When King’s X returned with Three Sides Of One
After a gap of 15 years Texan heavy prog rockers King's X delighted fans by releasing their 13th studio album in 2022
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Alkaline Trio cancel UK tour at very last minute as frontman Matt Skiba can’t “walk, talk, play or sing” due to worsening medical issue
Alkaline Trio have cancelled their UK tour on the day of the first scheduled date as frontman Matt Skiba is dealing with worsening medical issues that have left him unable to "walk, talk, play or sing" properly.
Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine names his guitar heroes and praises Deep Purple and Rainbow’s Ritchie Blackmore for “being metal as f*** back when there were no metal guitar players”
Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine has named his "Last Supper" of guitar players – keeping a place for Rainbow and Deep Purple icon Ritchie Blackmore for "being metal as f*** back when there were no metal guitar players."
“There was so much property damage, family members were missing, communication was really difficult.” Hurricanes, hardcore and Hetfield team-ups: the rise, fall and triumphant return of Corrosion of Conformity
80s crossover pioneers, 90s stoner metal icons... and then tragedy derailed them in the 2000s.
The greatest Alice In Chains songs ever, picked by Kerry King, Max Calavera, Lzzy Hale and more
The grunge icons’ best songs,
“You could do a medley of It’s a Sin with The Final Countdown by Europe; in fact, I don’t know why we haven’t done that”: How the Pet Shop Boys took on the church with their most iconic, most “heavy metal” song
Hi-NRG meets Catholic orthodoxy - we analyse the Pet Shop Boys' masterwork
Biffy Clyro triumph at their biggest ever headline show at Finsbury Park
They promised surprises.
Canadian prog rockers Saga to return to the UK for the first time in 20 years!
Canadian prog rockers Saga have announced their first UK live show for 20 years. The band will play Shepherd's Bush Empire on Friday, September 10, 2027, as part of their 1977-2027 The Generations Tour to celebrate the band's 50th anniversary with further dates around Europe. "We are all absolutely thrilled to be at this historic venue, and we simply must see you all there," the band say.
“I walked into Guitar Center, saw this Tele and thought, ‘This is incredible.’ It’s the guitar that got me endorsed with Fender”: The guitar that changed John 5’s life
Considering that John 5 owns over 100 Teles – including one from every year of their production – it was always going to take something special for one to rule the roost. But one certainly does; suffice to say, this Telecaster changed his life.
“I can’t stand it – it feels like a cheap psychological trick”: How negative marketing in music production is destroying creativity
Ever seen a video that convinced you “your mix sucks”?
“Robert asked, ‘Do you know a Led Zeppelin song called The Ocean?’ I just casually answered, ‘Yeah, I know that song’”: Robert Plant bassist Viktor Krauss on the genius of the legendary frontman – and the inspiration he gets from his sister Alison
Few bassists can match the pedigree of Viktor Krauss, thanks to his session work with the likes of Lyle Lovett, Bill Frisell, Robert Plant,
Psychedelic metal band slam “pop diva” Damon Albarn after festival clash
Psychedelic metal band Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats aren’t happy with “pop diva Damon Albarn of the novelty cartoon act Gorillaz” following Roskilde soundclash
“People felt threatened by a nude woman”: Hawkwind ex Stacia’s life in art
Stacia busts myths about where she came from,
The controversial hit that split one of Britain‘s most beloved rock bands
Status Quo were one of the most enduring rock bands of the 70s and 80s – until they hit the tequila cocktails
The lost album Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley made before they were in Kiss
“It’s not that I’m embarrassed by it.
“A strong update overall that introduces many features to boost your creativity and streamline your workflow”: Steinberg Cubase 15 review
Steinberg brings a host of tweaks and additions to Cubase 15, but will they satisfy new and existing users alike?
“I’ve dedicated my life to rock’n’roll, the most American of art forms. Why turn tail and run?” Jon Spencer on death, aging and MAGA knuckleheads
Jon Spencer’s new album, Songs of Personal Loss and Protest,
“For me, the real strength of the Baum Guitars Verve lies in its playability”: Baum Guitars Verve review
Distinctive looks and a buttery-smooth neck profile with this T-style,
“They gave a guitar endorsement to a drummer, and I thought, ‘Man, this is not where I want to be’”: Dave Mustaine on why he left Jackson Guitars… then tried to buy the company
The Megadeth frontman jumped ship to ESP in 2003, but what could have been if his takeover bid had been successful?
“I think it was a very important lyric for Michael. His lyrics were very poignant. He didn’t have to say very much, but you knew exactly what he was talking about”: The classic INXS ballad with deep meaning for Michael Hutchence
“Originally it was just piano with a vocal – a very simple song”
This weekend’s 4th of July guitar sales blowout delivers 10 sales to shop
The 4th of July sales are in full flow,
The best new metal songs you need to hear right now
Peasant metal, Native American folk by way of black metal and gorgeously symponic power metal all appear in this week's best new metal songs.
“A compelling and well-rounded entry-level piano that prioritises accessibility and sound quality over features”: Kawai CX102 digital piano review
I find out if the new replacement for Kawai’s KDP-75 is a simple rebrand or a step forward
“We didn’t have time to fix it, so I traded it for a Fender Twin. But I know where they are”: Jeff Tweedy on the two guitars he regrets selling – and how Billy Gibbons ended up with them
Buyer’s remorse is a brutal thing, but it’s arguably worse when the guitars aren’t fully out of sight.
“His dedication to Gibson’s quality and legacy is beyond reproach”: 5 ways Cesar Gueikian transformed Gibson – and proved to be a very different kind of guitar CEO
As he leaves the top job at one of the world’s biggest guitar companies,
Cool new prog from Haken, Stick Men, Happy The Man, Enslaved and more in Prog’s brand new Tracks Of The Week
Great new prog you must hear from Susanna, Playgrounded,
“I got this for half the price it was worth… I felt kind of bad about it”: Kirk Hammett bought Neal Schon’s Les Paul for so little that he offered it back to his hero
Metallica shredder and obsessive guitar hoarder Kirk Hammett once bought one of his guitar hero’s axes for so cheap that he was riddled with guilt.
