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[Las Vegas, Nevada - May 5, 2026] - Multi-platinum hard rock powerhouse Five Finger Death Punch today announced the UK and European leg of their 20th Anniversary World Tour to take place in early 2027. Featuring special guest Lamb of God, the tour brings together two of hard rock and metal’s most dominant forces. The lineup will be rounded out by Bleed from Within from Scotland, for one of the strongest heavy tour packages of the year. The 20th Anniversary World Tour is both a celebration and a statement, honoring Five Finger Death Punch’s journey from their 2005 formation and release of debut album, The Way Of The Fist in 2007 to global arena headliners worldwide. The tour will kick off in the UK in Manchester on Saturday 16th January 2027 and will see the band perform in 21 cities across the UK and Europe, ending in Helsinki on 22nd February 2027. Five Finger Death Punch’s tenth studio album is expected to drop later this year, with the first new single anticipated to be released this month. The 20th Anniversary World Tour will showcase material from the new album, alongside classic anthems and #1 hits that defined the past two decades. 5FDP founding guitarist Zoltan Bathory states: “We built this band like a battleship, twenty years of everything life could throw at us, and we’re not just still here, we’re still growing. New fans discovering us every day, the fanbase bigger now than it’s ever been. This World Tour is the celebration that milestone deserves. First leg is America in 2026, then Europe in 2027, and we’re not stopping there! South America, Australia, Asia are all in the talks. This is going to be a big two or three years for Five Finger Death Punch, and we’re just getting started.” The band’s most current albums, Best Of – Volume 1 and Best Of – Volume 2 , feature newly re-recorded versions of Five Finger Death Punch’s biggest hits, including #1 single “I Refuse” feat. Maria Brink (Vol. 1) and #1 single “The End” feat. BABYMETAL (Vol. 2). “The End” reached #1 on the Japanese iTunes Metal Chart, marking a major milestone for an international rock release. In the U.S., the song made history as the first track featuring Japanese lyrics to chart at Rock Radio, ultimately reaching #1. Both albums were created in response to the sale of the band’s original masters, a decision made without their knowledge or opportunity to reclaim them. For over two decades, special guest Lamb of God have remained one of the most influential and respected bands in heavy music, known for their precision, intensity, and uncompromising sound. With multiple Grammy nominations and a fiercely loyal global fanbase, they continue to set the standard for modern metal. Lamb of God’s new album Into Oblivion is out now. Rising from the UK metal scene, Bleed from Within have built a reputation as one of the genre’s most exciting live acts, combining crushing heaviness with arena-ready hooks. Their relentless touring and critically acclaimed releases have positioned them as a breakout force in the genre. TICKETS: Tickets for the 2027 UK and Europe tour dates will be available starting with the 5FDP Artist and O2 (UK only) & Venue Partner Presales beginning Wednesday, May 6 at 10am local time. Additional presales will run throughout the week, including Promoter, Venue, Local Partner Presales on Thursday, May 7 at 10am local time, with a Spotify Presale following at 12pm local time. General onsale begins Friday, May 8 at 10am local time. For France the rollout will follow a slightly extended schedule, beginning with the 5FDP Artist Presale on Wednesday, May 6 at 10am local time. The Spotify Presale will take place Thursday, May 7 at 12pm local time,. Additional Local Partner and Promoter Presales will run Monday, May 11 and Tuesday, May 12 at 10am local time, ahead of the general onsale on Wednesday, May 13 at 10am local time. For more information on Five Finger Death Punch, all 2026 North America & 2027 European tour dates, and VIP offerings visit fivefingerdeathpunch.com . 