The Riff Collective

One of those unexpected Hellfest moments that make this festival so special.

Alissa White-Gluz surprised fans with an intimate acoustic performance, joined by Megadeth drummer Dirk Verbeuren. Stripped-down, raw and completely different from the chaos happening around the festival grounds.

A rare chance to see one of metal’s most recognizable voices in such a personal setting.



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Southampton, UK — and The Beast Goes On is already in full motion.

Starbenders rolled into The 1865 as part of their 32-date European headline run, bringing glam, grit and pure rock’n’roll attitude to a night that felt bigger than the room itself.

More on the full show + photo set by coming tomorrow on The Riff Collective.

⚡️ALBUM REVIEW⚡️
Des Rocs - To Hell and Back (Sumerian Records 12th June)

“A Reminder Of Everything Great Rock Music Can Still Be.”
“Eleven Songs. Zero Fillers. One Of The Best Albums of The Year.”

An album packed with arena-sized choruses, colossal riffs, cinematic storytelling and, most importantly, not a single filler track. In an era where great rock albums often feel incomplete, Des Rocs has delivered eleven songs that hit with purpose, passion and personality from start to finish.

Full review live now in the website 🔗 in bio

Deep Purple are in a great place right now — and according to Ian Gillan, a big part of that comes down to Simon McBride.

In this exclusive audio clip, Gillan reflects on the differences between Steve Morse and Simon McBride, describing Simon above all as a “high energy” guitarist whose arrival has brought a fresh spark to the band.

📀 *SPLAT!* is out July 3 via earMUSIC.

Athens absolutely erupted before Iron Maiden took the stage for the opening night of the 2026 “Run For Your Lives” European tour at the Olympic Stadium. Chills every single time.

Every Iron Maiden fan knows this moment.

The lights go down. “Doctor Doctor” starts playing. Thousands of voices become one.

Deep Purple have announced SPLAT! — their heaviest and most explosive studio album in years ⚡

Produced once again by Bob Ezrin and powered by the energy of Simon McBride on guitar , the album sees the band reconnecting with the spirit, dynamics and fire of classic ‘70s Purple while pushing into a bold new era.

📀 SPLAT! arrives July 3 via earMUSIC.

“Doctor Doctor” echoes through Athens… and suddenly the entire stadium erupts. Flares in the sky, thousands of voices singing every word, and Iron Maiden proving once again that time simply doesn’t apply to them. 🇬🇷🔥

From the madness before the curtain dropped to a crowd that never stopped giving everything, this was heavy metal at its most alive. Full review and high-quality photos dropping tomorrow.