’ is my way of personifying ‘demons’ or something that makes you feel like you’re losing pieces of yourself. The closer they get, the further detached you become until you’re nothing but a husk of fear and delusion.”

See the explosive music video for the track, directed by David Brodsky (My Good Eye: Music Visuals), HERE.

Phoenix’s chaos-driven metalcore heavyweights American Standards have fired off one last surprise from their farewell record Future Orphans: a newly extended version of “Kodak Stare,” featuring the haunting vocal grit of Cleveland’s genre-defying Skuff Micksun.

This isn’t a remix. It’s not a stripped-down reprise. It’s the original song, still serrated with mathcore precision and hardcore fury, pushed further into emotional freefall. Skuff Micksun’s voice cuts into the track’s climactic breakdown like a second narrator crashing into the story, turning the song’s final act into a dialogue between two raw and unflinching perspectives.

“Skuff’s voice adds a whole new layer of urgency without changing the DNA of the track,” says frontman Brandon Kellum. “It’s like an echo from outside our world answering back.”

With this release, Future Orphans doesn’t just close, it sounds its death knell: “it’ll all be over soon.”

ABOUT SKUFF MICKSUN

Skuff Micksun blurs the lines between alt-rock grit and heart-wrenching vulnerability. With tracks like Magnificent and Bruises amassing hundreds of thousands of streams, Micksun has built a loyal following by turning personal pain into a shared release. His collaboration with American Standards is a rare meeting point between two uncompromising forces in underground music.

ABOUT AMERICAN STANDARDS

Since forming in 2010, American Standards have become a cornerstone of the modern metalcore underground. With a relentless DIY work ethic, deeply personal lyrics, and an explosive live show, the band has shared stages with Every Time I Die, Norma Jean, Zao, Knocked Loose and many more.

Their discography has been praised for blending mathcore precision, punk attitude, and raw emotional power—and Future Orphans may be their most definitive and dangerous release yet.

“KODAK STARE (EXTENDED)” FEAT. SKUFF MICKSUN

Available On: Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Amazon Music, YouTube, and all major platforms

https://linktr.ee/americanstandards

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/track/3zfO9nsCRDzouSpeMKBqU9?si=TQKTGNmpTV2c5wEXssEh5Q