“I thought we sounded great, then I heard the recording. I was mortified!” The story behind Foo Fighters’ secret first show
There was no listing in Seattle's essential alt. culture weekly newspaper The Stranger for the gig scheduled at The Boathouse on February 19, 1995, no fliers being handed out outside the venue on Mercer Street, no mention at all of the show on any of the college radio shows dedicated to promoting left of the dial outsider art in the Emerald City. It was almost as if the four-piece band who'd booked the show didn't want anyone to know about it. Which wasn't too far from the truth.
“There was some mild terrorism going on. They were exploding cars and banks and real estate. There was an ongoing war”: From a climate of violence, Gojira made one of modern metal’s most conscious, powerful anthems
The French crusaders played their early shows in a region battling for independence,
“When the first riff came together, we locked in and played it for 100 hours”: How Blood And Thunder turned Mastodon from Southern misfits to a 21st-century sensation
Making a snarling concept piece about Moby-Dick doesn’t sound like a move for mainstream appeal,
“John was annoyed because I didn’t say that he had written one line of this song, Taxman… I also didn’t say how I wrote two lines to Come Together or three lines to Eleanor Rigby”: George Harrison and the questions around his Beatles credits
"I think in the balance I would have had more things to be niggled with him about than he would have with me"
Watch ex-Metallica bassist Jason Newsted cover Bob Seger’s Turn The Page at North American tour kickoff this week
Ex-Metallica bassist Jason Newsted covered Bob Seger’s Turn The Page with his Chophouse Band as their North American tour kicked off on Wednesday (July 1).
The extraordinary new David Bowie UK tour launching 10 years after his death
More than 100 handpicked pieces from the vast V&A David Bowie archive will tour the UK allowing Bowie fans from outside the capital a chance to view them
“It’s musically exquisite and complex, this never-ending onion where you discover something new about it and about yourself every time you listen to it.” The Pretty Reckless’ Taylor Momsen on her love for Chris Cornell and Soundgarden
Taylor Momsen's name will always carry an association with Soundgarden. Her band, The Pretty Reckless, were chosen to support the Seattle grunge legends on their ill-fated 2017 North American tour, which was tragically cut short, 12 dates in, when Chris Cornell died by suicide on May 17, following a show at the Fox Theatre in Detroit.
Sam Smith confirms tour dates with new album announcement
Sam Smith fans can buy tickets in the next few days.
“I listened to the opening track on repeat for about six months.” Beabadoobee on the cult classic album that changed her life
The 1990s was a decade of regeneration and re-birth for rock music, with first grunge, then pop-punk, then nu-metal changing the face of the music world. Away from the glare of the media spotlight however, a quieter but no less significant musical revolution was birthed... and its implications are being felt now more than ever.
“People hated us, bullied us, threw stuff at us and even threatened to beat us up. But they didn’t leave”: The strange guitar journey of Devo’s Bob Mothersbaugh
Why the Akron, OH, new wave legends are like the band on the Titanic – and totally OK with playing until they drop
“The argument about string gauges is the silliest thing a guitarist can engage in”: John Mayer on what really matters when choosing the guitar strings you use
Mayer once had his say on the ‘thicker strings equals thicker tone’ debate
Everybody’s got to learn sometime: It’s MusicRadar’s Quiz of the Week #12!
Wind down for your weekend and test your mighty musical brain with our weekly quiz on all that's been moving and shaking on the pages of MusicRadar this week.
“It could give my Quad Cortex mini a run for its money”: My pick of the best new guitar gear launched this week – and the new drops you might have missed
Vote for your favorite new release in Guitar World's weekly guitar gear poll
Loved by George Harrison, the Isley Brothers and Rush’s Alex Lifeson, the Maestro PS-1 Phase Shifter changed the face of popular music – but it sure was bulky
During the late ’60s, Tom Oberheim earned notoriety among Los Angeles musicians for the ring modulators he built for everyone from the experimental electronic psychedelia band the United States of America to film composer Leonard Rosenman, who used Oberheim’s ring modulator on the soundtrack for 1970’s Beyond the Planet of the Apes.
“We’ve got a new drummer, his name is Dave, he’s the best drummer in the world!”: How Dave Grohl delivered the incredible Smells Like Teen Spirit drum track
The drum part that introduced Nirvana and a drummer named Dave Grohl to the world was released back in 1991
“I cherish the band, but I don’t expect anyone else to.” It’s 10 years since Radiohead last released an album and I accidentally got the only interview for it
How a night on the tiles in Paris with Radiohead in 2016 turned into something more special
“I said to Andy, ‘Is he gonna be into this? Because it’s a punk tune and I want overdriven bass. It’s gonna be simple, no mucking about’”: Mick Jagger on recruiting Paul McCartney to play bass on the Rolling Stones’ upcoming album
For their most recent respective releases, The Rolling Stones and Beatles bassist Paul McCartney shared a producer – i.e., producer to the stars, Andrew Watt. Not only that, though, Macca is reportedly the one laying down the low end on an upcoming Stones track, titled Covered in You, from their upcoming album (out July 10), Foreign Tongues.
“Altered tunings obliterated my knowledge of the fretboard. I just put my hands on the guitar, started playing, and found I was using only my ear. It was liberating”: Bentley Anderson is imagining a strange new future for guitar music
The underground NYC guitarist leans into his strengths on new album Valence – and those strengths involve making a whole lotta glorious,
Gary Glitter faces new charges of sexual abuse against a minor
Glitter has been accused of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13, and three counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14
The story of Joe Walsh’s Rocky Mountain Way
Rocky Mountain Way came to Joe Walsh as he mowed his lawn,
Blue October’s Justin Furstenfeld on creativity and personal train wrecks
This year US alt.rockers Blue October are playing their 2006 album Foiled in full on tour – and Justin Furstenfeld is just glad he can
How Pearl Jam and Neil Young came together to make Mirror Ball
The grunge superstars learned a lot when they teamed up with the rock veteran to make his 1995 album,
Rush launch official t-shirt to raise funds for Venezuelan earthquake relief
Rush have released an official t-shirt to raise money for victims of last month's Venezuelan earthquakes.
How Rick Wakeman proved them all wrong with The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Rick Wakeman’s 1973 debut solo album was roundly hated by label bosses and reviewers – but it became a coffee-table classic and gave him freedom from Yes
“Acoustic guitars are loud enough to use at home without an amp, so what is the point here?”: Orange Outlowd ES3 Ed Sheeran signature amp review
Orange teams up with Ed Sheeran to create the Outlowd series of acoustic amplifiers. The diminutive ES3 is the home tool that could add an extra level of lush tone to our home sessions.
