Ancient Chinese Poetry Meets Symphonic Metal in WHEEL OF TIME’s "China Moon"

Progressive power metal project WHEEL OF TIME is set to release its latest single “China Moon”, a sweeping fusion of East and West that channels the grandeur of symphonic metal with the elegance of traditional Chinese poetics.
 

Encouraged by mentor and ex-MEGADETH guitarist Kiko Loureiro to emphasize national characteristics, Hong originally wrote “China Moon” in Chinese, in the style of Song Dynasty lyric poetry (Song Ci, 宋词), one of China’s most celebrated literary forms. The imagery recalls a poet of old, drifting half-dreaming on a moonlit river, contemplating fate and the fleeting nature of life.

Inspired in part by the 2023 Chinese animated film 30,000 Miles from Chang’an, Hong reimagined the song for an international audience, rewriting the lyrics while preserving its Chinese essence.

The single features a remarkable cast of collaborators: opera and stage vocalist Eszter Vegvari, whose dramatic delivery gives the song its emotional center; orchestrator Marcos Barilari, collaborating with WHEEL OF TIME for the second time and elevating the track with lush symphonic textures; and Ariel Tsao on the traditional Chinese Guzheng, weaving an authentic timbre into the arrangement. Together, they bring to life Hong’s vision of a cross-cultural musical journey that is both intimate and expansive.

The project’s debut full-length album Asymmetry is slated for release on November 12, 2025, promising a grand showcase of WHEEL OF TIME’s progressive, power, and symphonic fusion.

About WHEEL OF TIME:

WHEEL OF TIME is a progressive power metal project founded by Beijing-based composer and multi-instrumentalist Jimmie Hong. Blending the technical precision of progressive metal with the melodic strength of power metal and symphonic elements, WHEEL OF TIME creates expansive, narrative-driven music that crosses genres and borders. The project features collaborations with world-renowned musicians including Derek Sherinian, Tony MacAlpine, Michele Luppi, and Timo Tolkki. With a truly international lineup and a sound that integrates subtle Eastern melodic influences, WHEEL OF TIME explores themes of time, destiny, and self-discovery. The debut full-length album Asymmetry releases November 12, 2025.

Defeated Sanity Release Punishing New Drum Playthrough

Having dedicated this year to leveling Europe and Latin America behind the sheer brutality of the band's latest Billboard-busting offering, Defeated Sanity are capping off 2025 with their first U.S. tour for Chronicles of Lunacy.

The long-standing innovators of brutal technical death metal are kicking off this mad-dash run with a special headlining show in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Defeated Sanity will then conjoin with their fellow lunatics in Corpse Pile, Despised Icon and Sanguisugabogg - who featured the band's vocalist Josh Welshman on their new single - for 22 dates covering both coasts.  Along the way, Skinless, Bayway, Ringworm, Upon Stone and other guests will appear during select shows.  

"We can't wait to finally present our new album Chronicles of Lunacy to our U.S. fans live and in action", Defeated Sanity says. "Be sure to join us as we brutalize the U.S. once again".  

As they prepare to slam America with the critically-acclaimed Chronicles of Lunacy, today, Defeated Sanity are releasing a new drum playthrough for the album's most punishing song. "Condemned to Vascular Famine" will have heads banging, bodies flying and brains exploding when the band spills its bloodlust all over the stage.  

"'Condemned to Vascular Famine' was voted by our fans as their favorite song off Chronicles of Lunacy, so we decided to open our set with it on the last tour", says Defeated Sanity's drummer, primary songwriter and co-founding member Lille Gruber. "'The song is a very epic and varied composition. It's quite funny to start out a big Euro fest with this weird drum beat, but we like to fuck with our audience, as everyone knows".

Watch Defeated Sanity drummer Lille Gruber crush "Condemned to Vascular Famine" below.

Get tickets at https://defeatedsanity.com/

Defeated Sanity 2025 U.S. Tour Dates
with Sanguisugabogg, Despised Icon and Corpse Pile + special guests

November 2 - Cambridge, MA @ Sonia Live Music Venue [HEADLINE SHOW] [TICKETS]~
November 4 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall [TICKETS]*
November 5 - Chicago, IL @ Metro [TICKETS]**
November 6 - Indianapolis, IN @ Deluxe (Old National Centre) [TICKETS]***
November 7 - Lawrence, KS @ The Granada [TICKETS]
November 8 - Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall [TICKETS]
November 9 - Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey Theater [TICKETS]
November 11 - Phoenix, AZ @ The Nile Theater [TICKETS]#
November 12 - Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory [TICKETS]#
November 13 - Berkeley, CA @ UC Theatre [TICKETS]#
November 14 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent Theater [TICKETS]#
November 15 - Las Vegas, NV @ Fremont Country Club [TICKETS]#
November 17 - Dallas, TX @ Echo Lounge & Music Hall [TICKETS]
November 18 - Austin, TX @ Mohawk [TICKETS]##
November 19 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall (Downstairs) [TICKETS]##
November 21 - Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum [TICKETS]##
November 22 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade [TICKETS]##
November 23 - Charlotte, NC @ The Underground [TICKETS]##
November 25 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Roxian Theatre [TICKETS]
November 26 - Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage [TICKETS]###
November 28 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza [TICKETS]^
November 29 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer [TICKETS]^
November 30 - Columbus, OH @ The King of Clubs [TICKETS]^^
~ only Defeated Sanity
* with Everybody Dies
** with Everybody Dies + Gorgasm
*** with Volcano + Ran Thru
# with Upon Stone
## with Bayway
### with Bludgeoned by Deformity
^ with Skinless
^^ with Ringworm + Anatomize

Chronicles of Lunacy is out now on Season of Mist.

Order the new limited-edition gold with black splatters vinyl variant.

https://orcd.co/defeatedsanitythecroniclesoflunacy

None of their albums are ever going to follow a straight line, but on Chronicles of Lunacy, Defeated Sanity return to sheer brutality.  


Lineup
Josh Welshman - Vocals
Vaughn Stoffey - Guitars
Jacob Schmidt - Bass
Lille Gruber - Drums

Guest musicians
Danny Nelson and Paolo Paguntalan provide backup vocals on "Amputationsdrang" and "Accelerating the Rot"

Recording Studio
Thousand Caves Studio in January 2024.

Production
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Colin Marston.
Produced by Colin Marston and Defeated Sanity.

Cover Art
Artwork by Jon Zig
Title lettering by Liz Schmidt
Layout by Alex Eckman-Lawn

Order & Stream
https://orcd.co/defeatedsanitythecroniclesoflunacy

Booking: Daniel Defonce TKO: danieldefonce@tkoco.com


Follow Defeated Sanity
https://defeatedsanity.com/
https://defeatedsanity.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/DefeatedSanity
https://www.instagram.com/defeated_sanity_official 
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0dy6peOuKo2QkwaNWPoJpx
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/defeated-sanity/277268753

Orbit Culture Share "Bloodhound" Video — WATCH // "Death Above Life" Album Out Now

Sweden’s ORBIT CULTURE have released the video for "Bloodhound" ahead of the release of the acclaimed new album Death Above Life. 

Watch the nightmarish, horror movie-influenced video, shot by their longtime partners Riivata Visuals, below.

