Bask Premiere New Album 'The Turning'

Ever since they came rumbling down from the Blue Ridge Mountains, Bask have sounded of their very own time and place. The climb to reach album number four ended up taking these Southern trailblazers on one hell of a trip. But on The Turning, the band take their homebrewed Heavy Americana to a whole new dimension.  

"The album is passionate, soul searching, driven with purpose and a sense of adventure that doesn't involve pointless wandering", Blabbermouth writes about The Turning in a 8/10 review. "Sure, influences can be heard, assumed and even self-professed, but as a collective, Bask doesn't rip off any band, subgenre nor style. The Turning is a true exploration of sound, story and self". 

"The Turning is an emotionally charged record of the highest order with Bask firmly establishing themselves as one of the most unique and original voices within the modern day Psych Stoner Rock / Metal scene", writes Outlaws of the Sun. "This is a record of real quality and can easily be considered of the best Psychedelic Rock albums of the year".

The Turning comes out tomorrow, Friday, August 22 on Season of Mist, but you can hear all eight lush and roaming songs today by listening to the full album stream on the Season of Mist YouTube channel.     

Listen to The Turning Below.

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

Bask are ringing in this heavy and heady frontier on their current tour of the East Coast. Hear them perform songs off The Turning during the album's opening run out on the road.  

The Turning 2025 East Coast Tour 
August 21 - Savannah, GA @ El Rocko [TICKETS]
August 22 - Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel [TICKETS]
August 23 - Raleigh, NC @ Chapel of Bones [TICKETS]
August 24 - Richmond, VA @ Fuzzy Cactus [TICKETS]
August 26 - Philadelphia, PA @ MilkBoy [TICKETS]
August 28 - Searsport, ME @ Starboard Lounge [TICKETS]
August 29 - Providence, RI @ Parlour [TICKETS]
August 30 - Wallingford, CT @ Cherry Street Station [TICKETS]
August 31 - Boston, MA @ O'Briens [TICKETS]

"Music is an emotional outlet, but at the end of the day, it's also a way for us to hang out with our best buds", the band says. "The Turning was a challenge, but we weathered the storm and came out the other side with a beautiful album that sounds like Bask".   

Line-up:

Jesse Van Note – Bass
Scott Middleton – Drums
Ray Worth – Guitar
Zeb Wright – Guitar/Vocals
Jed Willis - Pedal Steel

Guest musicians
Clay White - Trumpet
Franklin Keel - Cello
Alex Taub - Piano, Hammond B3 Organ

Recording Studio 
Echo Mountain Recording

Producer 
Kenny Harrington

Engineer
Kenny Harrington

Mixing Studio
Acre AudioMixing

Mixing Engineer
Andrew Schneider

Mastering Studio
West West Side Music

Mastering Engineer
Alan Douches

Available Formats
Digital Download
CD Digipack
12" Vinyl Gatefold (Black)
12" Vinyl Gatefold (Transparent Orange)

Pre-order & Pre-save

https://orcd.co/basktheturning

TESTAMENT | ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM PARA BELLUM + RELEASE MUSIC VIDEO FOR 'INFANTICIDE A.I.'

Bay Area thrash metal icons TESTAMENT returns this Fall with their fourteenth studio album, Para Bellum. The album which will be released on October 10th via Nuclear Blast Records stands as both a battle cry and an observation of humanity's uneasy alliance with its own creations. As technology accelerates and disconnection grows, Para Bellum sees TESTAMENT reflecting the modern chaos through music that’s urgent, sharp, and unflinchingly human.

Today, TESTAMENT deliver one of their most intense songs they've written to date, 'Infanticide A.I.'. Lead by the blinding speed of their new drummer Chris Dovas, the band shows off its musical talent far beyond their expected norms. Watch the music video for 'Infanticide A.I.'' directed by Joey Durango, here: https://youtu.be/Gtw3lcQvyPU

TESTAMENT's Chuck Billycomments, "The new album Para Bellum consists of some fast, heavy and melodic tunes. Once again Peterson has found a way to keep the song writing fresh and modern sounding. It’s gonna be hard to choose what songs to play live cause to many to choose from."

TESTAMENT's Eric Petersonstates,"It’s been 5 years since our last recordTitans Of Creationwas released. Since then, we all waited to get back to it and we all did in a big way! Now our long over due new recordPara Bellumis upon us and about to be released in October. We are super stoked and excited to release new blood and fury to you all! With our first single 'Infanticide A.I.' we’re coming out swinging! But with new velocities of fury, while maintaining a balance that we all love and know from a Testament track, enjoy!"

Stream 'Infanticide A.I.' here
https://testament.bfan.link/infanticide-a-i

Pre-order or pre-save Para Bellum on the format of your choice here:
https://testament.bfan.link/para-bellum

Para Bellum was recorded with Juan Urteaga, mixed by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios, and was mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios. The album is extremely polished and operating at full throttle. The band once again enlisted Eliran Kantor tocreate the album artwork. In an era flooded by AI-generated imagery. the hand painted creation encapsulates the album’s essence: a serene angel made of missiles, an explosion turned halo, surrounded by shovel-bearing cultists with books strapped to their faces.

From first note to last breath, Para Bellum is an album by warriors—crafted in chaos, and built to outlast the wars to come! 

TESTAMENT is:
Chuck Billy | Vocals
Eric Peterson | Guitar
Alex Skolnick | Guitar
Steve DiGiorgio | Bass
Chris Dovas | Drums

Indecent Behavior + Air Drawn Dagger Release Video for Joint Single "Give Me Everything"

German pop punkers Indecent Behavior and their British emo-pop labelmates Air Drawn Dagger have just released the video for the joint single "Give Me Everything." 

Watch it video below.

After performing at Rock am Ring, Rock im Park, and touring with Neck Deep, Zebrahead, and the Donots, Indecent Behavior will unleash their fourth studio album, SICK, on  September 26. Air Drawn Dagger released their debut album A Guide For Apparitions back in April. It was produced by Neil Kennedy (Creeper, Boston Manor) and the band recently toured with Halocene and Crushed By Waves, and performed at the Glastonbury Festival.

"The new single 'Give Me Everything' is for all those who want to break free from a toxic relationship – confidently and looking forward," says Indecent Behavior singer Henrik Bergmann. "People are different — what is completely normal for one person can mean the exact opposite for another. When two fundamentally different personalities come together in a relationship, it often gets complicated — sometimes even painful. 'Give Me Everything' is a liberating blow. The song is about the moment when you realize: 'I don't want this anymore — I'm worth more than this and I won't let myself be manipulated any longer.' It's not about settling scores with anger, but consciously drawing a line under things — without resentment, but with a clear view of the future. Maisie from Air Drawn Dagger brings a second perspective to the song. Because even if at first glance it seems as if there is a clear 'guilty' person, it is often simply a question of fundamentally different views on life and on each other."

Stream the single and pre-order the album SICK by Indecent Behavior here. 

In November, the two bands will also be performing together on stage, as Air Drawn Dagger will be accompanying Indecent Behavior on their SICK tour through Germany from November 20-28. Let's go!

