Exclusive world premiere of the title track – Album out October 3rd
What was already a standout moment of this year’s Wacken Open Air, the world’s largest metal festival, turned into something even bigger when Michael Schenker pulled a surprise no one saw coming. After delivering a fierce My Years With UFO set to tens of thousands of attendees on Thursday night, the architect of hard rock used the world’s loudest stage to announce a brand-new Michael Schenker Group studio album: Don’t Sell Your Soul will be released on October 3rd via earMUSIC.
To mark the occasion, Schenker and his band closed the show with a world-exclusive live premiere of the new album’s title track – a powerful encore that took the Wacken crowd by surprise and was met with instant enthusiasm on the muddy festival fields.
Earlier in the set, the Wacken faithful had already been treated to a once-in-a-lifetime moment: Slash walked on stage as a surprise guest, joining Schenker on the UFO classic “Mother Mary”. Two of rock’s most iconic guitarists side by side – a scene few will forget.
Don’t Sell Your Soul is the latest studio album by the Michael Schenker Group and the second part of an album trilogy that began with 2024’s My Years With UFO.
The album was produced by Michael Schenker and Michael Voss, and recorded with Schenker’s longtime allies: Bodo Schopf (drums), Barend Courbois (bass), and Steve Mann (guitar, keys). On vocals: the impeccable Erik Grönwall – undoubtedly one of the finest rock voices of his generation. Guest appearances on vocals by Robin McAuley, Dimitri “Lia” Liapakis, and Michael Voss round out the cast.
Don’t Sell Your Soul will be available on CD, LP, and limited transparent red vinyl. Pre-orders start Friday, August 1st.
The 2026 dates will be the first UK and EU headline solo shows since the band’s mammoth sold out tour run in 2023 alongside Mötley Crüe. The 2023 tour saw the band headline venues across Europe including selling out the iconic Wembley Stadium. That tour was part of a two year run that saw Def Leppard & Mötley Crüe selling over 2.1 million tickets across the globe while performing in 27 countries and on five continents!
Joe Elliott says, “We’re looking forward to playing Radio 2 in the Park in Chelmsford this week…our only UK date of 2025. But we’re also very buzzed to announce our UK and Euro dates in 2026! Playing to our home crowd and our fans in Europe is very important to us, and we’ll be bringing a brand new show that will feature some surprises as well as the classics! See you soon!!”
With more than 110 million albums sold worldwide and two prestigious Diamond Awards in the U.S., Rock & Roll Hall of Fame® inductees Def Leppard has produced a series of classic ground-breaking albums that set the bar for generations of music fans and artists alike. The group’s spectacular live shows and arsenal of hits have become synonymous with their name. Def Leppard’s influential career includes numerous hit singles and multi-platinum albums, including two of the best-selling albums of all time, Pyromania and Hysteria capturing the group’s legendary tracks such as “Rock of Ages”, Pour Some Sugar on Me”, “Animal” and “Foolin.” Testament to Def Leppard’s enduring and ever growing appeal is their 20 million followers across social media platforms.
This week see’s Def Leppard headline the final night of the Radio 2 In the Park Festival on Sunday 7thSeptember 2025 before returning to the USA in early 2026 for a month long Las Vegas residency.
Phil Collen says, “It’s a dream to be coming back to the UK and Europe in June and July next year. And to be coming back with our good friends, Extreme, is a bonus. It’s going to be an incredible night for all the fans!”
2023 also saw the band release their innovative last studio album, “Drastic Symphonies” alongside the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The critically acclaimed album charted at No 4 in the UK – the band highest UK chart position in 32 years. Recorded at the iconic Abbey Road Studios it led to the band performing a stunning set on BBC Radio 2’s Piano Rooms – their version of “Pour Some Sugar On Me” featuring Emm Gryner and the BBC Concert Orchestra is available to see HERE.