The band comments "'Bloodhound' is probably the angriest song we've written to date. We've always been somewhat reluctant to use explicit language in our music — maybe out of habit, maybe out of respect, we honestly dont know. But when that opening riff came to life, it just had this raw, primal energy that demanded something more. The song sounded furious from the start, and to match that intensity, we knew it was time to break our own rules and let the anger speak freely.

"The lyrics came together faster than almost anything we've done before. It was like this outburst — a child-like hammering of aggression onto the page. Usually, we try to keep ourselves in check, to polish things a bit. But this track is the 1% of the time where we didn't. Where we couldn't.

"'Bloodhound' is about anger — at people, at situations, at an industry that often exploits the very people trying to make it within it. It's about the cycle of revenge, the moments of acceptance, and then the anger flaring up again because nothing really changes. This song is about reclaiming your voice, your power, your worth. It’s about calling out the bloodsuckers, the manipulators — and making sure they don't get to take from you anymore."

Hailing from the small town of Eksjö, Sweden (located between the revered metal cities of Gothenburg and Stockholm), the quartet (guitarist and vocalist Niklas Karlsson, guitarist Richard Hansson, bassist Fredrik Lennartsson and drummer Christopher Wallerstedt) have grown into a global force, melding together riffs that are equal parts thrash, death metal and industrial with arresting hooks and a layered atmosphere that invites comparison to Gojira, Metallica and Static-X while carving out something that is uniquely their own.
 
ORBIT CULTURE’s 2023 album, Descent and its subsequent EP release, The Forgotten topped many year-end lists in 2023 including Metal Hammer who described the album as: "a formidable entwining of modern metal’s most effective and exciting strands into an impressive milestone." Exhaustive worldwide touring and a steady stream of crowd-pummeling festival slots across the globe have set the stage for something much larger.
 
Orbit Culture is a band poised. They are the sound of metal in the most modern sense.

Kirk Windstein Unleashes "ETHEREAL WAVES" Solo Album + Shares Lyric Video for "Lord of Retribution"

KIRK WINDSTEIN of Down, Crowbar, Kingdom Of Sorrow fame has just unleashed his latest solo effort Ethereal Waves through Perseverance Media Group, the label of Hatebreed frontman Jamey Jasta. 

He shares the lyric video for the sludge-tastic "Lord of Retribution." Watch and listen below.

The album is an epic, 10-song journey into the mind of one of our most prolific riff masters today.

The Crowbar/Down axeman's signature voice, riffs, and songwriting soar on Ethereal Waves.

Fresh off a sold-out Crowbar tour, Windstein is having a TikTok moment, reaching thousands of new fans on the platform.

Three vinyl variants are available, including signed copies. One bundle includes his new Cherry Chocolate Chipotle "Sauce Of Doom."

Get it here.

Chase Atlantic (Over 8B Streams!) Release "LOST IN HEAVEN (HIGH AS HELL)" Deluxe Edition W/ 4 New Tracks

Globally acclaimed and genre-bending trio Chase Atlantic — comprised of Mitchel Cave, Clinton Cave, and Christian Anthony — have built their reputation by crafting a seamless fusion of pop, rock, and R&B. They push creative boundaries yet never stray from their core sound and that's precisely why they have connected so deeply with their legion of Gen Alpha (and beyond) fans and have accumulated over 8 billion streams and 1.2 billion YouTube views along the way. The Australian-born, Los Angeles-based trio is immediately identifiable, yet incredibly difficult to put a title or genre on either their sound or the audience that adores them. They fit in just as well playing massive pop festivals as they do touring with rock bands.

Armed with an array of hits across a multitude of genres, Chase Atlantic have picked up one of the widest-ranging fan bases in all of music.

They proudly release LOST IN HEAVEN (HIGH AS HELL), the deluxe version of their fourth album, via Fearless Records. Listen Below

It boasts four additional tracks — including the recently released "FACEDOWN" and "REMIND ME" — and represents a dynamic evolution of LOST IN HEAVEN. It's a creative bridge that accurately depicts the future of Chase Atlantic's music and their desire for perfection. Rather than simply attaching a few additional "throw away" tracks, they invested time and intention into seamlessly crafting each song. Paying close attention to not only their intricate production, they also expand on their alluring and extremely unique vision. With this addition they aim to re-imagine their framework, embrace bold choices, and take creative risks that most artists wouldn't dare to even try.

The deluxe edition includes "WARCRY," which blurs the line between confession and rebellion. Reminiscent of earlier work like "Numb to the Feeling" and "Devilish," Chase Atlantic once again push the boundaries of modern music with their intoxicating blend of alternative R&B, and dark pop atmospherics. It also features "VICTORY LAP." Propelled by their signature fusion of brooding R&B, and hypnotic pop production, the track captures the high-speed rush of ambition colliding with hard-won success. Lyrically defiant yet emotionally charged, the track feels less like a celebration and more like a declaration — a reminder that glory is fleeting, but the chase never stops. Adventuring into unexplored territory sonically, Chase Atlantic masterfully combine three individual songs into one theatrical release to give the listeners a glimpse into future experimentation.
 
The band just launched the latest phase of The Portal; C4D HANDHELD DEVICE. Unlock the experience here.

chokecherry Announce Debut Album "Ripe Fruit Rots and Falls" Out 11/14 + Band Shares "Major Threat" Video

chokecherry, comprised of vocalist/guitarist Izzie Clark and vocalist/bassist E. Scarlett Levinson, are thrilled to announce the November 14 release of their debut album Ripe Fruit Rots and Falls. Pre-order it here. 

To celebrate this moment, chokecherry release the video for the angular new single "Major Threat." 

While chokecherry are known for crafting lush soundscapes, "Major Threat," whose title nods to hardcore legends Minor Threat, is inherently punk rock and gritty, giving fans something they've not yet heard from the band. It's jarring — in the best possible way. The accompanying visual, shot on VHS and delivered in just a few days, demonstrates the important DIY spirit at chokecherry's core.
 
Watch the video, co-directed by Clark and Whitney Otte below.

"I grew up on heavy surf punk — hello, Southern California — and this track brings me back to 2016-era mosh pits at the Teragram Ballroom in L.A. or the Velvet Jones in Santa Barbara," Clark explains, tearing back the curtain and inviting the listener to fully immerse themself into the experience of the song. "Vocally, I was very inspired by Brendan Yates (Turnstile) and Zack de La Rocha (Rage Against the Machine). The inspiration for the track came from a (fleeting) feeling of being discarded. The accompanying video is co-directed and pokes fun at the hell that is the 21st century dating scene." 

Levinson weights in, saying, "'Major Threat' is one of the few currently recorded chokecherry tracks that really allows listeners to dip their toes into our live energy. This includes mosh pits, screaming, and running into the crowd mid-song. It's a direct homage to the scenes that shaped us and continue to do so, calling on inspirations like Turnstile and Mannequin Pussy."

She continues, "Of course, the bridge is packed out with classic chokecherry harmonies and layers, and the track concludes with a last-minute twist. The final lyrics are a nod to the toxic cycle of craving something (or someone) that's rejecting you; it hurts like hell and drives you crazy, but in the end, getting left is probably for the best."

