You laugh… but the ’70s were a golden era for car design. Scratch that—bold car design.
Everything felt heavier back then. The features were outrageously clunky, and the print ads made the average American look like they were either gearing up for a cruise around the world or a shootout with fugitives at a sketchy truck stop. And honestly, it was all so cool.
Maybe you were crammed into a Chevy wagon for a family road trip, zigzagging down Main Street in your Pinto, or dreaming of the day you’d pick up Marsha in your Camaro after band practice. Cars of the ’70s had a lot of attitude—and so did the print ads (the kind you’d find in your dad’s magazines hidden out in the woodshed).
Back in the gritty ’70s, safety features were minimal at best, gas was relatively cheap, and the family car not only had wood paneling, but it also had no cup holders (that was what your little brother was for) and a back seat where only pesky Cousin Oliver was allowed to sit.
Sure, the vehicles of today may be sleeker, and even drive themselves (but they still don’t fly!), but not unlike your average McDonald’s, they’ve lost a little bit of that flair that made cars ’70s cars so, well, ’70s.
LOOK: The Best Car Ads of the 1970s in One Nostalgic Gallery
From the Pinto to the Civic, get ready to relive the days of manual windows and two-door wagons as we flip through some of the most iconic car print ads from 1970s magazines.
Adventures were plentiful in the domain of your family’s patriarch who saw no use for rules – unless he was the one making them. From rusty tools to a stack of filthy magazines, Grandpa’s garage was a land of mystery and danger.
Larry Busacca, Getty Images / Epic / BackToTheBeginning.com
Here’s your chance to not only add the new reissue of Ozzy Osbourne‘s Scream album to your vinyl collection, but also receive a livestream code to view the upcoming Back to the Beginning farewell concert for Ozzy and Black Sabbath featuring some of rock and metal’s biggest names. This latest Ozzy-related offering comes courtesy of the Loudwire Nights and Ultimate Classic Rock Nights radio shows.
The Ozzy Scream reissue arrives just in time to mark the album’s 15th anniversary. The original album arrived back in 2010, yielding such standouts as the singles “Let Me Hear You Scream,” “Life Won’t Wait” and “Let It Die.”
Ozzy’s 11th studio album was the lone record to feature guitarist Gus G., while he was surrounded by a lineup that also included bassist Rob “Blasko” Nicholson, keyboardist Adam Wakeman and drummer Tommy Clufetos (though producer Kevin Churko also handled some drumming on the record).
But the Scream vinyl is only part of the package as we’re also including streaming codes that will allow you to catch the July 5 Back to the Beginning concert celebrating the legacy of Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath. The farewell performance by both acts will also feature supporting sets from Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Tool, Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm, Alice in Chains, Lamb of God, Anthrax, Mastodon and Rival Sons as well as a who’s who of rock and metal special guests performing in supergroups throughout the day. With the concert sold out, the livestream is the best option to catch this once in a lifetime historic moment.
So here’s the deal. Loudwire Nights and Ultimate Classic Rock Nights are giving away five grand prizes of the Scream reissue vinyl and the Back to the Beginning livestream codes. Then, in addition, five more people will win access to the Back to the Beginning livestream code only.
Simply use the entry form provided at the bottom of this post and provide your contact details for the chance to be selected from the entries to win the Scream vinyl and Back to the Beginning livestream prize. But you’ll want to make sure to act now while you can. This contest ends on Monday, June 23, so fill out your entry now.
Vivian Campbell said he’d buy his stem cell donor a beer or three after confirming his cancer was in complete remission for the first time since his diagnosis in 2013.
The Def Leppard guitarist said he’d endured a difficult time in his battle against Hodgkin’s lymphoma after a transplant of his own stem cells failed to work, and a previously-planned donor didn’t work out.
He’s now preparing to take part in the band’s summer tour, after having been replaced by bandmate Phil Collen’s guitar tech, John Zocco, at some recent shows.
“I’ve been very lucky, actually,” Campbell told Eddie Trunk on Sirius XM’s Trunk Nation. “I got an early diagnosis… and 10 years ago I did an autologous stem cell transplant, which means using my own stem cells. That didn’t work. The cancer kept coming back.”
He said his health had “really got bad” in recent years, admitting “it was the first time in having to deal with it that I was seriously concerned about it. And the doctors told me really my only chance for of cure was to do a donor transplant.”