We live in a world full of impressions. What seems like an ocean full of possibilities to some is incredibly overwhelming, oppressive and unfair to others. There is no escape from the mass of unfiltered information that rains down on us every day. No light at the end of the dark news tunnel. No clear way out of the labyrinth of options, which instead of freedom only brings excessive demands. SICK was created precisely from these thoughts and is an album for everyone for whom it sometimes just gets too much. Who feel like they are living in a world that they simply don't understand. For all people who are looking for a place where they can feel understood and comfortable.

INDECENT BEHAVIOR ARE:
Henrik Bergmann — Vocals
Christian Noß — Guitar, Vocals
Denis Selzer — Bass, Vocals
Florian Heintz — Drums

Der Weg einer Freiheit Release Searing New Single "Marter"

Since their formation in 2009, Der Weg einer Freiheit have carved out a singular place in modern black metal. While rooted in the genre’s foundations, these Germans are constantly evolving. On their upcoming sixth album, they turn inward with devastating clarity. Innern tunnels toward collapse and into silence before finally reaching a place of personal transformation.

Today, Der Weg einer Freiheit are releasing the second advanced single from Innern. “Marter” is the album’s searing opener, a harrowing plunge into its core themes of isolation, dissolution and the fragile possibility of release.  

Watch the video for “Marter” below.

Innern comes out September 12th on Season of Mist

Pre-order

https://orcd.co/derwegeinerfreiheitinnern

Pre-save

https://open.spotify.com/prerelease/46CJu30XN9wGChOsoHEJCm

As the opening track from Innern, “Marter” sets the tone for an album that peers inward, confronting pain not as an end, but as a threshold. The song is defined by its contrasts: unrelenting yet fragile, crushing yet imbued with fleeting moments of calm. Opening with mournful restraint, it slowly uncoils into a storm of relentless tremolo-picked guitars. Intricate yet punishing blast beats from Tobias Schuler rumble beneath the grounding weight of Alan Noruspur’s bass. Nikita Kamprad and Nicolas Rausch’s layered guitars oscillate between ferocity and elegiac stillness as Kamprad’s vocals shift from anguished cries to whispered resignation.

On “Marter”, Der Weg einer Freiheit contemplate identity, rebirth and the futility of clinging to words that fall on deaf ears. The lyrics’ imagery of burning throats, collapsing voices and the pull of the stars frames suffering as both torment and an avenue toward renewal. The repeated surrender, “Nimm sie alle, meine Schreie…”(“Take them all, my screams…”), dissolves personal agony into something vast and cosmic.

The lyric video for “Marter” was created by Riivata Visuals.

DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT stand now at the peak of a fifteen-year evolution.Their music is as concerned with silence as it is with sound, as shaped by introspection as by fury. As they prepare to bring Innern to European stages in autumn 2025, they do so not as provocateurs of extremity, but as artists navigating the fragile space between collapse and clarity. In a genre often defined by spectacle, DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT remain committed to vulnerability, transformation, and truth.

Lineup:

Nikita Kamprad — Vocals, Guitars

Nicolas Rausch — Guitars

Alan Noruspur — Bass

Tobias Schuler — Drums

Production Credits:
Recorded, mixed & mastered in Würzburg, Germany by Nikita Kamprad.
Drums recorded separately at Studio Weißmann, Würzburg, Germany.

Cover Art:
Design & layout by Max Löffler (https://maxloeffler.com/)

Photography:
Mario Schmitt

Press-kit: https://presskit.season-of-mist.com/Der_Weg_Einer_Freiheit/

Login: presskit

Password: Presskitofmist

Follow Der Weg Einer Freiheit:

Official Website: https://derwegeinerfreiheit.de/

Bandcamp: https://derwegeinerfreiheit.bandcamp.com/

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/derwegeinerfreiheit

Instagram: http://instagram.com/derwegeinerfreiheit

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/derwegeinerfreiheit

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7e823b0KQoVtLG86Ui5xGD

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/der-weg-einer-freiheit/363526020

Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/artist/1386896

Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/artist/4479035

ALL HELL returns from the shadows with their fifth full-length album, Sunsetter,

Arriving October 10, 2025 on Terminus Hate City. From their origins in Asheville, North Carolina in 2013, the band has carved a singular path through the underground, blending elements of first wave black metal, deathrock, punk, and film score atmospheres into something entirely their own. Sunsetter is the culmination of years of evolution and hardship, a concept record that stretches from ancient myth to modern apocalypse, driven by fire, blood, and vision.

The band (Jacob Curwen on guitar and vocals, Erik Ballantyne on bass, and Elanti on drums) began work on Sunsetter after the release of 2019’s The Witch’s Grail. Progress was slow and plagued by constant disruption. The pandemic struck, personal tragedies followed, and devastating floods hit their home region. In the midst of all this, the band found themselves burned out and disillusioned with metal entirely. But after stepping back and rediscovering their creative hunger, they emerged with a record that is not only their most metal release to date, but also their most fully realized.

Sunsetter tells a sprawling, violent tale of exile, rebirth, and cosmic vengeance. The story begins in ancient times with the curse of Cain, the first murderer, cast into the land of Nod where he joins with Lilith, the exiled first wife of Adam. From their union comes a cursed bloodline. The album’s opening track, “Exiled into Nod,” skips any slow buildup and immediately drops the listener into the chaos of this mythic prayer. It is followed by “Dominus Sanguis, Domina Nox,” a dark hymn to the Lord of Blood and the Lady of Night, and then “The Violent Brood,” a classic ALL HELL track that portrays the frenzy of being hunted by Cain's spawn.

“The Bleeding” flips the perspective and explores the mind of a predator, with a guest solo from Nate Garnette of SKELETONWITCH adding another layer of menace. The title track, “Sunsetter,” takes a more triumphant tone, capturing the defiance and pride of the children of Cain as they reject the sun and claim dominion over the night. Its straightforward power made it the obvious choice for the album’s name.

Side two of the album begins with “The Flood and the Death,” a cinematic, spoken-word interlude that sets the stage for a shift in time. The next chapter takes place centuries later, where the bloodline of Cain has survived the flood and reemerges in the present. “Behold the Night” brings this rebirth to life with driving energy and shifting dynamics. “Path of Cain” offers a darkly anthemic reflection on lineage, sin, and survival.

The final act of the album accelerates toward doom. “Sacrifice to Shadow” portrays a cult's plea for the return of their ancient masters, while “The Ancients Rise” delivers on that prophecy with grinding riffs and ominous brass that call back to the album’s ancient beginnings. The closing track, “The Outer Night,” brings it all to an end. It begins with militaristic urgency, climbs to apocalyptic grandeur, and fades into the cold silence of a world overrun. Cain and Lilith return, and the sun sets for the last time.

The album was recorded, mixed, and engineered by Chris Adams at Hidden Audio, with mastering by Jacob Curwen. The visual aesthetic, including the album art, was also created by Curwen, preserving the band’s independent and uncompromising approach.

The sun fades. The night takes hold. The world belongs to ALL HELL.

About ALL HELL:

ALL HELL is a blackened metal trio from Asheville, North Carolina, known for their relentless fusion of first wave black metal, deathrock, punk, and horror-driven storytelling. Since forming in 2013, the band has carved out a distinct identity rooted in occult themes, razor-sharp riffs, and a fierce DIY ethos. Their sound is aggressive, stripped-down, and deeply atmospheric — a raw, unfiltered descent into myth, violence, and the supernatural.