Pulling from essences of their childhoods exposed to rock 'n'roll, adolescent years spent exploring '90s post-rock, pop, indie, alt-rock, hardcore, queer musicians, even metal, and their own young adulthood filled with small shows in the Bay Area from a plethora of artists and genres, chokecherry's debut LP, produced by Chris Coady, Christopher Grant, and Zach Tuch, fearlessly pursues creating a snapshot in time, capturing the sonic culture of San Francisco, the political movements overflowing our senses in 2025, the social deterioration of empathy and humanity in the 21st century, and what it means to be human in a time where it feels like there are so few left. "The album isn't about heartbreak over an individual — some of it is — but it's from the state of the world. That's what it is. It's about heartbreak over the loss of childhood and the imagined future that you might have had when you were young, because that doesn't exist. It's actively been taken away from all of us and everything is being stripped before our very eyes, constantly, every single day," says Levinson.

Within 10 tracks, chokecherry piece together the very essence of what it means to be a sentient being in this cruel world, Ripe Fruit Rots and Falls is a dichotomy in its entirety;  introspective and panoramic, tender and intense, personal and social, post-rock and shoegaze, but so is the duality of man. chokecherry encompass all that is severely lacking – empathetic humanity.

chokecherry will embark on their first ever full North American headline tour, with special guests The Sewing Club. The trek kicks off with a West Coast record release show weekend, celebrating Ripe Fruit Rots and Falls with special guests Pure Hex. The California release weekend includes a hometown San Francisco show, in addition to shows in Los Angeles and Santa Ana. 


The tour runs through December 21 in Salt Lake City. All dates are below. Get tickets here. 

CHOKECHERRY:
NORTH AMERICA — FALL 2025:
WITH GUESTS THE SEWING CLUB:
11/14 — San Francisco, CA — Bottom of the Hill* 
11/15 — Los Angeles, CA — Zebulon* 
11/16 — Santa Ana, CA — Constellation Room*
11/29 — Phoenix, AZ — Valley Bar
11/30 — Albuquerque, NM — Launchpad
12/2 — Dallas, TX — Three Links
12/3 — Austin, TX — 29th St Ballroom 
12/5 – Atlanta, GA — The Masquerade 
12/6 — Nashville, TN — Cannery Hall 
12/7 — Carrboro, NC — Cat's Cradle
12/9 — Philadelphia, PA — Warehouse on Watts
12/10 — Baltimore, MD — Metro Gallery 
12/11 — Queens, NY — TV Eye
12/12 — Cambridge, MA — Sonia 
12/13 — Montreal, QC — Cabaret Foufounes
12/14 — Toronto, ON — Hard Luck Bar 
12/16 — Columbus, OH — A&R Music Bar 
12/17 — Chicago, IL — Cobra Lounge 
12/18 — Columbia, MO — Rose Music Hall 
12/20 — Denver, CO — Marquis 
12/21 — Salt Lake City, UT — Kilby Court
*Record Release Show

Deathcore Outfit BURIAL PATH Unveils Powerful New Track “Magnum Opus.”

Emerging from the crucible of reinvention, BURIAL PATH, one of the most electrifying voices in the deathcore underground, has released their latest single “Magnum Opus.”

From the opening surge to its final resonance, “Magnum Opus” embodies the transformative journey of the self: from destruction, to dissolution, to rebirth in gold. It is a sonic alchemy that combines visceral intensity with hauntingly ethereal soundscapes, evoking both the brutality of collapse and the beauty of transcendence.

“From flame to form, the self dissolves and reignites. Gold flows where the old self burned. The great work begins,” the band declares.

The single’s lyrics delve deep into themes of ego death, purification, and rebirth, drawing on esoteric imagery:

‘Calcination, a rebirth takes hold,
Through vitriol these veins flow of gold.
Ego death, reflection, unification within the cycle…’

With “Magnum Opus” BURIAL PATH continues to redefine deathcore, expanding the genre’s boundaries with both philosophical depth and sonic ferocity. The track serves not only as a declaration of artistic evolution but also as a ritualistic invocation, a call to embrace transformation in all its violent, radiant beauty.

About BURIAL PATH:

"Formed in 2023, BURIAL PATH consists of Aïcha Finnleikr (vocals) and Jack B (guitar) from Texas, and Nebraskan Matthew McClure (guitar).  Their sound is a refined evolution of Deathcore, leveraging modern production to craft an atmosphere that is both entrancing and resonant, designed to evoke deep emotions and provoke thoughtful introspection through their music.

Join BURIAL PATH in their journey through the depths of music and emotion with their debut single, "The Seeker." This introduction promises a profound resonance with listeners, marking the beginning of a transformative musical expedition.

Connect with BURIAL PATH:

  • Bandcamp

  • Facebook

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • Spotify

  • Apple Music

  • TikTok

Brooklyn music mavericks CLONE unleash post-punk / altrock thrills with new 'Care To Try' EP

Brooklyn alt rockers CLONE have released their new 'Care To Try' EP, a blazing three-track offering, as well as fine limited edition 2-track '7” vinyl release. Together, this is their second major release via Portland label Little Cloud Records, featuring cover photography by famed artist Simon Larbalestier, well known for his work with Pixies and 4AD Records.

Written over the past year with Clone's original lineup of LG Galleon (Dead Leaf Echo), Gregg Giufree (Pilot to Gunner), Max Idas and Dominick Turi, this EP was produced by LG Galleon and Martin Bisi (Sonic Youth, Swans, Brian Eno, John Zorn, Herbie Hancock, Iggy Pop, Helmet, Dresden Dolls) at his famed BC Studio (built together with Brian Eno), and mastered by Fred Kevorkian (The White Stripes, Sonic Youth, Juliana Hatfield, Regina Spektor, Lloyd Cole).

"These songs were again recorded with the legendary Martin Bisi, who helped bring the determination and drive in the studio to the forefront when recording these songs. A different lineup makes for a novel live experience every time, yet always with incendiary results.  The full tour in October should prove a very fruitful experience and we are looking forward to playing these new songs from the EP live," says LG Galleon.  

"The title track 'Care to Try' is a retribution song. A song that cries out for the disenfranchised and undersung people in the world whose voices are never heard above the drowning of the right wing nationalist leaders in this world. The spoken word bridge signals out to this issue with the line "with all charisma there is scorn, with every swoon another's heart will stammer slowly in submission. To Glimpse what could have been through the eyes of another."

Last year, Clone debuted their 'CL. 1' album and 12" vinyl LP, born from a seemingly lost wellspring of shared imagination and youthful transformative power, via Little Cloud and North Carolina's 5BC Records, previewed by the iconoclastic singles 'Immutable', 'Dividing Line' and 'Redeemer'.

A passionate attempt to revive the kind of music that once profoundly resonated with the isolated and vulnerable, Clone's music possesses a transformative power, capable of inspiring through its galvanizing, redemptive power. Drawing on the raw energy and boundless creativity of youth, Clone has created a personal sonic world that they now invite us all to experience.

As a live phenomenon, Clone currently includes LG Galleon, Paul Liziragga (Namesake), Alex Cox (The Veldt), and drummers Avery Brooks and Jeremy Duvall. The past few years. Clone has played SXSW and toured with Christian Death, Twin Tribes, Wand, La Witch, Live Skull and The Veldt.

The 'Care To Try' EP is out everywhere, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp, and can also be had on '7” vinyl. Clone will be releasing a new full-length album in 2026.

