Music
Releases, artists and the records worth your afternoon.
Nightwish on Tarja split and new album plans
Nightwish’s Tuomas Holopainen accepts blame for the ugly Tarja split and teases six new songs plus studio plans for 2027 and a possible 2028 return to touring.
Tomas Lindberg: The Ghost Of A Future Dead
At The Gates released The Ghost Of A Future Dead using Tomas Lindberg’s final vocal demos; he died on September 16, 2025.
Ritchie Blackmore’s Jones Beach Cameo
Ritchie Blackmore unexpectedly joined Deep Purple for an encore at Jones Beach Theater last month, delivering a short, emotional reunion fans will remember.
Def Leppard: Volume 4 – 2015-2023
Def Leppard’s new box set, Def Leppard: Volume 4 – 2015-2023, arrives 2026-09-15 with rarities, demos and a lost cover of The Beatles’ Revolution.
Fleetwood Mac's Rumours — February 1976
Ken Caillat's new book says Lindsey Buckingham attacked him while tracking 'Go Your Own Way' at Record Planet in February 1976.
Ozzy Osbourne: Prince Of Darkness
Ozzy Osbourne’s Prince Of Darkness haunted house lands at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights through Nov 1, 2026 — a loud, playful tribute to his career.
Quiet Sun: Mainstream 51st‑Anniversary
Phil Manzanera’s Quiet Sun have released a deluxe 51st‑anniversary Mainstream package and say the reunion has produced potential new recordings.
Evanescence at The O2: Sanctuary Live
Evanescence brought Sanctuary to the O2 on 15 September 2026, with Poppy and K.Flay joining an arena crowd for a night of new songs and classic anthems.
Satyricon: When K.I.N.G. Hit a Fashion Show
Satyricon played 'K.I.N.G.' (2006) on a fashion catwalk at the 2011 Nordic World Ski Championships — a booking Satyr calls 'bizarre'.
Flamin’ Groovies: Shake Some Action tour
Flamin’ Groovies, Shake Some Action, September 15 — the 50th-anniversary UK run starts Sept 15, promising rare shows and a punk-era fuzz‑pedal tale.
Roth & Alex Van Halen Reunite at TEDx
David Lee Roth and Alex Van Halen reunited at TEDxFargo on July 30, 2026, and fans also got word of a Genesis‑published Van Halen anthology shipping November 2026.
Muse — The Resistance (2009)
Released September 14, 2009, The Resistance fused stadium anthems, orchestral pieces and political fury into a landmark Muse record fans still replay.
Pink Floyd’s 'Household Objects' sessions
Between 1970–1974 Pink Floyd recorded rhythms and pitched sounds from household items in January 1971 Abbey Road sessions; fragments resurfaced on later reissues.
Oasis Live ’27: Knebworth 4-night return, 38 dates
Oasis announce a 38-date Live ’27 world tour in Europe and US with four nights at Knebworth; registration to buy tickets closes 17 Sept, revealed 14 September 2026.
Porcupine Tree on making The Incident
Porcupine Tree's 2009 70+-minute concept The Incident prioritises the album as a continuous experience. Steven Wilson's 2009 double-length release remains essential.
Pete Koller on Sick Of It All after Lou's death
Guitarist Pete Koller says Sick Of It All intend to continue after Lou Koller’s July 24, 2026 death, thanking supporters and saying the band is "working on it".
Every Oasis album ranked, from worst to best
Opinionated guide to Oasis’ seven studio albums and The Masterplan: what works, what doesn’t, which matter. Ranked to tell fans what to revisit - 14 September 2026.
Halestorm: Everest, acoustic tour and band bond
Halestorm — Everest, out now via Atlantic; an intimate acoustic tour after major festivals shows the band’s chemistry and a possible full covers record.
John Carpenter Open to Directing Metallica Video
John Carpenter says he'd direct a Metallica music video and points to his own metal-tinged album Cathedral as proof he knows how to marry sound and image.
My Chemical Romance Knighted by King Diamond
King Diamond appeared at the Alamodome on Sept 12, 2026, knighting My Chemical Romance and singing on “Mama” — a theatrical highlight of the Black Parade tour.
Gentle Giant — Octopus
Gentle Giant’s Octopus (released December 1972) condenses polyphonic vocals, oddball instruments and literal musical puzzles into a compact prog statement.
Europe — Scandinavian Eyes Tops Vote
Europe’s Scandinavian Eyes took 50% of the vote on September 14, 2026; plus recommended new tracks from Steven Wilson, Gyasi, War On Drugs and more.
Rick Springfield on killing a Viet Cong in Vietnam
Rick Springfield told Joe Rogan (episode #2550, Sept 8, 2026) that while entertaining troops in 1968 he fired mortars and was later told one hit and killed a man.