20TH ANNIVERSARY WORLD TOUR UK & EUROPE TOUR DATES Sat 16th January 2027 Manchester, UK - AO Arena Sun 17th January 2027 Glasgow, UK - OVO Hydro Arena Tue 19th January 2027 Dublin, IE - 3Arena Fri 22nd January 2027 Birmingham, UK - BP Pulse Arena Sat 23rd January 2027 London, UK - O2 Arena Tue 26th January 2027 Düsseldorf, DE - PSD Arena Wed 27th January 2027 Hamburg, DE - Barclays Arena Fri 29th January 2027 Lodz, PL - Atlas Arena Sun 31st January 2027 Prague, CZ - O2 Arena *^ Tue 2nd February 2027 Munich, DE - Olympiahalle Thu 4th February 2027 Stuttgart, DE - Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle Sun 7th February 2027 Amsterdam, NL - AFAS Arena Mon 8th February 2027 Brussels, BE - Vorst National Wed 10th February 2027 Paris, FR - Accor Arena Fri 12th February 2027 Zurich, CH - Hallenstadion Sun 14th February 2027 Vienna, AT - Stadthalle Tue 16th February 2027 Berlin, DE - Uber Arena Wed 17th February 2027 Copenhagen, DK - Royal Arena* Fri 19th February 2027 Oslo, NO - Unity Arena Sat 20th February 2027 Stockholm, SE - Avicii Arena Mon 22nd February 2027 Helsinki, FI - Veikkaus Arena *without Lamb of God / ^with Dymytry

With a digital timer on The Cruel Intentions’ Spotify page ticking down the days, hours, minutes and seconds until the release of ‘All Hail Hypocrisy’ into the world later this month, anticipation is building for, what even before its release, will be one of THE best releases of 2026. Featuring 11 tracks of undeniable ragged rock’n’roll beauty, The Cruel Intentions’ third album is easily their best - a comment all the more remarkable in its making, directness, simplicity and as I write it given the respective strengths of their earlier output. Provided with access to the album in late February (thanks very much guys), I’ve felt like a child counting down the days to Christmas until I could share this magical music which I have been listening to and not been able to talk about. But now I can. Take a listen to the first four songs to be released from the album and you’ll get a sense of the quality on offer. ‘Beating in My Chest’ was the first song to drop back in January … and what a drop it was. Fast, energetic, melodic and with a bass line which you’ll feel through every inch of your chest even at moderate volume. While Oslo-based, as the saying goes, you can take the boy out of Los Angeles, but you can’t take Los Angeles out of the boy. And in singer Lizzy DeVine The Cruel Intentions have a singer with one of the most distinctive and instantly recognisable voices in rock music who embodies the sound of the Strip; quite fitting in this song to the City of Angels. A wonderfully raw buzz cut guitar drives the second single ‘Living Out of Line’, followed by the haunting dark beauty of the acoustic ‘Wasteland’ and then the most recent single ‘All Hail Hypocrisy’. Only one line in to the title track and the sing-song gang pre-chorus “It’s alright, It’s okay” grabs you and claims you for its own before leading into another deceptively simple sing-song melody underpinning a raucous chorus. Really effective. Give the competition a chance, guys - they’ll never catch up at this rate. Having listened to the whole album for weeks, one thing is really apparent. Pre-releasing four songs of this quality is not without risk. Other bands or labels may have held one or maybe two of them back. But there is no need when the remaining seven songs not only match, but in some cases exceed the quality of the singles. I’ll not do a track-by-track review and will leave you with some things to discover for yourselves. But I do have to write about ‘When Eden Burn’. Starting with an unmistakably ‘80’s intro, this song is nothing short of epic. Featuring a life-affirming chorus, designed to be sung out loud, “Can’t you see we got one life, just one chance”, “It’s one way, all you got is just you and me together against the world”. Yes, in different hands this could be seen as schmaltzy or cheesy, but in The Cruel Intentions’ hands a massive song which John Hughes would have written a movie for if he was still alive. Or the type of chorus which will cable tie your heart and tattoo its lyrics on your brain. Having their earlier songs featured heavily on the soundtrack to the Peacemaker, it will come as no surprise that a number of these songs have soundtrack, no - make that blockbuster soundtrack written all over them; now all we need is someone to write and make the movie worthy of the songs. As fans of rock music, it tends to be all about the guitar. Make no mistake, Kristian Solhaug does a great job on guitar throughout, with some