MAD INVASION (FEATURING SPECIAL GUEST MIKKEY DEE) ANNOUNCE NEW SINGLE OUT NOW AND ALBUM “CRACK IN THE SKY” OUT APRIL 25

MAD INVASION (featuring special guest Mikkey Dee) release their second album “Crack In The Sky” on April 25 via Border Music. The band’s combination of classic 70’s/80’s hard rock with a contemporary sound, delivers a distinct and unique listening experience that makes them stand out in the musical landscape. The new album is a natural progression of the band’s trademark sound with the exciting addition of also being available in a concept version.

“Crack In The Sky” is masterfully crafted and refined mix of melody and destruction, with sing-along choruses and hooky guitar melodies being contrasted by crushingly heavy guitar riffs on a solid bedrock of drums and bass.

NEW ALBUM “CRACK IN THE SKY” OUT APRIL 25

PRE-ORDER HERE

MAD INVASION have so far released 5 singles/videos from the new album “Welcome To My Show”, “Voodoo Queen”, “Heat Of The Night”, “Flesh & Blood”and the title track “Crack In The Sky”. One more single/video is planned in connection with the album release (after the album release).

Says guitarist and co-producer Hal Marabel of the new album, “It took a while for us to produce this album, as we wanted to get the songs right and further develop our sound. We experimented quite a bit and continuously iterated sound versions until we were fully satisfied that we had exactly the sound that we wanted. It was quite important for us to nail down the balance between the more traditional elements of classic rock with utilizing available technology and our creativity.”

Check out this studio report going through the set up and sound approach. 

Regarding the participation of Mikkey Dee on the album, Hal continues, “It was great to have Mikkey on board for this album, his trademark style of playing added an extra dimension to the songs andfinal product, and he’s a great guy to hang out with as well – not to mention all his fun stories to his touring days with al the bands he has played with.” 

Check out Mikkey’s promo for the band and new album.

FIND MAD INVASION HERE:

• Website

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• Spotify

• YouTube

FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY - RELEASE LIVE MUSIC VIDEO FOR 'LOWER PURPOSE' + 2025 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR WILL KICK OFF ON APRIL 8TH!

Metal band FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY released their latest offering, The Nothing That Is, last fall. The seventh studio album which featured the singles 'Hostage', 'Savior Of None / Ashes Of All', 'Lower Purpose', and 'Red Horizon', explores the darkest aspects of the human condition. Today, the band unveils the live music video for the track 'Lower Purpose'. Watch the video which was filmed and edited by Cameron Nunez, below.

Stream/purchase the album at https://ffaa.bfan.link/the-nothing-that-is

FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY is kicking off their 2025 North American tour on April 8th! The 31-date trek includes dates with ARCH ENEMY on their 'North American Blood Dynasty 2025 tour' with BAEST and THROWN INTO EXILE, as well as headline shows with MUGSHOT, TRACHEOTOMY, and GATES TO HELL.

Tickets for all upcoming shows are available now. For additional information, visit: https://fitforanautopsy.co/pages/tour

04.08 Louisville, KY @ Portal ^
04.09 St. Louis, MO @ Red Flag ^
04.10 Oklahoma City, OK @ Beer City Music Hall ^
04.11 Lubbock, TX @ Jake's Sports Cafe ^
04.12 Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater ^
04.14 San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park ~ 
04.15 Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern ~ 
04.16 San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom ~ 
04.18 Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater ~ 
04.19 Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo ~ 
04.20 Vancouver, BC @ The Pearl ~ 
04.22 Edmonton, AB @ Union Hall ~ 
04.23 Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall ~ 
04.25 Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex ~ 
04.26 Denver, CO @ Summit ~ 
04.28 Minneapolis, MN @ The Fillmore Minneapolis ~ 
04.29 Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theatre ~ 
04.30 Detroit, MI @ The Majestic Theatre ~ 
05.02 New York, NY @ Palladium Times Square ~ 
05.03 Worcester, MA @ The Palladium ~ 
05.05 Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of The Living Arts ~ 
05.06 Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring ~ 
05.08 Montreal, QC @ L'Olympia ~
05.09 Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre ~ 
05.10 Stroudsburg, PA @ The Sherman Theater ~ 
05.11 Columbus, OH @ Sonic Temple #
05/12 Virginia Beach @Elevation 27^
05.13 Charlotte, NC @ The Underground ~ 
05/14 Madison, TN @ Eastside Bowl *
05.16 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade ^
05.18 Daytona, FL @ Welcome To Rockville #

~ - w/ ARCH ENEMY, BAEST, THROWN INTO EXILE
^ - w/- MUGSHOT, TRACHEOTOMY
*- w/- GATES TO HELL, MUGSHOT, TRACHEOTOMY
#- w/- FESTIVAL DATES

About:
FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY’s acclaimed 2022 album On What the Future Holds was the band’s highest-charting release to date, becoming the first of their six full-lengths to reach the Top 25 of the Billboard 200. But while some musicians would take such an achievement as a cue to duplicate whatever worked last time, or maybe even tailor their sound to boost its commercial appeal, the band—vocalist Joe Badolato, guitarists Will Putney, Patrick Sheridan, and Tim Howley, bassist Peter Spinazola, and drummer Josean Orta—simply continued to evolve along their own path. The Nothing That Is, FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY’s seventh and latest album (and third for Nuclear Blast), bears no sign whatsoever of commercial concession or rehashed past glories. Instead, the ten-song album finds the band exploring moodier textures and deeper emotions that add new power and dynamics to their already brutal and complex music, while also completely tuning out the ambient noise of passing musical trends and the expectations of the outside world. Produced by Putney at his Graphic Nature Audio studio in Kinnelon, New Jersey, The Nothing That Is is an album filled with anger, frustration, and crushing despair. Songs like "Hostage", "Red Horizon", "Lower Purpose", and the pummeling title track grapple with the horrors that the human race has unnecessarily inflicted upon the world, while the epic, introspective closer "The Silver Sun" reflects bitterly upon our uncertain future. Built to be listened to in its entirety in a single sitting, The Nothing That Is flows like the gripping soundtrack to a documentary film of our increasingly dystopian existence. A ringing wake-up call for humanity and a thoroughly intense listening experience, The Nothing That Is brims with both aggression and melody, it's bracing music is delivered with the confidence of a band that has honed its skills and forged its sense of purpose through fifteen-plus years of all-out live shows. Sufficiently secure of their place in the metal firmament to let their music go wherever feels right for a particular song, FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY have delivered what may well be the greatest album of their career.

FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY ARE:
Joseph Badolato | Vocals
Patrick Sheridan | Guitar
Timothy Howley | Guitar
Will Putney | Guitar
Peter Blue Spinazola | Bass
Josean Orta Martinez | Drums

GREYWIND Begins a New Chapter for 2025 with Emo Anthem "Acid Rain" + Music Video

The next chapter of Irish brother-sister duo GREYWIND begins now. Today, Steph and Paul O’Sullivan mark a bold new era with the release of their first single under FLG, the cinematic emo anthem "Acid Rain." A pulse-pounding, melody-driven powerhouse, this track is destined to ignite crowds while purging a few demons along the way. The new single is accompanied by a music video, available to view below.

Steph comments on "Acid Rain":

“This song is about being in a toxic situation and feeling like everything is crashing down around you, which we know all too much about.”

Paul adds:

“As soon as we finished writing ‘Acid Rain,’ we knew it had to be the first song to start the new era of GREYWIND. It’s cinematic, dramatic, and has everything we love about music in it. We wanted it to feel like a movie and you’re now in our world.” 

Watch the Music Video for "Acid Rain"

Inspired by great emo pop originators like Jimmy Eat World, Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance, GREYWIND are on a mission to bring the genre into the future with an insatiable energy and armed with a never-ending supply of hooks. The duo’s flair for the dramatic and knack for an earworm melody is seeing them build their own musical world, to which they’re inviting their dedicated following, along with any unsuspecting listener lucky enough to arrive at the doors of their universe. 

GREYWIND’s poignantly visceral ‘Antidote’ EP was released last year via Version III and acted as a stepping stone from their debut album, ‘Afterthoughts’ released in 2017 via Spinefarm, to this new era. The EP was jointly produced by Sam Guaiana (Neck Deep, Silverstein, Like Pacific, Intervals) and The Wonder Years guitarist Casey Cavaliere. It was mastered by Mike Kalajian (Saosin, New Found Glory, Circa Survive). Singles from the EP received praise from the likes of Kerrang!, Brooklyn Vegan and Hot Press, as well as spins on BBC Radio 1 and Kerrang! Radio. 

Recently seen live in the UK with the likes of The Wonder Years, Madina Lake and As December Falls, GREYWIND are also making a splash internationally, having toured the US multiple times last year with Tiny Moving Parts, 408, Boys of Fall and Telltale. 