DEF LEPPARD CONFIRMED 2025 AND 2026 TOUR DATES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
2025
Sunday 7th September 2025 – Radio 2 In The Park, Chelmsford UK
Sat 11th October 2025 – Hard Rock Casino, Northern Indiana USA
2026
Tuesday 3rd February 2026 – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas USA
Thursday 5th February 2026 – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas USA
Saturday 7th February 2026 – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas USA
Tuesday 10th February 2026 – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas USA
Thursday 12th February 2026 – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas USA
Saturday 14th February 2026 – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas USA
Tuesday 17th February 2026 – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas USA
Thursday 19th February 2026 – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas USA
Saturday 21st February 2026 – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas USA
Tuesday 24th February 2026 – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas USA
Thursday 26th February 2026 – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas USA
Saturday 28th February 2026 – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas USA
Just Announced UK & EU Tour 2026. Dates announced so far:
Saturday 13th June 2026 – Dalhalla, Rättvik SWEDEN *
Tuesday 16th June 2026 – Veikkaus Arena, Helsinki FINLAND
Thursday 19th June 2026 – Hallenstadion, Zurich SWITZERLAND
Tuesday 23rd June 2026 – Westfalenhalle, Dortmund GERMANY
Friday 26th June 2026 – Belsonic, Belfast UK
Sunday 28th June 2026 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow UK
Tuesday 30th June 2026 – Utilita Arena, Sheffield UK
Thursday 2nd July 2026 – The O2, London UK
Saturday 4th July 2026 – bp pulse LIVE, Birmingham UK
Monday 6th July 2026 – Co-op Live, Manchester UK
Thursday 30th July 2026 – Wacken Open Air, Wacken GERMANY ▲
All Dates With Special Guest EXTREME unless indicated
* An Evening With
▲ Festival
Sunday 2nd August 2026 – Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai UAE
UK and EU tour dates general onsale 10am local time Friday 5th September 2025For tickets and further information www.defleppard.comMastercard cardholders have special access to presale tickets in Finland. Mastercard Presale starts on Wednesday, September 3 at 10am local. Plus, Preferred ticket access to some of the best tickets in Finland and the UK are available from Friday, September 5 at 10am local. Check out priceless.com/music for details.
After months of speculation Babyshambles are delighted to announce their live return, after eleven long years, with ten shows this autumn and winter.
The tour coincides with the 20th anniversary of Babyshambles’ much-loved, critically lauded debut album Down In Albion. Ittakes in a whole host of venues that were the scene of many of their previous triumphs: in Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow, Leeds, Nottingham, Norwich, Plymouth and London’s celebrated Brixton Academy.
Peter Doherty: “It’s unfinished business and everywhere I go I get ‘what’s happening with the ‘shambles.’ It’s a no brainer for me, a real desire to play some of them old tunes and have a little shindig.”
Drew McConnell:“The death of Patrick (Walden) made us determined that we have to tour now.”
Tickets go on general sale at 10:00am Friday 5th September fromGENERAL TICKET LINK To make sure you bagsie a ticket an exclusive pre-sale is available at 10:00am on Wednesday 3rd September, sign up herePRE-SALE TICKET LINK
NOVEMBER
14th FRI Norwich The Nick Rayns LCR
16th SUN London O2 Academy – Brixton
26th WED Birmingham O2 Academy
29th SAT Liverpool Mountford Hall
30th SUN Manchester O2 Victoria Warehouse
DECEMBER
2nd TUE Newcastle O2 City Hall
4th THU Glasgow O2 Academy
7th SUN Leeds O2 Academy
8th MON Nottingham Rock City
10th WED Plymouth Pavilions
Babyshambles have released three Top 10 albums: Down In Albion (2005), Shotter’s Nation (2007) and Sequel To ThePrequel (2013)… scored four Top 10 Singles Killamangiro, Fuck Forever, Albion and Delivery.
Babyshambles are Peter Doherty (vocals/ guitar), Mick Whitnall (guitar), Drew McConnell (bass guitar)and Adam Ficek (drums).
So there will be blood, apparently. Not really, I’m sure they’re nice chaps, but it’s the full bloodied opening track from their brand new long player ‘Vandalheart’. Birmingham neerdowells The Liarbilitys play full tilt wholesome street punk n roll with a passion and belief in what they do, and there is a wholesome honesty about the brand of street punk they peddle. It’s loud and toe-to-toe with the listener. There are plenty of sing-alongs in a Bad Religion meets Frank Turner on full tilt happening here, and I like it. The Levellers, if they turned to electric guitars instead of bodhrans and fiddles and sped it up a few BPMs.
