That's Not Metal

First and foremost, we try to speak to the awful loss of Every Time I Die legend Andy Williams. From there we tackle new singles from Slipknot and Spiritbox, the hallucinatory hellscape stories related to Muse's Meta troubles and Breaking Benjamin's modder feud tirades, and put our tin foil hats to theorise that SURELY the Gallows teasing can't just be for vinyl reissues... Releases: Green Lung - Necropolitan Brian Fallon - Not Bad for New Jersey The Meffs - Business Wrong Man - Here’s That Feeling Killing of a Sacred Deer - Encephalic Angels Harlott - Exsequiis Dreadnought - Wars of Spirit // Wards of Light Archgoat - Nightbringer, Lightbringer Fluisteraars - Jacht der Mysterien Epitaphe - III

This week we look back on a historic moment of live music for our podcast in our combined Big Goth Weekend with a run of shows from The Cure, Outbreak/All Points East with an epochal headlining set from Deftones, and our AFI watch finally being brought to an end with their first UK headline shows in 16 years. Releases: Mastodon - Marrow Deep Beartooth - Pure Ecstasy In This Moment - Witch Dinosaur Jr. - There Near Kamelot - Dark Asylum Flotsam and Jetsam - Rats in the Temple Exumer - Death Mask Messiah Ninth Realm - Damnation’s Veil Russian Circles - Nine Kulk - Choosing to Die Rat Cage - Not Asking for Much Static Abyss - The Dying Hunt Gorod - The Ember Gone Epicardiectomy - Dismal Landscapes of Voluptuous Pustular Cadaverosis Turn of Phrase - Out in the Water President - Blood of Your Empire Showing Teeth - A Fate Worse Than Loneliness Gradience - Anomaly Airbourne - Airbourne Audrey Horne - Achilles 156/Silence - From a Distance Judiciary - Stalagmite Angels Movements - Happier Now Sleep - Hempispheres Chat Pile - Who Loves the Sun Arab Strap - Half-Told Tales Sigh - Goh-ka Devil Master - Bloody Dreams Green Carnation - A Dark Poem, Part III: The Messiah Complex Tales of Perdition - The Theatre of Existence Behemoth - I, Scvlptor

Rivers Cuomo's QR code woes, some goth-pop flourish and questioning what even is an album lead the way for TNM reviews this time with Weezer's Gold Album, Chelsea Wolfe, Electric Callboy, Living Weapon, The Night Eternal, and Zorn going under the magnifying glass. Weezer 30:05 Chelsea Wolfe 1:07:20 Electric Callboy 1:34:27 Living Weapon 1:58:41 The Night Eternal 2:14:36 Zorn 2:25:33

Chelsea Wolfe's new album release show and Jimmy Eat World's Bleed American set arrive for a lucky few in the UK, there's new music from Haywire, God's Hate, and Down, the sad news of the passing of legendary ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard, extreme legend Justin Broadrick's appearance on the new Phoebe Bridgers album, and the craziest stadium support act announcement of all time. Releases: Weezer - Weezer (The Gold Album) Chelsea Wolfe - The Dark The Night Eternal - Cold Velvet Fen - Elemental Part One: Mourning Earth Azatoth - Carnal Lust of Blasphemy God’s Hate - Won’t Be Disgraced Dark Funeral - A Beast to Praise

This week we discuss how Bloodstock's 2027 announcement doubles down on a new direction, and pull out some of the lesser discussed gems within the line-up. Releases: Various Artists - A Tribute to Smashing Pumpkins: Sending Hearts to All My Dearies Dead Tired - Hornets of Fall Living Weapon - Death in the Family Sweeping Promises - You Say I Romanticize Invocation Ritual - Altered Reality Holissstik - Chapter 1: This Endless Solitude

After a week of exasperating and confusing news we discuss the unconfirmed firing of Sid Wilson by Slipknot and Merauder's absolutely bizarre crashout, as well as big live announcements from Wacken, Megadeth, Mick Gordon, and the potential dungeon synth takeover of hardcore. Releases: Electric Callboy - Tanzneid John Carpenter - Cathedral Cancer Bats - Give Me Dirt Citizen - Halcyon Blues Jamie Lenman - Puke Ceremony - Tell Me Your Dream Public Opinion - The Curse of Public Opinion Negative Frame - Break the Ice Wealthy Women - Children Hulder - Verbolgen Dymna Lotva - Vyraj Horrifier - Revelations of Gore

This humid summer gets that bit muckier as we check out the UK's growing slam, brutal death metal, and goregrind event at Offal Fest, as well as check in on Avenged Sevenfold's latest piece of craziness, and sadly speak to the passing of all time pillar of hardcore Lou Koller of Sick of It All. Releases: Waterparks - Jinx No Pressure - NP Style The Hu - Hun Madball - Not Your Kingdom REZN - Cycles in the Infinite Dream Jordsjø - Pestkrønikene Sallow Moth - Hydrophilous Brood Linnéa RK Olsson - Perfect Wave Five Finger Death Punch - Legacy Disfiguring the Goddess - Bloom Nothingness - Godslaughter Altarage - Cogwheel Lipoma - Infernal Wounds of Ravenous Flesh Jig-Ai - Jigoku Taake - En skog av nidstang Long Goodbye - A Whispered Promise of Failure Shearling - Don’t Look at Me the Way a Dog Might Look at Your Leg