great riffs and melodic solos, leading on the fast and furious ‘Triple Threat’, but mostly weaving in and out and enhancing without dominating or over-powering the songs. But, I can’t remember the last time I listened to an album and one of the things which stood out most was the drums … yes, the drums (honestly, I’m not joking). Robin Nilsson (drums) and Mats Wernerson (bass) provide a formidable rhythm section. While they were solid on the band’s first two albums, they sound reborn and revitalised. But there is so much to listen to beneath the surface - no more so than Robin’s unexpected drum fills and pace of drumming. Even with regular leg days at the gym, few us could match his ferocity. So, what this isn’t - painstakingly, or painfully (delete as appropriate), re-created retro music; pastiche; parody; or pretend-to-be-tribute. What this is - modern sleaze: raw, rocky, edgy, fast, furious, oozing attitude, mainlining melodies and insanely large choruses which you won’t forget … and thankfully without the sexism (which hasn’t travelled well) or the misogyny (which never had a place) of 80’s sleaze. And they managed to leave the obligatory ‘Whoa-oh-oh’ until halfway through the last song. What more can I say, but Oooofft!! … a wonderful album and as good a slice of modern (or any) sleaze as you’ll hear anywhere. ‘All Hail Hypocrisy’ will be released by Indie Recordings on 29 May 2026 on all the usual platforms. GMcA

Either it’s because it’s a school night, or the people of Margate don’t have much taste, but it’s pretty quiet in the Dreamland Ballroom. It’s great news for me as I wander up to the barrier with ease (despite a detour to the toilet and another to the bar), but possibly disappointing for Massive Wagons, who have earned a reputation as one of the more exciting live bands on the scene and deserve the sellout shows they’ve achieved in other parts of the country. A modest, but pleasingly enthusiastic crowd has formed in time for openers Scarlet Rebels, and it’s obvious that many are thrilled by the Welsh rockers inclusion on the bill. Starting strong with the euphoric ‘Secret Drug’ and similarly uplifting ‘Take You Home’, these lads certainly know how to pen a catchy tune. It’s a breathless introduction, with barely a moment for applause between songs, but when the opportunity arises, the response is rapturous. An invitation from frontman Wayne Doyle to join Rebel Club is accepted, as he guides us through the call and response ‘woahs’ that make ‘Grace’ so special. Admittedly, he sings it somewhat better than we do, and though his voice is certainly one of the band’s strengths, it’s lead guitarist Chris “CJ” Jones who it’s difficult to take your eyes from, a man who is never stationary and delivers some show stopping solos whilst looking every bit the rock star. When Doyle asks if the Rebels should come back for a headline performance, the answer seems to be a unanimous yes; ‘It Was Beautiful’ indeed. Massive Wagons don’t deal in subtlety; from Baz Mills’ lairy socks (emblazoned with Pennywise the clown), to the broad smiles that are almost permanently present on the faces of guitarists Adam Thistlethwaite and Stevie Holl, everything about their image exudes a sense of fun. At the centre of it all, frontman Baz brings an energy so infectious that you feel almost guilty for standing in one place. High kicking, jumping and bounding around the stage, he never lets up for a moment, quite a feat given he has to sing too! The joy that radiates from the stage is reflected by the audience, helped by the band’s knack for catchy anthems, often with a message of positivity. There’s a sense that this is a band for everyone, particularly evident during ‘F*** the Haters’ when young and old shout the chorus with glee. Musically, Massive Wagons deliver no-nonsense rock, good and loud, just as nature intended. Taking classic rock as the template, they successfully update the genre with a modern stamp. The influences are obvious; the introduction to ‘Hero’ pure AC/DC with a riff only a few steps removed from ‘Have a Drink On Me’, but Mills’ snarling vocal ensures an identity that is entirely Wagons. ‘Germ’ is reminiscent of The Wildhearts, the bouncy upbeat chorus at odds with the barbed lyrics directed tonight at Boris Johnson. ‘Back to the Stack’ is a fitting tribute to the late