Preparing for the procedure involved “very hardcore chemo,” Campbell reported, with surgery planned for Thanksgiving last year. “I lost my donor 10 days beforehand – so that was a kick in the nuts,” he said.
“But I was very fortunate that they found me another one in December. And on New Year’s Eve, I went into hospital. I was in for about three and a half weeks, and I did what has turned out to be a really, really successful transplant.
“I did a PET scan in the middle of April, and I’m 100 percent clean – completely in remission for the first time in 12 or 13 years. And I’m obviously overjoyed. You couldn’t ask for more than that.”
He said of his donor: “There are 10 genetic markers, and this donor was 10 out of 10. A young man, actually. I don’t get to know who he is for a couple of years, but a 21-year-old man… [T]hey always prefer a youthful donor. Obviously, I’m gonna buy him a beer — or two or three!”
Viv Campbell Reveals What Unknown Stem Cell Donor Went Through
Campbell agreed that it was a testament to the unknown man’s character that he’d “put his name on the donor registry, for no reason other than he’s a good person… there are a lot of good people out there, I’m glad to say.”
Speaking from his own experience, he explained that donor procedure “causes a lot of discomfort and bone pain,” continuing: “It is a pretty heavy lift, and I’m just glad there are some great people in the world.”
The guitarist confirmed he was looking forward to meeting the stranger – if it ever happens. “After two years, they give you the option to contact your donor, so you can reach out to them. I would imagine in this day and age it’s via e-mail.
“If they wanna correspond with you they can… they don’t have to. But obviously, it’s a life-saving proposition, so I’d certainly want to express my gratitude.”
The Best Hair Metal Album of Every Year From 1981-1991
As its name suggests, this tour will focus on music from the earlier portions of Costello’s career, ranging from his 1977 debut My Aim Is True to 1986’s Blood & Chocolate. Joining Costello is Steve Nieve, Pete Thomas and Davey Faragher and returning guest Charlie Sexton.
Costello’s set highlighted early classics of his catalog like “Alison,” “Watching the Detectives,” “This Year’s Girl,” “Pump It Up” and others.
You can view a complete set list, plus fan-filmed video from the show, below.
“You can expect the unexpected and the faithful in equal measure,” Costello said of the tour in a previous press release. “Don’t forget this show is ‘Performed by Elvis Costello & the Imposters,’ an ensemble which includes three people who first recorded this music and two more who bring something entirely new. They are nobody’s tribute band. The Imposters are a living, breathing, swooning, swinging, kicking and screaming rock and roll band who can turn their hands to a pretty ballad when the opportunity arises.”
From here, the tour will make stops all across North America, with dates scheduled through Oct. 22.
Watch Elvis Costello Perform ‘Watching the Detectives’ in Seattle
Watch Elvis Costello Perform ‘(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes’ in Seattle
Watch Elvis Costello Perform ‘Brilliant Mistake’ in Seattle
Elvis Costello & the Imposters, 6/12/25, Seattle, Washington, Set List: 1. “Mystery Dance” 2. “Possession” 3. “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes” 4. “Green Shirt” 5. “Waiting for the End of the World” 6. “Watching the Detectives” 7. “Brilliant Mistake” 8. “Man Out of Time” 9. “Poisoned Rose” 10. “Opportunity” 11. “This Year’s Girl” 12. “Party Girl” 13. “Wonder Woman” 14. “Every Day I Write the Book” 15. “Alison” 16. “(I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea” 17. “Pump It Up” 18. “Radio Radio” 19. “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding”
Elvis Costello Albums Ranked
Even with a career spanning more than four decades, many collaborators and several record labels, his discography has had way more hits than misses.
By their very nature, remix albums carry the weight of both their source material and the expectations of a “new” record. More often than not, the original music culled for remix collections is always better, and the result isn’t so much a new album as it is a set of old songs restructured and recontextualized as the artist readies their next proper LP.
The Cure is no stranger to the remix album. In 1990, after the success of Disintegration, they released Mixed Up, which featured remixed songs from their first decade. A sequel, Torn Down, played catch-up with the preceding quarter century in 2018. Both albums served a purpose, closing chapters for the group.
Mixes of a Lost World has a different purpose: to extend the life of the 2024 comeback LP Songs of a Lost World while offering new perspectives on the album’s eight songs. Unlike its predecessors, though, Mixes of a Lost World enlists big-name producers and remixers to overhaul the tracks, each receiving multiple remixes. Unsurprisingly, the mostly club-ready mixes turn out to be just as much about the remixers as it is the Cure.
