The inaugural Drums of War Festival descends on Barcelona, Spain, this August 27 to 29 with 31 bands across three days of underground extreme metal at Atlantic Events. Destruction, 1349, Nargaroth, Pestilence, Grave, Tormentor, Unleashed, Impaled Nazarene, and many more fill the bill. Tickets at drumsofwar.com. Continue reading
Long-running UK OSDM kings Benediction have announced that their most recent bassist, Nik Sampson, has parted ways with the band. The split is amicable and was announced over social media. Sampson, primarily a guitarist, will now focus on his duties as the lead guitarist for Onslaught. As for Benediction, bass duties live will be handled by their friend Steve Hill (Redline), who filled in on several dates in 2025. In the meantime, the band will search for a permanent bassist as they continue to tour behind their excellent 2025 album Ravage of Empires, out now via Nuclear Blast Records. Continue reading