“The rock and metal sisterhood is amazing”: Evanescence’s Amy Lee celebrates women’s “ever-growing” presence in heavy music
Evanescence’s Amy Lee has celebrated the “ever-growing” presence of women in rock and metal. Talking to The Mistress Carrie Podcast, the singer praises the “rock and metal sisterhood”, highlighting the fact that female musicians seem to be more common and enjoying more success in alternative music compared to previous generations. She talks about when she recently saw her band at number one on a singles chart in America, followed by rockers The Pretty Reckless, fronted by actress-turned-musician Taylor Momsen, at number two.
“I felt kind of bad about it because I should have paid a fair price”: Kirk Hammett felt so guilty about buying Neal Schon’s Les Paul on the cheap that he called him to ask if he wanted it back
Some might have thought that this was the bargain of a lifetime, a Factory Black ’57 Les Paul with P-90s, and it was.
DAWs for DJs, rotary mixers and the world’s first standalone motorized controller: 5 of the coolest pieces of gear we saw at Thomann’s DJ Days
We ventured out to rural Germany to check out the latest and greatest in DJ controllers, mixers,
“My body and mind are dealing with something completely out of my control”: The Jam bassist Bruce Foxton reveals Parkinson’s Disease diagnosis
The Jam bassist, Bruce Foxton, has revealed he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, following show cancellations and recent speculation about his health.
“The amount of hate and disbelief around me from strangers on the internet or bitter musicians really weighs on my heart.” Slayer and Anthrax members voice support for Yungblud following “breakdown”
"When I got off this stage I felt elated but 20 minutes later when I was in the shower on my own I had a breakdown"
AlphaTheta’s CDJ-1500X is a WiFi equipped DJ player that lets your audience vote on track requests
AlphaTheta has released its latest DJ player, the CDJ-1500X, a trimmed down counterpart to the company’s flagship CDJ-3000X with a smaller footprint and more affordable price.
Every Metallica album ranked from worst to best
From game-changing debut Kill ’Em All to the emotionally-charged 72 Seasons, this is every studio album by metal’s biggest band,
“You look around and no one seems concerned, and there’s an explosive drone somewhere over town”: Silent Planet, the first American band to play Ukraine during the Russian war
Singer Garrett Russell talks about the metalcore brutes’ experiences in the war-torn country last month
Gibson gives the Les Paul a Fender twist with the Long Scale Custom
Gibson has put a long-scale spin on the Les Paul Custom by matching Fender’s favorite scale length – meet the 25.5" Long Scale Custom.
“There were days when leaving Japan made us feel lonely, and days when things got so tough that we wanted to give up.” A track-by-track guide to the songs that defined Babymetal
Babymetal talk us through the songs that charted their journey from Japanese curio to international metal stardom
“Alex said, ‘I don’t want to play my double-neck – it’s too heavy.’ I said, ‘I’ll do it!’ He lent me his white Gibson EDS-1275 for Stairway”: How Crown Lands went from Rush’s spiritual successors to playing Led Zeppelin with their heroes
Are Crown Lands heirs to the Rush crown as Canada’s foremost prog act?
“When you can’t articulate your discontent in a sitdown environment, you’re left with only the sh*tting option”: Devin Townsend explains why he pooed in Steve Vai’s guitar case
Devin Townsend has explained why he took a dump in Steve Vai’s guitar case during his time as the virtuoso’s lead singer.
“It has evolved into a completely different guitar”: Would you like some guitar with your fretboard? Jackson has just introduced a 27-fret monster signature model for Brandon Ellis
Jackson has unveiled its latest signature guitar for Brandon Ellis: a 27-fret shred machine that brings some serious upgrades to the Kelly design.
Iron Maiden to film concert at Knebworth after Paris power cut chaos
Knebworth is about to be captured on film for Maiden's biggest moment but it only happened because a sudden blackout stole something that mattered.
As a hopeless Gibson and Epiphone addict, these 4th of July deals are seriously testing my willpower – score up to $899 off a Gibson Les Paul Modern, as well as hundreds off Epiphone Joe Bonamassa, Jeff Beck and Jerry Cantrell signature models
I've searched high and low to find the very best Les Paul deals this 4th of July!
“He’s very… Harry Stylish. That’s what he is. But that’s all that he is. It’s very superficial”: Producer Mike Stock explains why he thinks streaming has robbed us of “iconic” stars and great pop songs
Having previously claimed that Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter “couldn’t have got arrested” back in his ‘80s pop heyday, producer and songwriter Mike Stock has been fleshing out his argument in an interview with MusicRadar.
“Even if it doesn’t survive, you can just get a screwdriver and screw it back together”: Bill Frisell on why the Telecaster beats the archtop as the touring jazz guitarist’s best friend
You won’t hear Bill Frisell say a bad word about a well-made archtop. The archetypical jazz guitar has a special place in his heart. But there is a practicality about the Fender Telecaster that makes it his number one.
“I saw a kid holding that guitar out for me to sign it. But the train was already moving… I’m thinking, ‘Man, I gotta get the kid’s number to see if I could buy it back’”: Joe Perry on the one guitar he regrets selling
Over the years, Joe Perry has put together a seriously impressive guitar collection that, at one point, was recorded as 600 electric guitars and acoustic guitars. However, there is one particular guitar that he let go many years ago that he still wishes was in his possession.
“I was like, ‘I’m standing in the middle of these young school children destroying my guitar – for this?!’” With a parts-caster his dad found on the street, and a TikTok-inspired rhythm guitar style, hardcore phenoms Hammok are reinventing the genre
Guitarist and songwriter Tobias Osland is more concerned with responding to an audio idea than building a gear horde, and for the failed drummer,
The 50 best rock albums of 2026 (so far)
Six months of classic rock, prog rock, stoner rock, southern rock, country rock, blues rock, psychedelic rock, hard rock, power pop, heavy metal,
Splat! confirms that Ian Gillan & Co are enjoying yet another golden age
If 2024’s =1 represented a significant return to relevance for Deep Purple (now firmly entrenched in their Mark IX incarnation), then Splat!, their 24th studio album, confirms beyond question that they’re currently enjoying yet another golden age.