With five full-length albums and an EP to their name, including 2025’s apocalyptic concept record Sunsetter, ALL HELL has evolved from a local cult favorite into a powerful underground force. Their live presence has taken them across the U.S., sharing stages with acts like RINGWORM, BLACK TUSK, PROFANATICA, and TURN COLD, and performing at festivals such as Decibel Metal and Beer Fest, Dark Lord Day, and RPM Fest.

The current lineup, Jacob Curwen (guitar and vocals), Erik Ballantyne (bass), and Elanti (drums), continues to push the band’s sound forward while staying true to its core. With each release, ALL HELL digs deeper into a unique mythos that spans history, horror, and apocalypse, embracing the dark, the ugly, and the eternal night.

ALL HELL is:

  • Jacob Curwen – Guitar and Vocals

  • Erik Ballantyne – Bass

  • Elanti – Drums


Connect with ALL HELL:

Bandcamp: https://allhell.bandcamp.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/allhellband
Instagram: https://instagram.com/allhellband
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5FVXnF7zGfuo8WF5qq4XHK
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/be/artist/all-hell/925520478

HIGHER POWER - announce first UK headline tour in 4 years + 'Better' video

UK alt-hardcore quintet Higher Power are pleased to announce an 8-date UK headline tour this October, bringing their new material live to our stages. This is their first UK headline run since 2021! The band's third studio album, There's Love In This World If You Want It, was surprise released digitally in June via Nuclear Blast Records. The album will be released physically on September 19th and is available for pre-order, HERE.

Higher Power have also released a dreamy video for cathartic new track 'Better', which you can view below.

Frontman Jimmy Wizard commented on the video:
"This video couldn’t be anymore honest, we literally turned up at our practice room with no plan but we let the creativity flow and the result is what you get when some friends hang out, exchange ideas and have fun. The rest of the videos have felt very narrative and metaphor based where as this one needed to be super stripped back and we let the music do the talking!"

Stream There's Love In This World If You Want It and pre-order physical copies here: https://higherpower.bfan.link/love

Inner peace. That’s the aim for us all, isn’t it? Well, the truth is that it is always there waiting for you. You just need to work away a little bit to find it, digging deep and questioning yourself to get closer and closer to achieving that ultimate sense of personal zen. It may not always feel like the search is paying off, but there is always potential for that love, compassion and understanding of who you are to seep through. The journey may be challenging, but you’ll be glad that you took part in it in the end.

For Higher Power, that journey has seen them do things that, when they emerged onto the Yorkshire hardcore circuit in 2015, were never even on their radar. From their innocently frantic beginnings of emulating and celebrating legendary bands like Leeway and Merauder for a new generation, even playing their first two shows in the basement of the house owned by The Flexand at an early iteration of Outbreak Fest respectively, the ten years that have followed have seen them ride every ebb and flow that the music industry has to offer. From touring with everyone from Alexisonfire and Neck Deep to Knocked Loose and Angel Du$t to signing to Roadrunner Records for their sophomore full-length 27 Miles Underwater, they have achieved the sort of things that, up until recently, would never have been on the horizon of possibility for a hardcore band of their ilk. Yet, within experiencing the industry mechanics usually reserved for the highest echelons of rock royalty, they also realised they were drifting away from the things that made them want to do all of this in the first place.

The result of putting what feels right for them first is There’s Love In This World If You Want It, a record that encapsulates the Higher Power spirit in a way that only those whose hearts are truly entrenched in the band can produce. Peeling away layers of assumption and ideology placed upon them by others and focusing once more on the genre-splicing experimentation that inspired them to create together in the first place, they have produced nine songs that showcase exactly what they are made of in a screaming rainbow of colour.

UGLY KID JOE 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF MENACE TO SOBRIETY ON BOTH SINGLE AND DELUXE DOUBLE VINYL COMING IN NOVEMBER FROM DEKO ENTERTAINMENT

In 1995 Ugly Kid Joe released their 2nd full length record, Menace To Sobriety. A heavier and darker album than the predecessor, which fit the time, and Kerrang! Magazine called it “the album of year”, yet the album received little to no promotion in the US, validating vocalist, Whitfield Crane’s claim that their label was backing away from them.  

30 years later Menace To Sobriety’s true power is evident, without the bias of the times, and with the years having shown that many of the albums that were ignored by the labels prove to have much more life than the ones they spent their PR budgets on, Ugly Kid Joe may have recorded the heaviest and most consequential album of their careers. Menace saw the addition of drummer Shannon Larkin from Wrathchild America, and later of  Godsmack, and his impact was obvious from the opening of the powerful lead off track “God”. His playing propels the doom of the lead off single “Tomorrow’s World”, a track that shows how big of an influence Black Sabbath was on the band, and one of the stand outs on this album. The bands songwriting shines throughout this album, as does the musicianship, and of course the infamous Ugly Kid Joe sense of humor. “Milman’s Son” shows the depth of the band’s writing, and the different textures of Whit’s voice from smooth to snarl, the melody is memorable and so are the lyrics, sincere, yet humorous.  As the record rolls on we hear the powerful chemistry of the guitar duo of Dave Fortman and Klaus Eichstadt with riffs like “Clover” and the amazing “Jesus Rode A Harley”, and the heavy and funky bass playing of Cordell Crockett.  

View “Milkman’s Son” below:

Deko is proud to bring this album back to vinyl for its first Official Repress in two different formats! The single album reissue is on Ugly Kid Joe Ghostly Green, and a double LP pressed at 45RPM on an explosive Orange A-Side / B-Side Splatter that comes in a gatefold, both featuring the bonus track “Slower Than Nowhere”, which was not included on the US release of the album originally.  Both in limited pressings!  

Ugly Kid Joe was formed in 1989, and has released five full-length albums, two compilation albums and two EPs. They burst on to the scene with As Ugly as They Wanna Be (1991) and America's Least Wanted (1992), which were both certified double platinum by the RIAA; the former is notable for being the first EP to go platinum, and propelled by the hit songs “Everything About You”, “Neighbor”, “So Damn Cool” and the huge cover of “Cats In The Cradle”. The band broke up in 1997, and after a 13 year absence, reformed, and have been recording and touring almost annually ever since, and they show no signs of slowing down.

This is a must have for Ugly Kid Joe fans and continues Deko Entertainment’s mission to bring you some of the best reissues with the best sound quality and packaging from some of your favorite bands. Bringing some of these releases to vinyl for the first time including recent reissues from Union, Trapeze, Brian Setzer Orchestra, Dokken, Slaughter and Warrant.

Pre-order here: https://www.dekoentertainment.com/reissues/ugly-kid-joe 

For more information, visit 

www.dekoentertainment.com 

Deko Entertainment–Art Has Value

Toronto’s most determined and hardest‑working power trio, DANKO JONES, let out a mighty roar in Leo Rising

Toronto’s most determined and hardest‑working power trio, DANKO JONES, let out a mighty roar in Leo Rising, an eleven-track masterclass in sweat-soaked, no-nonsense rock ’n’ roll. The album – produced to red‑hot perfection by long‑time collaborator Eric Ratz – lands on 21 November 2025 via Perception - A Division of Reigning Phoenix Music and Sonic Unyon (for Canada).

