We Speak Rock

Black Veil Brides Bring the Vindicatour to O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester on January 15

Published

4 days ago

November 11, 2026

Black Veil Brides performing live at Rock am Ring in Germany. Photo by Sven Mandel (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Black Veil Brides bring the kind of theatrical, full production rock show their Army has waited years for to Manchester this winter, and on Friday, January 15 the Vindicatour lands at O2 Victoria Warehouse, with The Funeral Portrait and The Howling along as special guests.

The Manchester date is part of the Vindicatour UK + EU, a 29 date run that opens in Dublin on January 7, 2027 and closes in Istanbul on February 13, crossing Ireland, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey. Several dates on the run have already sold out, among them Dublin and Glasgow.

Andy Biersack and company have built one of rock’s most devoted followings on big choruses, bigger staging and a live show that treats every room like an arena. The Victoria Warehouse, a 3,500 capacity former industrial warehouse in Trafford Park operated by Academy Music Group, gives that production a raw, cavernous room to fill.

Special guests The Funeral Portrait and The Howling open the night, making it a three band bill stacked with the new generation of theatrical rock from both sides of the Atlantic.

The show is Friday, January 15, 2027 at O2 Victoria Warehouse Manchester, Trafford Wharf Road, Manchester, M17 1AB, with a 7:00 PM start. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster and the band’s site, blackveilbrides.net.

I'm a Polish-born live music photographer and writer based in Manchester, UK, specialising in rock, metal, punk and hardcore. With over 20 years of photography experience, I regularly cover concerts and festivals across the UK, capturing live performance, atmosphere, crowd energy and the character of the artists on stage. I regularly contribute photography and editorial coverage to Ramzine, with my work featured in concert reviews and live music coverage. I have also worked with other music media and promoters, covering a growing range of UK artists, venues and live events. My recent work includes coverage of major UK shows and festivals, working in challenging low-light concert environments and fast-paced live performances. I completed a photography course at the New York Institute of Photography and bring both extensive photographic experience and a strong understanding of live music culture to my work.

We Speak Rock

EMPATH, Built From Volbeat, Rising And Anti-Ritual Members, Drop Their Self-Titled Debut Album

Published

17 hours ago

November 14, 2026

We Speak Media

EMPATH's four members in a black and white portrait against a dark background

Copenhagen has a new heavy rock band with serious pedigree. EMPATH, formed by members of Volbeat, Rising and Anti-Ritual, have released their self-titled debut album today, November 13th, on Indisciplinarian — a dark and dreamy take on heavy rock built on atmosphere, melody and crushing dynamics.

EMPATH is the sound of a new, dark and dreamy heavy rock band from Copenhagen, Denmark — one that revolves around atmosphere, presence and empathy. The constellation may be new, but the four members carry solid experience from bands such as Volbeat, Rising and Anti-Ritual.

In a digital and efficiency-driven age, where humanity is increasingly giving way to mechanical coldness, EMPATH — as the name suggests — is about presence, empathy and humanity. This ethos runs like a common thread through the band’s self-titled debut album, released today, November 13th, 2026, on LP, CD, cassette and digital formats via Indisciplinarian.

Across nine songs, EMPATH blends elements of progressive metal, doom, sludge and post-rock into a sound that is as dreamy and melodic as it is heavy and riff-driven. The music was recorded live with producer Lasse Ballade (Halshug, Slægt, Eyes) at Ballade Studios in Copenhagen, with vocals tracked at Grapehouse Studios by Morten Grønnegaard. Ballade also handled mix and mastering, while the artwork was created by illustrator Jon Gotlev (Nohr).

The album was first introduced by the single “Waves,” followed by “Vessel,” both pointing toward the band’s balance of melodic clarity and dense, riff-driven weight. EMPATH plays its debut show on December 11th at Hotel Cecil in Copenhagen.

EMPATH Track Listing

1. In Absence
2. Waves
3. Vessel
4. In Formation
5. In Bloom
6. In Thought
7. In Dissent
8. In Memory
9. In Return

Before forming EMPATH, guitarist/vocalist Morten Grønnegaard played with Volbeat on the albums Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies and Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie. Bassist Christian Qvortrup played in the epic doom metal band Rising, while drummer Jakob Krogholt toured and recorded with Anti-Ritual.