H.E.A.T Release Video for "Running to You"

With just three weeks to go until their new album Welcome to the Future is released, hard rock sensation H.E.A.T unleash their latest powerful anthem."

Running to You" – the newest single from the upcoming record — arrives alongside an explosive music video.

Listen to the new track "Running to You" here.

Watch the new video below.

A euphoric ode to relentless passion, "Running to You" is another instant classic from a band firing on all cylinders. Once again, the band has teamed up with acclaimed director Patric Ullaeus (Europe, Arch Enemy, Children of Bodom) to deliver a music video that perfectly captures the relentless, in-your-face, '80s metal fury that's as raw and unapologetic as only H.E.A.T can deliver.

With Welcome to the Future set for release on April 25 via earMUSIC, the album is already receiving high praise.

International music press reviews have given the album a perfect 10/10, with the album being called H.E.A.T's "strongest album to date" (Hardline), described as "fresh as never before" (Classic Rock), and reassuring the world that "the future of rock music is in safe hands" (Powerplay).

Welcome to the Future is available for pre-order now in multiple formats: CD Jewelcase, black vinyl, limited-edition Neon Orange vinyl, and digital.

Access the new album here.

PHOTO CREDIT: Marcel Karlsson

OBSIDIAN TONGUE Announces New Full-Length, Shares First Single, ”Orphaned Spiritual Warrior”

Progressive black metal duo OBSIDIAN TONGUE will be releasing their fourth full-length album, 'Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn,' on May 30, 2025 via Profound Lore Records! To celebrate the forthcoming opus, the band is now sharing the devastating new single, "Orphaned Spiritual Warrior," which can be heard below.

Comprised of multi-instrumentalist Brendan Hayter (Thrawsunblat/Obsequiae live) and drummer Raymond Capizzo (Falls Of Rauros/Panopticon live), OBSIDIAN TONGUE returned to the all-analog Mystic Valley Studio, where their first two records were made, to print their Covid-era home sessions onto two-inch tape. Mixed and mastered in the analog domain as well by Alex Garcia-Rivera, 'Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn' boasts a unique and unmistakable sonic force amidst the modern digital landscape; created with a total absence of click tracks, quantization, or sound replacement of any kind. 

Hayter comments on the single, "The first track we arranged for 'Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn' practically named itself - 'Orphaned Spiritual Warrior.' It was clearly an album opener, as complex and chaotic as it is.

"It felt like being dropped into a new world you knew you didn’t belong in - and everyone and everything around you knows it too. You vaguely remember that you came from somewhere else, that you had a dignified purpose there, and that there were people way beyond this place that understood you…but the worst part is you don’t know if they’re looking for you, if they’re trying to get you back. All you know is a sense of abandon and mortal danger…every step is heavy with some sort of impostor syndrome and every movement feels uncoordinated, jagged, and bound for disaster. You once could fight, but in this place it feels like trying to fight off an attacker in a dream and you can’t make contact or move your arm fast enough no matter how hard you try. All there’s left to do is find some sort of shelter, try to find your center, try to unlock the memories, and fight off the strife. 'Set ablaze this world to pass onto the next.'"

'Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn' can now be pre-ordered HERE.

Lauded as USBM’s best kept secret, Obsidian Tongue has been on a steadfast artistic journey since their formation in 2009. They’ve never failed to retain the original mission of playing raw and cathartic melodic black metal as they journeyed further into psychedelic and progressive territories with each release following 2012’s self-released debut 'Subradiant Architecture.' While their debut won a passionate following for its perfect union of the grimy and the epic sides of black metal, it was 2013’s 'A Nest of Ravens in the Throat of Time' (Hypnotic Dirge Records) and its psychedelic dark metal that established their name more into the scene and showcased their ambitious nature even more.

2015’s 15-minute single 'The Lakeside Redemption,' with its progressive, haunting, dreamlike and triumphant elements, set the groundwork for their third full length, which took several years of tireless effort to complete. Released in Jan of 2020, 'Volume III' (Bindrune Recordings) was clearly the band’s magnum opus but all plans to support the album on the road became thwarted due to the pandemic. So all there was left to do was write even more music. This gradually led to a creation of not one, but three works: the first being 2024’s much-delayed self-released digital EP 'The Stone Heart' and the second being their fourth full-length album 'Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn' to be released via Profound Lore Records on May 30, 2025. 

In the summer of 2024, Obsidian Tongue, comprised of vocalist/guitarist/bassist Brendan Hayter (Thrawsunblat/Obsequiae live) and drummer Raymond Capizzo (Falls Of Rauros/Panopticon live) returned to the all-analog Mystic Valley Studio, where their first two records were made, to print their Covid-era home sessions onto two-inch tape. Mixed and mastered in the analog domain as well by Alex Garcia-Rivera, 'Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn' boasts a unique and unmistakable sonic force amidst the modern digital landscape; created with a total absence of click tracks, quantization, or sound replacement of any kind. 

The progressive black metal journey that is 'Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn' takes off immediately with the wrathful sounds of “Orphaned Spiritual Warrior” and “Snakeskin Tunnel Colony,” easily the band’s two heaviest tracks to date. These flow directly into the apocalyptic title track, and onto the vulnerable and surreal sounds of “To Forgive Oneself” leading into the acoustic instrumental “…And Still They Dream.” This dream ends with the triumphant “Theater of Smoke & Wind,” a true psychedelic black metal classic that still evokes some of the original feeling found on the band’s 'Subradiant Architecture' debut.

Sixteen years into the band’s existence, Obsidian Tongue clearly show no signs of running out of new ways to alter their sound - song by song, album by album.

Lineup:

Brendan Hayter - Guitar, Vocals, Bass, Synth

Raymond Capizzo - Drums

Recorded @ Mystic Valley Studio

Mixed & Mastered by Alex Garcia-Rivera

Photos by: Stephanie Sintra

Pre-Orders: https://linktr.ee/obsidiantongue

Recommended for Fans Of: Agalloch, Blut Aus Nord, Dødheimsgard, Wolves in the Throne Room

Links:

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Facebook

Apple Music

Spotify

Bandcamp

Rise Above Relics Announces An Exciting Release! Compilation Album 'Yeah Man, It’s Bloody Heavy!!"

Certain ideas in life seem great in principle, though having the time, dedication, and perseverance to bring them to fruition, often renders them left well alone.

If Rise Above Relics had subscribed to that way of thinking, then this Incredible compilation of brain-mincing, hard 'n' heavy sounds from the golden era of the late 60s/early 70s of sub-underground British rock would simply not exist.

The mission was to pull together the heaviest and nastiest sounding unreleased recordings by the most obscure UK bands they could track down after seeing their names listed in the back pages of 1970s music weeklies, old flyers, posters, fanzines, thank you lists, etc. With often just a name to go on, hundreds of hours were spent (often fruitlessly) trying to track down likely candidates.

Of course, finding the bands was often only the start, as to get a useable track relied upon a kindly band member trusting their unique artifacts to a crazy record label they barely knew. Even after this, many of the acetates required microscopic surgery to fix an annoying skip, and all the reel-to-reel tapes used required careful baking to avert the dreaded 'sticky-shed syndrome'.

However, the results speak for themselves: ‘Yeah Man, It’s Bloody Heavy’ is simply the coolest, most unique and uncompromising collection of heavy UK nuggets ever to be released.

But Rise Above Relics isn't done yet; this is just the first volume of a major new series. And remember, sons and daughters of the mighty Sabbath: always keep it BLOODY HEAVY!!

Watch a Sampler for 'Yeah Man, It's Bloody Heavy!!'

'Yeah Man, It's Bloody Heavy' is a collection of extremely obscure but equally amazing tracks from the true underground of early 70s British HEAVY Rock. A time when Black Sabbath were kings of the scene. Compiled and curated by Lee Dorrian and collector friend Austin Matthews for Rise Above Relics, only two of these tracks have been previously released (on very low-key CD releases), the rest are completely unknown.

The CD version includes a detailed booklet, and the heavyweight vinyl includes an insert as well.

Check Out Crimson Earth's "Heathen Woman" from 1972 HERE

WEDNESDAY 13 Drops Ghoulish Music Video for New Single "In Misery"

Currently hitting venues across North America on his "There's No Such Thing As Monsters" tour celebrating 20 years of Transylvania 90210, world-renowned fearsome frontman WEDNESDAY 13 returns with the second single cut from his new full-length album, Mid Death Crisis, set to drop on April 25 via Napalm Records.

Following acclaimed, ultra-catchy latest single "When The Devil Commands," brand new second single "In Misery" is a spooky rager, scratching the itch of both goth-punk and sleaze metal while deftly ebbing and flowing amid heavy genre influences and an earworm hook!