The arrangements are clear and have vocals that sing melodies with attitude, like a Dirtbox disco meets Cock Sparrer which really works to be fair. Take the title track as an example. Lived in lyrics that are relatable, singing about yesteryear, be in nostalgic or just to convey a story, works wel,l and hearing “Twats” used in a song is heart on the sleeve stuff.
I like the aggression of ‘Strangways’ whilst ‘Sin Em All’ has the heart and soul of a Sparrer old school glunk about the rhythm. The pace is varied like the heartfelt ‘Gutta Percha’ that breaks out in timely fashion before the upbeat call to arms of ‘Battering Wall’ and the closing time sing-a-long of ‘Daisy You’re Gonna Wind Up Dead’.
All in all, it’s a well-constructed, varied album of anthemic street punk n roll that’s well produced and arranged and played. It signs off with the pacey ‘The Armada’ it might be a safe path to tread but you still have to deliver it well and The Liarbilitys do exactly that. I’m sure live they’ll sound exactly like the record and if you’re looking for a good time and a sing song then you need to get on this one.
Anyone out there looking for a punk n roll band and thinking they have all been found? You have likely not explored Peru. I know I had not until I stumbled upon Los Flechados. With a sound that feels like 50’s rock filtered through the Ramones with some touches of the Backyard Babies Humpers, and others, they should not be just Peru’s secret as I know they have potential fans all over the world. I believe this full-length album was released several years ago in Peru, but it appears to have just got a new lease on life through Alive Music. ‘Revolucion’ is a brand-new song and was what I first heard by the band a few weeks ago. These releases are going to be digital only right now, but the band is looking for a label to release them on vinyl. Hopefully, someone sees this one way or another to make that possible.
Let’s start with ‘Revolucion’, where the band release a scorching song with a killer hook that makes me want to go storm the streets of Lima. The guitar riff jumps out of the speaker, and the vocals fit like a glove. Hopefully, the band will have more new songs soon, as this one immediately entered my Songs of 25 playlist and has been on repeat a lot.
The new song sent me looking for more, and I found ‘Lejos de Esta Ciudad’ which is an awesome album. ‘Vicio’ kicks things off with a hint of old Rancid punk with terrific, shouted backing vocals. The production allows everything to be heard in the mix. There is no let up with ‘Radio Punk Rock’ providing a hook filled timeless guitar riff over a punk and roll frame. That leads us into their new video for the title track, where the band dials it down just a little bit to create another hook filled monster of a song. If you don’t speak Spanish, people may soon think you do, as you will be singing along to these songs in no time.
The band moves from strength to strength with ‘Mi Corazon’ starting with a Ramones-style count to the song. There is a passion to these songs that transcends the music itself. You can feel it bleeding through the speakers. I love the guitar licks that pop up across the song. If your fist is not in the air and you are not singing the chorus, make sure you are not freezing cold, and there is not a tag on your toe. ‘La Rockandroll’ (sic) is a 100-second stomper that again reminds me a bit of Rancid with generous sprinkles of the Humpers. Wrapping up what will hopefully be side 1 of a 12” album is ‘Muriendo en Mi Ley’, which feels like Chuck Berry’s guitar cutting across the mix and leading to another catchy chorus.
Kicking off side 2 (let’s will it into existence) with ‘Ya No Quiero Ser Tu Perro,’ the band takes us back about 70 years for a rock-a-billy flavored rocker with horns. There is no let up on the album as the band just unleashes gem after gem. The sax solo here provides a nice new flavor to the album, and the guitar solo mandates playing the air guitar to it. ‘Destruir’ brings us back to another punk and roll ripper. It’s not hard to think of a large crowd headbanging in unison to it. Up next, ‘Fuerza Rojinegra’ front loads a hook to maximum effect before the song starts. The band gradually increases the tempo before changing gears completely to deliver another killer song. The chorus comes from the school of the Ramones with more sax here to take the song to another level.
