The All-American Rejects release their first album since 2012. ‘Sandbox’ will be released in February via Too Lost.

Alt Blk Era have announced a new EP, ‘Our World’, which will arrive on May 22 via LAB Records.

Tori Amos releases her new album ’In Times Of Dragons’ through Universal/Fontana on May 1.

Artillery release a new EP in the spring through Mighty Music.

Avalanche have announced their  debut album ‘Armed To The Teeth’ will be released on February 13. The band support Airbourne on their UK dates next month.

The Beach Boys release a new 3-CD/3-LP box set, ‘We Gotta Groove: The Brother Studio Years’, on February 13.

Big Red Fire Truck have signed with Frontiers.

The Black Crowes release their tenth studio album ‘A Pound of Feathers’ on March 13 via Silver Arrow Records.

Black Label Society (pictured) release new album ‘Engines Of Demolition’ on March 27.

Despite a farewell tour, Candlebox have announced they are working on a new album and planning to tour again in 2027.

Luke Combs will release his new album ‘The Way I Am’ through Sony Music Nashville on March 20.

The Dandy Warhols release a covers album entitled ‘Pin Ups’ on March 20.

Ellefson-Soto release ‘Unbreakable’ on February 13 via Reaper Entertainment.

Exhumed will release their new album, ‘Red Asphalt’, on February 20 via Relapse Records.

Exodus will release their twelfth studio album, ‘Goliath’, on March 20 via Napalm Records and ’3111′ was released on January 21 as the first single from the album.

Fighter V have announced the release of their new album, ‘Déja Vu’, set for release on April 10 via Frontiers.

Flea will release his first full-length solo album, ’Honora’, on March 27 via Nonesuch Records.

Forbidden have signed with BLKIIBLK and plan to release their new album in the summer.

Peter Gabriel released a new single ‘Been Undone’ on January 3 ahead of a planned new album ‘o\i’. The album will take shape over the course of the year with a new release each full moon and there will be both Dark-Side and Bright-Side mixes. He will also release ‘In The Big Room’ on double 180g black vinyl and as a 2CD on March 13, followed by the release of ‘Live At WOMAD 1982′ on vinyl and CD on May 8.

Hellripper have announced their fourth album, ‘Coronach’, due on March 27 via Century Media.

Bruce Hornsby releases his new album ‘Indigo Par’ on April 3 through Zappo Productions/Thirty Tigers.

Tony Iommi plans to release his long-awaited solo album this year.

Lamb Of God release  their new album, ‘Into Oblivion’, via Epic on March 13.

Lord of the Lost release ‘OPVS NOIR Vol. 3‘ on April 10, preceded by the single ‘I Hate People’, which features a guest appearance by Wednesday 13.

Lynyrd Skynyrd have “about 30 songs” written with guitarist Gary Rossington, who died last year, that the band hope to record and release at some point.

Martin Templum Domini will release ‘Mankind’ on February 12 via Lion Music.

Masterplan’s new album, ‘Metalmorphosis’, will be released on May 22 via Frontiers, with the first single, ‘Chase The Light’, released on January 15.

More release ‘Destructor’ on March 6, preceded by the single ‘Spirits of War’. The album marks the final production work of Chris Tsangarides, who died in 2017.

Bill Nelson’s Orchestra Futura, featuring Theo Travis (Soft Machine) and Dave Strut (Gong), will release ‘Live at Nelsonica & Clothworkers Hall’ through Ethersounds Recordings on February 13.

Jared James Nichols releases his fourth studio album, ‘Louder Than Fate’, on June 5 via Frontiers.

Petra release their new album ‘Hope’ via GirderMusic (their first album of all new songs in over twenty years) digitally worldwide on January 5, followed by the CD release on January 12, with a vinyl edition due in March.

Pink Floyd’s 1972 ‘Live At Pompeii’ film will be released on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray through Sony Music Entertainment on February 27.

Poison The Well have announced a new album titled ‘Peace in Place’ on March 20.

Prong will release ‘Live And Uncleansed’ on March 6 via SPV/Steamhammer.

Brian May shared a “work in progress” of an unreleased Queen song, ‘Not For Sale (Polar Bear)’, on a recent special on Planet Rock. It pre-dates Queen, and was co-written by May and vocalist/bassist Tim Staffell for their band Smile. It will be featured on the upcoming ‘Queen II’ reissue due later this year.