“You know the sound every kid makes with their mouth when they play air guitar?”Danko asks. “That’s still the sound I want to put on every album we make. If we can come close to that sound, that’s an album worth releasing. Eric Ratz produced this album and he knows this about me. I have complete faith in the guitar tones he manages to capture. There weren’t any changes in recording. We still did it all apart from one another, like our previous two albums. JC recorded in Finland, Rich flew in from Prince Edward Island to Toronto to record his drums, and I worked with Eric in Toronto on guitars and vocals.”

Leo Rising is another triumph from one of the most consistent bands in the business. Above all, it showcases the fizzing, electrified chemistry between the three members of this explosive powerhouse. Operating as a stable and harmonious unit since 2013, DANKO JONES join forces on stage every night, united in their love for riffs, melodies, and a raucous, sweat-drenched good fucking time.

“This is the line-up I wish we had from the start,” Danko concludes. “I’m not just saying that because time has already proven it. First and foremost, we all get along with each other onstage and offstage. The mood is always light and nobody’s ego gets in the way. When it comes to writing and recording, we are all on the same page and we service the songs, always!”

Leo Rising may just be the most uplifting and inspirational DANKO JONES album to date. A thunderous display of high octane guitar-driven rock awaits, from the thrill seeking opener "What You Need" to the blues infused seductive delight, "Too Slick For Love". Also lying in wait on Leo Rising is the power-pop hit "Everyday Is Saturday Night" which brings the party vibes with a catchy lyrical hook you'll find yourself repeating everyday of the week. "It's A Celebration" sees the energy continue flowing with fiery rhythms across the dynamic track. Unafraid to reveal a grittier side as the distortion is turned up a notch, the sleaze-metal leaning "Pretty Stuff" is followed by the edgy "Gotta Let It Go". 

About DANKO JONES:
Every time someone announces the death of rock ‘n’ roll, Canada’s most incendiary power trio roll with the punches and keep rocking with maximum commitment to the cause. DANKO JONES are a three-piece rock ‘n’ roll band from Toronto. They never sleep. They sweat blood. And they are keeping rock alive by doing it better than anyone else.
 
On duty since 1996, these unstoppable road-hogs have devoted their lives to rousing the people with blistering, no-bullshit, all-action rock. They have rallied a global army of rock-hungry fans, and blown them away with a steady stream of explosive, anthem-packed albums and an absurd number of live shows. From early underground smashes like We Sweat Blood [2003] and Sleep Is The Enemy [2006], to the band’s recent, triumphant triumvirate of A Rock Supreme [2019], Power Trio [2021] and Electric Sounds [2023], DANKO JONES have been a relentless force for rock ‘n’ roll good, both in the studio and on the road. And they have absolutely no intention of stopping.
 
“You know what? I like the routine of recording, touring, writing, and repeat,” states singer/guitarist, Danko Jones himself. “I can do that till I’m dead! It may sound boring, but it’s so hard for a band to achieve. I don’t take this lightly. Also, it’s a page out of the MOTÖRHEAD handbook so it works! Since “Electric Sounds” we’ve been touring and touring. We managed to play in Mexico and Greece for the first time, and we even played Prince Edward Island, a province in Canada we’d never been to before. Other than that, it’s been a life of gigs and writing more songs to play more gigs!”
 
Proving that their time was well-spent, Danko, bassist John Calabrese and drummer Rich Knox have conjured yet another blazing banquet of nourishing rock goodness on their 12th studio record, due for release later this year.

DANKO JONES are:
Danko Jones | vocals, guitars
John Calabrese | bass
Rich Knox  | drums

Laura Cox Announces New Album "Trouble Coming" — A Bold Blend of Classic Rock Spirit + Modern Edge

French rock artist Laura Cox is set to release her  new album Trouble Coming on October 31 via earMUSIC / Verycords.

Following the release of the singles "No Need to Try Harder" and "Trouble Coming," the album captures everything that made Cox one of Europe's most exciting rock exports — while adding a sharper, modern appeal that points firmly toward the future.

From explosive guitar anthems like "Do I Have Your Attention?" to more atmospheric, introspective tracks such as the aforementioned "Trouble Coming," the album balances raw riffs with melodic storytelling. Laura Cox, once a viral guitarist on YouTube, has grown into a beloved voice of modern hard rock — bridging generations of listeners who crave both tradition and innovation.

The album is available in multiple formats, including a CD Digipak, standard black LP, and two limited marbled vinyl editions (black/white and transparent red/black).

Pre-order the new album Trouble Coming here. 

"Trouble Coming marks a new era in my musical evolution, still firmly rooted in the rock that shaped me, but driven by complete freedom in writing and composition. This album reflects a sense of letting go, both through the themes it explores and the modern sounds that emerged from an unexpected collaboration," states Cox.

ABOUT LAURA COX:
From viral guitarist to festival mainstay, Laura Cox has carved her own lane in the European rock scene. With over 513K YouTube subscribers and a combined 105 million views, her journey from bedroom covers to main stages like Hellfest, Rockpalast, and Pol'and'Rock has become the blueprint for independent rock success. Her 2023 album Head Above Water showcased a striking evolution in both sound and songwriting — and if Trouble Coming is any indication, there's plenty more fuel in the tank.

KITTIE Announce Spit XXV EP; Celebrating 25th Anniversary of Landmark Debut Album

Canadian heavy music pioneers Kittie mark a quarter-century milestone with the announcement of Spit XXV, a four-track EP celebrating the 25th anniversary of their gold-certified debut album. The collection features freshly updated and re-recorded versions of four of the albums biggest tracks, "Brackish," "Charlotte," "Do You Think I'm A Whore" and the title track "Spit ," all produced, once again, by Garth Richardson who helmed the original 1999 sessions at EMAC Studios. The EP arrives September 19th via Sumerian Records, with the brand new version of the title track, "Spit XXV" available today across all streaming platforms. Listen HERE and watch the official music video below. Pre-save the EP HERE.

Speaking about the milestone project, Kittie vocalist/guitarist Morgan Lander reflects: 

"It's hard to believe that 25 years after its release, and almost 30 years since Kittie began, people are still talking about Spit. There is something truly unexplainable in why our debut album is still resonating with people, finding a new audience and has had such a lasting impact on so many. Reimagining some of these classic songs for the 25th anniversary of 'Spit' was a lot of fun and a true testament to their longevity. It reveals just how relevant in the musical landscape they still are today. We were honoured to work with Garth again where it all began after more than 2 decades, and doing so was a cool way to pay homage to the past while updating these songs with a modern sound, bringing them into the future."

Released January 11, 2000, Kittie's debut full-length album, Spit transformed them from four Canadian teenagers into international heavyweights, achieving gold certification with over 660,000 US sales. The album became a defining moment for women in heavy music, with its aggressive sound and uncompromising attitude proving that metal made by women could achieve both critical respect and commercial success during nu-metal's completely male-dominated peak era.

The original Spit earned critical recognition from Rolling Stone, who ranked the title track #82 on their "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs of All Time" in 2023. The album's influence continues rippling through generations of musicians, with artists like Serena Cherry of Svalbard crediting it as "the reason she became a metal musician," while experimental artist Poppy covered the title track in 2023.

The Spit XXV EP arrives as Kittie continues their triumphant second chapter following 2024's critically acclaimed comeback album Fire, their first new material in 13 years. The album reached #13 on UK Rock & Metal Albums charts and #20 on Billboard Top Album Sales, while single "We Are Shadows" became the band's highest-charting song on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart at #20. The album earned the band a 2025 Juno Award nomination for Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year, confirming their continued artistic evolution.