At the final quarter pole, we start with ‘Agonizando’ where the guitars deliver a great melody. This is another one that will have you singing along to it in no time. ‘En Una Prison’ embodies the spirit of rock and roll with the vocals taking front and centre through the verses and leading into a glorious hook-filled chorus. Get those drinks in the air for this one. Closing out the album ‘Fuguemonos de Clase’ brings some snotty-sounding 77-style punk that takes elements of the U.K. Subs and puts it through their own blender.
I strongly believe music is a universal language. Los Flechados have delivered songs crafted from their heart and soul. There is a large audience across the world that is just needs to learn about this band. Give these songs a listen and tell your friends you know will like it. Let’s help get these songs heard across the world and help the band play some shows outside of Peru. Let’s also get their name in front of some people who can get these songs pressed on vinyl. That album cover illustration should be 12×12.
‘Revolucion’ and ‘Lejos de Esta Ciudad’ are available digitally.
Warsaw’s own punk’n’roll powerhouse Poison Heart are back and louder than ever with their new album, ‘Love, Lies and Hard Times’, Now I have to admit I’m not up to speed with the punk’n’roll scene in Poland, but if this is the quality on offe,r then maybe I should remedy that asap.
In 2018, Poison Heart released their Scandi-styled, high-energy punk & roll, maybe polski styled should be the way forward. It’s taken them a while to follow it up, but on the evidence I have before me it was time well spent.
Equal parts punk and hard rock they were obviously paying attention to the likes of Turbonegro, The Hellacopters, Gluecifer, and MC5, delivered with a twin-guitar, street punk vocals,
‘Love, Lies and Hard Times’, the band’s 4th long-player, features 10 brand-new tracks that balance fierce melodies with unflinching honesty. The themes might be well well-trodden paths of broken relationships, sleepless nights, and inner battles. The album has universal appeal for sure, but I admire the bravery of featuring three songs sung in Polish, which sound really good to be fair, and doesn’t take anything away from the flow of the record, even though I haven’t got a clue what they are about. All power to them for doing it.
I’d imagine what you hear is exactly what you get live from the band: a ton of energy and a passion for the style they deliver. Fans of The Almighty and The Cult and such like will find a lot to enjoy here from the opening brooding ‘Precedens’ and the Thin Lizzy delivery of the twin guitars a theme they lean on for sure.
‘Warsaw Blues’ is convincing and has a great driving rhythm, especially when the volume is up. The songs are kept lean with nothing overstaying its welcome, and some great tub thumping on ‘Saturday Night’ before ‘Mirror’ offers a change of pace as its brooding intro builds into an 80s feel of alt rock. Check ’em out if greasy rock n roll is your thing, you might just love some ‘Love Lies And Hard Times’.
Holy fuck, I have to start by saying that my first spin was on ear-bleeding volumes, and as the title track burst through the ether, I felt quite emotional. The melody is exquisite and those gang vocals haven’t been heard since Turbonegro hit their zenith. Throughout the album trilogy ’Misanthropical House’, ’Algorithm and Blues’, and ’Research and Destroy’, were well above average, in fact, over ti.m,e I’d go so far as to say at times exceptional but his ‘November Boys’ is shaping up to be something else that blasts off into the red hot sun. The Good The Bad and The Zugly have limped their way through midlife crises and pubescent antics to release one mother fucker of a record from the opening pop sensible melodic bastards that ore the first two to ‘Norweigans Abroad’ which is a thrashing mother fucker of a track that is tight and raging and turning into everythinng you want it to sound like – turn it up please.
They might well be mediocre underachievers on the unglamorous Scandirock path to valhalla but fair play this eclipses everything they’ve done until here and maybe now people will take these slackers seriously and they will be championed for saving gumbo punk rock n roll single-handedly.
‘Dig A Ditch’ sounds like a heavy diet of UFO records and bad drugs for the length of the intro alone but man this record is making bad life choices seem like good ideas that have brought us to this point in life otherwise we’d have passed these nut jobs by and given them a wide birth, thankfully I’m not that sensible.