WEDNESDAY 13 comments about "In Misery":

"There are too many love songs out there about people confessing their love to one another. I wanted to do the exact opposite, and confess the misery of being in a bad relationship. Hopelessly, madly in misery with someone. I see it every day, people miserable together. I see it almost as much as I see people happily together. Some people enjoy misery, and this song is about enjoying that misery as much as someone in love."

Watch the "In Misery" Music Video

After returning in 2022 with his widely-acclaimed full-length album Horrifier (#8 US Top New Artist Albums), as well as several major tours supporting his solo work and celebrated Murderdolls reunion shows, the Duke of Spook is back with Mid Death Crisis! WEDNESDAY 13 dubs the album as a fun, campy, "leave-your-brain-at-the-door" rager and a true return to his hard-rocking roots! Produced by guitarist Alex Kane (Life, Sex & Death, Enuff Z'Nuff, Antiproduct) and mixed by Steve Evetts (The Dillinger Escape Plan, Prong, DevilDriver) the album oozes infectious 80s sleaze metal energy.

Eerie introductory track "There's No Such Thing As Monsters" vibrates with electricity before industrial-tinged "Decease and Desist" kicks in full blast.WEDNESDAY 13's trademark crooning wastes no time entering the fold as he careens through the high-octane horror anthem, before tracks like "Rotting Away" and "Blood Storm" ensnare with metallic goth-punk energy that will have crowds moving wall to wall. Featuring Faster Pussycat's Taime Downe on guest vocals, standout heavy rocker "No Apologies" is a fast-romping exorcism of toxic demons, while the triumphant mini-murder ballad "Decapitation" riles up listeners with a catchy lead riff before making a hard left into a theatrical bridge straight out of a sinister '60s sock hop! Ragers like "In Misery," "Xanaxtasy" and "Sick and Violent" explore various genres of metal, injecting the album with elements of gripping heaviness for any listener, while downtempo stunners "I Hurt You" and "My Funeral" approach a more pensive territory. 

Although its title, Mid Death Crisis, may suggest otherwise, the Duke of Spook shows zero signs of stopping on this refreshingly powerful and multi-faceted entry into the WEDNESDAY 13 hall of horrific history!

Pre-Order Mid Death Crisis here.

The North American "There's No Such Thing As Monsters" tour kicks off Friday, March 14 in Las Vegas, NV. The tour celebrates 20 years of Transylvania 90210and will include a "best of" Murderdolls set! 

See below for all tour dates, including the following UK/EU "Summer Blood Storm" headline run.

WEDNESDAY 13 ON TOUR:
WITH STITCHED UP HEART, DEAD RABBITS, + I YA TOYAH:
3/28—San Antonio, TX—Paper Tiger
3/29—Dallas, TX—Trees
3/30—Houston, TX—Warehouse Live
4/01—Birmingham, AL—Saturn
4/02—Knoxville, TN—Open Chord
4/04—Atlanta, GA—The Loft—Centerstage
4/05—Raleigh, NC—Chapel Of Bones
4/06—Greenville, SC—Radio Room
4/08—Baltimore, MD—Zen West
4/09—Leesburg, VA—Tally Ho
4/10—Sayreville, NJ—Starland Ballroom
4/12—Hampton Beach, NH—Wallys
4/13—Montreal, QC—Foufounes Electrique
4/15—Toronto, ON—Lee's Palace
4/16—Buffalo, NY—Rec Room
4/18—New York, NY—The Gramercy
4/19—Stroudsburg, PA—Sherman Theater
4/20—Lititz, PA—Mickey's Black Box
4/22—Pittsburgh, PA—Crafthouse
4/23—Cleveland, OH—Mercury
4/25—Columbus, OH—The Kings Of Clubs
4/26—Flint, MI—Machine Shop
4/27—Cadillac, MI—Venue Event Center
4/29—Joliet, IL—The Forge
4/30—Madison, WI—The Annex
5/2—Denver, CO—Oriental Theater
5/3—Colorado Springs, CO—Black Sheep

WEDNESDAY 13 IS:
Wednesday 13 — Lead Vocals + Guitar
Jack Tankersley — Guitar
Troy Doebbler — Bass
Mike Dupke — Drums
Ashes — Lead Guitar

Doom Legends CANDLEMASS Reveal Heavy Title Track From New EP "Black Star"

Grammy-nominated doom pioneers CANDLEMASS have unveiled the title track of their upcoming EP, Black Star, out May 9 via Napalm Records! The EP impressively marks the 40th anniversary of the legendary band. 

"Black Star" seamlessly merges haunting melodies with deeply introspective lyrics, brought to life by the inimitable voice of Johan Längqvist. Written by genre-defying mastermind Leif Edling, it delves into themes of existential struggle, temptation, and the allure of darkness — an intense atmosphere imbued with Candlemass' signature sound. The single arrives with a dark, atmospheric music video.

Place your pre-orders on the new EP now and check out the video below!

Candlemass comments, "'Black Star' is the big heavy track. Contains a bit of everything, Melodic verse, monolithic riff, up-tempo Sabbathy mid part, grand ending a la Rainbow!."

Watch the official music video for "Black Star".

Swedish godfathers of epic doom Candlemass honor their 40th anniversary of pioneering the genre with a four-track EP, Black Star. Packed with canyon-deep riffs, the genre-defying band unveils two brand-new songs alongside two cover versions of timeless classics.

Following the title track, the second original song, "Corridors Of Chaos," marks a true old school instrumental containing both classic metal riffing and stunning guitar playing by Lars Johansson, showcasing the band's mastery of dynamics. Adding to this tribute, Candlemass delivers a cover of Black Sabbath's iconic "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath," taking listeners back to 1973. This is followed by their rendition of Pentagram's classic "Forever My Queen," further cementing Candlemass' remarkable contribution to shaping the genre into what it is today.


Black Star will be available in the following formats:
*1LP Gatefold BLACK ORANGE SPLATTER (incl. vinyl booklet (12pp), A3 poster, tote bag) – Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive, strictly limited to 400 copies
*1LP Gatefold BLACK
*1CD Digisleeve
*Digital Album

More info about Candlemass on tour in Europe here. 

CANDLEMASS ARE:
Johan Länquist — Vocals
Lars Johansson — Lead Guitar
Mappe Björkman — Rhythm Guitar
Leif Edling — Bass
Janne Lind — Drums

CHANGELING Releases Explosive Title Track from Debut Album

Fretless guitar visionary Tom “Fountainhead” Geldschläger is known for his work in Obscura’s Akróasis era, his live work with Defeated Sanity, Belphegor and many others. Now, he's spearheading his very own project: Changeling.

Together with core band members Morean (Alkaloid, Dark Fortress), Arran McSporran (Virvum, Vipassi) & Mike Heller (ex-Fear Factory, Malignancy), Changeling stands at the forefront of a new era for progressive death metal. Following the release of their debut album’s first two singles - the impossibly heavy "Abyss" and the blistering psychadelic melodies of "Falling in Circles"  - today, they're releasing its reality-warping, seven-minute epic of a title track.
 

Watch the visualizer for "Changeling" below.

Changeling is out April 25th via Season of Mist.

Pre-order & Pre-save here

https://orcd.co/changelingchangeling
 

Can't wait for Changeling? Listen to the debut album two weeks before it comes out. Join the Bandcamp Listening Party and chat with Tom Fountainhead while listening to all 10 transformative tracks.

Changeling Bandcamp Listening Party
Thursday, April 10 @ 1 pm Eastern Time 

RSVP
https://changelingofficial.bandcamp.com/ 

The title track serves as the turning point in Changeling's psychedelic narrative. Inspired by Lovecraftian horror, existential philosophy, and the bizarre hallucinations of a consciousness torn apart, its progressive structure mirrors the chaotic beauty of the lyrics, pulling you into an unsettling yet mesmerizing new dimension through the use of microtonal synthesizers, ritualistic vocals, oriental percussion and a full choir.

“Void and vengeance shall beget
A child from below
A changeling of clandestine soul
Comes usurping the holiest of hearts
And no one shall know”

Morean sings as an intricate-but-catchy fusion of progressive death metal, avant-garde jazz, and world music weave into a surreal and immersive tapestry. The dissonant harmonies distort reality, producing an eerie and unsettling atmosphere.

“This song came from a few musical themes that I had written on the oud", Geldschläger explains. "From those few humble notes, it turned into quite the monster - a monster where I think everybody in the core band shines equally. At that point in the album's story, we're beginning to take the frame-work of tech/prog death metal into uncharted territory, so it seemed appropriate to give this song a unique, winding structure where a shorter pumping mid-tempo banger is book-ended by intensely psychedelic blast-beat driven parts that are building towards a quasi-black metal frenzy at the end. It also has some of my favorite Morean lyrics of all time. Not only does he paint a vivid picture of a strange, unfamiliar dimension through his signature wordplay. He also quite literally takes us there in the song's mid-section breakdown, were we envisioned a strange jungle ritual evoking some dark cosmic entity, somewhere between Lovecraft and Peter Jackson's King Kong.

