ELECTROMANCY is thrilled to announce their new album, Visions of Utopia, arriving September 10th, 2025.

Blending the frostbitten chaos of black metal, the crushing weight of doom, and the visceral ferocity of death metal, this seven-track journey dives into the emotional landscape of composer and multi-instrumentalist Steph Tranovich’s experience with chronic illness and disability. From searing despair and cathartic rage to fragile hope, Visions of Utopia is both a sonic onslaught and a testament to perseverance—turning pain into power and offering light to those navigating their own darkness.

Steph shares, “Visions of Utopia doesn’t lose sight of my struggles, but it sees a future that’s bright and hopeful and right over the horizon. These past few years I’ve seen a lot of progress in my health—and also some intense relapse. But I’ve grown again and have been finding ways to really thrive given my disability. This album takes you through that journey: hope, relapse, recovery, and a renewed appreciation for life.”

The album opens with “Intro,” a stark spoken-word track that lays the foundation for ELECTROMANCY’s story. Against a backdrop of haunting ambience and mechanical drone, it unflinchingly recounts the band's origin, their use of robotic instruments as assistive tech, and Steph’s personal evolution through illness. It sets the emotional tone for the record’s fusion of blackened intensity, doomy heft, and experimental death metal edge—grounding listeners in the human experience behind the cybernetic sound.

“Utopic Visions,” the second track, is a defiant incantation for a better world. It acknowledges the crushing weight of personal and collective suffering, but refuses to stop there—choosing instead to conjure something brighter. Downtuned guitars bring weight; piercing highs give shape; glitching synths and swirling textures enhance the hypnotic pull, while Shaun Gallagher’s commanding vocals slice through with clarity and conviction. It’s a dream of Utopia cast in distortion and dissonance, built for those ready to imagine—and fight for—something more.

Track three, “Brief Moments of Total Collapse,” captures the brutal volatility of chronic illness: one moment you’re rising, the next you’re falling harder than before. Its short runtime mirrors the rapid descent into relapse, while sharp dynamic shifts and death metal ferocity channel the whiplash of losing control. It’s a violent flash of vulnerability—a sonic snapshot of how quickly the ground can disappear beneath you.

At the emotional core of the album lies “Nonlinear Healing,” a sweeping ten-minute epic that embraces the messy, spiral-shaped nature of recovery. Weaving between grief and hope, open harmonies and bitter dissonance, it acknowledges that healing isn’t linear—it’s a process full of backslides, slow climbs, and moments of quiet resilience. Blackened textures, mournful doom, and layered melodies mirror this ebb and flow, settling not in triumph, but in steady perseverance. Sometimes, as Steph says, “the only thing we can do is keep moving forward.”

“Repair,” track five, offers a tonal shift—a flash of sunlight after the storm. This short, lively track bursts with playful energy, featuring call-and-response vocals that lift the refrain “up and up.” It’s a reminder that rebuilding can be joyful, even fun; that healing includes laughter, motion, and moments of celebration.

Next comes “Thriving Cyborg,” a groove-laden ode to adaptation and gratitude. Drawing from Steph’s lived experience of thriving with assistive technology, the track celebrates the communities, tools, and creativity that make life possible and fulfilling. Its funk-infused rhythm, bursts of synth, and hands-on manipulation of robotic instruments reflect the seamless blend of organic and inorganic at the heart of ELECTROMANCY’s identity. A brief moment of heaviness nods to continued struggle, but it’s the triumphant, polyrhythmic crescendo that defines this nine-minute track’s spirit—resilient, euphoric, and alive.

Closing the album is “Static Ecstatic,” a meditation on finding joy in the overlooked moments of daily life. Fusing blackened atmosphere, doomy depth, and experimental textures, the song explores the quiet fulfillment that emerges not from grand victories, but from stillness, presence, and the strange wonder of simply existing. It’s a gentle but powerful resolution—a final breath that grounds the listener after a journey of storms. In true ELECTROMANCY form, the record ends not with spectacle, but with hard-won peace.

About ELECTROMANCY:

Forged at the intersection of grief, resilience, and radical creativity, ELECTROMANCY is a boundary-defying black/doom/death metal duo from the Bay Area blending blistering sonic chaos with DIY robotics and raw human emotion. Formed in June 2019 by composer and multi-instrumentalist Steph Tranovich (they/them), alongside co-vocalist Shaun Gallagher (he/him), ELECTROMANCY uses custom-built robotic instruments as a form of assistive technology—enabling Steph to continue making music despite their chronic illness. Their discography, spanning from the brutal Technopagan to the emotionally complex Visions of Utopia, chronicles Steph’s journey through disability and healing, channeling pain, perseverance, and moments of cathartic joy. With influences like THOU, MESHUGGAH, and LITURGY, the band fuses intricate polyrhythms with avant-garde metal, while exploring themes of queer identity, grief, and radical strength. Their live shows are visceral, theatrical experiences—robot guitars and LED-lit mannequins sharing the stage with two unapologetically human voices. ELECTROMANCY isn’t just for metal fans—it’s for anyone searching for something different, something real, and something powerful.

