News

Band on the run? Nah, band on absolute fire, butt! Let’s get one thing straight: Paul McCartney didn’t just ride the coattails of Beatlemania into the sunset. Nope. Sir Macca strapped on his Hofner bass, grabbed Linda, Denny, and a revolving door of mega-talents – and launched Wings, a band that soared higher than a hang-glider over the Rhondda Valley...

(The Scream-Free Saviours of the Breakdown World) 🤘🎤 Let’s be honest — metalcore wouldn’t be metalcore without the beauty-and-the-beast contrast of savage growls and soaring clean vocals. And while the screamers get a lot of the glory (and saliva on the mic), today we’re raising a pint 🍻 to the clean vocal gods who belt out those emotional choruses, turn...

Oi, posties of the world – get ready to deliver some high voltage rock ’n’ roll through the letterbox! 🤘 The mighty AC/DC have just been immortalised by Royal Mail, who’ve unleashed a blistering set of 12 special stamps celebrating the thunder from Down Under. Yep, instead of your usual boring Queen’s head or Christmas reindeer, you can now slap...

What’s occurring, mun? Blue Öyster Cult have just pulled a proper curveball out of the rock ‘n’ roll hat – they’ve dusted off their original name Soft White Underbelly for the first time in 44 years, and they’re bringing it to the UK for an intimate show! 🤯🔥 For the uninitiated (shame on you, butt!), before they became the cowbell-loving...

The masters of mystery and metal theatre are at it once more! Ghost have officially announced their “new” frontman for the band’s 2025 tour — and in true Papa Emeritus style, it’s not exactly straightforward. Fronted by Tobias Forge, Ghost has built its entire mythos around constantly “replacing” their lead figure, with each tour cycle seeing the arrival of a...

The moment metal invaded the mainstream – and blew the speakers clean off the telly 📺💥 August 1st, 1981. MTV bursts onto American television screens with its first ever music video: "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles. How polite. How synthy. How… not metal 😅 But it wouldn’t be long before our beloved heavy metal – all leather,...

By The Riff Report Blog When Metallica start an album, they don’t ease you in gently with a nice acoustic ditty and a cup of tea. Nah butt, they kick the bloody door down with a sledgehammer and demand your full attention. Album openers are sacred in the world of metal – they set the tone, announce a new era,...

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2025 Nominees: Who’s In, Who’s Fuming, and Who Got Snubbed Again 🙃 It’s that time of year again, butt – when the music world throws on its fanciest leather jacket and argues about who deserves a spot in the hallowed halls of rock ‘n’ roll glory… and who got mugged off once again. The...

(Or: Albums That Brought Bands Back From the Brink Like a Phoenix in Leather Pants) 12. AC/DC – Black Ice (2008) After an 8-year studio silence, the Aussie legends thundered back with riffs tighter than your dad’s jeans at a wedding. Black Ice gave us the classic AC/DC punch with just enough polish to remind us why they’re eternal.💥 Key...

Cardiff’s riff temple on Womanby Street isn’t easing off the gas after January — February at Fuel Rock Club is pure filth, fury and fun, stuffed with metal, punk, drag, and mosh-pit madness. 🎤🍺 Whether you’re a corpse-paint connoisseur, a glam queen, or just here for the £3 gigs and free entry shows, this month’s line-up has everything. C’mon butt...

What’s occurring, riff fiends? February 2025 has landed, and while the rest of the world was faffing about with Valentine’s roses and pancake day, the rock & metal world was busy dropping riffs heavier than a dragon on curry night. 🐉🔥 Let’s dive into the albums, EPs, and singles that made February a proper noisy month. 🎶 February 2025 Albums...

By The Riff Report Blog – Loud. Proud. Slightly Daft. Valentine’s Day? Pfft. The real heart-stoppers this February were the riffs. This month didn’t hand you a rose — it hit you with a flying V guitar and screamed, “LET’S GO!” 🎤💥 From prog titans to sludge-drenched doom lords, and everything in between, here’s your loud 'n’ proud guide to...

🤘🎂 By The Riff Report Blog 🔥 February might be the shortest month of the year, but it doesn't mess about when it comes to birthing absolute legends. From the architects of heavy metal to the grunge messiahs and bass-wielding chaos demons, this little month packs one hell of a punch. So, wrap up warm, light a devil-horned candle, and...

Download Festival – the holy land of mud, riffs, and metalheads with questionable sunburns – has just announced something huge: the launch of the Download Family. And no, it’s not some bizarre Netflix spin-off about bin jousting and mosh pit etiquette (though we’d 100% watch that). This is Download’s brand-new official community hub, designed to bring headbangers together all year...

Only in Birmingham, mun… Aston Villa have gone and properly honoured the Prince of Darkness himself – Ozzy Osbourne – with a massive tifo display before their Europa League clash with Celtic (30th Jan 2025). The Black Sabbath frontman, a lifelong Villan, was plastered across the Holte End in glorious technicolour, with fans unveiling a giant flag celebrating Brum’s heaviest...