Roger Hodgson’s most ambitious Supertramp song
Supertramp’s 1977 song Fool’s Overture came together after a few years of stewing.
The story of Foreigner 4, the AOR masterpiece that helped shape 80s rock
“Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon came up to me and said, ‘I hear we’re in the running for the prize for spending the most time and money in a studio!’
Ian McNabb tells a Noel Gallagher story Noel won’t want you to hear
In July 1994, Ian McNabb, leader of Liverpudlian alt.rockers the Icicle Works, released his second solo album, Head Like a Rock. Recorded in Los Angeles with serial Neil Young collaborators Crazy Horse, the album was well-received and was nominated for that year's Mercury Prize.
Brian May and Rick Wakeman join stellar lineup at 2026 Starmus festival
Queen legend Brian May and prog icon Rick Wakeman have been confirmed as performers at this year's Starmus conference in the Canary Islands.
“An effortlessly usable unit that delivers dynamically playable amp sounds and complementary effects”: Blackstar ID:X Floor Three review
Blackstar takes the sounds from its ID:X amp series and puts them into an easy-to-use floor pedal
I watched a K-pop concert without being a fan – here’s my ATEEZ verdict
When I headed to BST at Hyde Park last weekend, I wasn't expecting to have such strong emotions.
“There were many times when I couldn’t stop crying before a show.” How one of Japanese metalcore’s biggest stars reinvented himself and left behind his tough guy persona
During his decade singing for Japanese metalcore band Crystal Lake, Ryo Kinoshita was a hyperactive force – a man with enough charisma he could trigger moshpits during a soundcheck.
“My guitar wouldn’t stay in tune. Jack said, ‘You know what? I bet you’re a bass player.’ That was the beginning of it all”: How Jack White helped turn a childhood friend into a powerhouse bassist – then invited him to join his solo band decades later
Call it luck or serendipity, but growing up in Southwest Detroit alongside Jack White led Dominic Davis to an illustrious career playing bass on records by the crème de la crème of the pop world, including Pharrell Williams, Adele, and Beyoncé.
“I was gonna design a guitar that was for soloing specifically”: More frets equals more shred for Brandon Ellis as he unveils signature Jackson Kelly with 27 stainless steel frets and serious Seymour Duncan firepower
The Cannibal Corpse touring guitarist's Kelly is finished in Gold Crackle and comes loaded with his Dyad Parallel Axis humbucker and a Gotoh double-locking vibrato
Pink Floyd’s fight over putting Comfortably Numb on The Wall
How Pink Floyd changed dramatically between their first two shows at Earls Court in 1973 and their five-night return in 1981
Elvis’ unseen Graceland upstairs – His second private bathroom smothered in gold
Elvis Presley's Graceland upstairs was the King's private area in life, where he died and remains off-limits to the public to this day. But did you know about the other unseen rooms inaccessible on a usual tour, including his second private bathroom, smothered in gold?
"It wasn’t just about making a record anymore; it was about survival." How Tool survived the death of 90s alt metal and a lengthy legal battle to create 2001's prog metal masterpiece Lateralus
Lateralus wasn't just the album that redefined Tool - it paved the way for bands like Mastodon and Gojira in the years to come
“Knebworth, be on ya best behaviour!!” Iron Maiden announce plans to complete Run For Your Lives tour film at homecoming Eddfest spectacular
Iron Maiden have announced that they will complete the filming of their forthcoming Run For Your Lives tour documentary at their much anticipated Eddfest show at Knebworth.
Bob Dylan’s second new guitarist in two weeks just went from gigging to 150 people to playing with an icon
Bob Dylan has had some serious lineup changes over the past few weeks. After Julian Lage sneakily replaced Doug Lancio at Dylan’s Santa Barbara show on June 17, and second guitarist Bob Britt quit with a “Sayonara Bobby” post on social media, Dylan fans were left wondering who would join his rotating roster of guitarists. Turns out, it wasn’t too long before we got the answer, as Chicago-based blues guitarist Joel Paterson made his debut with Dylan’s band on June 29 at the Moody Amphitheater in Austin.
The man set to become the next Prime Minister of the UK is also an avid guitar player – and he’s jammed with a Stone Roses guitarist
British MP Andy Burnham might be on the cusp of becoming the next Prime Minister of the UK, but he’s still had time to show off his surprising guitar chops.
Logic Pro 12.3 is here – and my favourite stock plugin just got even better
Apple updates its flagship DAW with a refresh of Beat Breaker and Sample Alchemy and upgrades the AI-powered Chord ID
“Rather than simply writing scary music, I wanted to express loneliness, sadness, anxiety, and the psychological aspects of fear”: We speak to video game horror soundtrack godfather Akira Yamaoka about the legacy of Silent Hill
Akira has composed the memorable soundtracks for the beloved video game series since the very beginning
Create your own mini Glastonbury festival at home this summer, with no rain to spoil the fun
Create the festival vibe at home this summer with everything from personalised wristbands to bean bags and temporary tattoos for the kids
“We didn’t think he was up to it. He was perfectly capable of playing the major and minor chords in the right place, but not the lead”: Brian Robertson’s early reservations on Scott Gorham joining Thin Lizzy
When Eric Bell left Thin Lizzy, the group overhauled their guitar department, bringing in both Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham for a soon-to-be-legendary guitar tandem. But Robertson admits that he wasn’t all the convinced by Gorham at the start.
“He said, ‘No, no, no. Paul can do that,’ and he did it. He did exactly what was needed in like, 10 minutes”: Mick Jagger says he had to check with Andrew Watt that Paul McCartney’s bass playing was “punk” enough for new Rolling Stones song Covered I
As we approach the release of Foreign Tongues, the new album by the Rolling Stones, frontman Mick Jagger has been discussing Paul McCartney’s contribution to it.
The Mars Volta announce Lucro Sucio; Unfinished Business, their first live album in over twenty years
US prog rockers The Mars Volta have announced that they will release a new live album, Lucro Sucio; Unfinished Business, as a digital release on September 4 and as a physical release on October 16.