And, as usual, the man took it to another level by adding a multitude of eery, slithering voices, which make the song feel almost like it's breathing. Oh, and this piece also has some of my favorite RIFFS (in capital letters) that I've ever written, as well as some quite extreme guitar shenanigans that I called 'layers of cosmic horror' during production. Get out your best headphones for this one!”

The visualizer for Changeling was created by Martin Matiasovic aka Shaped in Dreams (@martinmatiasovic)

Changeling blends progressive metal, death metal, jazz-fusion, world music and complex orchestration into an hour-long submersion into the subconscious. Players from around the world can follow Tom Fountainhead's lead with a new series of Changeling transcription books. Tom wrote the approx. 500 page guitar transcription book himself, while core bandmate Arran McSporran transcribed the 75 page edition for bass. 

Both the guitar and bass transcription books will come out alongside the album on April 25th. The massive complete transcription book - which includes guitar, bass, drums (transcribed by Fenix Gayed), orchestral arrangements, vocals, lyrics and detailed liner notes from Tom - will come out on May 23rd, the same day as the Dolby Atmos mix of Changeling.

Each transcription book will be available both as a physical book and digitally through Guitar Pro or as a PDF. All physical copies will be personally signed and include a free download of the digital version.

Pre-order: https://changelingmerch.bigcartel.com/

In a significant development in early 2024, Fountainhead, now branded under the name CHANGELING for his new project and album, signed with the label Season of Mist. This venture marks a new chapter in Tom’s career, amplifying his visionary approach to music. Accompanied by an all-star band featuring members from Fear Factory, Alkaloid, and Virvum, the project Changeling showcases a 60-minute concept album that takes all aspects of Tom’s artistry to new heights.

The album, sharing its name with the project, blends progressive metal, death metal, jazz/fusion, and world music, enriched with complex orchestrations by a 50-piece ensemble of guest musicians. It includes the eagerly anticipated “Part 2” to his renowned composition “Weltseele,” an orchestral metal epic from Obscura’s billboard-chart-entering “Akroasis” album, which broadly introduced Fountainhead to the metal community in 2016.

Core Lineup:
Tom Fountainhead (ex-Obscura, Amogh Symphony, Belphegor, Defeated Sanity) - Fretted & fretless electric & acoustic guitars, oud, keyboards, composition and arrangements.
Mike Heller (ex-Fear Factory, Malignancy, Raven) - Drums.
Arran McSporran (Vipassi, Virvum) -  Fretless bass.
Morean (Alkaloid, Dark Fortress) - Lead vocals & lyrics.

Guest Musicians:
Bill Hudson (Trans-siberian Orchestra, Doro, I am Morbid) - Guest guitar solo
Jason Gobel (ex-Cynic, ex-Monstrosity)- Guest guitar solo
Andy Laroque (ex-Death, King Diamond) - Guest guitar solo
Yatziv Caspi (ex-Orphaned Land) - Tabla, hangdrum, dabouka, riq & shakers
Ally Storch (Subway To Sally)- Violins, viola & cello
James Dorton (The Faceless, NeObliviscaris, Black Crown Initate) - Spoken words
Alexander Kerski (Vianova)- Backing & harmony vocals
Matthias Alexander Preisinger - Piano and glockenspiel, violins & viola
Martin Matiasovic - Horns & Wagnerian Tube
Jan Ferdinand - Vibraphone & marimba
Chris Rützel - Flutes
Ivar Ludvig Nitzler - Cello
Shiho Murano - Tuba
Juliane Erding - Wagnerian tube & horn
Eduard Cortez - Wagnerian tube & horn
Tillmann Schulz  - Wagnerian tube & horn
Ava Bonam - Female vocals
Moran Magal - Piano
Cydney McQuillan-Grace, Lauren Gill, Shannon Bedford, Sara Robalo; Tenor and Bari - Ben Francis, John Schaffer,  Alice Williams, Cyd McQuillan-Grace; Alto - Lauren Gill, Sara Robalo; Tenor and Bass - James Schouten & John Schaffer - Choir vocals
Krassimir Jossifov - Trumpet
Brandt Attema - Trombones & bass trombones
Kristian Petkov - Bassoon
Stefan Prost - Church organ
Seonghyeon Park - Clarinet
Arnfried Falk - Oboe
Rouven Haliti - Upright bass
Dalai Cellai - Cello

Recording Studio:
FountainheadHQ, Hellersounds, Saforill, Klanghafen, Landesmusikakademie Berlin, Musikhochschule Carl-Maria-Von-Weber, Muziek Studio Beeld, Sonictrain.

Production Credits:
Produced & Engineered by Tom Fountainhead.
Mixed by Tom Fountainhead at FountainheadHQ.
Mastered by Leon Schmidt at his home studio & FountainheadHQ.

Cover Art:
Aaron Pinto (Gutslit) / KidSquidy
 
Photography:
Alexander Kerski / Comicsans_ultra

Pre-save & Pre-order: https://orcd.co/changelingchangeling
 

Follow Fountainhead & Changeling:
Website:http://www.thefountainhead.de
Facebook:http://facebook.com/tomfountainheadgeldschlaeger
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/changeling.official
Bandcamp:https://changelingofficial.bandcamp.com/
YouTube:http://www.youtube.com/fountainheadtv
Apple Music:https://music.apple.com/artist/changeling/294821510
Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/4MbRUvwQcEBzryOhWMHkvV

Booking Contact:
Tom Fountainhead
thefountainhead@gmx.net

Available Formats:
Digital Download
CD Digipak
2x12" Coloured Vinyl Gatefold - Crystal Clear w/ Red Splatters
2x12" Coloured Vinyl Gatefold - White w/ Red Splatters

Archetypes Collide Drop Lyric Video for New Single "The Problem"

Arizona rock band ARCHETYPES COLLIDE — Kyle Pastor (vocals), Brandon Baker and Jared Knister (guitars), Ky Sanders (bass), and Tyler Flamm(drums) — quickly established themselves as a band unafraid to blur the lines between safety and innovation in heavy music. In their songs, soaring vocals, melodies, and heavy grooves swirl with passion and precision. They closed out 2024 by releasing the single "Hollow High." Watch the visualizer here.

They have released the lyric video for the new single "The Problem."

Watch it Below.

On "The Problem," the band has cranked the knobs as far as they can go It's powered by a gnarly riff that comes roaring from the '00s heavy music heyday. But while the song takes inspo from that era, this ain't no retro banger. Archetypes Collide have crafted a contemporary hard rock anthem with furious screams, layered and emotive vocal melodies, and killer, head-nodding choruses. "The Problem" is the logical next step for Archetypes Collide, who are poised to cut their own path in this genre.

"Setting boundaries, putting up walls, cutting off relationships," says Pastor. "It's an unfortunate reality we all have to deal with. But all too often people abuse these habits in the name of 'protecting their peace,' instead of taking responsibility for their actions. I wrote 'The Problem' after having to deal with this head on."

Archetypes Collide are touring the U.S. this spring in support of Fame on Fire and Haloescene. All dates are below.

ARCHETYPES COLLIDE ON TOUR:
WITH FAME ON FIRE + HALOSCENE:
4/1 — Baltimore, MD — Baltimore Soundstage
4/2 — New York, NY — Gramercy Theatre
4/3 — Philadelphia, PA — Brooklyn Bowl
4/5 — Worcester, MA — The Palladium Upstairs
4/6 — Richmond, VA — Amos' Southend
4/7 — Atlanta, GA — The Masquerade Hell
4/11 — Jacksonville, FL — Jack Rabbits Live
4/12 — Orlando, FL — The Beacham
4/13 — Houston, TX — Scout Bar
4/14 — Dallas, TX — Gas Monkey Bar N Grill
4/18 — Phoenix, AZ — Nile Theater
4/19 — Anaheim, CA — The Parish at House of Blues
4/20 — San Diego, CA — House of Blues
4/22 — Sacramento, CA — Goldfield Trading Post
4/23 — Portland, OR — Hawthorne Theatre
4/24 — Seattle, WA — El Corazon
4/25 — Salt Lake City, UT — The Complex
4/26 — Denver, CO — The Marquis Theater
4/29 — Lawrence, KS — Granada Theatre
5/3 — Omaha, NE — The Waiting Room
5/4 — St. Paul, MN — Amsterdam Bar & Hall
5/5 — Chicago, IL — Bottom Lounge
5/8 — Flint, MI — The Machine Shop