Reuniting with Richardson again proved both nostalgic and revelatory for the band, who last collaborated with the producer during their breakthrough era. The reunion has allowed Kittie to approach these foundational songs with two and a half decades of musical growth while maintaining the raw power that made them revolutionary.

Since returning from their hiatus in 2022, Kittie has experienced a remarkable resurgence across demographics, with their 784,700 monthly Spotify listeners spanning longtime fans and new generations discovering their music through social media. Their performances at major festivals including Sick New World, Welcome to Rockville, and Sonic Temple have demonstrated the band's enduring live power, while their successful 2024 North American headline tour proved their enduring and undeniable ability to command stages as headliners.

The Spit XXV EP is proof of Spit's lasting relevance and Kittie's evolution as artists. Twenty-five years after four teenagers from Ontario redefined who belonged in heavy music's most aggressive spaces, Kittie continue creating pathways for others while cementing their legacy as genuine pioneers.

ABOUT KITTIE

When you discovered Canadian heavy music pioneers Kittie has a direct influence on how you see them. For those on board from the beginning with Spit in 2000, Kittie was part of nu-metal's explosive rise. Through later albums including Oracle (2001), In The Black (2009), and I've Failed You (2011), the band evolved into something far more sinister, viewed as a serious metal outfit. After a prolonged hiatus broken only by a 2017 hometown show and 2018's documentary Kittie: Origins/Evolutions, the band returned in 2022 following festival offers including Sick New World.

12.6 million career streams later, vocalist/guitarist Morgan Lander, drummer/backing vocalist Mercedes Lander, guitarist Tara McLeod, and bassist Ivy Vujic maintain that Kittie never broke up because it remains ingrained in their identity. Their 2024 album Fire, produced by Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Rush, Alice In Chains), marked their triumphant return with renewed fury and unfathomable sonic brutality. As Kittie now pay homage to their past whilst also bringing it firmly into the present day, with the new Spit XXV EP, the new era of Kittie continues to blaze forth, illuminating the way as they take their rightful place as torchbearers for heavy music.

Kittie are

Morgan Lander (vox/guitar)

Mercedes Lander (drums/backing vox)

Tara McLeod (guitar)

Ivy Vujic (bass)

TOMBS Unveils Haunting New Single "The Sun Sets"

New Jersey experimental metal collective TOMBS is now unveiling a haunting new single, "The Sun Sets" which can be heard below.

TOMBS bassist Drew Murphy comments, "I'm incredibly proud of what we've accomplished on the album. I'm particularly proud of this song. It's definitely a standout track in my opinion. When I listen to this song I feel like it takes me on an epic journey that ends with being stranded in the middle of a very angry sea. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as we do."

"The Sun Sets" is taken from the band's upcoming studio album, 'Feral Darkness,' which will be released on October 17, 2025 via Redefining Darkness! The title track from the offering was previously released and can be heard HERE.

The band is not only returning with a new label, but also with a new sound! While 'Feral Darkness' still embraces TOMBS' black metal roots, it also explores the band's gothic, death rock side, creating the band's darkest and most haunting record to date!

Pre-orders for 'Feral Darkness' are now live via Bandcamp as well as via the Redefining Darkness store.

Formed in 2007, New Jersey-based experimental metal outfit TOMBS blends bleak, post-punk minimalism with the ferocious attack of sludge and haunting goth rock. TOMBS have established themselves as an act that's as committed to consistency as it is to growth, developing smoothly (but never predictably) over the course of their career.

TOMBS Lineup:

Mike Hill – guitar / vocals / synth

Justin Spaeth – drums / guitar

Andrew Murphy – Bass / guitar / vocals

Dan Higgins - guitar

Guest Musicians:

Sera Timms – vocals on "Nightland" (Black Mare, Black Math Horsemen, Ides of Gemini)

Cover Artist: Seldon Hunt

Recording and Mixing: Justin Spaeth

Mastering: Andreas Rosczyk

Photos: Mike Goncalves

Links:

Bandcamp

Facebook

Instagram

X

Spotify

Apple Music

YouTube

Carach Angren Announce 'The Cult of Kariba'

Since they crawled out from their curious vault in 2003, Carach Angren have mastered the dark art of composing symphonic, blackened ghost stories. Now into their third decade, on their upcoming EP, the Dutch masters of horror are returning to the source that inspired their first album. The Cult of Kariba reveals the hidden intent behind the resurrection of its titular sorceress. On lead single “Ik Kom Uit Het Graf” (I Emerge From the Grave), the mysterious Kariba returns with vengeance.

Watch the shocking music video for “Ik Kom Uit Het Graf” below.

The Cult of Kariba comes out October 17 on Season of Mist

Pre-order

https://orcd.co/carachangrenthecultofkariba

Pre-save

https://open.spotify.com/prerelease/6haPZ1Ex0DuzfaeGL9D3Fo?si=-wG2OmnQQUSlOetHuxywdw

The Cult of Kariba is both a return and a continuation. The EP expands on Carach Angren’s first album Lammendam by entwining the sinister figure of Kariba within the folk tale of the White Lady. “Ik Kom Uit Het Graf” (I Emerge from the Grave) - which is their first song written entirely in Dutch - follows a man who was poisoned by Kariba, only to be summoned centuries later by an errant cult ritual. What unfolds is so sinister, it could only be composed by this group of evil masterminds.      

The video for “Ik Kom Uit Het Graf” was produced and directed by Zoran Bihac.

THE SORROW OF BEING IMMACULATE Releases "Sea of Trees"

THE SORROW OF BEING IMMACULATE provide another sonic space in which to dwell inside the uncomfortable and the emotional in the new single "Sea of Trees". The anonymous solo project has announced their new full-length album Suicide Forest, will arrive on September 26, 2025 via Drone Alone. 

"Sea of Trees," another name for Japan's Aokigahara Forest, is built around a single crushing riff, slowly embellished with lead parts that rise and twist like the restless spirits often imagined in that place. Following the release of the first single and title track "Suicide Forest," it continues the project's theme around an abstract tribute to those spaces where despair and silence meet. 

Written and recorded in solitude in a remote Welsh barn during winter 2024, Suicide Forest is an instrumental descent into psychological ruin, framed by loops of distorted guitar, subterranean bass, and meditative drones. The album’s eleven tracks move between suffocating sludge and eerie ambience, rooted in themes of trauma, detachment, and the long half-life of sorrow. There are no vocals. No catharsis. Just the sound of emotional erosion played at full volume.

The album was engineered and co-mixed by Mike Bannard at Safehouse Studios, Oxford, with mastering, artwork, and production handled by THE SORROW OF BEING IMMACULATE themselves. The result is a record that feels more exorcism than expression—music created not for others, but in spite of everything.

Suicide Forest follows 2024’s Church Music for Satanists EP, which gained underground attention for its immersive gloom and hypnotic minimalism. The new album expands on that aesthetic while deepening its emotional range and sonic intensity.

About THE SORROW OF BEING IMMACULATE:

THE SORROW OF BEING IMMACULATE is an anonymous solo project from Oxford, England, crafting bleak, instrumental sludge and drone since 2023. With no vocals, no public identity, and no live appearances, the music exists in complete isolation: just distortion, repetition, and emotional exhaustion.