Conceived and curated by Robert Smith, the album features new mixes by Daniel Avery, Four Tet, Paul Oakenfold and Orbital, among others. They each spin the music through their distinct filters, allowing the band’s originals to occasionally peek through the screens they lay on top of and beneath the foundations. The viewpoints may be different, but nothing here surpasses the tracks found on Songs of a Lost World.
Still, some of these new mixes reveal textures and layers not initially apparent on the 2024 LP, such as the menacing darkness hiding in the corner of “I Can Never Say Goodbye,” pushed to the forefront of Oakenfold’s “Cinematic” remix, and Shanti Celeste’s rippling “February Blues” reworking of the melancholic “Alone,” Songs of a Lost World‘s best song. Others (Sally C, JoyCut) merely turn a few knobs in other directions, while meera’s “All I Ever Am” dispenses of the Cure altogether. Smith has said there won’t be another 16-year wait for Songs of a Lost World‘s follow-up. Until then, Mixes of a Lost World continues the comeback buzz.
The Cure Albums Ranked
Gloomy, gothy, punky, poppy – this multidimensional band’s albums are among the best of the era.
It’s Prog‘s brand new Tracks Of The Week! Six brand new and diverse slices of progressively inclined music for you to enjoy.
It was a close-run race last week with French prog metal quartet Schrodinger and Lancastrian rockers Wytch Hazel battling it out between them. It looked like the latter had triumphed but a late Gallic surge saw Schrodinger come through as winners at the last minute, with Gwenno back in third place.
The premise for Tracks Of The Week is simple – we’ve collated a batch of new releases by bands falling under the progressive umbrella, and collated them together in one post for you – makes it so much easier than having to dip in and out of various individual posts, doesn’t it?
The idea is to watch the videos (or listen if it’s a stream), enjoy (or not) and also to vote for your favourite in the voting form at the bottom of this post. Couldn’t be easier, could it?
We’ll be bringing you Tracks Of The Week, as the title implies, each week. Next week we’ll update you with this week’s winner and present a host of new prog music for you to enjoy.
If you’re a band and you want to be featured in Prog‘s Tracks Of The Week, send your video (as a YouTube link) or track embed, band photo and biog to us here.
CHIMPAN A – WICHITA LINEMAN
There’s no denying what an amazing song Jimmy Webb’s Wichita Lineman is, not least Glenn Campbell’s popular version. UK pop prog duo Chimpan A have decided to cover the song, bringing a new wistfulness and depth to it as part of their campaign as they build up to the release of their latest album, M.I.A. Vol. 1 on August 29 through Tigermoth Records. The album’s a defiantly old school reaction to the ‘TikTokification’ of music, as the pair see it, while the covers the band are releasing ahead of the album are what the duo – Magenta’s Rob Reed and singer Steve Balsamo – see as “untouchable sacred cows!”
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“The project has always been a joy,” enthuses Balsamo. “I love the collaboration and bringing together amazing musicians and crashing them into each other to see what happens. Rob is such a fabulous producer, really understanding sound and he is really able to get the most emotional impact out of the songs and what the musicians bring to The Chimp’s table. It always comes down to songs, so songwriting is the backbone of the project, but what we’ve tried to do is deconstruct and mess with the process. It was all a kind of chance, or synchronicity.”
Whispers Of Granite is a new duo comprising of Trude Eidtang, previously known for her work with Norwegian prog rockers White Willow and pop proggers When Mary, along with German proggers Frequency Drift’s keyboardist and composer, Andreas Hack. The pair’s debut album, Liquid Stone, is out through Apollon Records on July 4.
As a mirror to the album, which offers a unique fusion of melancholic folk, indie and progressive rock, Spirals is a delightfully atmospheric and melodic piece, fired on by Eidtang’s expressive vocals and Hack’s instrumental deftness of touch.
You can’t have failed to notice young guitarist and singer Leoni Jane Kennedy these past few months. Aside from featuring highly in the new Band/Artist category in Prog‘s recent Readers’ Poll and featuring in the Limelight section, she’s been out on the road performing with both Solstice (filling in while Ebony Buckle toured her own thing) and as a member of The Anchoress’s band. Jesse is her latest single, a sultry ode to friendship, taken from her debut solo album Synthetic.