ABOUT ARCHETYPES COLLIDE:
ARCHETYPES COLLIDE demand repeated listening, mixing everything from Linkin Park and Bring Me The Horizon to The Chainsmokers, and Stranger Things-style retro synths, into a unique musical identity. A collection of singles and EPs drew a devoted fanbase and the attention of Oshie Bichar, bassist for Beartooth. Bichar enlisted his management, and the pair took Archetypes Collide under their wing. Soon after, SiriusXM's Octane got behind songs like "Your Misery," "Becoming What I Hate," and "Above It All." The band appeared on major festivals like Aftershock, Louder Than Life, and Welcome To Rockville, toured with genre giants The Amity Affliction, and crafted an ambitious self-titled debut album for Fearless Records. Archetypes Collide spent several weeks in the first part of 2022 making their inaugural full-length, with a super team surrounding them to execute their vision. Bichar produced alongside Nick Ingram (Dayseeker, Convictions, Hawthorne Heights) at Capital House Studio in Ohio. Additional production came from Jon Eberhard (Skillet, I Prevail, Until I Wake); The Plot In You frontman Landon Tewers lent a creative hand as well. The resulting album, mixed by Jeff Dunne (Ice Nine Kills, Wage War, Make Them Suffer), captures the vibrant spirit of the 2010s-era Warped Tour with a postmodern edge. It's a diverse but singular mission statement, brimming with authenticity and hope. ARCHETYPES COLLIDE aren't bound by preconceived notions or limitations. As single Kyle Pastor explains simply: "Why not take every shot, in every direction, under the umbrella of hard rock and metal?"

W.A.S.P. Release the Lyric Video for Paint It Black. Announce Sold Out Shows Across Europe

W.A.S.P. announce the release of the lyric video for Paint It Black, taken from the digital release of Bonus Tracks & B-Sides from the W.A.S.P. The 7 Savage boxset.

Watch W.A.S.P. Paint It Black Below.

Purchase or stream the digital release of Bonus Tracks & B-Sides - https://orcd.co/wasp_bonus_listen
 
BraveWords, Sleaze Roxx, Metal Insider and The Metal Voice all picked the W.A.S.P. Album ONE Alive tour as one of the best tours in 2024. W.A.S.P. are bringing the Album ONE Alive tour to South America, Europe and the UK in 2025. Dates and tickets are available at WASPnation.com/tour

About W.A.S.P.
Few Bands in the history of Rock N’ Roll have ever incited the love, the hate, the raw emotional effect this Band has had on the world. From the very beginning, in the small venues of Los Angeles California, and later to the numerous countries worldwide that banned these Winged Assassins from performing live, the Band’s unique style of Shock and Rock caused Religious organizations, Local City Councils, Parliaments, and the Washington D.C. Senate to hold hearings in an effort to bar this group from selling records and trashing stages everywhere they played.

The band’s founding member, frontman Blackie Lawless, has led the group as its lead vocalist and primary songwriter since its beginning. His unique brand of visual, social and political comment took the group to worldwide heights and sold millions of records alongside a legacy of sold out shows across the globe for 4 decades.

https://www.waspnation.com
https://www.facebook.com/W.A.S.P.Nation
https://twitter.com/waspofficial
https://instagram.com/waspnationofficial
https://youtube.com/@WASPNationOfficial
https://www.tiktok.com/@waspnationofficial
https://www.bandsintown.com/a/7553

Chicago's Push Puppets presents 'This Whole Endeavor' + fab video for 'All Together on 3', previewing fourth album

Melodic indie pop-rock outfit Push Puppets presents 'This Whole Endeavor', the second single from their new long-play album 'Tethered Together', as well as a wonderful new video for the cinematic 'All Together On 3', produced by Scott Thiele and Sebastian Gonzales, and edited by Daniele Arcuri. Both sonic gems preview their fourth record, out on May 16 via Flowering Tree Music. 

Based in Chicago, Push Puppets is the creative outlet for singer-songwriter and guitarist Erich Specht. The five-piece creates songs with earworm melodies and shiny production that belie often bittersweet sentiments. Specht (lead vocals, guitar) is joined by a core of Steve Frisbie (backup vocals, guitar), Kyle Magnusson (keyboards), John William Lauler (bass) and Greg Essig (drums). 

Most songs on this album also involve a string quartet, with a horn section on one. We see the quartet's impeccable performance in the video for 'All Together On 3', with Stephanie “Sly” Young on violin, Katherine Andrick on viola, Molly Rife on cello and Kelly Jozwiak on violin (note: Janis Sakai performs in the audio recording).

Its timeless quality and melancholic reflection take us on a sonic trip that is as stimulating as it is emotionally resonant. A moody and musically progressive song about how we’re stronger when we work together, it builds to a cathartic reprise of live strings and harpsichord with a desperate vocal crying for a helping hand as violins punctuate the lines with elegance.

The latest single This Whole Endeavor', a rocker about a relationship that has ended, draws you in with an instantly memorable piano hook. Describing the ebb and flow of a relationship with flowing lyrics, this is sincere yet engaging, the song's reflective bridge and breakdown followed by a driving finale. With the first verse noting love at first sight at a bar - somewhat foreteling the outcome - the story takes a turn and ends in disarray, the author ultimately wishing it was she with him in bed rather than his dog.

"I get a kick out of referring to love at first sight as ‘a trainwreck just about to happen’.  My Pete Townshend fandom might be apparent in this one between the 70s synth phrases and guitar smacks,” says Erich Specht.  “As much as I hate to admit it, after reflecting on the lyrics, it seems clear that this song is somewhat about the relationship with my ex-wife".

The 'Tethered Together' album is graced with impeccable songwriting that shines with lush harmonies, angular guitars, dramatic keyboards and strings backed by a rhythm section to ensure a continually high groove factor. Erich Specht muses on relationships and loss, as well as the weight and joy of life, in a manner that is poetic and seems effortless, his lyrics fitting to the melody like pieces of a puzzle. Wearing his vulnerabilities like a badge of honor, this music takes us on a journey to unexpected places.  

"This album offers a nod to the artistic excesses of the 70s, whether it's a wall of phased vocals or a moment where guitars and strings rip a quick line together between phrases.  The tracks are widely varied yet cohesive - and within a given song, you're likely to be taken elsewhere" says Erich Specht.

'All Together on 3' and 'The Whole Endeavor' are available from fine digital platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. The 'Tethered Together' album, now available for pre-order, will be released digitally and on CD on May 16. Push Puppets will hold their album release show at Robert's Westside in Forest Park, IL on May 30.

'THIS WHOLE ENDEAVOUR' CREDITS
Lyrics and music by Erich Specht (ASCAP)
Produced by Doug McBride and Erich Specht
Mixed and mastered by Doug McBride at Gravity Studios
Erich Specht – Lead vocals and guitars
Kyle Magnusson – Keyboards
John William Lauler – Bass
Greg Essig - Drums
Tommi Zender – Backup vocals and guitar

'ALL TOGETHER ON 3' CREDITS
Erich Specht – Lead vocals, guitars, string arrangements
Steve Frisbie – Backup vocals
Kyle Magnusson – Keyboards
John William Lauler – Bass
Greg Essig - Drums
Stephanie “Sly” Young – Violin
Janis Sakai – Violin (Kelly Jozwiak appears in the video)
Katherine Andrick – Viola
Molly Rife – Cello
Video produced by Scott Thiele & Sebastian Gonzales
Video edited by Daniele Arcuri

Cover artwork by Crow Prints
Released & published by Flowering Tree Music (ASCAP)
Artist studio photos by Gintas Zaranka
Artist live photos by Gabi Bucataru
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR 


Keep up with Push Puppets 
Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | BlueSky | YouTube | TikTok | Spotify | Apple Music | Press contact

Keep up with Shameless Promotion PR
Website | Facebook | Twitter |Soundcloud | Instagram | Link edIn | Email

BRKN LOVE Release Third Full-Length LP 'The Program' Out NOW via Spinefarm

Today, BRKN LOVE celebrates the release of their third LP 'The Program,' via Spinefarm. The release is heralded by a new single, "Cruel," accompanied by a new music video, available below.



Exuding bravado, mystique, and a whole lot of heart, BRKN LOVE sets the rulebook on fire by plugging in, turning up, and churning out the kind of rock ‘n’ roll that makes you feel a little freer. Their gritty riffs pack enough punch to shake any stage while the grooves quake with just the right amount of hip-swinging gusto. Led by vocalist and guitarist Justin Benlolo, the music drips swagger, soul, and spirit amplified by arena-sized hooks and intriguingly inventive musicality.

