Photo credit WOA Festival GmbH, Pep Bonet Masterclass
Wacken Open Air, one of the most important events of the metal calendar, has begun its 2026 anniversary edition, on July 29th. The warm-up shows of the previous days set the tone, with the traditional Wacken Firefighters concert, a performance by Skyline, and a DJ set at the Camping Plaza by festival founder Holger Hübner. Read more below.
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On Para Bellum – (Nuclear Blast Records) Testament continues to uphold the legacy of quality decades in the making. Despite not being the household name like the bands of the Big Four, these had chops that rivaled Megadeth’s most shredding line-up. Of the Big Four, Slayer was the only band darker and more aggressive than the classic mid-to-late Eighties period for this band. While this new order marks the debut of Chris Dovas, the former drummer of Seven Spires, whose youthful exuberance gets the job done. Bassist Steve Di Giorgio (Death, Death To All), who goes back to “The Gathering.” Continue reading
7 Mater / Sevan Mater will release the first-ever single vinyl editions of two iconic live performances from gothic metal legends, The Gathering: “Live at Dynamo Open Air” and “Katowice”. These historic recordings will be out on 21 October 2025 and are now available for pre-order in limited quantities. Continue reading