Discussion Topics: -Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 2025 Inductees and our thoughts -Metallica to drop 30-hour Load –Code Orange on indefinite hiatus -Three Days Grace change all back artwork -Ohana Fest making a peaceful festival legacy -Upcoming tours and albums
“The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will make fans of some long-neglected acts very happy when the class of 2025 is inducted later this year. Among this year’s inductees — announced Sunday night during ABC’s American Idol — are first-time nominees Bad Company, Joe Cocker and Chubby Checker, along with Soundgarden on its third go-round and the White Stripes and Cyndi Lauper, each on their second. The hip-hop duo Outkast fills out the Performers category, also on its first nomination. Longtime slight Warren Zevon — who passed away during 2003 and was nominated just once, in 2023 — will receive one of two Musical Influence Awards, with Salt-N-Pepa receiving the other. Musical Excellence Awards will be presented to Carol Kaye, bassist for Phil Spector’s Wrecking Crew and the late pianist Nicky Hopkins, who both worked with numerous Rock Hall inductees themselves, and to celebrated Philadelphia soul songwriter and producer Thom Bell.” (Ultimate Classic Rock)
The 2025 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees have been announced, and…the Rock Hall did well?! 2025 Inductees: Soundgarden The White Stripes Bad Company Chubby Checker Joe Cocker Cyndi Lauper Outkast What do you think of the 2025 inductee list? … #RockHall#RockHall2025#Soundgarden#WhiteStripes#outkast#Rock
The next chapter of Ghost relishes in the soundtrack of 80’s and classic metal. With comparisons to Yes, Journey, Dokken, and even some Blue Oyster Cult thrown in, Skeletá is much less groove filled rock tracks but instead power ballads for days. The singles, also the first three tracks on the album, are somewhat more tame compared to later in the album when solos and instrumental arrangements come out swinging. Skeletá feels like a dark arena show in 1984 and that vibe holds up until the end, especially with tracks like “Marks Of the Evil One” and “Umbra”. All that said, this album will further divide the metal elitists and Ghost fans. Whatever arguments people say about Ghost not being heavy enough will only be amplified with this album as evidence. Skeletá is a complete album experience, and potentially a great daily soundtrack. I need to study up on my Latin, but I still enjoy what Tobias Forge is creating.
Ghost – Skeletá | Album Review
Ghost “Lachryma”
Ghost “Umbra”
“Skeletá is the sixth studio album by the Swedish rock band Ghost. It was released on 24 April 2025 through Loma Vista Recordings and was preceded by the singles “Satanized”, “Lachryma” and “Peacefield”.” (Wikipedia)
GRAMMY-winning Halestorm today unveiled “Darkness Always Wins,” a slowly-building, cinematic hard rock anthem that marks the band’s first release of 2025. The song, produced by GRAMMY-winning producer Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell) is the first to be revealed from a new album from Atlantic Records, details of which will be announced soon.
“‘Darkness Always Wins’ is not a song of hope, nor is it a song of despair,” said Halestorm frontwoman Lzzy Hale. “It is reality. History repeating. Evil prevails and the good depart first. But we are not doomed as long as we persist and keep our fires burning. The war may not be won in this lifetime. But our mission is to pass the torch so that those who follow have a light to fight with.”
This summer, Halestorm will travel to Europe to support Iron Maiden followed by a US run supporting Volbeat, but not before a one-night-only performance at Black Sabbath’s last show in Birmingham, England on July 5. See below for a full list of all 2025 dates.
Last month, Lzzy Hale joined Lacuna Coil’s Christina Scabbia and Spiritbox’s Courtney LaPlante for Spotify’s “Women of Metal Roundtable.” Their conversation is here.
What started as a childhood dream of Lzzy and Arejay Hale, Halestorm has scored seven #1 hits at rock radio, and their music has surpassed one billion streams across platforms worldwide. They’ve received two GRAMMY nominations and won in 2012 for “Love Bites (So Do I)” as Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance. The band has built a reputation for their dominating live performances and has shared the stage with rock icons like Heaven & Hell, Alice Cooper, and Joan Jett.
HALESTORM: ON TOUR 2025
May 27 – June 28: Supporting Iron Maiden (where noted)
July 5: supporting Black Sabbath
July 17 – August 22: Supporting Volbeat (where noted)
MAY
15 – Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome To Rockville (festival date)
17 – Ocean City, MD – Boardwalk Rock (festival date)
27 and 28 – Budapest – Sportarena (supporting Iron Maiden)
31 – Prague, Czechia – Letany Airport (supporting Iron Maiden)
JUNE
1 – Bratislava, Slovakia – O’Nepelu Arena (supporting Iron Maiden)
The Podcast That Rocked for 4/23/25. Fyre Fest is changing to a streamed event with streaming service, Ghost cell phone ban causing problems, and more.
