Metal Contraband News For July 7th, 2026:
This week in Metal Contraband:
HardDrive with Lou Brutus celebrated a 30th Anniversary over the Fourth of July weekend, as BruteHawke Industries, the media company by Lou Brutus and Randy Hawke, marks 30 years since the first broadcast on the Fourth of July in 1996. For the 30th celebration, HardDrive Radio revisited music and interviews from the archives, including Ozzy Osbourne, Lars Ulrich of Metallica, Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, David Draiman of Disturbed, Corey Taylor of Slipknot, Jonathan Davis of KoRn, and Ivan Moody of Five Finger Death Punch. Lou Brutus says, “”It’s kinda hard to wrap my head around the fact I’ve been lucky enough to do this for so long. Someone crunched the numbers and between the weekend HardDrive Radio show, as well as the weeknight HardDrive XL version, I’ve hosted over 27,000 hours of programming with about 309,000 songs. It’s no wonder my hearing is shot”. You can follow HardDrive Radio via: https://www.facebook.com/harddriveradio/.
Iron Maiden is taking the stage for Eddfest this weekend, with their special performance in Knebworth set to be filmed for inclusion in the upcoming cinematic concert movie slated for next year. The Darkness, The Hu, Airbourne, The Almighty, Blaze Bayley and more will be part of the Eddfest lineup. For all the details, visit: https://www.ironmaiden.knebworth.com/.
Kamelot has just dropped a new single, with “Ashen World (feat. Ignacia Fernández) out now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dp_tiMhEv9c. The track is leading up to Kamelot’s release of Dark Asylum, set for August 28th via Napalm Records. Thomas Youngblood says of the track, “‘Ashen World’ captures that moment of standing at the crossroads between darkness and hope, where the journey forward begins. It’s classic Kamelot at its core, while opening new doors into the world of Dark Asylum”. Tommy Karevik adds, “It’s a deep dive into the topography of the human mind, exploring its valleys, peaks, and the void in between. It’s about breaking free from the limiting beliefs that hold us captive and creating a new reality that allow us to expand and realize our full potential”. Kamelot is heading out on the Dark Asylum World Tour, with the North American leg kicking off on August 28th, with Visions of Atlantis and Frozen Crown along for the ride.
Distant has announced a new album on the way, with Into Despair set for a November 6th release. This week, the band has dropped the first single, with “All Will Be (N)One (Feat. Ricky Myers of Suffocation)”. Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHZFd5mKPks. Keep up with Distant via: https://distantofficial.com/.
Nonpoint is heading to the release of their 11th studio album, with The Last Word set for September 18th via 361 Degrees Records. In the meantime, you can check out “Is It”, with a new music video here: https://youtu.be/SRjkqZC6yTs?si=TMrmOdTLrIKe_N4C. The band says of the upcoming album, “In a world that sometimes wants to put a timestamp on creativity, The Last Word is our way of saying we’re just getting started. We’re pushing back against expectation and pushing forward into our own next chapter”. Keep an eye out for updates via: https://nonpoint.com/.
Chart Editor: Munsey Ricci from Skateboard Marketing Ltd.
Editorial By Chelsea Nelson-Fernandez & Munsey Ricci
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