Rush’s ‘Grace Under Pressure’ album is given expanded reissue treatment when it’s released through UMC on March 13.

Saracen release a live album ‘Crusader’ on March 20 via Escape Music.

Sevendust release their latest album ‘One’ on May 1 through Napalm Records.

Einar Solberg of Leprous has announced his second solo album, ’Vox Occulta‘, due for release on April 24.

Talking Heads’ earliest years are being covered in a new collection, ‘Tentative Decisions: Demos & Live’, due on March 6 via Rhino.

Tedeschi Trucks Band release their sixth studio album, ‘Future Soul’, on March 20 via Fantasy Records.

Thundermother release ‘Live’N’Alive’ via Napalm Records on April 17.

Tomorrow’s Outlook release their third album, ‘Black Waves’, on March 27 via Battlegod Productions (Australia).

In the studio…

Acrovbvt head back into the studio at the end of January to finish their album…Demon are currently recording new music at their studio in Penkull…Extreme are in the studio working on their seventh album…Firewind are back in the studio with vocalist Henning Basse and will release their new album BLKIIBLK/Frontiers later this year…Billy Gibbons is currently working on his next solo album as well as new music with ZZ Top…The Halo Effect will enter the studio soon to work on their third album…Iconic, whose line-up includes Nathan James, Michael Sweet & Tommy Aldridge, are working on a second album due for release later this year…Living Colour hope to finish their new album by the spring…John and Dino Elefante are working on another Mastedon album to be released later this year…Moonspell are putting the finishing touches to their first album in seven years…Napalm Death are currently demoing songs for their next album…Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice is working on a solo album…Rival Sons will enter the studio soon to start work on their next album…Terminal is a new project featuring former Tesla guitarist Tommy Skeoch, Tesla bassist Brian Wheat, former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes and original Saliva vocalist Josey Scott…Timson AOR are working on their third album with a planned release in the second half of this year…Van Halen drummer Alex van Halen is planning to enter the studio with Toto’s Steve Lukather

Single life…

Barbara’s new single ‘Father Before Me’ is released on January 28, although the band’s Patreon users are able to listen to the single earlier…Black Stone Cherry released their cover of Simple Minds’ classic ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ on January 15…Black Veil Brides release ‘Certainty’ on January 8…Def Leppard released a new single ‘Rejoice’ on January 22…The Georgia Thunderbolts have released ‘Overload’ and at the same time announced that the band is going on hiatus…The Karma Effect release ‘Dangerous Love’, the second single from their upcoming album ‘Cruel Intentions’…Neil Morse Band released ‘Hurt People’ on January 20…Sister Sin will release their first new music in 12 years, ‘Suicide Hill’, on February 3. Stryper’s Michael Sweet released ‘The Master Plan’, the title track off his forthcoming album, on January 19…Tax the Heat are back and release ‘Love Is All’ on January 9…Tyketto released ‘We Rise’ on January 20…Charlotte Wessels and her band The Obsession have released a new song ‘After Us, The Flood’…Rob Zombie released ‘(I’m a) Rock ‘N’ Roller’ on January 26

Upcoming (Gigs – UK)

Newly announced UK tours (2026 unless stated):

Black Label Society (May), Flea (KOKO London, Tue 26 May), Hollywood Vampires (Aug), Tom Morello (Brixton Academy, Mon Jun 15), OMD (Aug), Queensryche (Jun), Francis Rossi (Sep-Nov), Sister Sin + Midnite City (Jun), Skindred (Apr), Van Morrison (Apr 28 & 29 Bath Forum),

Birkenhead Punk Festival 2026 (Sat 4 & Sun 5 July) line-up includes The Ruts, Girlschool and GBH.

Upcoming (USA/ROW)

Newly announced US & European tours (2026 unless stated):

Tori Amos (US), Architects (US), Avatar (US), Behemoth + Deicide (US), Black Crowes (US), The Black Dahlia Murder (US), Blues Traveller + Gin Blossoms (US), Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening (AU), Bush + Mammoth (US), Phil Campbell & The Bastard Sons (AU), Corrosion of Conformity (US), Crowbar + Eyehategod (US), Dark Tranquillity + Soen (US), Firehouse (US), Five Finger Deathpunch (US), Flea (EU, US), Foghat + Nazareth (US), Fozzy (US), Sammy Hagar + Rick Springfield (US), Justin Hayward (US), Holy Mother (DE), In Flames (US), Tom Keifer + John Corabi (US), L.A. Guns (US), John Mellencamp (US), Men At Work + Toad the Wet Sprocket (US), Aldo Nova (US), Pallbearer (US), Queensryche (EU), Dave Lee Roth (US), Sepultura (farewell tour) + Exodus + Biohazard (US), Sevendust (US), Splitz Enz (AU), Steel Panther (US), James Taylor (US), Trixter (US), Rob Zombie + Marilyn Manson (US),

Tour updates & postponed/cancelled gigs & tours:

Angel will embark on a farewell tour later this year and finishing in 2027.