The Podcast That Rocked on YouTube
The Podcast That Rocked on YouTube
Discussion Topics: -Fyre Fest streaming service replacing festival -RIP Roy Thomas Baker (Queen, Ozzy Osborne, more) -Ghost cell phone ban is causing more issues than expected -Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 2025 Fan Vote results –Riot Fest 2025 goes to punk and pop-punk -A Killer’s Confession has band members leave mid-tour -Upcoming tours, albums, more.
SONG OF THE WEEK Karen Dio “Casual”
Riot Fest 2025 Lineup Announced ft. Green Day, Blink-182, Weezer, WEIRD AL, more
“What if Fyre Festival was a streaming service? That appears to now be the case as Shawn Rech, who co-founded the TruBlue streaming service, has acquired some of the festival’s IP including a pair of trademarks that will allow him to launch a music streaming service utilizing the name. Essentially, the Fyre Festival streaming service doesn’t necessarily impact founder Billy McFarland’s continued attempts to stage a second Fyre Fest. McFarland retains the rights to the festival and is currently looking for a new home to stage the event after its recent postponement.” (Loudwire)
WARGASM Return With Video For Incendiary New Single “Vigilantes”
FIRST-EVER HEADLINE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR SET FOR SEPTEMBER
Riotous and incendiary UK duo WARGASM, who make angry music for sad people, are back and they’ve upped the f**king ante. Today, they drop the video for their new single “Vigilantes,” the first taste of music as an independent entity once again. Get ready for this one to register on the Richter scale.
Wargasm “Vigilantes”
It’s all fists, all fury, complete with synths, rhythmic bounce and groove, and raging riffs. Basically, “Vigilantes” is the sort of signature electro-tinged, metallic anthem that the band is known for crafting. Wargasm haven’t simply been turning heads for years — they have been ripping ’em clean off your neck.
The track will leave you in a heap, gasping for breath, once the final note fades out. And then you’ll get up, hit the replay button, and do it all over again.
“Months and months of turmoil, love, hate, and passion has gone into ‘Vigilantes,'” shares the band. “We have waited so long to release this for you and with it, Wargasm are excited to be an unsigned band again. This is turbulence bottled, shaken, and injected right into your ear drums. Everything about Wargasm is energy. We hope you feel something.”
Yes, that’s correct. Wargasm, who were tipped by NME as “a total riot,” labeled by Everything Is Noise as “brutally efficient at utilizing an array of sounds and tones to build a playground of blood, rust, and debauchery” and hailed by Kerrang! for their “glossy, sexy, action movie kind of violence,” are once again fully independent and they continue to do things THEIR way.
Wargasm — comprised of Sam Matlock and Milkie Way — also announced their first-ever headline tour of the U.S. Tickets go on sale on Friday, April 25 at 10am local time. Get tickets here. Dates are below.
WARGASM ON TOUR: 8/31 — Pryor, OK 9/2 — Denton, TX 9/3 — Austin, TX 9/5 — Mesa, AZ 9/6 — Los Angeles, CA 9/7 — San Francisco, CA 9/9 — Salt Lake City, UT 9/10 — Denver, CO 9/12 — St. Paul, MN 9/13 — Chicago, IL 9/15 — Brooklyn, NY 9/16 — Cambridge, MA 9/17 — Baltimore, MD 9/19 — Toronto, ON 9/20 — Lakewood, OH 9/21 — Louisville, KY
RIOT FEST 2025 Festival turns 20 featuring Green Day, Weezer, Blink-182
What’s my age again? Riot Fest is turning the big 2-0, and to celebrate it’s throwing the biggest party yet, headlined by Green Day, Blink-182, Weezer, Jack White, and a total of over 90 bands performing throughout the festival weekend. “I just wanted to put a show together with all of my favorite bands”, festival founder Michael Petryshyn reminisced before the inaugural Riot Fest back in 2005.