“There’s two days missing from my life. Apparently, we had a really good time!” That time The Cure’s Robert Smith went on a 48 hours drinking session with David Bowie’s guitarist, then offered him a job
Never one to do things by halves, David Bowie threw himself the 50th birthday party to end all 50th birthday parties in January1 997, when he staged a show at New York’s Madison Square Garden at which he was joined by a dazzling array of special guests for a once-in-a-lifetime journey through his incredible back catalogue.
Why the happy, positive Bruce Soord writes sad, melancholy solo albums
Bruce Soord’s Ghosts In The Park contains songs he’d never take to The Pineapple Thief,
“My manager told Eric, ‘You should meet this young artist I’m working with. He’s a funny guy – I think you’d like him’”: How a ’70s soft rock icon ended up recruiting Eric Clapton on his debut album
After a friend gave his demo tapes to Art Garfunkel,
“Radical” angles? Check. Phase switch? Check. Offset body? Check? Guild’s S-300 is nearly 50 years old but it’s back in stunning metallic finishes and is ready for its close-up
Some electric guitars were simply just ahead of their time. Guild’s S-300 was one of them. It was probably too much guitar for the mainstream, all those angles, the offset waist, a phase switch at time when the standard configurations for pickup switching were being set in stone. Nonetheless, it became something of a cult item.
“I avoid Splice as that’s what everyone else uses – I prefer to dig on the internet or rip from old sample CDs”: Yung Singh on his viral Boiler Room breakout and the Punjabi-influenced sounds behind debut EP Bloom
The lauded DJ-turned-producer tells us about how he brought together a love for contemporary bass music with sonic nods to his Punjabi heritage on his debut EP
Liam Gallagher slams Freddie Mercury and Mick Jagger in expletive-laden rant
The Oasis frontman is well known for his fruity social media posts.
“An affordable and flexible Neumann U47 FET-inspired mic”: Warm Audio WA-47jr SE review
Classic mics can be very expensive. Can this affordable mic inspired by a popular classic deliver?
Making money from your guitar tones? STL Tones is letting you do just that – and it’s already generated $2.5million in artist royalties
STL Tones has expanded its artist royalty ecosystem, allowing players to earn money from the tones they create.
Celebrity guitar auctions: teenage dreams or billionaire boys’ club? How A-list gear sales became the hottest ticket in town
From Johnny Marr to Mark Knopfler,
“It’s just two, three chords that just kind of grab your soul and don’t let go”: How Eminem made the ultimate motivational anthem
Eminem’s autobiographical juggernaut is a masterclass in tension-building - and is frequently rolled out for sporting fixtures
Bryan Adams releases new single mocking Donald Trump
Bryan Adams is back with a song that refuses to stay polite as Trump's claims circle Canada again.
“We kept trying to write one for 20 years, but they’re not very good, to be honest”: A Skyfall of Stars, anyone? Rare Coldplay recordings are being auctioned, including their early attempt at a Bond theme
Some of Coldplay’s rarest recordings are going up for auction, including their first stab at a James Bond theme.
Celebrate Blink-182 Day in style with my pick of t-shirts, caps, posters & more
July 1 is Blink-182 Day so it's the perfect day of the year to stock up on a range of Blink goodies - here are 9 of my top picks
Guild’s S-300 offset returns nearly 50 years since it was deemed too radical for its time
Guild has revived its S-300 electric guitar, 50 years after the unsung offset was deemed too radical for its time.
“At this price, it is hard to find a more complete portable digital piano”: Kawai ES120 digital piano review
Could this be the best portable digital piano at this price?
“I’m like, ‘I don’t know, man! I’m in Arizona!’” In 1993, Kurt Cobain asked Sepultura man Max Cavalera where to get heroin in Brazil
Any frequent traveller will tell you that, when you’re out and about, sourcing recommendations from locals will almost always trump whatever you can find in the guidebooks. This can be true of where to eat, what to do and how to get about. Nirvana legend Kurt Cobain clearly knew this – because, in 1993, the alt-rock icon called then-Sepultura member Max Cavalera to ask where to score drugs in Brazil.
First two Roger Hodgson solo albums to get half-speed remaster treatment
Former Supertramp co-frontman Roger Hodgson's first two solo albums, In The Eye Of The Storm and Hai, Hai, have been remastered at half-speed by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios and will be reissued through Universal Records on August 21.
“They’re getting harder to find and almost unobtainable at this point”: Fender shines the spotlight on its unsung amp era with the “hidden treasure” ’62 Deluxe brown-panel
Fender is shining the spotlight on its oft-forgotten era of ‘brown-panel’ guitar amps with a new ’62 Deluxe reissue.
Huge 80s star gives devastating health update - ‘it’s bad’
An 80s voice that once made everything feel possible is facing a silence so complete it's reshaping who he is when the spotlight dies.
“People took photos of us together for months already”: Alissa White-Gluz is surprised no one leaked the news about her joining Dragonforce
Alissa White-Gluz is surprised that the news of her joining Dragonforce wasn’t leaked beforehand. The ex-Arch Enemy frontwoman announced that she was now part of the power metal favourites in May, taking on a co-singer role alongside longtime vocalist Marc Hudson. During a new interview with Chaoszine, she says that she assumed people already knew about her new position, as she and other members of the band had been spotted together in public multiple times. “We were walking around together,” she says (via Blabbermouth).
“Snoop told us, ‘The world needs D12. They’re screamin’ for it. Don’t stop now’”: The Detroit hip-hop icons are back with red-hot flows and real guitar riffs – and they’ve brought Eminem’s right-hand guitar man along for the ride
Jeff Bass is the Grammy-winning guitarist behind Eminem’s Lose Yourself.
“Ry Cooder once said there is really no better tool for the guitar than your right hand. There are so many ways you can approach it”: Eric Bibb on why happiness is a good acoustic guitar – and what makes the electric a different species
The country blues master pays a mid-tour visit to Guitarist to talk touring acoustics and the foundation of his amazing fingerstyle technique
Devin Townsend feels like it took a 10-year dump to deliver The Moth
Devin Townsend reflects on not being allowed to express emotions, feeling abandoned,
“I don’t want to sound like a w****r, but I’m more of a mystic than a musician”: She’s worked with Courtney Love and Radiohead’s producer. Now Bethia Beadman is embarking on a baritone guitar adventure rooted in Sanskrit and mantra
Beadman’s hypnotic solo work unlocks something primal in all of us – which might be why she equates her songwriting to “a cat bringing in a dead bird and leaving it on the mat”
Birmingham Museum to host one-day event in honour of Ozzy Osbourne
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery are hosting a one-day event in honour of late Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne.