CREDITS
All tracks written by Clone
Lyrics by LG Galleon (onewithwave music ASCAP)
Performed by LG Galleon / Gregg Giufree / Max Idas / Dominick Turi
LG Galleon - guitar, vocals, keys
Gregg Giufree - drums
Max Idas - bass
Dominic Turi - guitar, keys
Lyla Vander - back vocals on 'Galvanized'
Recorded and mixed by Martin Bisi (Sonic Youth, Swans) at BC Studios
Co-produced by LG Galleon
Mastered by Fred Kevorkian at Kevorkian Mastering
EP cover art designed by LG Galleon
Cover photograph by Simon Larbalestier
Released by Little Cloud Records
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR

TOUR DATES
Oct 09   Philadelphia, PA - TBD
Oct 10   Clinton, CT - Scottish Dave’s Pub
Oct 11   Boston, MA - O'Briens Pub (Allston)
Oct 12   Providence, RI - The Scurvy Dog
Oct 13   Saratoga Springs, NY - Desperate Annie’s
Oct 25   Brooklyn, NY - Mama Tried
Nov 13  Brooklyn, NY - The Woodshop
Dec 6   Johnstown, PA - The Columbia Theater Project


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

Keep up with Little Cloud Records
Website | Facebook | Bandcamp  | Twitter | Instagram | YouTub e

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

COLD SLITHER Confirms Appearance At New York Comic Con 2025

Reigning Phoenix Music, in collaboration with Hasbro, confirms that COLD SLITHER will appear at New York Comic Con 2025, with multiple opportunities for fans to connect with the band in person.

On Friday, October 10, the band will head straight to the Hasbro booth (#1012) for a signing from 12:15–1:00 PM. The celebration continues the following night when COLD SLITHER storms into New York City for a one-night-only takeover of the Gramercy Theatre on Saturday, October 11 (doors 8 PM). After their explosive set, the band will hang out at the merch table for an exclusive post-show meet & greet with fans. Tickets for the Gramercy Theatre show are on sale now, and the first 100 people through the doors will receive a limited-edition Cobra NY shirt, never to be sold again. Tickets are available HERE.

Following these highly anticipated live and signing events, COLD SLITHER unleashes their blistering new single “Torched,” accompanied by a music video directed by Jim Louvau and featuring electrifying footage from the band’s sold-out performance in San Diego during San Diego Comic Con. Frontman Zartan (aka Gus Rios) comments: “What more must be said of a Dreadnok who breathes FIRE?! ‘Torched’ is the fastest and heaviest song on this album, and with good reason! Play with fire, you will be TORCHED! Cobraaaaa!!”

Connect with COLD SLITHER:
Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | X | RPM


Featuring 10 original tracks and a remastered version of their cult-classic single “Cold Slither,” the album plunges into dystopian metal with themes of swamp-born menace and Cobra-fueled power. TheCold Slitheralbum is available across digital and vinyl formats.

Order HERE:
https://coldslither.rpm.link/albumPR

Snõõper Release Worldwide Out Everywhere Now

Snooper release their highly anticipated new album, Worldwide, on Third Man Records. The band will celebrate with a hometown album release show tonight in Nashville at Eastside Bowl. 

Though no less furious or propulsive than Snooper’s more guitar-driven beginnings, Worldwide may surprise longtime fans. Given they began on a drum machine, Cummins’ initial compositions had a newfound focus on rhythm and repetition. Where their 2023 debut Super Snõõper was intended as a pure representation of Snooper’s feral live show, Worldwide blends intensity with Tramel’s earworm melodic sensibility. Showcasing their most adventurous and unshakeable music to date, Worldwide is a portrait of a band truly coming into their own. 

INNERWISH Release New Single And Lyric Video For "Defend Our Children's Hope"

INNERWISH's "Defend Our Children’s Hope" is a powerful tribute to the next generation, urging us all to take responsibility for their future and defend their right to hope and opportunity. With their signature blend of driving riffs, soaring melodies, and anthemic choruses, INNERWISH deliver both a poignant message and a timeless heavy metal hymn.

The single is accompanied by a stirring lyric video that underscores its urgency. With lines like “We fall and then we rise / It’s the battle for a new dawn / We conquer not divide / Protect, defend our children’s hope,” the song speaks directly to today’s world of division and uncertainty. At its core, it’s a call for unity, resilience, and compassion, a reminder that safeguarding a better future is a responsibility we all share.

Watch the video Below.

Reflecting on the song’s origins, INNERWISH share:

"To be or not to be in the album? That is the question! For sure a question we asked ourselves a lot because having 15 songs makes you keep some of them out of the album. And it’s not a matter of being a lesser song, especially in this case, but it’s just the way it is sometimes. No matter what, this song has all the classical INNERWISH elements, the ones that lasted all these years. Groove, melodies and hook-y chorus. We talked about children on 'Sea of Lies' and we do it here as well. Different writer, different perspective/impression. Again, for the children. They are the hope of the mankind, they are our hope, they deserve way more. After all, this world isn’t their fault but ours."

In times where global crises weigh heavily on young generations, “Defend Our Children’s Hope” stands as both a warning and a rallying cry: we must not allow today’s failures to become tomorrow’s inheritance.
 

More by INNERWISH: https://innerwish.rpm.link/videosPR

About INNERWISH:

INNERWISH stand for melodic and melancholic heavy metal, played in a powerful and dynamic way. Their story began in Athens in 1995, and in their almost 30 years of existence they didn't only manage to be one of the most important metal bands from Greece, but also to establish themselves as a much-respected band in the European metal scene.
 

INNERWISH are:

Giorgos Eikosipentakis | vocals

Manolis Tsigos | guitars

Thymios Krikos | guitars

Antonis Mazarakis| bass

George Georgiou | keyboards

Franki Samoilis | drums
 

More on INNERWISH:

innerwish.gr | Facebook | Instagram | X | YouTube | RPM

Emerging Noise Project DISINTREGRATION ANNEX Debuts New EP via Decibel Magazine

Emerging noise project Disintegration Annex is now making its debut with 'Carving Arrows From Idols,' a three-song EP that blends harsh noise with ambience and elements of black metal. The offering can now be heard below.

Disintegration Annex is the one-man, metal-leaning noise and ambient project of Greg Kennelty. Disintegration Annex is meant to touch on the overarching ideas presented by extreme metal, but ultimately dish out the aural punishment in a freer, looser way.

Kennelty explains, "'Carving Arrows From Idols' is a three-track EP that deals with separate facets of anxiety and fear – weaponization of religious beliefs, sensory overload during particularly bad mental health days, and the fear of death being a disruptive force in everyday life. Carving Arrows From Idols was created during the writing sessions for the upcoming debut Disintegration Annex full-length, but these tracks ultimately felt like one cohesive unit that would be better served as a standalone release. Enjoy!"

The EP can be downloaded HERE.

All writing, production, mixing and mastering were handled entirely by Greg Kennelty.

The cover artwork is a woodcut painting titled "Hell (copy)," created after 1511, and is attributed to an unknown artist working in the style of Hans Baldung.