About "Cruel," Justin had this to say:

"'Cruel' is one of the most ambitious songs we’ve ever made. We leaned into our R&B influences on this one, breaking free from the boundaries we’d previously set for ourselves. This track marks a new chapter for BRKN LOVE, pushing our sound into brand-new territory. Lyrically, it’s about that moment when you’ve had enough — when someone has mistreated you for too long, and you finally decide to walk away. No second-guessing, no looking back. It is what it is.

"We recorded the song at the legendary Foo Fighters’ Studio 606, capturing the energy and spirit of the greats we’ve always admired. The entire experience brought a new dimension to our sound, and we couldn’t be more excited to share 'Cruel' with the world. Thank you so much and turn it up loud."

Watch the Video for "Cruel"

Stream "Cruel" HERE 

An impromptu 2023 trip to visit a friend in Charleston, SC gave rise to their third studio album, 'The Program.' Justin initially planned on spending a weekend in town. That weekend turned into nine weeks, and he returned to Toronto with the bulk of the album’s material.

“I didn’t have anything else to do, so I brought all of my gear and studio equipment,” he recalls. “I was so inspired by the environment and the friends I made. It’s a big city, but it’s not huge. It’s just beautiful though. The experience inspired the whole record. Instead of being so picturesque and metaphorical, I told stories.”

The album title even referenced the name of the text group for his new friends in Charleston, embedding the experience and the city in the fabric of the music. The vision had already crystallized before he left for Los Angeles where he recorded with longtime producer Anton DeLost (Cleopatrick, The Warning, State Champs, Dead Poet Society). These friends, and a variety of other characters he met, ultimately inspired the concept at the heart of "The Program."

“It was a collective of 10 people I’d never met before, and we kept using the term ‘The Program’ repeatedly like, ‘Let’s go here, because it would be good for The Program’,” he goes on. “It was cool to be surrounded by near-complete strangers, invite them to our place, and play demos. Their opinions were unfiltered and blunt—which was awesome. I was actively searching for inspiration, and I put myself out there in different situations. I was free and unchained to do anything.”

BRKN LOVE fulfilled a clear destiny to be as free as possible on their third full-length LP, 'The Program.'

On the album, BRKN LOVE shares:

"Our new album, 'The Program' started with a completely unplanned trip to Charleston, South Carolina. We had no real agenda, just a need to get away and see where the music would take us. That trip ended up shaping so much of this record, from the name to the overall vibe. More than anything, it helped us break free from the parameters we had set for this band in the past. This time, we just wanted to make the music we love, without overthinking what BRKN LOVEwas supposed to sound like.

You’ll hear elements of funk, disco, pop and R&B in ways we’ve never done before. But at the end of the day, it still sounds like us. The fact that we even get to make a third album is something we don’t take for granted. So many bands don’t get this far, and we’re beyond grateful to still be here, making music that we love. 

Lyrically, this is our most honest and direct record yet. A lot of it is about love and loss. We didn’t want to dress it up or be vague; we just wanted to be straight-up about heartbreak and more importantly, how you move on from it in a positive way.

We made this album with our frequent collaborator, Anton Delost, who absolutely killed it as a producer. A huge part of the sound comes from recording at the legendary Foo Fighters’ Studio 606. Tracking through their iconic Neve console that’s been used on so many classic records. 'The Program' is the record we’ve always wanted to make, and we can’t wait for everyone to hear it."

Order 'The Program' HERE

BRKN LOVE emerged with their self-titled debut in 2020. The group quietly generated over a quarter of a billion total streams. They notched a Top 15 entry on Active Rock radio with “Shot Down,” while their cover of “River” by Bishop Briggs hit critical mass. It inspired over 2 billion-plus views on TikTok. It piled up 28 million Spotify streams. 2022’s 'Black Box' only maintained this momentum. “Like A Drug” notched north of 8.5 million Spotify streams, made waves at Active Rock, and emerged as their third Top 5 at Canadian radio.

Ministry Releases First-Ever Music Video For “Everyday Is Halloween”: From “The Squirrely Years Revisited” Album, Out Now Via Cleopatra Records;

For the first time ever, Ministry has an official music video for the eternal hit, “Everyday is Halloween.” Originally released in 1984, Al Jourgensen’s rally cry for the goth community and misunderstood creatures of the night has remained a cult classic over the decades and is finally being given the visual treatment it deserves.

See the video for “Everyday is Halloween” Below.

Says Jourgensen, “I’m amazed and honored that folks are still listening to this song 40 years on. Fly that freak flag proudly.”

“Everyday is Halloween” is one of the cuts on the forthcoming album, The Squirrely Years Revisited, out now via Cleopatra Records that sees Jourgensen making peace with the past. After the incredible reception to Ministry’s With Sympathy and Twitch-heavy set at Cruel World 2024, Jourgensen decided it was time to reexamine his long-dormant synth pop hits and give them a fresh polish 40 years later.

Featuring 9 tracks (3 additional bonus tracks on CD), The Squirrely Years Revisited offers reworked versions of not only “Everyday Is Halloween,” but also “Work For Love,” “I’m Not An Effigy,” and “I’ll Do Anything For You.”

The Squirrely Years Revisited follows the release of Ministry’s 16th studio album in 2024, HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES, and comes ahead of the final new studio album from Ministry in 2026, a record that has Jourgensen teaming up with Paul Barker once again.

The Squirrely Years Revisited will be available in all formats including digital, CD and 4 different vinyl configurations.

Order Digital copies of the album HERE

Order CD/Vinyl copies of the album HERE

To celebrate the album and the new-old era of Ministry, the band — also including John Bechdel (keyboards), Monte Pittman and Cesar Soto (guitars), Pepe Clarke Magaña (drums) and Paul D’Amour (bass) —will embark on The Squirrely Years Tour beginning April 29, with a set dominated by Jourgensen’s earliest works. Opening support will come from Ministry’s old-school comrades, including Nitzer Ebb for the first half of the tour, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult for the second half of the tour; and Die Krupps on all dates. Tickets are on sale now at MinistryBand.com.

MINISTRY THE SQUIRRELY YEARS TOUR

Joined By Nitzer Ebb, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, Die Krupps

*Nitzer Ebb appearing

+My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult appearing

(Die Krupps appearing on all dates except May 8)

April 2025

29  Phoenix, AZ @ Van Buren*

30  Albuquerque, NM @ Revel*

May 2025

2    Austin, TX @ Emo’s*

3    Houston, TX @ House of Blues*

4    Dallas, TX @ Factory*

6    Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern*

8    Columbus, OH @ Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival

9    Chicago, IL @ Riviera*

10  Detroit, MI @ Masonic Cathedral*

12  Baltimore, MD @ Soundstage*

13  Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall+

14  Boston, MA @ Roadrunner+

16  Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount+

17  Montreal, QC @ MTelus+

18  Toronto, ON @ History+

20  Minneapolis, MN @ Palace+

21  Winnipeg, MB @ Burton Cummings Theatre+

23  Edmonton, AB @ Midway Music Hall+

24  Calgary, AB @ Palace Theatre+

26  Vancouver, BC @ Commodore+

28  Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo+

29  Spokane, WA @ Spokane Live Casino+

31  Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom+

June 2025

1   Salt Lake City, UT @ Union+

3   San Francisco, CA @ Warfield+

4   Los Angeles, CA @ Palladium+

5   Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues+

For tickets and more information, visit www.ministryband.com/tour

ABOUT MINISTRY

Born in 1981 in Chicago, Ministry has been the lifetime passion project of founder Al Jourgensen, considered to be the pioneer of industrial music. In its early days, Ministry was identifiable by its heavy synth-pop material in line with the new sounds and technology that were being developed in the ‘80s. Ministry’s output began with four 12” singles on Wax Trax! Records in 1981 before the first LP With Sympathy in 1983 via Arista Records. As time progressed however, so did Ministry, quickly developing a harsher, and more stylized sound that the band soon became infamous for on seminal albums Twitch (1986), The Land of Rape and Honey (1988), and The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste (1989). With the release of Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and The Way to Suck Eggs (1992), Ministry hit an all-time high in the mainstream musical realm and received its first Grammy nomination. In total, Ministry has been nominated for a Grammy award six times. Eight more albums would follow before an indefinite break in 2013, only to be unearthed again in 2018 with AmeriKKKant, continuing to reflect Jourgensen’s views on the frightening state of society and politics. The 2021 album Moral Hygiene marked a new creative era of Jourgensen and the band. Ministry’s 16th studio album, HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES, was released March 1, 2024 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Find Ministry Online

Website: www.ministryband.com

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/WeAreMinistry

Instagram: www.Instagram.com/WeAreMinistry

Seattle indie rocker AudioGust presents punchy feel-good 'Here We Go Again', heralding new album

Seattle-based indie rock artist AudioGust presents his latest single 'Here We Go Again', the bright and punctuated title track from his forthcoming second album, set for release in late spring. This song kicks things off with an upbeat tribute to the unpredictable nature of creative inspiration.

