NEW MUSIC FRIDAY: New Rock and Metal Releases for 2-7-25


From underground gems to headline-worthy drops It’s New Music Friday for 2-7-25!

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PREVIEW: New Music Friday – Rock and Metal Releases for 2-7-25


From underground gems to headline-worthy drops It’s New Music Friday for 2-7-25!

What’s your favorite cover this week?Continue reading


Dream Theater Releases a New Single and Video for “Midnight Messiah” – New Album Coming Soon


Dream Theater has released the next single from their forthcoming album, Parasomnia, due out on February 7th, 2025 via Century Media Records. Their first album since the return of founding member Mike Portnoy, you can stream and watch the new tour/live performance recap-themed clip for “Midnight Messiah” at link below. Continue reading


Korn, Muse, Scorpions, Linkin Park, Knocked Loose, Judas Priest, Electric Callboy,Turnstile, Exodus, Dethklok, Refused, and More Booked for Hellfest Open Air 2025


  

The Hellfest Open Air festival 2025 has booked a huge lineup. Taking place from June 19th to 22nd in Clisson, France, the fest features headlining performances from Korn, Muse, Scorpions, and Linkin Park, as well as, Knocked Loose, Judas Priest, Electric Callboy,Turnstile, Exodus, Dethklok, Refused, Jerry Cantrell, Jinjer, Turnstile, Unto Others, The Warning, VOLA, Alcest, Abbath (Doom occulta set), SUNN O))), HEALTH, Russian Circles, Chat Pile, Savatage, Dream Theater and more out of a total of 184 bands. A “very special guest” yet to be revealed for June 20th.Continue reading


Dream Theater Shares a New Single and Music Video for “A Broken Man” – 40th Anniversary Tour Continues


Wrapping up the successful European leg of their 40th Anniversary Tour 2024 – 2025 last week, GRAMMY®-winning, progressive music titans Dream Theater are releasing the next piece of music from their sixteenth studio album, Parasomnia. The track “A Broken Man” is the latest track from the iconic reunited lineup of vocalist James LaBrie, guitarist John Petrucci, bassist John Myung, keyboardist Jordan Rudess and drummer Mike Portnoy. The song opens with a driving musical barrage that subsides as LaBrie tells the story of a war vet who is experiencing sleep disturbances such as nightmares and insomnia, due to combat experience. The song contains audio from actual vets speaking about their personal horrors and replaying the traumatic events of wartime deployments. A visualizer for the song – created by longtime collaborator Wayne Joyner – that captures the essence of “A Broken Man” is now available here:Continue reading


PODCAST: The Weekly Ritual Rock and Metal News Show 10-25-24


Check out what you missed this week in the world of Rock and Metal! 

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Dream Theater Drop a Single and Video for “Night Terror” – New Album Coming Soon


Prog titans, Dream Theater, have returned with the announcement of their sixteenth studio album, Parasomnia. It is the first album featuring their iconic lineup – vocalist James LaBrie, guitarist John Petrucci, bassist John Myung, keyboardist Jordan Rudess and drummer Mike Portnoy – since 2009’s Black Clouds & Silver Linings, and is due February 7, 2025, via the label Inside Out Music/Sony Music.The band will also celebrate their 40th anniversary on the road, with an extensive live run throughout Europe, and North and South America, from October 20th, and have already released the album’s first single, “Night Terror.” It comes with a music video, directed by Mike Leonard. Catch the new track, live listings, and more below.

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Metallica, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Pantera, Ozzy Osbourne, and Slipknot are The Greatest Metal Bands of All-Time, According to Forbes


ID 105471015 © Andre Ricardo Paes | Dreamstime.com

ID 105471015 © Andre Ricardo Paes | Dreamstime.com

Of all the websites in the world, financial magazine and website Forbes has released a list of the top 38 metal bands of all-time. The list actually has no real surprises. All the top most popular bands of all-time are present, topped by Metallica, with virtually no other surprises in terms of major underground bands. In picking their list Forbes wrote that it’s “impossible to include all metal sub-genres in this type of list, the sub-genres that are most prominent and influential across metal today were considered with priority.” They added that all 38 bands were chosen due to having “the most significant impact in the metal genre, and a number of these bands are among the genre’s most famous and revered bands.”

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PODCAST: The Weekly Ritual Rock and Metal News Show Live 9-20-24


Check out what you missed this week in the world of Rock and Metal! Continue reading


John Petrucci and MESA/Boogie Team Up for Signature Combo Amp



In celebration of a partnership that has spanned over 40 years, MESA/Boogie and John Petrucci – guitarist, lyricist and founding member of progressive metal band Dream Theater – have announced the new JP-2C™ 1×12 Combo. It is available from the MESA/Boogie website and selected dealers. Find out more below.
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