NEW SINGLE: Nate Vickers Drowns In "Deja Vu"

Alt rock's breakout act to watch, Nate Vickers, puts his scars on display with his brand new single, "Deja Vu", out now via Oxide Records. Framed by restless nostalgia, looping memories, and the dizzy feeling of watching your own mistakes play back in slow motion, the new single sees Nate Vickers grappling with the hangover of heartbreak. Watch the new video for "Deja Vu" below.

Caught somewhere between letting go and holding on too tight, the brand new video for "Deja Vu" follows Nate Vickers through a whirlwind of emotion in a haze of moody, blue tones. Swirling through tense visuals of Nate and an ex-partner locked in arguments and distance, the video blurs the line between personal breakdown and a public confession.

Digging into the ache behind "Deja Vu," Nate Vickers shares:

"‘Deja Vu’ is a raw confession of guilt, longing, and being haunted by someone you can’t forget."

With his smash hit "A Little Too Late" cementing Nate Vickers as a breakout voice and his previous single "Parasite" pushing his sound into a darker, more visceral territory, latest singles "Falling Away From Heaven" and "Deja Vu" build on that rising momentum. Seeing Vickersblending gritty guitars with pain and the pursuit of healing, these latest tracks capture an artist unafraid to bare his scars while reaching for something greater.

Inspired by icons such as Linkin Park, Three Days Grace, and Bad Omens, Nate Vickers has crafted a sound that is unmistakably his own, drawing more than 1.5 million followers to his TikTok and 530K to his Instagram. Between viral, late-night covers and playlist-dominating originals, Vickers has also earned his place as a standout favorite on Pandora and Sirius XM's Octane. What began as a spark has now become an alt-rock wildfire.

Be sure to stay tuned for more Nate Vickers news coming soon.

Photo Credit - Clayton King

Out NOW - SUPREME MYSTIC - Kala Rupa

In the industrial belly of Detroit, where machine noise and rebellion pulse in equal measure, a new sound has emerged. It is raw and searing, but it carries something older than anger and louder than distortion. That sound is SUPREME MYSTIC, and their debut album Kala Rupa is a declaration of identity, purpose, and transformation.

The band is led by Chino Noir, the reborn moniker of Mike Couls, a name well-known to the hardcore underground. From playing clubs at thirteen to signing with a major label in his early twenties, Couls carved a path through chaos with a bass in his hands and the kind of presence that stages remember. He was part of some of the most notorious and revered bands in heavy music. He toured the world with COLD AS LIFE, SWORN ENEMY, MERAUDER, TERROR and the CRO-MAGS, sharing bills with legends and surviving battles on and off stage. But none of those bands carried his voice the way SUPREME MYSTIC does now.

Kala Rupa, meaning “the form of time” in Sanskrit, is more than a record. It is a mirror. It looks directly into life, death, karma, illusion, and the struggle for inner evolution. Each song is a piece of a larger journey, built on decades of lived experience. This is not a genre experiment or a side project. It is the first time Couls has stepped fully into the front, not just as a musician but as a messenger.

The album pulls from stoner rock, post-hardcore, sludge, grunge, and doom, but it defies categorization. It is heavy, often brutally so, but not just for the sake of power. Beneath the layers of distortion, the music is rooted in spiritual philosophy and ancient Vedic wisdom. These are songs of confrontation and transcendence, guided by hard-earned insight and a desire to rise above the trappings of material and emotional decay.

About SUPREME MYSTIC:

SUPREME MYSTIC is a spiritually charged heavy rock band from Detroit, Michigan, fusing the grit of hardcore and metal with the depth of Vedic philosophy. Founded in 2023 by frontman and bassist Chino Noir (the evolved moniker of Mike Couls, known for his work with COLD AS LIFE, SWORN ENEMY, MERAUDER, and CRO-MAGS), the band draws from a lifetime of musical warfare and personal transformation. Their sound, described as Mo-Metal and DefRoc, merges elements of post-hardcore, stoner rock, grunge, doom, and groove metal with a message rooted in spiritual evolution, esoteric themes, and inner revolution.

Joined by drummer Jeff Shankin (UNIVERSAL STOMP, EARTHMOVER), guitarist Alfredo Riojas (a BERKLEE-trained shredder), and keyboardist Luis Ulloa (a young devotee of heavy music and mysticism), SUPREME MYSTIC creates music that is as punishing as it is purposeful. Their songs explore karma, mortality, illusion, and rebirth, often weaving in Sanskrit mantras and Eastern iconography with street-level truth and raw energy.

Equal parts intensity and intention, SUPREME MYSTIC is not just another heavy band. It is a movement of sound and spirit. Their debut full-length album Kala Rupa is out now.

SUPREME MYSTIC is:

  • Chino Noir – Vocals / Bass

  • Alfredo Riojas – Lead Guitar / Backup Vocals

  • Jeff Shankin – Drums

  • Luis Ulloa – Keyboards


Connect with SUPREME MYSTIC:

DIRKSCHNEIDER & THE OLD GANG - 'Babylon' Is Out Now

What a story! Over the past few years, a charity campaign featuring six prominent musicians for the benefit of artists affected by the coronavirus lockdown has developed into a spectacular project that will undoubtedly cause a sensation. We are talking about Dirkschneider And The Old Gang, DATOG for short, with a line-up whose majority has had a decisive influence on the history of heavy metal over the past four decades.

Udo Dirkschneider was the founder and long-time singer of Accept and, after leaving the band, also led his follow-up bands, U.D.O. and DIRKSCHNEIDER, to international fame. In DATOG he is joined by Peter Baltes (bass, vocals; ACCEPT, DIRKSCHNEIDER), Stefan Kaufmann (guitar; ACCEPT, U.D.O.) and Mathias Dieth (guitar; SiINNER, U.D.O.) as well as Udo's son Sven Dirkschneider (drums; U.D.O., DIRKSCHNEIDER), who has played for his dad for the last ten years. The sixth member of the gang is singer Manuela Bibert, who has not been let off the hook since her great performance on the recording of the U.D.O. orchestra album We Are One in the spring of 2019.

In this constellation, three DATOG singles, (‘Where The Angels Fly’, ‘Face Of A Stranger’ and ‘Every Heart Is Burning’), were created between summer 2020 and fall 2021. This got the train rolling: “The whole thing developed a momentum of its own, that we hadn't expected in this form," Kaufmann looks back somewhat surprised. “After the singles went incredibly viral, fans, record companies, and concert agencies immediately got in touch and wanted to know whether there was more to come… what the prospects were for a full album?”

The answer is here: Babylon is out now via Reigning Phoenix Music and you should not miss it.
Order, stream or download Babylon here: https://datog.rpm.link/babylon

With a three-singer concept — Dirkschneider, Bibert, Baltes — DATOG delivers a unique mix of vocal profiles that proves to be the band’s unmistakable trademark. “Of course, we didn't even try to split the vocals equally, but carefully analyzed whose voice would fit best for each part,” explains Udo Dirkschneider. The same applies to songwriting, which followed the motto exclusively: The best songs win!

A wise decision, as the twelve songs on Babylon show! Within a clearly defined stylistic direction and alongside magnificent solo performances, especially from exceptional guitarist Mathias “Don” Dieth, the album impresses with great complexity and an enormous wealth of facets.

With Babylon, the German all-star band presents twelve brilliant metal songs which, despite their unusual vocal concept, never degenerate into a Babylonian confusion of voices. Quite the opposite: the album inspires both compositionally and vocally and convinces every sound fetishist with its transparent yet powerful production.