“Jesse and I would always sit for hours in his car after the pub and chat away about anything and everything, or sit around a fire with some beers and tequila, talking about life stories and emotions through different experiences and how amazing but devastating everything can be all at once,” Kennedy explains. “It was really important to me that this music video captured our friendship and JJ has done an incredible job again! A tear was brought to my eye thinking of all the years we’ve spent hanging out and being mates – to see this on the big screen was so beautiful. Jesse and I both truly felt a sense of honour seeing this as although we’re generations apart in age, it’s never stopped us from being so totally vulnerable, open and honest with each other about absolutely everything. It’s a friendship I will value for the rest of my life and to have it encased in a short film is so incredibly beautiful.”
“Jesse” – Leoni Jane Kennedy (Official Music Video) – YouTube
East Anglian musician Ruebes has spent time with local act The Brink as well as drummer with Pink Floyd tribute Pure Floyd, but it’s as an artist in his own right that he sees his future and he’ll release his debut solo album, Inanna’s Garden, on his 25th birthday on June 23, from which comes the bright and breezy Tomorrow Isn’t Here. Interested parties can get the album via officialreubes@gmail.com.
Placing his sound firmly in pop prog territory, mixing the likes of Peter Gabriel, Nik Kershaw and Toto with prog rock riffs and synth sounds like Genesis, Marillion and It Bites, Ruebes says, “I’ve had a lot of comments that it sounds in the realm of Steve Lukather, Peter Gabriel, It Bites and John Mitchell.” Now it;s over to the listeners…
Tomorrow Isn’t There (Official Music Video) – YouTube
With two renowned bassists in their line-up – former Soen and Testament man Steve Di Giorgio and Jeroen Paul Thesseling – you’d expect prog metal/fusion outfit Quadvium to have a pretty low-end sound, and indeed they do on Adhysia, tken from the band’s recently released debut album Tetradōm, out through Agonia Records. Add in Dutch drummer Yuma van Eekelen (Our Oceans) and American guitarist Eve (Myth Of I), you have something quite intriguing. The excellent animated vuideo from Romanian artist Costin Chioreanu merely adds to the appeal. For fans of instrumental progressive metal fusion – and fretless bass!
“We had an intention many many years ago to make some music together… to feature two predominantly multistring fretless bass players playing in duet form,” both Di Giorgio and Thesseling reflect. “That is to say, neither being rhythm bass & lead bass nor some trading off hot solo licks mess. But easier said than done! While hanging out, we exchanged some thoughts about how it would be to form a group to support our bass-ic needs. At that time, it was just a spontaneous idea, but over the years, the topic was brought up again and again. This vision was blurry at best, and it took us a long time to not only imagine how to feature the bass in this way.”
QUADVIUM – Adhyasa (Official Music Video) – YouTube
Belgian psychedelic post-rock trio Psychonaut can pack a hefty musical punch and take the listener on a more introspective journey, often both together in a single song. As is the case with new single Endless Currents, which is taken from the band’s upcoming album World Maker, an album recorded during a period of personal change for the band members – guitarist/vocalist Stefan De Graef became a father while his own father was diagnosed with terminal illness – which informed both the band’s outlook and sound.
“In the face of life’s soaring highs and desolate lows, World Maker is direct and brave without sacrificing any of Psychonaut’s raw power, creative innovation or inimitable musical depth,” says the band’s label. “Where their previous full-length offerings have charted grand introspective courses through time and space, World Maker is breathtaking in its uncompromising clarity: a father singing to his newborn son as a son bids his own father farewell.”
Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine which he founded for Future Publishing in 2009. He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. He created and edited Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing in 1998 and is the author of a variety of books on both music and sport, including Wonderous Stories; A Journey Through The Landscape Of Progressive Rock.
The world’s first Ozzy Osbourne exhibition will open at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery later this month.
Titled, Working Class Hero, the exhibition will open in Black Sabbath‘s hometown on June 25, and run through to September 28.
A press statement about the free-to-enter exhibition says that it will showcase “Ozzy’s most prestigious international honours – including Grammy Awards, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame accolades, MTV awards, Hollywood Walk of Fame and Birmingham Walk of Stars honours” plus a selection of his platinum and gold discs, alongside photography and video that charts “his journey from a working-class kid from Aston to becoming the world’s most recognisable global rock legend”.