Emerging from the Welsh countryside with the debut EP Church Music for Satanists in early 2024, THE SORROW OF BEING IMMACULATE quickly established a signature sound: hypnotic, heavy, and relentlessly minimal. The follow-up full-length, Suicide Forest, released by drone alone in 2025, pushed further into themes of anxiety, decay, and existential fatigue, blending guitar-driven doom with eerie drones and field-recorded interference.

Influenced by artists such as ELECTRIC WIZARD, SUNN O))), EARTH, and CARTER/TUTTI/VOID, the project explores psychological weight through slow repetition and spiritual dissonance. There are no lyrics because nothing more needs to be said. The riffs are the message.

For those drawn to the darker corners of sound, where catharsis is earned through endurance, THE SORROW OF BEING IMMACULATE offers a solitary descent.

Connect with THE SORROW OF BEING IMMACULATE:
 

Anciients Release New Video for "Is It Your God"

After almost a decade of soul searching through the Canadian wilderness, Anciients are finally returning to the U.S. Starting next week, the heavy, heady and heartfelt Canucks will guide neighboring metal legions through the many peaks of their latest JUNO Award-winning album Beyond the Reach of the Sun. During this month-long trek, the band will blaze across both coasts and the Southwest with special stops down south around ProgPower USA.

"It's been a long time coming", frontman Kenny Cook says, "We look forward to seeing our American fans out on the road!"

As they prepare to hit the road hard, today, Anciients are releasing a new video for the one track off Beyond the Reach of the Sun that really tested their mettle. "Is It Your God" questions the existence of a higher power with grungy grooves and faith-shaking death growls. But its heavenly fusion of soulful leads, cosmic keys and mind-blowing riffs prove why this band are guiding lights for progressive metal.

"This song asks how someone can believe in a higher power when given a life full of despair and anguish", Cook says. "Do you continue to restrict your happiness while living this life, in hopes of joy for eternity? Or do you question whether it's all for nothing?"

Watch the video for "Is It Your God" below.

Get tickets for Anciients U.S. Tour
https://www.season-of-mist.com/bands/anciients/

Quest Beyond Our Minds 2025 U.S. Tour
with Dawn of Ouroboros, Armed for Apocalypse, Nott and Exist

August 27 - Seattle, WA @ Substation [TICKETS]*
August 28 - Portland, OR @ Dante's [TICKETS]*
August 29 - Boise, ID @ The Shredder [TICKETS]**
August 30 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Aces High Saloon [TICKETS]**
August 31 - Colorado Springs, CO @ What's Left Records [TICKETS]**
September 2 - Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th Street [TICKETS]**
September 4 - Atlanta, GA @ ProgPower USA [TICKETS]
September 5 - Gastonia, NC @ The Rooster [TICKETS]***
September 6 - New Orleans, LA @ No Dice [TICKETS]***
September 7 - Austin, TX @ Come And Take It [TICKETS]***
September 8 - Houston, TX @ Pub 529 [TICKETS]****
September 9 - Dallas, TX @ TX Tea Room [TICKETS]****
September 11 - Phoenix, AZ @ Nile Underground [TICKETS]*****
September 12 - San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick [TICKETS]*****
September 13 - Los Angeles, CA @ Knucklehead [TICKETS]*****
September 14 - San Francisco, CA @ Thee Parkside [TICKETS]*****
September 16 - Sacramento, CA @ Cafe Colonel [TICKETS]*****
September 17 - Reno, NV @ The Cellar*****
September 18 - Eugene, OR @ John Henry's [TICKETS]******
September 19 - Richland, WA @ Ray's Golden Lion [TICKETS]******
September 20 - Bellingham, WA,@ The Shakedown [TICKETS]******
* w/ Dawn of Ouroboros + Nott
** w/ Dawn of Ouroboros
*** w/ Dawn of Ouroboros + Exist
**** w/ Armed for Apocalypse + Exist
***** w/ Armed for Apocalyspe
****** w/ Armed for Apocalyspe + Nott

Beyond the Reach of the Sun is available now on Season of Mist.

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

With all being said and done, Anciients have returned! They stand ready to ascend the prog metal ladder and get back to doing what they do best with a weighty and dense, but wholly accessible, album. It’s a collection of ten songs that possesses the ability to have those furiously banging heads also tapping into their power of self-reflection and contemplation to ponder the finality of existence, the value of life and their place in the universe.  

“Totally! We’re going to take as many of the opportunities that come to us. The hiatus is over and I think with the new members and everyone being on the same page we’re ready to get out there as soon as possible. We missed out on a huge block after the last record, so we’ve got to make up for lost time. Now that everyone is happy and healthy, we plan to hit it hard.”


Lineup
Kenny Cook (vocals, guitar)
Mike Hannay (drums) 
Brock MacInnes (rhythm guitar)
Rory O'Brien (bass)

Guest musicians
Justin Hagberg plays keyboard on "Forbidden Sanctuary", "Is It Your God", "Melt the Crown", "Candescence", "In the Absence of Wisdom".

Jess Gander plays synths on "Candescence" and "Cloak of the Vast and Black".

Recording studio
Rain City Recorders

Producer / sound engineer
Jesse Gander
Assisted by Szymon Wojciech

Mastering studio and engineer
Stu McKillop @ Rain City Mastering

Mixing studio and engineer
Jesse Gander Rain City Recorders

Cover artwork artist 
Adam Burke @ Nightjar Illustrations

Bio
Kevin Stewart-Panko

Pre-order & Stream:https://orcd.co/anciientsbeyondthereachofthesun


Follow Anciients
https://anciientriffs.bandcamp.com/album/beyond-the-reach-of-the-sun
https://www.facebook.com/ANCIIENTSRIFFS
https://www.instagram.com/anciients/
https://twitter.com/ANCIIENTS
https://www.youtube.com/user/ANCIIENTS
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/anciients/603538280
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3YQOcYukzO6U1MjFcavDUE?si=4QWahfZxQjOmAI7nYrav6g&nd=1&dlsi=0142e5e62ae54105

CHAOSEUM RETURN WITH NEW HARD-HITTING ALBUM, 'LIFE 4 SALE'

The fast-rising Swiss nu-metal / metalcore band, Chaoseum, will soon be offering up their sixth release overall, 'Life 4 Sale.' Released on September 19, the ten-track LP shows the band further focusing and perfecting the sound laid down on such earlier albums as 2022's 'The Third Eye' and 2020's 'Second Life.'
 
Comprised of members  CK Smile – vocals, Loïc Duruz – guitars, bass, Valery Veings – guitars, and Greg Turini – drums, Chaoseum originally formed 2018 in Lausanne (Switzerland), and have created a buzz by sharing the stage with such renowned/respected metal acts as Soulfly, Tarja, Eluveitie, Five Finger Death Punch, Metallica and Sabaton.
 
And their latest album features some of the group's most revealing lyrics yet. Case in point, "Freakin' Head," which Smile recalls, "was written at a time when I was fed up with explaining, or even justifying, my depressive state." Additionally, the title track, which, "is about my religious past." And also, "The Failure," which is "about abandonment, about the extreme confusion it causes when a child is too young to understand what's happening to them." 
 