Rick Parfitt with a familiar Quo style guitar hook, but it’s heavier, celebratory and an absolute setlist staple. Though I miss some of the older songs (bring back ‘Nails’ I say!), it must be increasingly difficult to put a setlist together. The Wagons have an ever expanding catalogue, and given that they specialise in crowd pleasers like the raucous ‘Bangin’ In Your Stereo’ and ‘China Plates’, just about any song from any album would go down well. I’m impressed by the dedication of the fans; Down the front with the die-hards, I’m actually a little frightened that I’ll be found out as less of a devotee! Many know every word, which is pretty special given ‘Generation Prime’ has some fairly rapid word play! The ‘Everywhere We Go’ tour is almost at its conclusion, but it’s clear that wherever these Wagons roll, a good time will follow. It’s hard to imagine anyone could go to see Massive Wagons or Scarlet Rebels and not enjoy themselves - those of us who made it to Margate this evening know what everyone else was missing. SCARLET REBELS Wayne Doyle - vocals/guitar Chris “CJ” Jones - guitar Gary Doyle - drums Carl Oag - bass SETLIST Secret Drug/Take You Home/You Take My Breath Away/Streets of Fire/Grace/It Was Beautiful/Declining/Let Me In MASSIVE WAGONS Barry “Baz” Mills - vocals Adam Thistlethwaite - guitar Stevie Holl - guitar Adam “Bowz” Bouskill - bass Alex Thistlethwaite - drums SETLIST Everywhere We Go/Fun While it Lasted/Please Stay Calm/Missing on TV/F*** the Haters/Germ/Hero/Glorious/Night Skies/The Good Die Young/Generation Prime/House of Noise/Bangin’ in Your Stereo/China Plates/Back to the Stack/In It Together 

Very few musicians can stake a claim on being a front-runner in both the Punk AND Post-Punk movements, and John Lydon is one of them. Forming PIL in 1978, directly after his departure from The Sex Pistols, the political and social climate of the time set the tone perfectly for the group's arrival. Riots, protests, strikes and demonstrations were rife. PIL's music seemed to represent the seismic shift in the air at the time. Since then, they've continually transmogrified themselves, refusing to sit still for any length of time whatsoever. John himself has often been quoted as saying that re-invention is totally essential to keep his interest fluid going forwards. This evening, PIL are the Colosseum at Watford, Hertfordshire. A Town Hall style venue, though at the larger end of the scale as far as those venues are concerned. The show starts with several songs in quick succession:- opener "Home", then "Know Now", "Corporate", "World Destruction", and "This Is Not A Love Song". Long-standing Guitarist (and former member of The Damned), Lu Edmonds is giving off very energetic vibes, also firing out some startling guitar licks. There seems to be a renewed sense of playing live for PIL at present, and this is extremely evident by the vigour of their showmanship this evening. John is on fine form vocally, wringing lots of emotion out of his voice in process.  The set is very well paced and thought out, highlighting the smorgasbord of differing sounds and flavours that the band have developed over the years. John (for him) is keeping chat to a relative minimum. "Flowers Of Romance", "Warrior" and "Public Image" seem to stand out a lot during the mid to tail-end part of the gig. PIL's rhythm section is very impressive, too. Scott Firth on Bass (Since 2019) and Mark Roberts on Drums (Since 2025) incorporate rich patterns into the music, pushing when required, too. John tells us that he's going to walk off for a few minutes, and only if we make enough noise are PIL going to return. The crowd doesn't take any chances. A wide range of cheers, whoops, whistles and other sounds come forth. PIL return with "Open Up", followed by a very extended version of "Rise". This works to great aplomb, sounding somehow constructed, and also a jam at the same time.  I'm not sure if there are any plans for a new album in the near future, though judging on tonight's performance, it would make complete sense. It's as if they are poised to move forwards. The Colosseum witnessed four Gladiators of musical invention this evening. Here's to the next part of the story.

“BAD BONES” ALBUM RELEASED 22ND MAY 2026

Release date: Friday, June 19th 2026 

"MONSTERS WE MADE" AVAILABLE 14TH AUGUST 2026