And this is not the end of the journey: the video story of the songs will unfold for all of the album tracks, keeping fans engaged visually and musically until the very last note, not least reminding everyone to give the record one more spin.
Though the album leans into a hard rock side, the band members’ heavy metal foundation shines through, best showcased on the focus track and new video,"Metal Sons".

"Metal Sons" is a tribute to true, original heavy metal: a powerful guitar riff that seems to have been born out of another time period, Udo's usual uncompromising vocals, plus screaming guitar solos and a chorus that will have every heavy metal fan automatically headbanging and shouting along. Thanks to its modern arrangement, the song is nevertheless (or precisely because of this) a musical treat of a very special kind.

About DATOG:
 
DIRKSCHNEIDER & THE OLD GANG (DATOG) was originally launched in 2020 as a one-off charity project, but quickly developed a momentum of its own and formed into a band consisting of Udo Dirkschneider (vocals; ACCEPT/U.D.O./DIRKSCHNEIDER), Peter Baltes (bass, vocals; ACCEPT/U.D.O./DIRKSCHNEIDER), Stefan Kaufmann (guitar; ACCEPT/U.D.O.), Mathias “Don” Dieth (guitar; SINNER/U.D.O.), Sven Dirkschneider (drums; U.D.O./DIRKSCHNEIDER) and Manuela “Ella” Bibert (vocals). Between 2020 and 2021 their first three singles attracted a lot of attention, whereupon the band wrote more songs and recorded their debut album. With a unique vocal concept of three voices, powerful riffs and stylistic complexity, DATOG combine classic heavy metal with a modern, powerful production.
 
 
DATOG are:
Udo Dirkschneider | lead vocals
Peter Baltes | bass, lead & backing vocals
Manuela “Ella” Bibert | lead & backing vocals, keys
Stefan Kaufmann | guitars, backing vocals
Mathias “Don” Dieth | guitars, backing vocals
Sven Dirkschneider | drums, backing vocals
 
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Resistor Share Video for New Single "MUTT"

Long Island, NY quintet RESISTOR — Anthony Grambo [vocals], Anthony Conti [guitar], Ian Schneider [bass], Anthony Arce [turntables], and Peter Smith [drums] — channel the cocky bravado of O.G. nu-metal through a prism of 21st century hardcore spiked with DJ squeals and vitriolic spitting. 

They share the video for new single "MUTT."

"Lyrically, this track is about the struggles of growing up in a multi-cultural family and being not enough of either end for each individual side," says Schneider. "Being of two different ethnicities, it was always incredibly difficult to navigate the relationship between both sides of the aisle. Never enough of this for one side, never enough of that for the other, and always ending up as the 'mutt' stuck on the wrong side of both."

This is just the first taste of what Resistor have planned in the coming months...

Back in 2020, Conti initially met Grambo at a local skate park. They would regularly scooter and skate together because "the world had ended for a little while," as Conti puts it. Soon, the conversation turned to music. Their shared inspirations ranged from Kublai Khan TX to Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, and Slipknot, and they started to jam together. One by one, they eventually welcomed Smith, Schneider, and Arce to the fold.

Grinding to be heard, 2023's So It Begins EP picked up traction on DSPs, generating over 1 million total streams. However, Resistor really hit the ground running with the follow-up HEADCASE EP in 2025 produced by Randy LeBoeuf [The Amity Affliction, Bad Omens].They canvased North America on tour and performed everywhere from the Gathering of the Juggalos to the Inkcarceration pre-show.

Resistor are bringing a fresh fire to heavy music on their own terms.

"Whatever these songs mean to you is valid," Conti leaves off. "If they make you happy, that’s great. If they get you angry and punching shit, maybe you needed that to. It's open to interpretation. Whether you love it or hate, I just hope it's a sound you've never heard before."

"As a musician, one of the worst things you can do is to be 'middle-of-the-road,'"" concludes Schneider. "Nobody wants to hear the same style over and over again. So, we'd rather be polarizing instead of making everybody feel neutral. This is very special to us."

Indeed, Resistor live outside the neutral zone.

Mandy Barnett Arrives at Willie's Roadhouse Sunday 10/5

Long hailed as one of country music’s most versatile and soulful voices, Grand Ole Opry member Mandy Barnett brings her timeless artistry and exhaustive music knowledge to SiriusXM. Beginning Oct. 5, Barnett will host “Sundays with Mandy” on Willie’s Roadhouse (Channel 61), taking over the weekly show that became must hear country classic programming from her dear friend and mentor Jeannie Seely.
 
With over 700 Grand Ole Opry performances, originating the role with more than 200 appearances playing Patsy Cline in the beloved juke box musical “Always…Patsy Cline” at the Ryman Auditorium, Barnett demonstrated her allegiance to classic country since signing her first record deal at 12. Her collaborations with Country Music Hall of Fame legends Owen Bradley, Harold Bradley, and members of the Nashville A-Team makes Barnett one of the rare artists who bridges classic country, torch songs and American popular standards with effortless authenticity.
 
“Country music has always been about heart, history and real voices,” Barnett explains. “The women and men who made this era of music carried so much soul, I’m thrilled to share their songs and stories every Sunday with Willie’s Roadhouse listeners. This music is my home.”
 
Hailed by Rolling Stone, Village Voice, USA Today, Variety, People and Playboy, Barnett builds on a legacy that honors Cline, Tammy Wynette and Brenda Lee while making her own indelible mark. The New York Times wrote, “Ms. Barnett had the vocal finesse: the husky dives, the controlled slides and the timing . . . Surrounded by showboating, she made understatement persuasive,” Los Angeles Times hailed her “Pipes of steel,” while Playboy heralded her, “preternatural interpretive gifts” and American Songwriter deemed her “the Judy Garland of our time.”
 
“There is so much more to this era than people realize,” Barnett offers. “It was made by dynamic men and women, the producers, songwriters and musicians as much as the artists – and I want to bring all of what made these records to life every week. These are big pumps to step into, but I feel a little bit like Seely’s gonna be here with me, so we’re gonna have a ball and play some great music.”
 
Known for her eclectic repertoire, Barnett’s reach connects beyond the genre to connect the roots to larger rooms. Having been signed by Seymour Stein, produced by Ahmet Ertegun and Arif Mardin, her musicality transcends genres. As legendary American Songbook ambassador Michael Feinstein declares, “Few singers have the gifts inhabiting the soul of Mandy Barnett. Her blessed voice connects to the truth of every note she sings.”
 
For “Sundays with Mandy,” savor a fascinating afternoon with a doyenne who knew plenty of icons, absorbing their love and humor. Expect generous amounts of history and insight into what makes both the classics and obscurities so timeless, while remembering the magic music makes.
 
“Sundays with Mandy” will air live every Sunday from 12pm to 4pm ET/11am to 3pm CT on SiriusXM Willie’s Roadhouse (Channel 61).

Photo Credit Erik Rock

LAINEY WILSON PERFORMS SOLD-OUT SHOW AT NASHVILLE’S BRIDGESTONE ARENA

On the heels of being named host of the 59th Annual CMA Awards, Lainey Wilson performed a sold-out show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena last night as part of her extensive Whirlwind World Tour.