At least one of the most anticipated heavy albums this decade hits our radars this month as Loathe, Muse, The Menzingers, The Xcerts, Fuming Mouth, No Cure, and Arise From Worms are reviewed, along with speculation about the seemingly imminent return of Gallows. Loathe 37:32 Muse 1:09:13 The Menzingers 1:31:55 The Xcerts 1:49:20 Fuming Mouth 2:11:10 No Cure 2:24:04 Arise From Worms 2:33:29

It's the week where br00tal returned (and football season is over), as we make our way to Bring Me the Horizon's Count Your Blessings | Repented shows and into the re-recorded album for the biggest event in 2006 deathcore since... 2006. Releases: Final Resting Place - Third World Tribunal Loathe - A Stranger to You Motionless In White - Decades Boundaries - Yearning: The unbeautiful after Protest the Hero - Within As It Is - As It Is The Menzingers - Everything I Ever Saw Quicksand - Bring on the Psychics Fuming Mouth - The Ringing Bell Fed Ash + HIRS - I AM BODY HORROR Left to Die - Initium Mortis Psycroptic - The Pulse of Annihilation Imperium - Exodus Unknown Emptiness - Nowhere Speaks Haken - In a Fever Dream Red Method - As In Life

Sound the charge, into glory ride, as Album Clubs look at the maddening effect Twenty One Pilots' ragga-pop Blurryface had on rock, the most metal band of all Manowar's debut Battle Hymns, Turnover's mastering of emo dreampop on Peripheral Vision, and one of the 21st century's greatest and wickedest rock bands The Devil's Blood with The Time of Time No Evermore. This episode was originally published July 2025 on patreon.com/thatsnotmetal.

Both Metallica's No Repeats weekend and My Chemical Romance's 20th anniversary Black Parade musical theatre reimagining hit UK stadiums, plus Damon Albarn beefs with an unlikely underground metal target. Releases: Bring Me the Horizon - Count Your Blessings | Repented The Plot In You - The Plot In You The Xcerts - i think i want to go home now Show Me the Body - Alone Together DevilDriver - Strike and Kill No Cure - It Is Going to Get Dark Daydream Plus - Second Last Day of Summer If These Trees Could Talk - The Hidden Hand Arise From Worms - A Bleeding Tree Hanging Self Destruction Mourir - Nous, le venin

Two hard and heavy events hit the UK heat this week, as Outbreak Festival brings Hatebreed, Converge, Alexisonfire, Basement, & loads more, and Acid Bath's mad reunion brings the swamp to town their first ever UK appearance. Releases: Muse - The WOW! Signal The Pretty Reckless - Dear God Butthole Surfers - After the Astronaut The Dead Pioneers - Wagon Burner Truck Violence - The Weathervane is My Body Junius - Sotera Phantom - Not Midnight Yet Speedslut - Cimbrian Rites Nunslaughter - Satanic Chaos Legions Astriferous - Atavistic Unraveling Nargaroth - Apocalyptic Steel Forsmán - Brenndar Rústir & Fuðrandi Fjörur Miracle - The Living Likeness of My Electric Daemon Shane Embury - Bridge to Resolution Mortiis - Ghosts of Europa Fief - VII Arcane Roots - A Wave, Across the Sea Fiddlehead - Baby I’ll Change Deep Purple - Splat! Dominum - Night is Calling Moonspell - Far From God Witchsorrow - The Devil and All His Works Soothsayer - The Unbinding Mortem - Mørketid

From twenty year waits to four month breaks, we mop up some of the biggest heavy records of the last few weeks reviewing Converge's second album of 2026, Marmozets, Static Dress, Turnover, Guilt Trip, Warning, Stormkeep, & Funebrarum. Converge 26:04 Marmozets 48:34 Static Dress 1:15:35 Turnover 1:30:00 Guilt Trip 1:41:39 Warning 1:53:38 Stormkeep 2:20:01 Funebrarum 2:38:26

Sam returns from Asia (and through a robo-mic, sorry about that) to talk about Japanese hardcore hijinks at Bloodaxe Festival, Voivod and Midnight speed through the UK together, and we unpack the news no one saw coming that Faith No More are returning in 2027. Releases: Warning - Rituals of Shame There Were Wires - Vessel Chainlacing - Messuage Iron Kobra - Eternal Dagger Saidan - Fangdriller: Scars Beneath Memory’s Wrist Mork - Monolitt Einherjer - Lifeblood Liminal Sky - All Tomorrow’s Darkness

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

This week we make our way back to Incineration to once again kick off the festival season with a scorching of black and death metal as the likes of Dragged Into Sunlight, Of Feather and Bone, Tomb Mold and Scimitar rip it up across London stages. Releases: Black Veil Brides - Vindicate Basement - WIRED Koyo - Barely Here Social Distortion - Born to Kill The Flatliners - Cold World Haggard Cat - The Pain That Orbits Life Geoff Tate - Operation: Mindcrime III Frozen Soul - No Place of Warmth Ingested- Denigration Darkthrone - Pre-Historic Metal Panopticon - Det hjemsøkte hjertet Yoth Iria - Gone with the Devil A Forest of Stars - Stack Overflow in Corpse Pile Interface Draconian - In Somnolent Ruin Forced Order - Undying Spirit Crowquill - Erase The File Scarab - Transmutation of Fate Gadget - Coerced