The bands press release is like it was lifted from a twin peaks script after some bad acid and too much vodka but the tunes will always be their saving grace when they’re this good. ‘Dig A Ditch’ could and should be a crossover radio hit anywhere and everywhere.
A snippet from the press kit reads as follows: “The fact remains: we have always been left behind ever since kindergarten (for those of us lucky enough to experience such a well-regulated institution). In sports, we were always picked last. Our finest effort was put into keeping the bench warm for all the tough and slick January boys whenever they got tired of scoring goals—and chicks. Our academic performances measured at impressively low standards. Lacking any ability to concentrate, our educational path was a fast track to the headmaster’s office and, eventually, special ed classes. Today, they would have stuffed us full of pills in no time.” Confused? Don’t be, join us and rejoice that we’ve got the best tunes just take the melody on ‘A Blazer In The Northern Sky’ and dance like nobody is watching and sing like nobody can hear you. It’s blissful, trust me.
‘Scandinavian CRISPR Brat’ is like their irresponsible hate anthem, but with a sweet melody and a riff to die for GBZ are on FIRE! The fact that there are only ten songs here fills me with sadness. I wish it were a double album with twenty tracks, such is the quality on offer, but he,y ten is fine and dandy. ‘FOMO’ is bone-crushing riff-a-rama as we’re almost at the finish line, it’s a burst on as we dash for the finish through a thrashingly good ‘Hadeland Hardcore’. The Stooges one-finger piano tonk on ‘All My Friends Are Dead Inside’ rings around my head before we sign off with the wonderful ‘New Kids on the Blockchain’ and we’re done. I’m going back in for more and might just play it on my headphones and see if I can just run as fast as I can for as long as I can to see if this album makes me go mental. What a fuckin monster of a record. Congrats GBZ, you have achieved a goal of writing and recording one hell of a record that is as good from the opening track to the closing track, and everything in between is pure fuckin fire (as the kids would say). Melodies to die for, riffs that are on point and life-affirming. The November Boys are here, and the summer isn’t even done yet. Buy this album; it might just be the best thing you hear all year.
The latest band hitting our collective ear drums on the Venn roster are Club Brat and what a punch to the ear drum they are. Joining the impressive Aerial Salad, High Viz, Split Dogs and Bob Vylan to name a few Club Brat have a pop sensibility about them but they wrap it in a velvet glove inside a boxing glove holding a sledge hammer.
’25 Cameras’ opens up this rapid four-track EP, and it’s everything you want to hear. Cool lyrics wrapped inside a hard-hitting, sharp guitar-driven song, is it indie post punk? Who knows who cares, it’s full of energy and packs a punch, that’s all you need to know, and once it’s in your ear, it’ll take something special to dislodge it.
A rich bass-heavy thump and volatile rhythmic urgency is the MO here. ‘Goodbye Pop Culture’ has the warm, rich Bass thump and those angular guitars chopping away through a twitching, crowded backdrop, excellent stuff and very accessible. Originally from Peterborough and now split between Bristol and London, the five-piece formed in 2023 and quickly earned a reputation for unpredictable live shows and a relentless DIY ethos, while still working with some of underground music’s most respected engineers. Club Brat has a statement EP, no question about it, now to follow it up with more live shows and then the album. On this evidence, they have nothing to worry about. ‘In It For The Money’ might not be what they’re about, but it’s like if Jane’s Addiction were from inner city UK and not Hollywood, California. It has the energy and drive, and most importantly, it has the tunes. The final cut is the rapid barking dog of a track, ‘Watch’ it’s heavy, fast but you can dance to it. Go pick up a copy and find out for yourself.
Aerial Salad bounce back with new single ‘My Girl’
New 5-track EP ‘Roi de l’herbe’ out now Venn Records HERE
Manchester power-punk trio Aerial Salad are back once again to plough another melodious monster deep within our crania. The final song on their recently released ‘Roi De L’Herbe’ EP on Venn Records, new single ‘My Girl’ powers by in less than three-minutes in a flurry of buzzsaw guitars, charging drums and rousing vocals.