Throughout the next 20 years, the festival has grown to become one of the biggest independent festivals in the country, known for eclectic lineups, high-profile band reunions, full album plays, and even a butter sculpture tribute to John Stamos. Along with headliners Green Day, Blink-182, Weezer, and Jack White, the festival will also include performances by the Sex Pistols (Frank Carter and Steve Jones, Paul Cook, Glen Matlock), Idles, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Alkaline Trio, All Time Low, Knocked Loose, Rilo Kiley, The Beach Boys, Jawbreaker, Dropkick Murphys, Bad Religion, The Pogues, The Hold Steady, The Academy Is…, Cobra Starship, Gym Class Heroes, Texas is the Reason, Dance Hall Crashers, The Front Bottoms, Knuckle Puck, The Wonder Years, James, and many many more.
RIOT FEST 2025 Lineup Announced ft. Green Day, Blink-182, Weezer, More
Born and raised in Chicago, Riot Fest began as a punk rock festival spread across the city’s favorite local venues. Over the years, it’s earned a reputation for reuniting bands that fans had lost hope of ever seeing again, including The Replacements, The Original Misfits, Slayer, Jawbreaker and many more. While the festival remains the centerpiece, the music isn’t limited to one weekend a year. For over two decades, Riot Fest has hosted thousands of shows in independent venues throughout the city, supporting Chicago’s thriving music scene.
“We didn’t plan on making it for twenty years. We planned on making it through one weekend. But here we are – still loud, still weird, still building something bigger than we ever meant to.” ‘Riot Mike’ Petryshyn Riot Fest returns to Chicago’s Douglass Park from September 19-21, its home since 2015. A newly announced long-term agreement with the Chicago Park District ensures the festival will remain a Chicago staple for years to come.
Along with the massive lineup, Riot Fest will also be celebrating 20 Years, 20 Essential Albums. 20 full album playthroughs from 20 bands across the weekend.
WEEZER – THE BLUE ALBUM SEX PISTOLS – NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS… ALKALINE TRIO – MAYBE I’LL CATCH FIRE BAD RELIGION – SUFFER THE POGUES – RUM SODOMY & THE LASH THE HOLD STEADY – SEPARATION SUNDAY THE ACADEMY IS… – ALMOST HERE THE FRONT BOTTOMS – BACK ON TOP KNUCKLE PUCK – COPACETIC THE BOUNCING SOULS – HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION SCREECHING WEASEL– MY BRAIN HURTS HELMET – BETTY PEGBOY – STRONG REACTION THE ATARIS – SO LONG, ASTORIA AGNOSTIC FRONT – VICTIM IN PAIN SMOKING POPES – BORN TO QUIT THE EFFIGIES – FOR EVER GROUNDED SAMIAM – ASTRAY AGENT ORANGE – LIVING IN DARKNESS ZERO BOYS – VICIOUS CIRCLE THE BOUNCING SOULS – HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION SCREECHING WEASEL– MY BRAIN HURTS HELMET – BETTY PEGBOY – STRONG REACTION THE ATARIS – SO LONG, ASTORIA AGNOSTIC FRONT – VICTIM IN PAIN SMOKING POPES – BORN TO QUIT THE EFFIGIES – FOR EVER GROUNDED SAMIAM – ASTRAY AGENT ORANGE – LIVING IN DARKNESS ZERO BOYS – VICIOUS CIRCLE
Tickets for Riot Fest 2025 are On Sale Now, and special 20th Anniversary merch is available here. The surprises aren’t over yet, stay tuned tomorrow at 10am for more announcements coming your way!