Black Sabbath fans will also be able to visit a free outdoor Black Sabbath photography exhibition in the city’s Victoria Square, featuring archive images of all four original members of the legendary band – completed by guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward – alongside the quartet’s iconic album artwork.
In addition, on nearby Navigation Street, outside the city’s New Street Station, artist Mr Murals has created a 40-metre street-long artwork in tribute to Black Sabbath featuring their iconic logo and lifelike portraits throughout the last seven decades.
Speaking about the attractions, Sharon Osbourne says, “Ozzy is proof that no matter where you start in life, with passion, grit, and a little bit of madness, you can achieve the extraordinary. This exhibition is a thank you to the fans and the city of Birmingham – the place where it all began. We’re so proud to bring it home.”
Black Sabbath and Ozzy will play their final ever live shows in the city on July 5 at Birmingham’s Villa Park, bowing out atop a star-studded bill featuring a true who’s who of the biggest names in hard rock and heavy metal.
The Back To The Beginning gig will see Osbourne, Iommi, Butler and Ward share a stage for the first time since 2005.
A star-studded supporting cast which includes Metallica, Tool, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Alice In Chains, Mastodon, Halestorm, Lamb of God and more will pay tribute to the Godfathers of Metal on the day, and there will also be appearances from Billy Corgan, Fred Durst, Jonathan Davis, Wolfgang Van Halen, Papa V Perpetua, Sammy Hagar, Zakk Wylde, Jake E Lee and others, with Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine) acting as the event’s musical director.
“We have a very, very simple goal,” Morello said earlier this year, “and that’s to make this the greatest day in the history of heavy metal. And to that end, you’ve probably seen the listed setlist. And let me tell you, there’s some huge superstars who are gonna be surprises on that day too. So, the idea is to really acknowledge the importance of that band in a way that the whole world will forever know.”
For those who were unable to get tickets for what might just be the greatest metal show ever assembled, the concert will be made available as a global livestream.
Beginning at 3pm BST on July 5, the livestream will be hosted on the Back To The Beginning website: tickets are on sale now. Sabbath’s full set will also be available to watch on demand for 48 hours after the curtain drops..
(Image credit: Black Sabbath)
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A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne’s private jet, played Angus Young’s Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.
Judas Priest kicked off their Shield Of Pain European run at Rockfest in Turku, Finland on Thursday (June 12).
The Birmingham heavy metal veterans debuted a severely shaken-up setlist at the festival, playing seven songs from 1990 album Painkiller as they celebrate its 35th anniversary. They also brought out two previously unperformed tracks from last year’s Invincible Shield.
The Painkiller cuts were as follows: All Guns Blazing (unplayed since 2019), Hell Patrol, A Touch Of Evil, Night Crawler (unplayed since 2012), One Shot At Glory (with the instrumental Battle Hymn as an intro over the backing tape), Between The Hammer And The Anvil and Painkiller.
The unaired Invincible Shield tracks were The Serpent And The King and Giants In The Sky. Gates Of Hell, which the band have played multiple times over the last year, also represented the latest album.
Other surprises included an early airing of career standout Breaking The Law, which was just the fifth song of the night, and the first performance since 2005 of Solar Angels, from 1981’s controversial Point Of Entry album.
See the full setlist below.
Videos of Judas Priest at Rockfest have also made their way online. Watch some clips below.
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The Shield Of Pain run will continue on Saturday (June 14) at Tjuvholmen Kro in Hamar, Norway. It will last until late July, capped off by two co-headlining shows with Alice Cooper in Scarborough and London on July 23 and 25.
On July 5, Judas Priest will perform at the 60th anniversary celebrations of hard rockers Scorpions in Hannover, Germany. The event clashes with Black Sabbath’s star-studded farewell show in Birmingham on the same day. In an exclusive interview with Metal Hammer, singer Rob Halford said he was “gutted” to be missing his fellow Brummies’ swansong.
Judas Priest will tour North America with Alice Cooper from September to October. See details and get tickets via their website.