Empyre have gone on hiatus and have cancelled all their upcoming gigs, including a planned April UK tour.

Glenn Hughes has cancelled his upcoming US tour due to a ‘minor health issue’.

Due to severe illness KMFDM have been forced to postpone their previously announced European tour in February and March.

Muse have cancelled a series of concerts planned for February “due to unforeseen circumstances”. These included shows in South Africa and India.

Poison have dropped plans for a 2026 tour after frontman Bret Michaels allegedly demanded 600% more money than his bandmates.

The Rolling Stones have reportedly cancelled tentative plans to tour the UK and Europe this year.

Uriah Heep guitarist Mick Box ”has been taken ill” and will miss the start of band’s Scandinavian tour. He will be temporarily replaced by Sam Wood (Black Star Riders, Cats In Space).

The UK’s recorded music market grew for an eleventh consecutive year in 2025, according to figures from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). Overall consumption of recorded music – across both sales and streams – rose by 4.9% in 2025, reaching a new high of 210.3m albums or their streaming equivalent. The music streaming market surpassed 200bn streams for the first time in 2025, with a total of 210.3bn across the year. Streaming now accounts for a record 89.3% of music consumption in the UK. Sales of vinyl also increased for the eighteenth consecutive year, with all physical formats up 1.4% overall.

Manchester City Council created a £245,000 discretionary fund for grassroots music venues which will be administered by the Music Venue Trust. Venues across the city will receive targeted financial support early this year.

The feature film, EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, drawn from newly discovered performance, rehearsal footage, and spoken audio recordings, will debut on IMAX screens on February 20 and will open worldwide a week later on February 27.

MTV have closed down their remaining dedicated music video channels on December 31, ending with ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’ by the Buggles.

The official documentary film The Ballad of Judas Priest will get its world premiere next month at the Berlinale – Berlin International Film Festival.

Bandcamp has announced it will ban all AI music.

Record Store Day will take place on Saturday April 18.

The Ozzy Osbourne Working Class Hero exhibition in Birmingham has been extended to September due to public demand.

Bring Me The Horizon have announced a new concert film, ‘L.I.V.E. in São Paulo (Live Immersive Virtual Experiment)’. Co-directed by CiRCUS HEaD, it will be screened in cinemas worldwide for two dates only on March 25 and March 28 via Trafalgar Releasing, alongside Sony Music Vision and RCA.

Little Angels have been teasing an announcement on social media saying Big, Bad & Back on February 9. Live dates and new music could be announced on that day.

Silje Wergeland has left The Gathering who she joined in 2009.

Tailgunner have announced that guitarist Rhea Thompson won’t be playing live with the band, as she recovers from “some important and necessary care with her physical health”. for the first part of their live dates starting this month. Jara Solís will stand-in for her.

Hand of Dimes, who featured former Skin vocalist Nev Macdonald, have split-up.

Haken have announced they have parted ways with guitarist Charlie Griffiths and bassist Conner Green.

Vocalist Damian Wilson is leaving Arena at the end of this year and he will perform a final set of gigs with the band at the end of the year. Former vocalist, Sweet’s Paul Manzi, returns to the line-up.

Drummer Jay Weinberg has announced his departure from Suicidal Tendencies.

Perry Bamonte, who played guitar and keyboards for The Cure.

Jerry Kasenetz, who along with his production partner Jeffry Katz created some of the biggest-selling bubblegum hits of the 1960′s.

Manager Michael Lippman whose former clients including David Bowie and George Michael.

Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst.

Andrew Bodnar, bassist with Graham Parker and the Rumour.

Renaissance drummer Terry Sullivan.

Grateful Dead co-founder  and guitarist Bob Weir.

Former Scorpions and Michael Schenker bassist Francis Buchholz.