Wilson will return to Bridgestone on November 19 for the CMA Awards ceremony, where she is tied as the most-nominated artist with six nominations: Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year (Whirlwind), Single of the Year (“4x4xU”), Song of the Year (“4x4xU”) and Music Video of the Year (“Somewhere Over Laredo”). 

The accolades are just the latest in a series of recent milestones for Wilson, who is highlighted on the 2025 TIME100 Next list, featured as the cover star of Southern Living’s November issue (read HERE) and confirmed to headline Stagecoach Festival this spring. Today, she also releases a new version of the holiday classic, “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!,” with Bing Crosby—listen below.

Known for her electric live performances, Wilson will continue her Whirlwind World Tour through this fall including a sold-out show at New York’s Madison Square Garden next Friday, October 10, before embarking on an extensive headline run across Australia and New Zealand next year. See below for complete tour itinerary, full details can be found at www.laineywilson.com/tour.

Furthermore, Wilson released the deluxe version of her award-winning album, Whirlwind, earlier this summer via BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville (stream/purchase HERE). In addition to Whirlwind’s original 14 songs, the new extended edition features five additional tracks: “Bell Bottoms Up,” “King Ranch, King George, King James,” “Yesterday, All Day, Every Day,” “Peace, Love, and Cowboys” and “Somewhere Over Laredo,” which is currently Top 10 at country radio and continuing to climb.

Released to overwhelming attention from fans and critics alike, “Somewhere Over Laredo” was the most added song at country radio at impact and earned widespread praise from outlets such as CBS Mornings, Rolling Stone and Billboard, who called it “one of her most commanding, dynamic vocal performances to date, crescendo-ing from a soft-focus, tender vocal, before gradually reaching into her upper register for powerful moments that heighten the song’s emotional acuity.” 

“The reigning current standard-bearer for women in country” (Variety), Wilson also won four awards at the 60th ACM Awards this past spring—Entertainer of the Year (her second consecutive win), Female Artist of the Year (her third consecutive win), Album of the Year (Whirlwind) and Artist-Songwriter of the Year—performed during last year’s Dallas Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Halftime Show and won two awards at the 58th CMA Awards, where she made her hosting debut alongside Peyton Manning and Luke Bryan. Wilson also recently launched her fourth collection with Wrangler, as well as her own boot (Golden West Boots) and jewelry lines (The Lainey Wilson Jewelry Collection).

The 16x ACM, 9x CMA and Grammy Award-winner and Grand Ole Opry member is a prolific, sought-after songwriter who has scored eight #1 hits including “4x4xU,” “Wildflowers And Wild Horses,” “Watermelon Moonshine” and the 2x PLATINUM Certified “Heart Like A Truck,” in addition to award-winning collaborations with Cole Swindell (“Never Say Never”), Jelly Roll (“Save Me”) and HARDY (“wait in the truck”). Moreover, Wilson wrote and recorded “Out of Oklahoma” for the Twisters movie and has collaborated with artists such as Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Dolly Parton, Post Malone and more. She will also make her feature film acting debut in next year’s adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s Reminders of Him, after first acting in Paramount’s hit television series, “Yellowstone.”

Photo Credit: Erick Frost

LAINEY WILSON CONFIRMED TOUR DATES

October 3—Noblesville, IN—Ruoff Music Center§

October 4—Cleveland, OH—Blossom Music Center§

October 9—Columbia, MD—Merriweather Post Pavilion§

October 10—New York, NY—Madison Square Garden§

October 11—Mansfield, MA—Xfinity Center§

October 16—St. Louis, MO—Hollywood Casio Amphitheatre||

October 17—Rosemont, IL—Allstate Arena||

October 18—Saint Paul, MN—Xcel Energy Center||

October 21—Nashville, TN—Grand Ole Opry

October 24—Knoxville, TN—Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center#

October 25—Charlotte, NC—Spectrum Center#

November 1—The Woodlands, TX—Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

November 7—Tampa, FL—Amalie Arena#

November 8—Orlando, FL—Kia Center#
December 7—Las Vegas, NV—Lainey Wilson: Wildflowers & Wild Horses
February 6—Auckland, New Zealand—Spark Arena~
February 8—Christchurch, New Zealand—Wolfbrook Arena~
February 11—Brisbane, Australia—Brisbane Entertainment Centre~
February 12—Brisbane, Australia—Brisbane Entertainment Centre~
February 14—Newcastle, Australia—Howlin’ Country~
February 16—Sydney, Australia—Qudos Bank Arena~
February 19—Melbourne, Australia—Rod Laver Arena~
February 20—Melbourne, Australia—Rod Laver Arena~
February 22—Adelaide, Australia—Adelaide Entertainment Centre Arena~
February 26—Perth, Australia—RAC Center~
April 25—Indio, CA—Stagecoach Festival 2026
August 6—Detroit Lakes, MN—WE Fest
August 9—Canton, OH—Concert for Legends
August 12—Sturgis, SD—The Sturgis Buffalo Chip

§with special guests Muscadine Bloodline and Lauren Watkins

||with special guests Muscadine Bloodline and Maddox Batson

#with special guests ERNEST and Drake Milligan
~with special guests Flatland Cavalry and Kaitlin Butts

KEEP UP WITH LAINEY WILSON
WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | YOUTUBE | X | FACEBOOK 

‘California Cowgirl’ Annie Bosko Delivers Debut Album

Annie Bosko’s roots run deep. Her grandfather and father worked the fields from sunup to sundown as she and her siblings spent their days husking corn in the California sun to a steady soundtrack of George Strait and Patsy Cline, while her mother introduced her to the soaring harmonies of the Judds, Deana Carter, Patty Loveless, Martina McBride and Shania Twain.
 
All of this echoes across California Cowgirl, her debut album of 80s/90s country explosion of shuffles, sweeping ballads and girl-powered anthems. Available now via QHMG/Stone Country Records, listen to California Cowgirl Below.
 
Supplementing her own production work with Tommy Simms (Eric Clapton’s GRAMMY- winning “Change the World”) and Butch Walker (Taylor Swift, Green Day, P!nk), Trent Willmon and David ‘Messy’ Mescon brought California Cowgirlinto a solid country focus.

“Trent really helped build the foundation and recognized how traditional country I wanted to lean – he really supported that,” Bosko says of the man who produced Cody Johnson’s CMA Album of the Year Leather.
 
“With ‘Messy,’ it was taking that, but getting a little outside the box,” she adds. “He was experimental with the idea of mariachi horns and recognized why that was important to me. Because everyone knows ‘Ring of Fire,’ but ‘9 To 5’ wouldn’t be the song it was without the horns, either. So, he gave things a little twist to keep my old school country fresh.”
 
What emerges is a sound that’s so throwback, but so forward, it does feel fresh, as well as live and triumphant in the moment. Whether it’s her “Bright and Blue Sky,” a Haggard-esque love song wrapped in strings and steel guitar, or the plucky “Cowboy Up,” which spins the catchphrase into a good-natured get it together, these are ride-or-die songs for life’s unseen defining moments.
 
“The music doesn’t necessarily sound sad, but there’s vulnerability to some of the songs,” acknowledges Bosko. “I wanted to get back to real honesty, that tenderness and toughness that are the people listening to country. You can have the sass, the honky tonk, the fun stuff, but it’s also in the broken and the resilience, because those rings of emotion are all inside a woman.”
 