Presale for the album will begin in early September via this link: chaoseumstore.com
 
And two songs have already been issued as videos:
 
Freakin' Head:
 
https://youtu.be/bpOBfpZTUG4?si=Mk5uG_G0uB_A6RvU
 
Watch “Life 4 Sale” Below

Chaoseum's first album 'First Step To Hell' contained 11 songs and was released in September of 2018. In February 2019, Chaoseum joined Soulfly for a US tour. Upon their return, a limited-edition live album was recorded at a band's concert with Eluveitie. It was released under the name 'Live In Hell - Les Docks Lausanne 2019.' In September of 2019, the band joined Tarja (ex-Nightwish) for a tour in Russia: 'Raw Russian Tour 2019.'
 
Representing the Xvive wireless gear brand, Chaoseum went to Los Angeles to perform at the NAMM "the largest music trade show." There, the band also took the opportunity to play at the legendary Whisky a Go Go.  
 
On September 25, 2020, Chaoseum released its 2nd studio album 'Second Life,' with the standout track, "Smile Again," reaching over 13 million views on YouTube.  
 
In June 2021, during COVID-19, the band worked on an acoustic album, 'Second Skin,' as well as on two music videos which achieved great success.  
 
In June 2022, Chaoseum performed at the 'Out in the Green' festival in Frauenfeld (CH) together with Eluveitie, Five Finger Death Punch, Sabaton and Metallica. A few months after, in September, the band flew to the US headlining the "Arctic Chaos Tour", and their fourth studio album 'The Third Eye' was released in November 2022.
 
Their third studio album 'The Third Eye' was released in November 2022.    
 
In February 2024, the group welcomed Kevin Sink on guitar and Finn Broker on bass to complete the core lineup consisting of CK Smile on vocals, Valery Veings on guitar, and Greg Turini on drums. This lineup quickly performed on stage during the "The Eye On Tour" in May 2024.    
 
In September 2024, Chaoseum joined, once again, Tarja Turunen and for the first time Marko Hietala for the "Living The Dream Together" tour!  
 
And on September 19, 2025, the next chapter of Chaoseum will be unveiled, with the arrival of 'Life 4 Sale.'

Dirkschneider And The Old Gang "Babylon"

Comprised of a dynamic collective of vocalists and musicians, DIRKSCHNEIDER & THE OLD GANG (DATOG) embark on a thrilling voyage across rock and metal realms in Babylon. The new album is set to make waves on October 3, 2025, released via Reigning Phoenix Music.

The high energy and catchy chorus hook of "It Takes Two To Tango" kicks off the album with a rock 'n' roll party atmosphere. Babylon's title track is a dramatic journey through entwining guitar leads, powerful vocals with a seductive undertone. Heavy distortion announces the arrival of "Hellbreaker". Brutal, dark and rhythmic, DATOG well and truly put the pedal to the metal. Picking up the pace with "Time To Listen", the increased intensity of the guitar driven sound is certain to be a fan favourite. 

"Strangers In Paradise" is the first of Babylon's haunting rock ballads. Manuela’s soulful voice and delicate piano melodies lead the track, joined by Peter and Udo, before returning to rock realms. "Strangers In Paradise" attains further dimensions with the inclusion of a flamenco-style guitar performance. "Dead Man's Head" makes a swift return to traditional metal realms with 70s-esque organ harking back to metal's early era. Explosive riffs and thunderous chugging mark "The Law Of A Madman". It's a compelling song with an anthemic chorus hook and lashings of Mathias’ guitar solo goodness. "Metal Sons" remains in the heavier side of DATOG's creativity unveiling a bombastic display of heavy fury. 

The theatrical powerhouse performance that is "Propaganda" sees an onslaught of soaring vocals, driving instrumentation and riffs galore. Manuela’s ethereal vocals are accompanied by captivating acoustic guitar melodies in the album's second ballad, "Blindfold". The song ebbs and flows between light and shade ultimately combining to the two styles into a dreamy offering. DATOG unleash the beast with "Batter The Power", through a ferocious groove-laden display. Babylon reaches its end with the impressive "Beyond The End Of Time". Just under 8 minutes in length, this track travels through an alluring array of stylistic influences, and allows each member's distinctive character to shine through. 

Anything but strangers to the rock and metal world, Udo Dirkschneider, Peter Baltes, Stefan Kaufmann, Mathias Dieth, Sven Dirkschneider and Manuela Bibert deliver a tight, dynamic, and passionately crafted performance throughout the album Babylon, that was superbly captured within the walls of the legendary Dierks Studios. 

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

Set for release on October 3, 2025 via Reigning Phoenix Music, Babylon is now available for pre-order in a variety of stunning formats:

  • Limited Red, Gold & Black Marbled Gatefold Double Vinyl 

  • Limited Red Opaque & Black Marbled Gatefold Double Vinyl 

  • Gold Opaque Double Vinyl 

  • Deluxe Earbook Edition with CD and enhanced 36-page booklet 

  • Digipak CD featuring a 24-page booklet 

  • Jewelcase CD featuring a 24-page booklet 

Pre-orders are available now - secure your copy of this powerful statement from one of metal’s most iconic voices and this extraordinary band: https://datog.rpm.link/babylonPR

Celebrated NYC artist CHARLIE NIELAND unveils 'Win' (feat. spiritchild)', previewing new album

Following his latest masterpiece - 'The Ocean Understands' EP, acclaimed NYC songwriter-producer Charlie Nieland has announced that his forthcoming album'Stories From The Borderlines', set for release on October 24. The first offering from this atmospheric and imaginative collection is 'Win (feat. spiritchild)'. 

Defying expectations, 'Win' is a postpunk mini-epic that starts as a piano-led hymn, becomes an explosive jangling anthem and winds up with a spectacular turn by Staten Island-based activist / rapper spiritchild. This new music arrives on the trail of Nieland's recent 'The Ocean Understands' EP and videos for 'Redshift' and 'Drown', directed by multi-faceted NYC-based artist Hypnodoll.

"The material for 'Stories From The Borderlines' got its start in the NYC performance series The Bushwick Book Club in response to various literary sources. The lead single 'Win' is actually a song about surrender - “I just want you to win”,  written as part of Bushwick Book Club’s residency for Banned Book Week at the Kurt Vonnegut Library and Museum in Indianapolis, Indiana," says Charlie Nieland.

"I was struck by the fearful response to the coming-of-age YA novel "All Boys Aren’t Blue" by the young, gay, African-American author George M. Johnson, which was the second most banned book in 2023. Book banning ultimately backfires. The act of hiding something from ourselves forces discovery. It begs us to honor what we don’t yet understand. Our fragile self-created identities - especially those formed in opposition to our adversaries - dissolve in the bright light of our interdependence. Our shared divinity. In a flash, the chorus woke me up in the middle of the night. “Go ahead and take my place. Take a look at my face. This is how it begins”.

Nieland's backstory is extensive, having written, performed and produced music for decades. He has written for and produced such artists as Debbie Harry, Rufus Wainwright, Blondie and Scissor Sisters, as well as scoring the feature film 'The Safety of Objects' (with Glenn Close), Showtime's pilot episode of 'The L Word' and the VH-1documentary 'NY77: The Coolest Year in Hell'.

Charlie was awarded a Gold record (UK) for his production work on Blondie's 'Greatest Hits Sight & Sound' and achieved a Top 10 Billboard Dance Chart Position with Debbie Harry's single 'Two Times Blue', which he co-wrote and produced.