Cheetah Chrome dies at 71
Dead Boys guitarist Cheetah Chrome has died at 71; the band confirmed his passing on 14 September 2026. His feral riffs helped shape punk.
Neo‑Prog: Five Essential 1980s Albums
Five defining neo‑prog albums — Twelfth Night (1982), Marillion (1983), Pallas (1984), IQ (1985) and Pendragon (1985) — that reshaped prog for a new generation.
Guns N' Roses — Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses' Appetite For Destruction (released June 1987) turned Sunset Strip sleaze into a global rock landmark, raw and wildly influential.
Opeth: Heritage (2011) — The Prog Gamble
Opeth's 2011 album Heritage traded death-metal for pure prog, reshaping their sound and lineup — a brave gamble that still matters to fans.
Rick Wakeman — The Myths and Legends (1975)
After a July 1974 heart attack, Rick Wakeman wrote The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur and released it in March 1975 — then staged epic ice shows.
Dominum: Night Is Calling — Zombie Metal Rises
Dominum's fourth album Night Is Calling (out 2026-09-13) turns zombie theatrics into a stadium-ready Euro-metal show with hooks, lore and festival heft.
Glenn Hughes on The KLF's 1992 single
Glenn Hughes joined The KLF on America: What Time Is Love? (released February 1992), a techno‑rock single that revived his career and nudged him toward rehab.
Noddy Holder's March 1996 single reviews
Noddy Holder reviewed singles in Select's March 1996 issue, praising Smashing Pumpkins, Lush and The Flaming Lips while being lukewarm on some big US acts.
Nicko McBrain: Open to Recording with Iron Maiden
Nicko McBrain says he'd rejoin Iron Maiden in the studio — but only for simpler songs. His autobiography Hello Boys And Girls is out October 22.
Slipknot: Arsenal (Sept 9, 2026)
Slipknot dropped single Arsenal on September 9, 2026; guitarist Jim Root says it's a standalone release and “not really representative” of the new record.
Steve Hogarth joins Marillion — Seasons End
Marillion replaced Fish with Steve Hogarth in late 1988; Seasons End (1989) and the 1989 UK tour showed fans the band could survive and evolve.
Flesh & Blood — Blues For Daze (1997)
Flesh & Blood's Blues For Daze (1997) is a compact blues-rock gem from a studio line-up of veterans — soulful vocals, Hammond swells and a 2021 reissue.
Mastodon Deny Hinds Estate Lawsuit
Mastodon call an estate suit over Brent Hinds 'meritless' after allegations over Marrow Deep art and a disputed $80,000 buyout.
My Chemical Romance: The Black Parade
My Chemical Romance’s The Black Parade (2006) turned personal darkness and a haunted LA mansion into a theatrical, still-essential rock classic.
Tony Iommi Turns Down Final Black Sabbath Album
Tony Iommi refused a plan to record a final Black Sabbath album with the original lineup and is instead focusing on his solo record From The Dark.
Mötley Crüe — Too Fast For Love (1981)
Mötley Crüe's debut Too Fast For Love (November 1981) was self-produced on Leathür Records, pressed in 20,000 copies and later remixed by Roy Thomas Baker.
Primus — A Handfull Of Nuggs
Primus release A Handfull Of Nuggs via AFO Records on 12 September 2026 — a Frizzle Fry‑tinged EP that includes a raucous Holy Diver cover and points to more music.
Slipknot — Arsenal (Sept 11, 2026)
Slipknot’s surprise song 'Arsenal' anchors Metal Hammer’s Sept 11, 2026 picks, with new tracks from Suicide Silence, Spiritbox, Absolute Power and more.
Talk Talk: Spirit Of Eden (1988)
Talk Talk's Spirit Of Eden (1988) turned a mainstream pop act into a slow improvised landmark — essential for fans of experimental rock and Radiohead's moodier side.
Anthrax — Cursum Perficio review
Anthrax release Cursum Perficio on September 18 via Nuclear Blast — a mix of classic thrash and bold experiments that feels like a solid, if imperfect, send-off.
Lemmy on Bon Scott: a road warrior’s salute
Lemmy recalled Bon Scott on 2026-09-12, praising his all‑out stage ethic and naming his favourite Bon‑era AC/DC songs — why nearby legends respected him.
Steve Rothery: The Roaring Waves and Pompeii
Rothery previews The Roaring Waves, Marillion's Pompeii concerts and a possible May release of the band's 21st studio record. News for fans wanting fresh material.
Dream Theater: A Dramatic Turn Of Events (2011)
Dream Theater's 2011 album A Dramatic Turn Of Events answered sceptics after Mike Portnoy's 2010 departure — and it revived the band's creative spark.
Carmine Appice on writing Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?
Drummer Carmine Appice tells Classic Rock he co-wrote Rod Stewart’s hit on a drum machine and was later fired by Stewart — and he still doesn’t know why.