With an accompanying video by award-winning comedy writer and director Christopher Macken, guitarist and vocalist Jamie Munro met the film maker after he’d randomly heard Aerial Salad via a college radio station. They quickly struck up a friendship through mutual respect for each other’s work, first working together on the video for the ‘MDRN LVN’ single from last years ‘R.O.I.’ album, shot in just three hours around the streets of Los Angeles.
After Macken heard the ‘My Girl’ song, he decided to share it with some of his friends Zackass (aka Zack Holmes) from the ‘Jackass’ series and American actress and singer Harley Quinn Smith (from Cruel Summer, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, Yoga Hosers and the indie band Cinnamon, who released their first single ‘Star’ this year). They both loved the song so much they wanted to jump in and be a part of the idea Christopher was having for the video.
“Realizing our creative and humour sensibilities were super aligned, we’ve been dying to create together but find the distance to be quite the obstacle” explains Macken. “That’s when I pitched the band the idea of ‘My Girl’. Is it possible to do a music video remotely and I shoot the rest with my funny actor friends? The band seemed stoked on the idea, and I just ran with it, producing the video within a week of the initial brainstorm. I thought ‘everyone wants to be cool and British… since the dawn of time’, can we do a funny video where a guy sees Aerial Salad perform on TV and completely changes his life to be cool like his new favourite band. And adding in the love story to really define the song. And boom we have this adorable, goofy little video. I hope it makes people smile.”
“For me, this video is symbolic of everything that’s positive in the music industry,” continues Jamie. “There’s so much negativity but here we have a reasonably small punk band from England that have got Hollywood actors and directors working with them out of love of the project, not out of getting a Paycheck, a real ‘you never know who’s listening or what can happen’ this video is a rallying cry for people following their creative pursuits. you simply never know what can happen, or the friends you can make.”
The ‘Roi de l’herbe’ EP is out now via Venn Records HERE:
We all have styles and bands that keep returning to our turntables, tablets, digital streaming or however we consume these days, and you can add to that labels that just get it and churn out reliably above-average music and new finds to add to our playlists and favourite new albums of the year list. One such label is the Scandi power poppin’ legends at Beluga who’ve done it again. If you are ever in doubt about your choices of music and bands to play, then I suggest you jump on board because the latest record off the quality-assured conveyor belt is the quirky named No Tears.
Now stay with me, it might have been originally released back in 2023 on Luftslott Records. No Tears peddle pure Costello-infused Power Pop with added snot guitar pop. The whole shooting match is performed by the clever so-and-so called Christoffer Karlsson. The astute and top power poppers will know his day job is performing with the horror punkin power poppers The Dahmers as their lead vocalist, so the guy has pedigree.
Now you can check them another day because today it’s all about reengaging with No Tears and passing on the love and hopefully expanding the ownership of this fantastic record. The album kicks off with the rampant horn honkin’ blast that is ‘Dreamin’, and that’s it I’m all in. Energy, excellent playing and those honkin’ saxophone breaks laid over a wicked riff and thumping beat, it’s a freakin winner every day of the week. From the drum fills, the bass solo and then the rasping guitar break, this is kitchen sink rock n roll and some. Oh and handclaps
Once upon a time, this record would have been huge and hits galore all over the globe. There is a familiarity with the melodies in some of the songs, and the riffs are all borrowed from the good and great of history. Had Chris Stein penned some of the licks and arrangements around the time of ‘Eat To The Beat’, like ‘Get Away’. The sugar-sweet melodies are wrapped in raw guitars but smoothed over with some well-placed keys.
‘Same Old Story’ is banging and giving The Hives a good run for their money, and they’re playing arenas. The variety is excellent, pitching ‘Broken Mirror’ with its backbeat and dreamy breakdown alongside a good boogie ‘On 45’, then a curveball in the spaced out dreamy of the ‘Silence Is Speaking’ before signing off with the acoustic slide marching beat of ‘Without Your Love’ that features vocals from Beatrice Rosdahl adding some ye haw! to proceedings. What a fantastic breath of fresh air this record is, featuring eleven diverse songs making up a complete album that you should be checking out.
Get over to Beluga and tell em RPM sent you or else…
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