AudioGust is the solo project of songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Chris Evans, whose journey started in the 1980s as a guitarist and bassist in various bands. After a decades-long detour in the software industry (including 20 years at Microsoft), he has returned to his true passion, writing and recording in his own studio. He has since released over three dozen songs and collaborated with artists worldwide, drawing inspiration from bands such as Green Day, The Police, and Foo Fighters.
 
'Here We Go Again' captures the artist’s late-night encounter with his muse—an unexpected, almost mystical moment when a song begins to take shape in his mind. As dawn approaches, the rush of ideas intensifies, and he scrambles to keep up, fearing that if he lets them slip away, inspiration may stop visiting altogether. With driving energy and vivid storytelling, Evans sets the tone for the album’s exploration of the highs and lows of the creative process.

This 3 a.m. creative encounter and subsequent search for its significance is a story that fits well with AudioGust's menu of hooky anthems for disenchanted optimists. With a sound vortex imbued with 90’s to 2000’s alternative rock, his guitar-driven music brings in a strong, driving rhythm section, big choruses and even bigger bridge sections.

This first offering is an intriguing introduction to AudioGust's new 14-track album. Deeply personal and universally relatable, this is an ode to the highs and lows of creativity, including some of his most popular singles, along with new material. Blending raw energy with introspective storytelling, the album explores the unpredictable nature of inspiration—both the exhilarating moments when it strikes and the emptiness when it fades.
 
AudioGust explains, "This album is split into songs that describe the extremes of the fickle nature of inspiration and songs that have come to me in both of those places". Offering a deep dive into the creative process, this record features six brand-new songs as well as fan-favorite singles, including 'Tomorrow is Mine', a finalist in the 2024 USA Songwriting Contest.
 
With a knack for crafting memorable melodies and thought-provoking lyrics, underscored by upbeat rhythms and evocative guitar arrangements, AudioGust creates music that speaks to the disenchanted and dreamers alike through sonic exploration of the modern human condition. AudioGust released his debut album 'Walk With Me' in 2023, followed by the 'Hope from Darkness' and 'Love and Pain' EPs.

As of March 31, the single 'Here We Go Again' is available from fine music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp.  The full album by the same name will be released on May 30.

ALBUM CREDITS
All songs written by Chris Evans
except 'How You Been?' written by Chris Evans & Liz Rodrigues
Recorded, mixed & mastered by AudioGust on Whidbey Island
Performed by AudioGust
Liliana Tani - vocals on 'Dead to Me'
Leslie Irish Evans - announcer's voice on 'Award Show'  
Cover artwork by Chris Evans
Artist photos by Ernie Sapiro
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR

Keep up with AudioGust
Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Twitter | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music | Press contact

Keep up with Shameless Promotion PR
Website | Facebook | Twitter |  Instagram | BlueSky | Threads  | Soundcloud | LinkedIn | Emai l

Renowned Rock Singer RUSS BALLARD Shares New Single “Courageous” + Video

Renowned rock singer RUSS BALLARD premiers his new single and accompanying video “Courageous,” taken from his upcoming double album 'Songs From The Warehouse / The Hits Rewired,' out on April 25, 2025, via Frontiers Music Srl.

This release is a real treat for all rock fans: the first CD contains new songs, which show once again that the inspiration never left RUSS, while the second CD includes brand new recordings of famous hits either penned or performed by him during the years.

About the new single, RUSS BALLARD says:

"Living in a mad world - aren’t we somehow? In a world where a little girl is a 'mother to her brother for so long.' I had this strong story in my mind one day… A dark one with a good end – 'You have the power to stand strong - Long may you shine on.'"

He also expresses his excitement for the album:

“It’s a buzz releasing a new album. What started as my 'Lockdown-tapes' during the pandemic became an album! During lockdown, my studio was a lifesaver for me, and I found new ways of writing and recording. The result gives the listeners a good insight into this time - have a listen!”

Watch the Video for “Courageous”

RUSS BALLARD is simply one of the most renowned and gifted songwriters in pop and rock music. His music career started when he was only 14 years old and he wrote a tune, which was recorded by The Shadows, appearing on their album 'The Sound Of The Shadows' in 1964.

During the 70’s and 80’s, his songs ruled the airwaves and the list of hits is pretty much endless. From “Since You Been Gone” (Rainbow), “God Gave Rock'n'Roll To You” (Argent and Kiss), “So You Win Again” (Hot Chocolate), “New York Groove” (Hello and Ace Frehley), “You Can Do Magic” (America), “Winning” (Santana) or “I Don’t Believe In Miracles” (Colin Blunstone) – just to name a few – everyone who needed a great song knew that with RUSS BALLARD they could not go wrong.

Numerous records/artists were also produced by him, like Roger Daltrey, America, Elkie Brooks, Skindred or Sada Vidoo. In 1974, he started a solo career (after his stint with the band Argent in early 70’s), which had its highest momentum with the 'S/t' album in 1984 (which included the hit single “Voices”) and the follow up “The Fire Still Burns”.

Since then, BALLARD has released 10 studio albums and is still writing and producing hits. Three songs from his 1984 and 1985 albums were featured in the TV show “Miami Vice” and were extensively played on dance floors around Europe.

 Pre-Order 'Songs From The Warehouse / The Hits Rewired' HERE

Female-Led Upon Wings Drop Metalcore Anthem "My Remedy"

Upon Wings are back in full force in 2025, and the female-led band has just released their second single of 2025, "My Remedy," which is a metalcore anthem.
 
On "My Remedy," Upon Wings unleash their heaviest song to date, with hard-hitting breakdowns, loud guitars, and pummeling rhythms backing vocalist Anne Autumn Erickson's angelic, heartfelt vocals. This powerful new song, which is about that one thing in life that gets your through hard times, is available now.

Stream and download the song on all platforms HERE.

Upon Wings were quiet in 2024, but they're enjoying a fantastic 2025.

In January, the band released "Haunting Me," an emotive electronic ballad with  dark beats and production. Meanwhile, their music has been strong on streaming platforms, with their 2022 heavy metal single, "Last Love," garnering more than 26,000 streams on Spotify, and their 2023 single, "Distant Memory," is at nearly 12,000 Spotify streams. Both of those songs feature guitars from Kevin Jardine and pummeling rhythms from Kyng drummer Pepe Clarke Magaña. "Distant Memory" also features a shredding guitar solo from Lita Ford guitarist Patrick Kennison.

Meanwhile, their debut single, "Afterlife" featuring Brett Hestla of Creed and Dark New Day, is also still going strong.

Anne's "Women of Rock and Metal," "Metal and Rock That Slays," and "Fire Tracks" playlists have taken off on Spotify, too.

Find Upon Wings on Spotify HERE and on Apple Music HERE.

Find Anne Autumn Erickson's solo music on Spotify HERE and on Apple Music HERE, and find her work at Audio Ink Radio here.

Manchester's THE SPEED OF SOUND presents 'SS-100-X', a JFK story of intrigue Their 'A Cornucopia' album trilogy, marking their 35-year anniversary, is out now

Iconic Manchester indie rockers The Speed Of Sound present their new single 'SS-100-X', a prime and timely pick from their 'Minerva' album. Titled after the codename for the presidential car that fateful day of JFK's assassination in Dallas, the video for 'SS-100-X' intentionally uses AI-generated images to mix fact with speculation and inference, matching the post-fact world environment of the 21st century.

The band has released their ambitious mega-album trilogy 'A Cornucopia: Minerva, Victory, Bounty' in multiple formats via Californian cult label Big Stir Records, cementing their mark on the legacy they began in 1989. With music that is idiosyncratic and counter-intuitive, The Speed of Sound is always in search of something new. Creating music with lyrical bite, expanding their foundation of 1960s, punk and new wave influences, their dynamic and stylistic variation crossing borders and pushing boundaries at every opportunity.

"Spreading like a virus, conspiracy theories have gone mainstream and it all seems to have started long ago with the Kennedy assassination. The simple and chaotic explanation of anything is now routinely jettisoned in favour of swirling dark forces and a wilful maliciousness to recognise anything as fact, instead everything is an issue of unshakeable faith in the existence of a sinister deeper plot," says frontman and songwriter John Armstrong.

"The opening lines of the song describe the view from a 5th-floor Portuguese hotel balcony, but due to the absence of a Ground Floor in American buildings, that made it the 6th. So my view of the Lincoln convertible passing along the street below was identical to that Oswald had from the Texas School Book Repository."

This single arrives on the heels of the audio-visual trip that is 'Permafrost' and also 'Eight Fourteen Monday', which narrates a dreary commute to explore themes of isolation, detachment, and the contrast between superficial politeness and genuine emotion, while subtly referencing the devastating historical event of Hiroshima.