The chaotic story of Aerosmith’s early years
“Our best friends were drug dealers.
“I never even got as far as Riverside. But I lost her. She married some other guy. We’re still friends”: How Jimmy Webb’s classic song By The Time I Get tT Phoenix found the right interpreter
“It's a kind of fantasy about something I wish I would have done” said Jimmy Webb
The surreal story of the night Alice Cooper met Elvis Presley
In 1974, Alice Cooper received a phone call from Elvis Presley's agent, inviting him to meet the King of Rock and Roll at his suite at the Hilton in Las Vegas.
“I think that a big part of the appeal here is the build quality, which truly stands out at this price point”: Gretsch Electromatic Premier Jet review
Is Gretsch's new attempt at a Les Paul killer the perfect blend of features and single-cut affordability?
“To call Led Zeppelin heavy metal is at the very least absurd and at worst a sin. To me, Zeppelin was the equivalent of great classical music”: Kiss stars Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons on why Zep and The Beatles’ debut albums are the greatest of all
1974 saw the release of debut albums by three young rock bands that went on to become legendary. On their self-titled album, Canadian power trio Rush channeled Led Zeppelin on riff-driven tracks such as Finding My Way and Working Man. British band Judas Priest played heavy rock – not yet full-blown heavy metal – on their cheekily-titled album Rocka Rolla. And on another self-titled debut, Kiss, face-painted rock warriors from New York City, combined rock ’n’ roll swagger with British Invasion-inspired pop smarts.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are in the era of Sexy Djent”: June 2026 Guitar World Editors’ Picks
Featuring Sexy Djent from Loathe, Dance Djent from Polyphia, a gorgeous display of musical companionship by Hermanos Gutiérrez, a thrilling new collaborative rocker from Weezer,
How John Wetton and Asia made their debut album despite the haters
“I got shot down many times: ‘It’s pop. It’s bubblegum. The logo is ugly. We don’t hear a single!’
“While the 6-string is my comfort zone, I missed the physical freedom of the 4-string bass”: Ernie Ball and Fender top this month’s low-end releases with signature models celebrating two of the bass world’s most influential voices
John Myung’s new artist model kicks off another stacked month of bass releases, alongside an eye-catching Squier, a semi-acoustic Rickenbacker,
“You’ll come for the hands-on tweaking but stay for the sound”: Modal Electronics Carbon8X review
It's built like a tank and sounds the bomb
“In a world that so often reduces art to commerce and genius to product, you held the line”: Alicia Keys, Dionne Warwick, Springsteen and Manilow pay tribute to Clive Davis at his funeral
An array of bona fide A-listers was out in force at the funeral of Clive Davis in New York on Monday morning, paying heartfelt eulogies to the record company man who mentored so many huge-selling artists.
“If another c**t calls me The Firestarter I’ll stab him in the f***ing throat.” How The Prodigy’s incendiary electronic punk album The Fat Of The Land put a bomb under heavy music and freaked out British politicians
Released on June 30, 1997, The Fat Of The Land blew the minds of a generation
“I clicked on it and honestly was kind of freaked out”: AI guitar YouTubers? Rhett Shull issues warning after finding AI versions of his content
As AI-generated content continues to be churned out at a rapid speed,
“I was so excited, ’cause I met my pre-saves goal, and then it dropped, and I was like, ’Oh, OK, this isn’t what I thought it would be”: Lizzo says that her new album’s poor commercial performance felt “soul crushing”
Spare a thought for Lizzo. Her fifth album, Bitch, only came out three weeks ago and it’s already been branded a flop, and the subject of a feature in Rolling Stone that ponders what exactly went wrong?
“For me, metal is a way of living.” Oscar-winning Hollywood star Javier Bardem reveals how Linkin Park, Slipknot and Bad Omens inspired his terrifying performance in new remake of Cape Fear
Hollywood superstar Javier Bardem has revealed that listening to Slipknot, Linkin Park and Bad Omens helped inspire his frighteningly intense performance as vengeance-seeking psychopath Max Cady in the new Apple TV+ remake of Cape Fear.
“I think James is still fuming”: an interview with the artist who created Metallica’s Load and Reload album covers
The mid-90s remains the most controversial period of Metallica’s career. The musical shift the San Francisco band took with the Load and Reload albums upset certain sections of their fanbase, though not as much as the fact that the band now sported a brand new look that involved short hair and make-up.
Bob Dylan loses another guitarist as Bob Britt quits after more than 5 years in his band
Bob Dylan is potentially on the hunt for yet another new guitarist after Bob Britt abruptly quit his band over the weekend.
UJAM’s Retrocraft is an all-in-one multi-effects plugin for lo-fi vintage vibes
Fresh from the release of Voxcraft, a versatile plugin designed for creative vocal manipulation, UJAM has unveiled Retrocraft, a multi-effect that's built for adding vintage character to audio through saturation, degradation and colouration.
“My career is about getting it wonkily wrong”: Peter Hammill, prog maverick
Standing apart from the crowd can be a hazardous business,
“He would just stroll into my kitchen wearing Speedos.” As a kid, superstar DJ Fatboy Slim believed that The Beatles rehearsed in his grandmother’s house. Then Paul McCartney moved in next door
Fatboy Slim, aka Norman Cook, has been obsessed with music since he was a teenager, having falling in love with The Rolling Stones at age 13 via their 1976 album Black And Blue.
“I have to play through the pain”: Mahogany Rush legend Frank Marino announces return to the stage despite debilitating hand injury and retirement
After years away from the stage, Frank Marino is making his grand return to the stage on August 7 for a rare appearance in Montreal’s Little Italy.
Members of local nu metal band Van Der Dijs among the 1,700 confirmed dead in Venezuelan earthquakes
The four members of Venezuelan nu metal band Van Der Dijs are among the 1,700 confirmed dead after the north of the country was shaken by two earthquakes on Wednesday (June 23).