Presenting a visceral blend of post punk, glam, dream pop and progressive rock, the forthcoming album also involves an appearance by keyboardist Joe McGinty (The Psychedelic Furs, Ryan Adams, Nada Surf, Polyvox). Atmospheric, with sweeping melodies and restless rhythms, these unique soundscapes promise an immersive journey, showcasing Nieland's continued evolution as an artist and producer. 

After 20 years with dreampop band Her Vanished Grace, Nieland established himself as a solo artist rich on nuanced songwriting and sonic exploration, releasing 'Ice Age' (2014), followed by 'Hopeful Monsters' (2016) and ‘Divisions' album (2021). Half of the literature-inspired duo Lusterlit with Susan Hwang, he also produces and co-hosts the 'An Embarrassment of Prog' podcast.

'Win (feat. spiritchild)' is available from digital music platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp, where Nieland's latest EP 'The Ocean Understands' EP can also be found. The full 'Stories From The Borderlines' album, out on October 24, can now be pre-ordered.

SINGLE CREDITS 
'Win (feat. spiritchild)' written by Charlie Nieland and spiritchild



Recorded at Saturation Point Studios (Brooklyn, NY) from January 2023 to April 2025

Charlie Nieland - vocals, electric guitars, bass, piano, electric piano, virtual mellotrons and string machines, percussion
spiritchild - vocals
Billy Loose - drums

Produced, Recorded, Mixed and Mastered by Charlie Nieland
Cover Art by Hypnodoll™ 

© 2025 Athame Music, xspiritmentaleyez
Video for 'Win (feat. spiritchild) by Charlie Nieland
Videos for 'Redshift' and 'Drown' by Hypnodoll™
Photography by Alice Teeple
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR

Keep up with Charlie Nieland
Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Soundcloud | Apple Music | Spotify | Press contact

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

Restraining Order Drop "Were You There" Visualizer

New England fivesome RESTRAINING ORDER — Pat Cozens [vocals], Dylan Tobia [guitar], Kyle Beaudreault [guitar], Jake Miller [guitar], Keith Freeman[bass], and Will Hirst [drums] — traffic in no nonsense hardcore punk. 

After amassing millions of streams, praise from Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan, and more while regularly reducing venues to piles of ash, the group will deliver its third full-length Future Fortune on September 12. It marks the first release for Blue Grape Music, the band's new label home. Pre-order it here.

The band has shared the visualizer for new single "Were You There." Watch and listen below.

"A song about unconditional love, for the ones that are more than friends and more than interest, the people you are happy to have in your life," states Cozens about the song.

Restraining Order have a handful of local dates scheduled around the album release, as well as a tour supporting KOYO and Ben Quad this fall. All currently confirmed dates are below.

RESTRAINING ORDER LIVE:
9/11 — Amherst, MA — The Drake
9/12 —  Hamden, CT — Space Ballroom
9/13 — Massapequa, NY — VFW

WITH KOYO, BEN QUAD, + LEAVING TIME:
10/23 — Toronto, ON — Velvet Underground
10/24 — Cleveland, OH — Mahall's
10/25 — Detroit, MI — The Sanctuary
10/26 — Chicago, IL — Reggie's
10/28 — Milwaukee, WI — X Ray Arcade
10/29 — Des Moines, IA — Wooly's
10/31 — Denver, CO — Marquis
11/2 — Boise, ID — The Shredder
11/3 — Portland, OR — Mission Theatre
11/4 — Seattle, WA — The Vera Project
11/6 — Berkeley, CA — Cornerstone
11/7 — Los Angeles, CA — Lodge Room
11/8 — San Diego, CA — Voodoo Room
11/9 — Mesa, AZ — Rosetta Room
11/11 — San Antonio, TX — Paper Tiger
11/12 — Dallas, TX — Club Dada
11/14 — Atlanta, GA — The Masquerade
11/15 — Orlando, FL — Vans Warped Tour
11/17 — Charlotte, NC — Amos Southend
11/18 — Richmond, VA — Canal Club
11/20 — Washington DC — Pearl Street
11/21 — Boston, MA — Arts at the Armory
11/22 — Philadelphia, PA — First Unitarian Church
11/23 — New York, NY — Racket

The album will be available in several exclusive vinyl variants as of September 26.

Emerging in 2017, Restraining Order hit their stride with 2019's This World Is Too Much. The latter spawned the fan favorite "Don't Really Think," which amassed over 1.1 million Spotify streams and counting. The 2023 follow-up, Locked In Time, incited tastemaker applause. Stereogum hailed it as "a great entry point for the present-day hardcore landscape" and New Noise Magazine celebrated how, "Restraining Order introduce a new flavor of hook-filled, catchy tracks." Plus, Revolver christened them one of "7 Bands Leading Massachusetts Hardcore's New Wave.”"Along the way, they shared stages with the likes of Angel Du$t, Citizen, Drug Church, Fiddlehead, Fucked Up, Kublai Khan TX, LustSickPuppy, and more. The group eventually caught the attention of Blue Grape Music in 2024 and signed to the label. 

Out Friday - Old Machines - The Cycles of Extinction

Astral warlords and celestial leviathans, OLD MACHINES emerge from the void to announce their cataclysmic debut, The Cycles of Extinction, arriving August 22, 2025. A monolithic fusion of bombastic brutality and cosmic dread, this album heralds a new chapter in extreme metal where ancient engines of annihilation awaken once more.

About OLD MACHINES:

From the darkest depths of the oceans of time and space comes a legend over two billion years old, which has spawned a multitude of harrowing galactic sagas. These stories arrive to us in the form of the debut album from OLD MACHINES titled The Cycles of Extinction, featuring eight songs regarding mysterious, malevolent horrors, which create the very extinction cycles all organic life forms are forever trapped in.  These are tales of horror, war, and genocide, spanning eight tracks for one hour of music which can be described as Extreme Cosmic Metal; combining elements of thrash, death, black, and power metal.  If any of this story sounds familiar, it may be because we have re-conceptualized plots from our favorite video games with a series of concept albums in chronological order, while musically, for now, being in the vein of bands such as BAL SAGOTH, EMPEROR, LIMBONIC ART, OBSIDIAN GATE, combined with the story-telling element of BLIND GUARDIAN. The Cycles of Extinction will be the first in a series of concept albums from OLD MACHINES, an ongoing project with current and former members of OXYGEN DESTROYER, SKELETAL REMAINS, SILVER TALON, THIRSTING ALTAR, and DOMINUS NOX. There will be more of such epics in this fashion because...extinction...is only the beginning....

OLD MACHINES is:

  • Gary Reavis - Vocals

  • Jason Stares - Keyboards

  • Brian Rush - Guitar

  • Devon Miller - Guitar

  • Joel Henigson - Bass  

  • Chris Craven - Drums


Artwork by Alexander Preuss

IRON SAVIOR - Reforged - Machine World: Out Friday!

IRON SAVIOR proudly presents their new album Reforged - Machine World, the third chapter in their acclaimed re-recording series that ignites fresh fire into timeless anthems from their legacy. This thunderous collection features reimagined classics drawn from the band’s prolific early 2000s era, along with a turbocharged cover of JUDAS PRIEST’s “Starbreaker,” all delivered through their signature fusion of futuristic power metal and classic heavy metal intensity.

IRON SAVIOR are:
Piet Sielck | vocals, guitars
Joachim Küstner | guitars
Patrick Opitz | bass
Patrick Klose | drums