FEATURING: GREEN DAY, BLINK-182, WEEZER, JACK WHITE, SEX PISTOLS (FRANK CARTER and STEVE JONES, PAUL COOK, GLEN MATLOCK), IDLES, “WEIRD AL” YANKOVIC, ALKALINE TRIO, ALL TIME LOW, RILO KILEY, KNOCKED LOOSE, THE BEACH BOYS, JAWBREAKER, DROPKICK MURPHYS, BAD RELIGION, THE POGUES, THE HOLD STEADY, THE FRONT BOTTOMS, THE ACADEMY IS…, COBRA STARSHIP, GYM CLASS HEROES, TEXAS IS THE REASON, KNUCKLE PUCK, THE WONDER YEARS, JAMES, SPARKS, DANCE HALL CRASHERS, HANSON, THE BOUNCING SOULS, THE DAMNED, INHALER, RICO NASTY, SCREECHING WEASEL, CITIZEN, SENSES FAIL, MICROWAVE, FREE THROW, DEHD, THE LINDA LINDAS, PANCHIKO, BUZZCOCKS, STIFF LITTLE FINGERS, SUPERCHUCK, MILITARIE GUN, THE CRIBS, SHUDDER TO THINK, HELMET, TOUCHÉ AMORÉ, PEGBOY, HONEY REVENGE, MARKY RAMONE, THE ATARIS, CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN, MARIANAS TRENCH, THE DIDJITS, AGNOSTIC FRONT, THROWN, LAMBRINI GIRLS, OVLOV, SOFT PLAY, SMOKING POPES, PUDDLES PITY PARTY, H2O, JULIA WOLF, VIOLENT VIRA, DELTA SLEEP, MAC SABBATH, CHASE PETRA, WISHY, THE EFFIGIES, HARRISON GORDON, SAMIAM, THE TOSSERS, SHONEN KNIFE, ZERO BOYS, SPEED OF LIGHT, THE PARADOX, THE BARBARIANS OF CALIFORNIA, GIRL IN A COMA, AGENT ORANGE, QUANNNIC, WEAKENED FRIENDS, DUNE RATS, FOOTBALLHEAD, BIG ASS TRUCK IE, CLIFFDIVER, LOVIET, EMO PHILLIPS
Kublai Khan TX Announce US Fall Headlining Tour With Drain, Gideon + Guilt Trip As Support Special Guest Throwdown For Los Angeles Date Tickets On Sale This Friday, April 25 at 10 a.m. Local Time Ticket Info HERE
‘Exhibition Of Prowess’ Out Now via Rise Records Stream HERE
Texan titans Kublai Khan TX have today announced they’ll be bringing the beatdown to a town near you this fall on their US headlining run with Drain, Gideon and Guilt Trip as support. The tour kicks off on September 18 at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky, and wraps on October 26 at the iconic Palladium in Los Angeles, California, with special guest Throwdown for the final show. Speaking about the tour, vocalist Matt Honeycutt commented:
“Time to do it bigger and badder than ever on this headliner with our friends in Drain, Gideon, and Guilt Trip. See y’all soon.
P.S. don’t forget about Throwdown in L.A. too.“
Prior to today’s announcement, the band unleashed their latest album ‘Exhibition Of Prowess’ (via Rise Records), which includes tracks “Supreme Ruler“, “Theory Of Mind“, and “Low Tech“. Tickets go on sale this Friday, April 25at 10 a.m. local time at the link here so get yours before they’re all gone, and stay tuned for more Kublai Khan TX news coming soon.
Kublai Khan TX US Headlining Tour Dates with Drain, Gideon + Guilt Trip 9.18 – Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life 9.20 – Worcester, MA – New England Metal & Hardcore Festival 9.21 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom 9.23 – Buffalo, NY – Buffalo RiverWorks 9.24 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore Silver Spring 9.28 – Philadelphia, PA – Franklin Music Hall 9.30 – Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed 10.1 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit 10.3 – Birmingham, AL – Furnace Fest 10.4 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore Charlotte 10.5 – North Myrtle Beach, SC – House Of Blues 10.7 – Atlanta, GA – The Eastern 10.8 – St Petersburg, FL – Jannus Live 10.10 – San Antonio, TX – Vibes Event Center 10.11 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall 10.12 – Dallas, TX – The Factory in Deep Ellum 10.14 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater 10.15 – Denver, CO – The Fillmore Auditorium 10.16 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater 10.17 – Tempe, AZ – The Marquee 10.18 – Las Vegas, NV – When We Were Young 10.19 – Las Vegas, NV – When We Were Young 10.20 – Salt Lake City, UT – Rockwell at The Complex 10.21 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory 10.23 – Sacramento, CA – Ace Of Spades 10.24 – San Jose, CA – San Jose Civic 10.26 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium
Kublai Khan TX – Supreme Ruler (Official Music Video)
There is something impressive about a group that has their debut album stand the test of time AFTER releasing other big albums. This video looks at 10 Bands Whose Debut Album Was Their Best Album.
10 Bands Whose DEBUT ALBUM Was Their Best Album
“Few achievements in music rival the impact of a debut album that becomes an artist’s magnum opus, and Pearl Jam’s Ten (1991) alongside Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction (1987) epitomize this rare feat. Ten catapulted Pearl Jam into grunge royalty, blending Eddie Vedder’s haunting vocals with anthemic tracks like “Alive” and “Jeremy,” solidifying its legacy as a cornerstone of 1990s alternative rock. Similarly, Appetite for Destruction redefined hard rock with raw energy and hits like “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” becoming the best-selling debut album ever with over 30 million copies sold.” (Rolling Stone)
WE CAME AS ROMANS Return With Defiant New Anthem “BAD LUCK” Listen HERE | Watch Visualizer HERE
Beloved metalcore torchbearers We Came As Romans are back today with a searing new single, “Bad Luck”. The track marks the band’s first release of 2025 and kicks off a bold new chapter following their critically acclaimed 2022 album ‘Darkbloom’. Fueled by thunderous grooves, anthemic hooks, and raw reflection, “Bad Luck” is a statement of defiance from a band that’s weathered more than most. Listen HERE and watch the visualizer HERE or by clicking the thumbnail below.
