1+ mon, 3+ week ago (316+ words) With Amazon Prime Big Deal Days coming to an end soon, there's just enough time to grab the Loop Experience 2 for less in the US and UK If you're serious about protecting your lugholes from unwanted and harmful loud noise, then you need a decent pair of earplugs. And you now have the perfect excuse to buy some, as Amazon has dropped the price of the highly rated Loop Experience 2 as part of its Prime Big Deals Day sale. Whichever side of the Pond you live on, you can make neat savings on these earplugs right now, with US music fans able to get a pair for $27.95 rather than the list price of $34.95 - and UK customers have a 25% discount at Amazon, down from "33.95 to "25.49. This Amazon deal is not to be sniffed at, seeing as the Loop Experience 2 are a…...

9+ mon, 3+ week ago (501+ words) Plus Bill Bruford, Dream Theater, Readers' Poll Results, Jon Camp, Neal Morse, Mogwai, Tiger Moth Tales, White Willow, Matt Berry, Marko Hietala, Ritual and loads more Steven Wilson graces the cover of the new issue of Prog Magazine as he tells us all about his return to the prog fold with new album The Overview. The new album features two lengthy suites of music and is a concept album about space. That'll be all boxes ticked then! And Neal Morse, Matt Berry, Marko Hietala, Mogwai, Dorie Jackson and Alex Carpani all get 2025 rolling with new albums to tell everyone about. There's also a great Kscope sampler featuring music from Storm Corrosion, The Pineapple Thief, Gong, Oceansize and more, and four Steven Wilson postcards too! Jon Camp - we pay tribute to the Renaissance bassist who died in December. Readers' Poll - shcoks?...

4+ mon, 2+ week ago (407+ words) One does not simply walk into Mordor - it's far, far easier to just sit at home and build Sauron's dark tower in Lego form this Prime Day - especially with 15% off At lunchtime today, I put aside my bow, removed my weather-stained Elven cloak, took off my fake pointy ears and chewed some Lembas while I perused the Prime Day Lego deals - and I found something that made me sit up faster than a Hobbit in a kitchen full of mushrooms. That's because I saw Amazon UK had reduced the price of the dark and brooding Lego Lord Of The Rings Barad-d'r model - taking a rusty cleaver to the price and cutting it from "399.99 down to "339.98 - a 15% saving. I've seen this 5471-piece model fully built and it really is something a bit special. Sauron's dark tower in Lego form is a…...

4+ mon, 4+ week ago (311+ words) Marshall's Middleton II gives has more than 30 hours of battery life and 360" True Stereophonic sound To coincide with the launch of Middleton II, Marshall have started their Loud For Less summer sale, with money off its range of speakers and headphones. Check out the official Marshall website for all the offers. Marshall have added to their range of portable speakers by unveiling the new Middleton II - an upgrade to the 2023 original which features in Louder's guide to the best Marshall speakers. The new Bluetooth speaker is said to have a more refined performance when played at max volume, while also generating "even deeper bass." The Middleton II has an IP67 dust and water resistance rating, while the battery has been upped from 20 hours on the original to more than 30 hours from a full charge. In addition, the Middleton II has 360" True…...

6+ mon, 3+ week ago (536+ words) A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal. "I recommend anyone reading this who's a psycho and can buy a gun to shoot George Bush. I'm serious. l would consider…...

9+ mon, 5+ day ago (426+ words) Louder's resident Gojira obsessive was still at uni when he joined the team in 2017. Since then, Matt's become a regular in Prog and Metal Hammer, at his happiest when interviewing the most forward-thinking artists heavy music can muster. He's got bylines in The Guardian, The Telegraph, NME, Guitar and many others, too. When he's not writing, you'll probably find him skydiving, scuba diving or coasteering. Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones says he hasn't spoken with the punk icons' original singer John Lydon since 2008. Talking to Rolling Stone AU/NZ, Jones wishes Lydon, previously known as Johnny Rotten, all the best, but says it wouldn't have been worth asking the singer to return to the band for their recent reunion, citing a legal battle they had in 2021 about the use of their music in TV show Pistol. "We don't talk," Jones…...

1+ hour, 36+ min ago (335+ words) Staff writer for Metal Hammer, Rich has never met a feature he didn't fancy, which is just as well when it comes to covering everything rock, punk and metal for both print and online, be it legendary events like Rock In Rio or Clash Of The Titans or seeking out exciting new bands like Nine Treasures, Jinjer and Sleep Token." Whether you've already got a set-up and want to upgrade, or a first-timer looking to get a good audio set-up, there's plenty of deals to dive into. Speaking of which, both Amazon UK and Amazon US are currently offering savings on Philips Stereo HiFi Systems. Read more about the deals they're offering below. Amazon US are currently offering a 29% saving on the Philips Bluetooth Stereo System. A HiFi system with CD, MP3, Wireless Streaming and USB capabilities, it's a great set-up…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago (603+ words) Merlin was promoted to Executive Editor of Louder in early 2022, following over ten years working at Metal Hammer. While there, he served as Online Editor and Deputy Editor, before being promoted to Editor in 2016. Before joining Metal Hammer, Merlin worked as Associate Editor at Terrorizer Magazine and has written for Classic Rock, Rock Sound, eFestivals and others. Across his career he has interviewed legends including Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy, Metallica, Iron Maiden (including getting a trip on Ed Force One courtesy of Bruce Dickinson), Guns N' Roses, KISS, Slipknot, System Of A Down and Meat Loaf. He has also presented and produced the Metal Hammer Podcast, presented the Metal Hammer Radio Show and is probably responsible for 90% of all nu metal-related content making it onto the site. One of the greatest movie sequels of all time will be getting a special…...

10+ mon, 1+ day ago (560+ words) A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal. Next month, the Sex Pistols will release the first of three live albums recorded on their first -and last - US tour. And…...

3+ mon, 2+ week ago (467+ words) Back in 2016, Atlanta's finest sludge-prog metal exports Mastodon headlined Bloodstock. That evening they were thoroughly upstaged by the band on immediately before them - tonight's headliners, Gojira. Nearly a decade down the line, Mastodon seem to be out for revenge, as the tables have turned and they are the ones setting an insane bar for Gojira to live up to. It's no exaggeration to say that, having regularly flattered to deceive at outdoor shows ranging from Download to Sonisphere to supporting Metallica in a stadium, this is Mastodon's finest ever open-air performance on UK soil. Why so? Well, firstly there's the sound - sonically speaking, it's been a little hit and miss at Bloodstock all weekend, but Mastodon sound absolutely wonderful. Those signature intricacies - a Brann Dailor drum fill here, an ingenious piece of sparkling guitar work there - have often been lost…...