The project also features standout collaborations with Dwight Yoakam on “Heartburn” and Joe Nichols on their top 40 duet “Better Than You,” as well as “Old Friends” with Darius Rucker.
 
“That idea that you can’t make old friends is so true. I think about the people who knew me back when I’d show up at kids’ birthday parties singing ‘Part of Your World’ as the Little Mermaid,” Bosko confesses. “They know you better than anyone – and no matter how much time has passed, it's like you never missed a beat. That’s a rare friendship.
 
“And having Darius on this song makes it even more special; he’s been there for so many people through so many seasons, and he really sounds like what this song is about.”
 
From “Watch Me,” the back roads opening “hold my beer” anthem, and the stout Brooks & Dunn-evoking “Honky Tonk Heartbeat” to the playful, Mexican horn section and güiro punctuated “Tequila Time” and title track’s steel-drenched declaration of who she is, Bosko offers a 360 degree sense of what modern country can be, as well as defining a woman’s place in the notoriously macho genre.
 
Indeed, “Country Girls! (Who Runs The World)” is a stomping song written as much from need as celebration.
 
“I grew up going to rodeo events and I’ve sung at a lot of them,” explains Bosko. “There are girls out there with just as much grit, just as tough, and I asked myself, ‘Where’s the song for these girls?’ There wasn’t. So I wanted to write a girl hype song, something that calls out for them! This is one for the girls, by a girl.”
 
With a cover of Kris Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make It Through The Night,” which has garnered over 1 million streams on Pandora, she honors her roots.
 
“Every time I hear this, I’m in the passenger seat of my dad's truck, it transports me back to those fields,” she reveals “I can see it flying by, all that great classic country music he would play when I was a kid. Before I knew what any of it meant, I could hear the emotion.
 
“And it was like that with Shania, all the layers and truth – she got that from Dolly. They’re all country. They’re all real. That’s what I want.”
 
Bosko will hold her album release party tonight, October 3, at Desert 5 Spot in Los Angeles, followed by performances at Nashville’s Whiskey Jam on October 9 and Four Peaks Oktoberfest on October 10.

Annie Bosko Upcoming Shows
 
Oct. 3              Desert 5 Spot || Los Angeles, CA
Oct. 9              WhiskeyJam || Nashville, TN
Oct. 10            Four Peaks Oktoberfest Tempe Town Lake 2025 || Tempe, AZ
Jan. 31             REHAB Telethon & Auction || Abilene, TX
Feb. 20            Los Fresnos Rodeo || Los Fresnos, TX        
 
About Annie Bosko
Raised in California’s Central Valley as a farmer’s daughter, Annie Bosko blends the grit of her roots with the firepower of her influences—including The Judds, Shania Twain, Deana Carter, and George Strait—on her debut album California Cowgirl, available now via QHMG/Stone Country Records. The 19-song collection, featuring collaborations with Darius Rucker, Dwight Yoakam and Joe Nichols, brings traditional country instrumentation into sharp focus while celebrating female strength, vulnerability and joy. Bosko first broke out with the SiriusXM/CMT favorite “Crooked Halo” and was named a Rolling Stone Country Artist to Watch, later making her late-night debut on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” with “Neon Baby,” which marked her first charting single at Country radio. She has written songs recorded by Willie Nelson and Jessica Simpson, toured with Tim McGraw, Dierks Bentley and Blake Shelton, and sold out Los Angeles’ famed Troubadour.
 

AnnieBosko.com | Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | X

SIENA ROOT - Double Live Album 'Made in KuBa Out Now

“Dynamic Root Rock Experience” is still the best term to describe SIENA ROOT’s music, and that's also exactly what the Swedish quartet’s new double live album Made in KuBa is all about. Named after the location of its creation, Jena, Germany’s Kulturbahnhof (short form: KuBa), the follow-up to the band’s previous, highly-acclaimed live document Root Jam (2011) takes off where its predecessor left off in many ways.  Made in KuBa is out now via Perception – a Division of Reigning Phoenix Music.
 

Recorded during three intimate concert nights in March 2024, the result is, of course, an all-analogue recording which continues the traditional way of capturing the audiophile band’s art. Where many artists would hesitate to bring a full-on tape recorder to a live event, it’s totally given for SIENA ROOT to do so in a no-compromise fashion. Made in KuBa isn’t only another live album but a comprehensive experience in its purest form: no overdubs were added and no tricks were used in the studio afterwards. Once again, the songs you can hear are strictly what’s played and bring the energy all the way from the stage to the speakers of the Swede’s fans. The outfit’s much-loved jams are there, lots of improvisation as well as the whole spectra from light to shade, and to ensure the all-analogue quality control, sound engineer Ove Noring, who’s been working with the band all the way since 2006’s Kaleidoscope, was brought in as tape operator to record SIENA ROOT’s shows at the iconic KuBa venue.

So what’s new? In order to make Made In KuBa no simple repetition of their Root Jam concept though, SIENA ROOT went for a bunch of refreshing ideas with the first one being the scenery. As mentioned, the band travelled all the way to Jena this time, where they found the perfect surroundings at Kulturbahnhof. “We couldn’t have been happier: KuBa was exactly the place to be after we had experienced countless memorable concerts there throughout the years,” they recall. While the musical spine of SIENA ROOT is a quartet -- consisting of long-time and founding members Sam Riffer (bass) and Love Forsberg (drums & percussion), completed by Zubaida Solid (vocals & keys) and Johan Borgström (guitars), who both joined their ranks after the release of Root Jam -- they were also supported by two talented guests for a number of songs to make this special occasion more unique: long-time brother in arms Erik Peterson (keys) and Lisa Isaksson (flute). Additionally, the forthcoming opus consists of songs from the group’s entire catalogue which aren’t featured songs on Root Jam at all, and to thank their loyal fans, SIENA ROOT even involved them in creating the set list. They add: “We knew that not each and every fan from around the world would be able to witness these historic nights, that’s why we decided to have them included by influencing the Made In KuBa track listing.”

In the end, Made In KuBa includes twelve wisely picked tracks which can be enjoyed from October 3, 2025 - brought to the world through PERCEPTION. And it’ll be available in various formats: CD, digital, and - most importantly - vinyl. A version which has always been a crucial factor throughout SIENA ROOT’s career, who even pressed their 2004 debut album A New Day Dawning on the ‘black gold’ when the returning vinyl boom was still in the distant future. The band prefer the traditional way of listening and therefore took extra-care of its execution. Mastered at half-speed, SIENA ROOT technically reflect on the old days in this case. They conclude: “Half-speed mastering’ is a trick of the past that the vinyl junkies out there should be familiar with. It’s just a very delicate yet complicated process of cutting that makes “Made In KuBa” an even more three-dimensional listening pleasure for both you and us!” Enough said: now it's the world's turn to enjoy and to catch the group live during their supporting “Double Live Release Tour” across Europe in October 2025, if you like what you hear!
 
Order it here online or visit your favorite local record store for the full analogue experience!

SIENA ROOT are:
Zubaida Solid | vocals, keys
Johan Borgström | guitars
Sam Riffer | bass
Love Forsberg | drums, percussion
 
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