I’m so obsessed with your sets: Olivia Rodrigo’s new LEGO collection includes a dual acoustic/electric guitar, vinyl display and the crescent moon she rode on her Guts world tour
“I’ve always loved hiding little details and meanings in my music and videos,
Darkglass becomes a surprise rival to Neural DSP and Line 6 with its first guitar-based modeler – but there’s a catch
The bass amp and effects specialist wades into guitar waters for the first time with a purpose-built Anagram
“The store said, ‘We can’t get an amp before your gig.’ This gentleman walked up behind me and said, ‘You can use mine.’ It was John Entwistle”: Martyn LeNoble was once in desperate need of bass gear – and The Who’s low-end legend came to his rescue
In the late 1980s, bass guitar player Martyn LeNoble moved from the Netherlands to Los Angeles, where he spent time cutting his teeth playing for the likes of Thelonius Monster before eventually co-founding Porno for Pyros.
“No plausible basis for suggesting a more accurate, let alone fairer, distribution”: Blur drummer loses legal action against PRS over distribution of royalties
Blur drummer Dave Rowntree has lost an appeal against the PRS in a case over the distribution of so-called ‘black box’ royalties.
“I remember it to this day, you know, exactly where I was when he said it”: Paul McCartney’s favourite song he’s ever written is possibly the only one John Lennon ever complimented him on directly
"It really gave me a lot of confidence in that song, and in my writing"
“I’m not too struck on Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton, I never saw what was in Clapton at all”. In 1975, Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore was asked for his thoughts on his peers: he did not hold back
In March 1975, Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore appeared on the cover of International Musician & Recording World magazine after conducting a rare interview with American writer/producer/guitarist Jon Tiven.
“The label president said, ‘Angelo, I thought you were fast?’ I was taken aback. Then he said, ‘I want you to overplay all the time.’ He wanted the record to be abrasive”: Michael Angelo Batio tells the story of Nitro, hair metal’s most extreme band
Michael Angelo Batio became known as shred’s most OTT virtuoso.
“Just about every blues show I attended in the ’80s and ’90s started with an uptempo shuffle like this”: Joe Bonamassa on the Eric Clapton classic that’s essential learning for any blues soloist
As a guitarist that plays a lot of blues, I find myself performing many different kinds of shuffles, from slow to medium to fast. One of my all-time favorite blues recordings is Steppin’ Out, as covered by John Mayall on Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton.
Evanescence’s mammoth nu metal hit Bring Me To Life has been certified Diamond in the United States
The immortal track has more than a billion Spotify streams,
Peter Gabriel shares latest single, the groove-laden I Belong To The Sky
We've reached that time in the lunar cycle where Peter Gabriel shares his latest single. This time it's the slow-building, jazzy I Belong To The Sky, which comes with artwork from Dutch visual artist Berndnaut Smilde.
Genesis’ A Trick Of The Tail, track by track
50 years ago, as Phil Collins took over from Peter Gabriel, the always-divisive Genesis had fans to appease and debts to pay.
“I was chatting to our guitarist yesterday and he said, ‘Do you remember when we were playing around and discovered F?’”: We speak to Haircut 100’s Nick Heyward
We speak to Nick Heyward about the forty-four year journey to follow-up Haircut One Hundred's chart-stealing Pelican West with Boxing the Compass
The Offspring cover Taylor Swift and get in World Cup spirit at summer show
The Offspring brought their punk rock energy to London's Crystal Palace Park for a hit-filled performance.
Meet The Scratch, the missing link between The Dubliners and Metallica
Anyone walking down Grafton Street in Dublin eight or nine years ago might have been stopped in their tracks by the sight of four long-haired buskers playing traditional-sounding Irish music on acoustic instruments with the energy of a metal band.
Nine Steve Marriott albums you should listen to and one to avoid
One of the great British singers and frontmen, Steve Marriott's catalogue with the Small Faces,
ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons on the night his teenage band supported Jimi Hendrix
Future ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons was still in his teens when he founded Houston, Texas psych-blues band The Moving Sidewalks, and secured a booking to support The Jimi Hendrix Experience at shows in Fort Worth and Houston in February 1968. The Moving Sidewalks were required to play a 40-minute set each night in their contract, and Gibbons quickly realised that the only way that his band could stretch their set to the required length was by including the two Jimi Hendrix covers they regularly played at gigs,
A story of “psychedelic hogwash” and Cream’s Sunshine Of Your Love
“That riff is probably the very first heavy metal riff ever”
“The label says, ‘We need five more Wait and Bleeds.’ I was like, ‘We’re really not that band. You sell our records and we’ll make them, okay?’”: Mick Thomson reflects on Slipknot’s Wait and Bleed, label pressures – and sticking to their own guns
When Slipknot released their self-titled debut on Roadrunner Records, precisely on June 29, 1999, singer Corey Taylor, percussionists Shawn “Clown” Crahan and Chris Fehn, drummer Joey Jordison, bassist Paul Gray, turntablist Sid Wilson, sampler/keyboardist Craig Jones, guitarist Mick Thomson, and original guitarist Josh Brainard altered not only the sound but also the very image of heavy metal as it entered the new millennium.
“It’s easy to see why Baum has seemingly emerged from nowhere when it’s delivering guitars this good”: Baum Guitars Carve review
Is this Danish-designed, P-90-equipped double cut the ultimate retro-modern rock machine for under $1,000?
“My dad just wrote Walrus for Magical Mystery Tour. That’s one song in six months”: But Sean Ono Lennon is still amazed at the Beatles’ work rate
Sean Ono Lennon has sat down for a full-length interview with Rick Beato, in which he talks about creativity, music in general and, inevitably, his two parents.
“The record company was terrified of You Oughta Know. But every woman I knew was pissed.” Alanis Morissette on the “patriarchal” criticism of her 33-million-selling album Jagged Little Pill, and harsh words from female artists she admired
Alanis Morissette looks back on the phenomenal success of her 1995 album Jagged Little Pill in a new interview conducted for the 'Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso' podcast, and reflects upon the fact that some of the harshest criticism she received at the time came from trail-blazing female artists and music writers who she admired.
The ultimate drop-tuning pedal? Solar Guitars reckons the Chug Capo can outdo DigiTech and Boss
Solar Guitars is the latest firm to enter the hotly contested pitch-shifting market with the Chug Capo, a no-nonsense stompbox being billed as “a digital bi-directional capo” that is set to go toe to toe with the likes of Boss and DigiTech.
