Come on, let’s just admit it: a huge number of people at Heavy Montreal were really, really near-uncomfortably excited to see small Japanese children singing over crushing metal riffs. And guess what? It was awesome! If a band like Dir En Grey can have a completely legitimate following within English-speaking countries, then there’s no denying the combo of J-pop weirdness, Visual Kei elements and amps-on-full blare that Babymetal provides. And for those who may only know of them through the absurd press photos, pay attention to their corpse-painted backing band, all of whom churned out Symphony X-caliber solos during a performance that left a lot of the crowd begging for more. Even though you can’t judge this as a band and more as a true performing act, these guys are for real.

Amorphis to release new album ‘Borderland’ in September
Finnish metal giants Amorphis are ready to unleash their 15th studio album, Borderland, scheduled to arrive on September 26 via Reigning Phoenix Music. Marking their first release since 2022's Halo. The band is ready to introduce the album with a new single, "Light...

Moths share “Wrath” video; new album arriving in August
Progressive metal act Moths, hailing from San Juan, Puerto Rico, have released a video for their latest single, “Wrath.” The track is the second single taken from their upcoming album, Septem, scheduled to arrive on August 1st. Bassist Weslie Negrón comments: "‘Wrath’...

Igorrr unveil “Blastbeat Falafel” video
French experimental metal act Igorrr have dropped a video for the new single, “Blastbeat Falafel,” featuring Trey Spruance (Mr. Bungle) and Timba Harris (Estradasphere, Secret Chiefs 3). The track is taken from their upcoming fifth album Amen, scheduled to arrive on...

New & Noteworthy: Origins of Releases – 5/23/2025
New & Noteworthy is Metal Insider’s weekly column highlighting some of the newest rock and metal releases coming out each week. This week will see new music from the likes of Skunk Anansie, …and Oceans, Age of Apocalypes and Witchcraft, as well as cover and...

New & Noteworthy: Will You Haunt Me, With Releases – 5/16/2025
New & Noteworthy is Metal Insider’s weekly column highlighting some of the newest rock and metal releases coming out each week. Among the many outstanding works hitting shelves this week are new releases from the likes of Bury Tomorrow, Pelican and Steve Von Till,...

New & Noteworthy: Even in Releases – 5/9/2025
New & Noteworthy is Metal Insider’s weekly column highlighting some of the newest rock and metal releases coming out each week. This week includes new albums from the likes of Sleep Token, Behemoth, Ghost Bath, Peter Murphy and Tetrarch among the many outstanding...
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