Voivod has funded the development of a video game on Kickstarter. The trailer for Voivod: The Nuclear Warrior is above. The band is directly involved in the build of the game. The details and a deep-dive video are at Kickstarter.
Swans are releasing another album, Birthing, which I’m looking forward to. There’s various digital and physical formats available. Birthing is up for preorder at Young God Records, although the release date was May 30, 2025.
Future Ruins is a “music and arts” festival from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, focusing on film and TV soundtrack performances. It’s on November 8, 2025 in Los Angeles. Nina Corcoran has the info at Pitchfork. The festival lineup looks nuts, so get your tickets while you can.
Richard Cheese has released a strong political statement on Facebook. “Less social media, more fighting fascism,” he writes. That’s good thinking, but it was watered down when it was followed up a few weeks later with a Father’s Day sale post. Regardless, read the statement on Facebook.
American Hardcore, the classic documentary, is getting a movie screening in June at Orpheum Theater in New York. Filmmaker Steven Blush will have a film introduction and Q&A at the screening, followed by a talk and a slide show at Inquiring Minds Bookstore. The film is based on Blush’s book of the same name. Adrenaline PR has all the details. If I was within range, I would totally go to both events.
UnderWill is a metal band from Argentina that has re-released one of its albums on CD, but that’s not the end of the story. One way to get it is, if you have a 3D printer at home (or have access to one), when you buy the album The Inevitable End you’ll get the unique CD case print files via email and the CD and booklet in the mail. More info is at the band’s Bandcamp page.
Rest In Peace
Jill Sobule was perhaps best known for her 1990s hit “I Kissed a Girl.” She passed away from a house accident in May at 66. She was also a human rights activist and her latest project was a musical. Dino-Ray Ramos has more details at GLADD.org.
Rick Derringer was a guitarist, singer, and producer. He died at 77 in May. His biggest hit was “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo” in 1970 but his career went beyond that. Murjani Rawls has more info at NJ.com.
Kevin Diers was a beloved DJ on KISW and a music journalist at The Stranger, both out of Seattle. He died in May. Brittne Lunniss has a remembrance at The Stranger.
Brian Montana was briefly a former guitarist of the classic death metal band Possessed in its early years. He died in April after a police shootout. Jordan Blum has the grisly details at Loudwire, which includes links to tributes to Montana from the band’s leader, Jeff Becerra.
Tim Wright was a U.K. musician who passed away in April. He released solo work and remixes and played in Germ in the 1990s. Nicholas Bullen posted a tribute on Instagram.
Further reading:
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