Freddie Mercury tops Michael Jackson and The Beatles in new British poll
Freddie Mercury's band Queen performed the concert that Brits wish they'd seen live.
“I’m a firm believer that if you put a truss rod in a guitar, it sucks the tone out of it”: Simon McBride has a hot tone take you’ve probably never heard before
Simon McBride might have just sparked another footnote in the never-ending tone debate by sharing a rather novel hot take that you might not have heard before.
“I remember them telling me, ‘You don’t play angry’”: Bassist in Serj Tankian and Daron Malakian’s pre-System Of A Down band was fired for not being “angry enough”
David Hakopyan was a member of Hollywood rockers Soil before they re-named themselves and dominated the nu metal era
“It was a nightmare. My only experience was playing in my room where I was alone”: Laura Cox on the challenges of transitioning from YouTube to the studio – and how to conquer them
The French guitarist made her name with classic rock videos on YouTube, but when it came to cutting her teeth in the studio,
“I’m from dance music – there’s nothing wrong with staying on one note for 6 minutes as long as it’s a really good note. So I said to her: ‘I don’t think I’m the right person to do this’”: Stuart Price on the start of his working relationship with Madonna
This week sees the release of Confessions II, Madonna’s new album and a spiritual sequel to Confessions on a Dance Floor, the 2005 long-player that she made with producer Stuart Price.
Top 10 Best Speakers For 2026: The Best-Sounding Audiophile Loudspeakers Ranked
Discover the top 10 best speakers for 2026, ranked from cheapest to most expensive, in S14E9 of The Occasional Podcast with Marc and Brian.
“The floor descends into an orgiastic frenzy of moshers, dancers and crowdsurfers while cups fly overhead offering relief from the clammy press.” Cult heroes Acid Bath put on the hottest gig in metal as they make their UK debut
Doom metal bills don't come bigger than this. Hell, doom gigs don't come much bigger than this: Acid Bath's first-ever UK show in a sold out 2,600-capacity Manchester Academy with homegrown heroes Conan and Green Lung - who'll headline this same venue later this year - in support. It's massive, it's exciting and it's a miracle it's even happening.
Classic Rock’s Tracks Of The Week: June 29, 2026
Eight songs you need to hear right now, from Green Lung, Bad Nerves,
“The promoter knew a dangerous storm was brewing but still had the crew set up the stage and told the band to get ready to perform”: B-52s criticise French promoter who they claim put band and crew at risk
The B-52s have hit out at a French promoter who cancelled their festival set with just minutes to go, despite allegedly knowing a violent storm was on its way.
Roy Harper’s son Nick on growing up around Pentangle
Raised in a musical household, singer-guitarist Nick Harper – son of Roy –soaked up the music and influence of Pentangle from an early age. He tells Prog about the experience.
“Let’s get clear: a lot of the white men in suits loved Jagged Little Pill and got excited about female artists for myriad reasons, one of them being ‘women make us money now’”: Alanis Morissette reflects on how the music industry has changed for wom
Alanis Morissette has been reflecting on how the landscape has changed for women in the music industry in the 30 years since she broke through with her 33 million selling album, Jagged Little Pill.
“Oh God, it’s hard to listen to”: The story behind Nirvana’s final song, You Know You’re Right
On January 30, 1994, Nirvana entered the studio for the last time.
Peter Hammill returns with Tears In Time, his first new album for five years
Van der Graaf Generator frontman Peter Hammill has announced that he will release his first new album for five years, Tears In Time, through Esoteric Antenna Records on September 25.
“It is an impressive and genuinely pleasurable keyboard to play, and arguably one of the finest key actions available on any digital piano today” Kawai CA901 digital piano review
The CA901 blurs the line between digital and acoustic in ways that will surprise even the most seasoned pianist
“He has poured his passion, creativity, and relentless commitment into Gibson”: Cesar Gueikian steps down as Gibson CEO after three years
Gibson are looking for a new CEO with the news that Cesar Gueikian will step down at the end of July.
JHS Pedals corrects its biggest error with the relaunch of the DIY Dumble pedal – complete with a clone of John Mayer’s ultra-rare boost
JHS Pedals is poised to correct its biggest error after announcing the long-awaited second edition of its DIY Notadümblë pedal will be released tomorrow, Tuesday 30 June.
“It feels like the start of something heavier and more direct”: Nightwish’s Floor Jansen returns with metallic new single Run and announces 2027 tour dates
Nightwish frontwoman Floor Jansen is back with a new solo single called Run. The song brings the Dutch singer back to her symphonic metal roots, following her detour into pop-rock with her 2023 debut solo album Paragon. It also likely precedes the release of her second album, which is as-yet-unannounced. Listen below. Jansen comments: “To me, Run is about no longer making yourself smaller to fit into a shape that was never yours. It’s about taking off the mask, trusting your own movement, and daring to be seen that way.
“There was a message from Jason Momoa – a video of him in his car saying, ‘You gotta call me. Here’s my number’”: Jason Momoa saved their career. Keanu Reeves rocked up to a show. Flea let them crash at his house. How did the Bobby Lees get here?
After calling BS on streaming services payouts, guitarist and vocalist Sam Quartin announced her band’s hiatus.
Is your track in the datasets that are being used to train AI? The Atlantic unveils a way you can find out
Hey, want to know whether your music is being illegally used to train AI? Well, now you can. Kind of. Thanks to a new tool that has been launched by the Atlantic magazine.
“It’s an incredible amount of money which will replenish our empty shelves”: Metallica donated £20,000 to local foodbank ahead of Cardiff concert last weekend
Metallica donated £20,000 (26,435 USD) to a Cardiff foodbank ahead of their concert at the city’s Principality Stadium on Sunday (June 28).
15 of the best Prime Day deals still going strong – grab them while you can
Amazon Prime Day came to an end last week,
“We discovered pretty early on that we were not going to succeed by trying to emulate the likes of Bob Dylan. There are some very strange things on ZZ Top records”: Billy Gibbons on ZZ’s blues roots, ’80s mega-hits and their unique “sense of weird”
“In Texas there’s still a little of that gunslinger mentality in the air”
Final hours to buy Harry Styles tickets for last shows at Wembley
Harry Styles will be bringing his Together Together tour to a close in just a few days’ time.