Judas Priest setlist: Rockfest, Turku, Finland – June 12, 2025
All Guns Blazing (first time since 2019) Hell Patrol You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ Freewheel Burning Breaking The Law A Touch Of Evil Night Crawler (first time since 2012) Firepower Solar Angels (first time since 2005) Gates Of Hell Metal Gods The Serpent And The King (live debut) One Shot At Glory Between The Hammer And The Anvil Judas Rising Giants In The Sky (live debut) Painkiller Hell Bent For Leather Living After Midnight
Judas Priest – Painkiller Rockfest Turku Finland 12.6.2025 – YouTube
Louder’s resident Gojira obsessive was still at uni when he joined the team in 2017. Since then, Matt’s become a regular in Metal Hammer and Prog, at his happiest when interviewing the most forward-thinking artists heavy music can muster. He’s got bylines in The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, NME and many others, too. When he’s not writing, you’ll probably find him skydiving, scuba diving or coasteering.
Muse kicked off their 2025 European tour in Helsinki, Finland last night, June 12, and surprised fans by opening their set with a brand new song, forthcoming single Unravelling.
The trio have been teasing their return on social media in recent days, posting snippets of the single, with the caption “Back at it”, but it was still a surprise for fans at the 1,400-capacity Kulttuuritalo venue to see Matt Bellamy’s band re-introduce themselves with the synth-heavy new song.
The gig in the Finnish capital was Muse’s only intimate headline show ahead of a busy summer where they will headline festivals such as Hellfest (June 20), Pinkpop (June 22), Open’er (July 4) and Mad Cool (July 10).
Watch the world premiere of Unravelling below.
Muse – Unravelling (LIVE DEBUT & WORLD PREMIERE) – Helsinki Kulttuuritalo 12.6.2025 Finland – YouTube
1. Unravelling 2. Map Of The Problematique 3. Interlude 4. Hysteria 5. Won’t Stand Down 6. Psycho 7. Will Of The People 8. Compliance 9. United States Of Eurasia 10. Time Is Running Out 11. Supermassive Black Hole 12. Starlight 13. Plug In Baby
14. The 2nd Law: Isolated System 15. Uprising 16. Knights Of Cydonia
The band’s upcoming gig schedule will see them play:
Jun 14: Rockfest 20, Finland Jun 20: Hellfest, France Jun 22: Pinkpop, Holland Jun 25: Tons Of Rock, Norway Jun 27: STHLM Fields, Sweden
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Sep 19: Pantai Carnaval Ancol, Indonesia
A new Muse album is expected next year. In February, bassist Chris Wolstenholme told NME, “I would imagine that 2026 will be a new album, barring any disasters.”
There has been no official confirmation as yet of a release date for Unravelling.
A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne’s private jet, played Angus Young’s Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.
Download! You know that festival, right? Biggest rock and metal festival in the UK, held on the hallowed turf of Donington Park, the original site of the mighty Monsters Of Rock! Download! It’s Iron Maiden! Metallica! Slipknot! Avenged Sevenfold! Vengaboys! AC/D-wait, hold…
Yes, 90s dance-pop party-starters Vengaboys officially made their Download debut last night (Thursday June 12), pulling up to the Download Village area just outside the main arena to play the Village’s bespoke stage as the festival’s warm-up day began – and believe it or not, the Vengabus absolutely packed the place out.
Video has since emerged across social media of thousands of rock fans ecstatically bouncing around to We Like To Party!, Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!! and We’re Going To Ibiza!. Don’t believe us? Watch the footage below.
This year’s Download will be headlined by Green Day, making their Download debut, Sleep Token, headlining an outdoor UK festival for the first time, and Korn, who have finally made the step up to Download headliners on their ninth attempt. Other bands set to play include Weezer, Bullet For My Valentine, Spiritbox, Opeth, Within Temptation, Meshuggah, Lorna Shore and many more.
There are also a number of surprise sets promised for across the weekend. At this rate, we wouldn’t be surprised if Gina G turns up.
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Merlin moved into his role as Executive Editor of Louder in early 2022, following over ten years working at Metal Hammer. While there, he served as Online Editor and Deputy Editor, before being promoted to Editor in 2016. Before joining Metal Hammer, Merlin worked as Associate Editor at Terrorizer Magazine and has previously written for the likes of Classic Rock, Rock Sound, eFestivals and others. Across his career he has interviewed legends including Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy, Metallica, Iron Maiden (including getting a trip on Ed Force One courtesy of Bruce Dickinson), Guns N’ Roses, KISS, Slipknot, System Of A Down and Meat Loaf. He has also presented and produced the Metal Hammer Podcast, presented the Metal Hammer Radio Show and is probably responsible for 90% of all nu metal-related content making it onto the site.