With overlapping themes of independence - both culturally and artistically - each disc of the 'A Cornucopia' trilogy has its own vibe and personality: 'Minerva' is belligerence in musical form, 'Victory' is a manifesto of artistic creativity and 'Bounty' represents the fruits of artistic freedom, all taking place far from the grasping tentacles of the ‘music industry’.

'A Cornucopia' began with the band’s own love of the album format and a determination to make long-form music rather than merely produce a conveyor belt of unrelated singles. The interlocking themes of 'A Cornucopia' are deliberately made for album listeners to enjoy, each disc being its own standalone entity while also forming part of the larger whole trinity.

Full of ambition, energy and melodic brilliance, this three-album deluxe edition is available on vinyl and CD. Beginning with the 'Minerva' album, The Speed of Sound shared a rich bouquet of thought-provoking compositions, including the hauntingly spacious 'Trickledown', the stratospherically vast 'The Great Acceleration', the uplifting 'Mind Palace' and 'West Wind', where a recklessly fast rhythm merges with a Wagnerian horn section.

The 'Victory' album then brings 14 fresh and unexpectedly shape-shifting grooves, from the supremely danceable 'Underground', the unabashed sensuality of 'Monsoon', gothic lounge jazz of 'Permafrost', the glam-rocking 'E to F', reckless garage punk punch of 'Go For It', post-nostalgia of 'The Same River' and triumphant shimmering elegance of 'Tranquility Falls' to the strangely linked pairing of 'Apocalypse Acropolis'and 'Apocalypse Metropolis'.

The ’Bounty’ album adds to this with another ten ranging from the crunching garage rock of 'No Kicks' to the haunting floating melody of 'Virtual Reality123', acoustic driven rave-up of 'Replicant' and bouncing energy of 'Artificial Paradise'.

Marking their 35th anniversary, 'A Cornucopia' trilogy follows their 2021 critically acclaimed album 'Museum Of Tomorrow', returning triumphant, defiant and redemptive. Most music is never even recorded, and most recorded music remains unheard. ‘A Cornucopia’ is a celebration of all unheard underground music and the whole counterculture itself - music made for the pleasure of making it.

‘A Cornucopia’ is available everywhere, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp, Physically the full trilogy 'A Cornucopia: Minerva, Victory, Bounty' can be ordered on CD and vinyl at www.thespeedofsounduk.com/shop-2

The Speed Of Sound are:
John Armstrong (songwriting, guitars & vox) – John A has developed a vivid style of guitar playing borne of combining rhythm and lead techniques in a flow that pulls the music like a tide steeped in unresolved chords and entrancing vocals.
Ann-Marie Crowley  (vox & guitars) – Ann-Marie hadn’t performed rock based music before joining The Speed Of Sound in 2015 and has vast experience of Irish, folk and also classical operatic singing.
Kevin Roache (bass guitar) – Kevin has performed with John since 1990, he brings a wide understanding of playing differing genre’s including music of Indian origin, he has a highly individual outlook on the bass.
John Broadhurst (drums) – John B joined The Speed Of Sound in 2018. He has a wealth of skills including jazz, pop, rock and blues and has an ability to play with the spaces, the freedom of playing originals is liberating while the fluid and improvisational sections are something he willingly embraces.
Henry Armstrong (keyboards) – With 16 years of studying improvisational music and an intuitive approach, Henry (John's son) joined in 2018, adding a new dimension to the band's sound.

CREDITS
All songs written by John Armstrong
Recorded, Mixed and Mastered at Vibratone Sound Studio in Manchester by Chris Guest, Adam Crossley & The Speed of Sound
John Armstrong - guitars and vocals
Ann-Marie Crowley - vocals and guitars
Kevin Roache - bass guitar
John Broadhurst - drums
Henry Armstrong - keyboards
Bob Dinn - trumpet and flugelhorn
Chris Guest - harmonium, vibraphone, organ, assorted shakers, tambourine.
Band photographs by Shay Rowan
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR


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Volumes Return With Visualizer for Crushing New Single "Sidewinder"

Los Angeles quartet Volumes — Michael Barr [vocals], Raad Soudani[bass], Myke Terry [vocals], and Nick Ursich [drums] — have just dropped the visualizer for "Sidewinder," their first new track in over two years.

And trust us — it was worth the wait. 

The song is so sonically violent that it's the musical equivalent of the alien bursting from astronaut Kane's chest in the classic horror film Alien. The song is erected on djenty riffs that will loosen your teeth from your gums, industrial crunch, heavy artillery percussion, and the kind of screams that nightmares are made of. So, basically, it's a killer metal track. But the ante has been upped to 11.

Watch the visualizer below.

Volumes also discussed the song in an exclusive interview with Knotfest. Read it here.

"'Sidewinder' is an unapologetic hate letter to a world gone mad, especially the corruption within the music industry," Barr states, sharing insight into the subject matter that's as in your face as the sonics. "It offers an unfiltered perspective on a society in chaos, with no optimism or positivity. It’s a song that captures the feeling of everything unraveling as we know it."

 Volumes have been making a metallic racket since erupting onto the scene in 2010. Armed with a rich catalog spanning three EPs and four full lengths, with over 224 million streams and press praise from Kerrang!, Revolver, New Noise, and more, the band's signature, progressive metalcore style boasts djenty riffs, guttural screams, and crunchy synths. Volumes, who've welcomed singer Michael Barr back into fold twice, have never shied away from experimenting with their dual vocal sound or releasing reimagined and instrumental versions of their songs, demonstrating the depth and breadth of their songwriting prowess. They've hit the road with the likes of Ice Nine Kills, Counterparts, Northlane, Born of Osiris, Dance Gavin Dance, Secrets, and Crown the Empire. Clearly, Volumes cannot be bound by genre parameters and limitations. Now, with "Sidewinder," they are ready for the next era and the Volume(s) is turned all the way up.

UK electronic duo DRAGON WELDING shares 'Hiding Things For Fun', highlighting fourth album 'The Naughty Step'

UK electro noise-pop duo Dragon Welding has revealed a new video for their ruminative 'Hiding Things For Fun', a more downtempo offering from their fourth album 'The Naughty Step' (out now via Dimple Discs) and also happens to be the first record to feature new vocalist Nik Cockshott (formerly of leftfield indie rockers The Spores and The Keatons).

Dragon Welding is an anagram of Andrew Golding, perhaps best known as multi-instrumentalist and co-founder of Essex-based indie noise-pop legends The Wolfhounds. Initially joining Golding for a one-off show in 2023, Cockshott and Golding soon began working together on new material, resulting in the 2024 single 'These Are Dangerous Times', a radical electronic reworking of Dragon Welding's debut release five years prior, essentially marking Dragon Welding's rebirth as a group.

Dragon Welding also recently shared a captivating 'stop-start' animation video for the title track, created by award- winning graphic artist Andy Royston, who also designed the album's cover. They earlier released the high tempo single 'We Dance Among You', following the video for ‘Up And Away’, released as a 3-track single - a clarion call to a dozing generation.

"This song is on one level about losing ideals as we get older. I try not to 'make do' if I can see a way of sticking to the right path. On another level, losing things deliberately is something I am often accused of. The trick in life is to find a partner who is as good at finding things as you are at mislaying them.” He adds that it is also “a Gen X anthem that dreams of being played live to an auditorium full of ghosts, each holding aloft a misplaced cigarette lighter," says Andrew Golding.

"The lyrical theme of the album overall is me trying to deal with problems that I’ve never quite resolved in my mind, while all the time, new problems appear. It’s never ending and I will continue to write songs about it until I stop caring.

After debuting in 2019 with a well-received eclectic eponymous album, Dragon Welding released the all-instrumental 'Lights Behind The Eyes’ (2021) and then ‘Fictionary’ (2023), which featured guest appearances by Anthony Chapman of Collapsed Lung and Alice Golding of The Othyrs.

With a consistent voice, a solid focus on idiosyncratic and, at times, dark electronic backing, augmented by an increasing plethora of obtuse instrumentation, unpretentious ecologically and socially-relevant lyrics, this incarnation of Dragon Welding is ready to present their new material. The new album continues DW's tradition of blending clever guitar with mischievous sonic and rhythmic manipulations.

'The Naughty Step' album is out everywhere digitally, including Spotify, Apple Musicand Bandcamp. Vinyl and CDs are also available from Rough Trade, Amazon and Resident Records.

CREDITS
Music and lyrics - Andrew Golding
Vocals - Nik Cockshott
Guitars and programming – Andrew Golding
Mixed by Ant Chapman and Andrew Golding
Mastered by Ant Chapman
Recorded in London and Manchester 2023-2024
Cover design and videos by Andy Royston
Images by Andy Royston and Helen Golding
Album released via Dimple Discs
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR

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