Speaking on their new single, frontman Dave Stephens shares
“Bad Luck is a song that is so important to each of us. Lyrically, it’s about our journey as a band since the very beginning. We’ve faced so many setbacks and problems behind the scenes, and sometimes it feels like Bad Luck is all we have — but the way that we’ve persevered through all of them to become who we are today is the real story, not the issues along the way.”
We Came As Romans “Bad Luck”
“Bad Luck” opens with an eerie, looped vocal sample before exploding into a hammering riff and a soaring chorus. The lyrics lay bare years of struggle, survival, and growth, culminating in another of their signature, arena-ready choruses – “I spent all my life wondering why the bad luck always comes so easy… All this time, I’ve realized the worse things in life are free.” It’s a fierce reckoning with everything the band has persevered through together and a hard-earned rally cry—one that captures the essence of We Came As Romans’ evolution and unwavering commitment to push forward.
With performances already announced at major US summer festivals including Welcome To Rockville, Inkcarceration, the returning Warped Tour, Louder Than Life and When We Were Young and with plenty more news to come from We Came As Romans, 2025 is shaping up to be another stellar year for a band that have remained a defining force in heavy music for almost two decades. Keep an eye out for more coming very soon.
We Came As Romans continue to progress and evolve at lightspeed, maintaining a place at the forefront of heavy music and culture. Never content to follow, they seamlessly alchemize crushing groove-driven catharsis, spacey electronics, and arena-size singalongs into a sound that refuses to sit still—effortlessly moving between metal, alternative, hardcore, and rock.
The Michigan-born five-piece—Dave Stephens, Joshua Moore, Lou Cotton, Andy Glass, and David Puckett—first broke through with Tracing Back Roots (2013), which cracked the Billboard 200 Top 10 and hit #1 on both the Independent Albums and Top Hard Rock Albums charts. Their self-titled 2015 album followed, debuting at #11 on the Billboard 200, cementing their status as modern metalcore royalty.
Following the tragic loss of original vocalist Kyle Pavone in 2018, the band has continued to honor his legacy with their 2022 album, Darkbloom, their highest-praised record to date. Kerrang! awarded it 4 out of 5 stars, calling it “a carrier for a knot of emotion, and a tribute to their friend.” It featured career-defining tracks like “Black Hole” (ft. Caleb Shomo), now over 102 million Spotify streams, and “Daggers” (ft. Zero 9:36), which surpassed 32 million streams. Media outlets including Loudwire and Consequence praised the album for its emotional range, sonic heft, and unapologetic vulnerability.
“Bad Luck” is the next step in their journey—an anthem born of loss, scars, heart, and unrelenting drive.
The Podcast That Rocked for 4/16/25. Discussion on David Draiman of Disturbed wanting to debate war politics against Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Coachella fallout, and more.
David Draiman VS Billie Joe Armstrong (ON WAR ISSUES?!) |The Podcast That Rocked on YouTube
David Draiman VS Billie Joe Armstrong (ON WAR ISSUES?!) |The Podcast That Rocked on Spotify
Discussion Topics: -Green Day change lyrics to reflect Palestine/Israel conflict -David Draiman wants to talk with Billie Joe Armstrong over war politics -Coachella 2025 Fallout -Ghost 2025 World Tour off to a ripping start -Spotify teases new Sleep Token -Upcoming albums/tours/song of the week
“Disturbed’s David Draiman has responded to Billie Joe Armstrong’s viral moment at Coachella in which he changed the lyrics of “Jesus of Suburbia” to “Running away from pain like the kids from Palestine. Draiman has been very vocal on social media in his support of Israel since tensions reignited after Hamas militants launched an attack and took hostages at the Tribe of Nova music festival east of Gaza in 2023. More than 1,200 people were killed and over 250 hostages were taken by the terrorists in the attack. Among those who lost their lives was former Desolated bassist Jake Marlowe, who had been working security at the festival.” (Loudwire)
