That's Not Metal

On top of a stream of new music from across the heavy spectrum, we weigh in on the debate following End It's targeting of the man in a banana costume at their show, why the frustration and resentment towards meme behaviour and influencer culture exists at subcultural events, and whether this particular incident went too far.

Releases:
Sublime - Until the Sun Explodes
Sleeping With Sirens - An Ending In Itself
Pussy Riot - CYKA
Yes - Aurora
Tarja - Frisson Noir
Swiss Army Wife - I Love You, But I Hate It Here
Khemmis - Khemmis
Joseph Tholl - It Might Be Art
Nuclear Tomb - Epoch Inhumane
Genghis Tron - Signal Fire
MONO - Snowdrop
BIG|BRAVE - In Grief or In Hope
Fleshcrawl - Epitome of Carnage
Fires in the Distance - Circadian Promise
Defiled - Altered State
Stormkeep - The Nocturnes of Iswylm
Véhémence - Assiéges pour l’éternité
Fyrnask - Íosir
Iron Reagan - Demonetization
Devourment - Pious Impiety
Still Remains - Spirit Breaker
Mystifier / Craven Idol - Demystification of the Fallen Souls

Fortress Festival returns bringing worldwide black metal exclusives to the British seaside, with Gallowbraid, Old Man's Child, Dødheimsgard, Misþyrming, A Forest of Stars & more darkening the skies over the 2026 bill.

Releases:
Devin Townsend - The Moth
Turnover - Down on Earth
Static Dress - Injury Episode
Sparta - Cut a Silhouette
‘68 - They Are Survived
Healing Wound - Bodies of Heavenly Violence
Deafkids - Cicatrizes do Futuro
All Them Witches - House of Mirrors
Elder - Through Zero
Monolord - Neverending
Godthrymm - Projections
Funebrarum - Beckoning the Void of Eternal Silence
Tyrann - Tyrann Forever
Trelldom - …by the Word…
Hecate Enthroned - The Corpse of a Titan, a Lament Long Buried
Converge - Hum of Hurt
Evanescence - Sanctuary
Death Cab for Cutie - I Built You a Tower
100 Demons - Embrace the Black Light
Guilt Trip - Armour of Angels
August Burns Red - Season of Surrender
Blood Incantation - All Gates Open (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
A.A. Williams - Solstice
Slift - Fantasia
Evergrey - Architects of a New Weave
Dwarves - Jenkem
Voivod - Symphonique
Gurt - Survival of the Shittest

It's all about vaporwave prog, French oi, and choo choo train black metal as a whip round the underground picks up Basement, Frozen Soul, Haggard Cat, Fire-Toolz, Prisonnier du temps, A Forest of Stars, Panopticon, and Scimitar for the month's most blistering records.

Basement 15:40
Frozen Soul 33:44
Haggard Cat 51:10
Fire-Toolz 1:05:09
Prisonnier du temps 1:15:41
A Forest of Stars 1:25:27
Panopticon 1:47:30
Scimitar 2:02:45

Anthrax's first single in ten years leads us to consider the thrash legends' creative relevancy in 2026, and Avenged Sevenfold going fully indepedent by buying back their rights brings reminiscing on ten years of their album The Stage.

Releases:
Marmozets - CO.WAR.DICE.
A - Prong
Dimmu Borgir - Grand Serpent Rising
XCOMM - Time to Burn
Armored Saint - Emotion Factory Reset
David Eugene Edwards - Mercurial Silence
Blindead 23 - Deuterium
Witching Hour - Descending.. Where Time Has Ceased to Exist
Lore - Psychotic Trance of the Black Nights
Gridiron - Lights Out
Bear - Anhedonia

Iron Maiden's brand new documentary Burning Ambition hits cinema screens, and there's new singles from Green Lung announcing their new album Necropolitan and from brat superstar Charli XCX making ro-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ck music.

Releases:
Periphery - A Pale White Dot
The All-American Rejects - Sandbox
Super Sometimes - Show the World What’s Underneath
Held. - Grey
Von Groove - Born to Rock
Pro-Pain - Stone Cold Anger
Acid Reign - Daze of the Week
Jungle Rot - Cruel Face of War
Nedgravd - Ascension
Akem Manah - Threnodies
Tyrannus - Mournhold