ELECTROMANCY is:

  • Steph Tranovich (they/them) - composition, robotics, vocals

  • Shaun Gallagher (he/him) - vocals

Der Weg Einer Freiheit Announce Sixth Album

Since forming in 2009, Der Weg Einer Freiheit have carved out a singular place in modern black metal. While rooted in the genre’s foundations, the German band are constantly evolving. On their upcoming sixth album, they look inward with devastating clarity. Having mined the liminal space between wakefulness and dreams on their last critically-acclaimed album, on Innern, Der Weg Einer Freiheir are tunneling even further inward, into collapse, silence and ultimately, transformation.

Innern comes out September 12 on Season of Mist.

Since writing the very first song in 2007, Der Weg einer Freiheit has been a journey defined by passion, intensity, and a deep commitment to exploring the fragile thresholds of the human psyche through music,” says the band’s frontman and principal songwriter Nikita Kamprad.

Over the past years, we’ve grown, evolved, and created something we’re incredibly proud of — and now, we’re excited to share the next step with you. Innern, the new album's title, means ‘inward’ in German and perfectly captures the essence of this record: a meditation on suffering, transformation, and the intimate process of personal reckoning and renewal.

Tethered by visceral aggression and atmospheric grandeur, Innernbalances Der Weg Einer Freiheit’s post-metal restraint with the rawness of black metal’s core. The album was composed and produced by Kamprad, who captured the band’s blistering live show while maintaining their brooding weight.  Pulled between  Kamprad’s guitar interplay with Nicolas Rausch, Alan Noruspur’s grounding bass presence and Tobias Schuler’s precision drumming, it is as much about restraint as it is about release. Traversing isolation, memory, and the fragile thresholds between dissolution and renewal, Innern urges listeners to confront what lies beneath.

With Innern, Der Weg Einer Freiheit  move even deeper into the abyss. Produced, mixed, and mastered by Kamprad in his own studio, the album is an intensely focused work."Eos," the album’s lead single, contrasts war and renewal, imagining a post-human earth fertilized by sacrifice and reclaimed by nature."Marter" follows as a searing portrayal of inner torment and emotional release—suffering not only as a source of agony, but as a path toward transcendence. "Xibalba" then confronts the machinery of fear—media,propaganda, and spiritual fragmentation—urging a return to our collective essence through introspection and clarity. And with "Forlorn," the band delivers their most vulnerable statement yet: a delicate plea for emotional refuge, sung in English to underscore its universality. The album also marks the studio debut of bassist Alan Noruspur, whose presence brings anew emotional and personal depth to the band’s sound.

Musically, Innern leans into contrast and contradiction. Kamprad and Rausch’s guitar interplay oscillates between searing aggression and elegiac restraint. Noruspur’s basslines pulse with warmth and gravity, while Schuler’s drumming remains as meticulous as ever-bridging technicality with emotional nuance. The album's production captures a sense of immediacy and live energy, yet remains rich in detail and atmosphere. It is not merely a refinement of past styles, but are invention—one that places the listener in direct confrontation with the void.

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/)

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

Bloodletter- Leave The Light Behind

Chicago thrashers BLOODLETTER have shredded stages across the USA for over twelve years. Their new album Leave the Light Behind is a vicious culmination of over a decade’s worth of sweaty moshpits, broken bones, and riffs sharp as guillotine blades.

 After releasing A Different Kind of Hell in 2023, BLOODLETTER headlined the third volume of Wise Blood’s black thrash split series Faster Than the Devil last year. Those three new songs revealed an even more sinister version of Bloodletter’s sound. Their melodies are still polished atop relentless battering ram rhythms while invoking classic thrash and modern melodeath. But Leave the Light Behind creates an atmosphere of otherworldly dread, introducing a world of darker shadows and lurking horror. 

“This time around we wanted to take the melodic riffing from our Funeral Hymns record and the brute force and speed of 'A Different Kind of Hell' and really blend the two more,” explains vocalist/guitarist Pete Carparelli. “We wanted to shoot for more grandiose and dramatic arrangements, while still keeping the elements of the core BLOODLETTER sound; speed, harmonized riffs and themes that can get stuck in your head. We pushed ourselves performance-wise, tried new vocal techniques and really tried our hardest to go further than we have before musically.” 

The song lyrics are rife with supernatural threats, cosmic beasts, and the specters of depression and mental illness. It is an ominous, dynamic thrash record that strikes with lethal power and leaves the listener with whiplash and a skull full of evil spirits. Leave the Light Behind will be available on Vinyl, CD, Cassette, and Digital from Wise Blood Records and Morbid & Miserable Records on June 25, 2025.

BLOODLETTER  is: 
Pete Carparelli - Vocals/Guitar 
Tanner Hudson - Bass 
Pat Armamentos - Guitar 
Zach Sutton - Drums Recorded & Mixed by 
Pete Carparelli at Haunted Hill Recordings 
Mastered by Matt Engstrom at Reel Sounds Studios
 Produced by Pete Carparelli & Matt Engstrom Artwork by 
Jon Self Layout by David Jaggar Band 
Photography by Cosmo Sutton 
Guest Solo on “Night Terrors” by Nate Madden of Immortal Bird

LIGHTNING STRIKES Announce Guest Guitar Armada For 'The King Is Victorious'

Los Angeles CA based heavy metal outfit LIGHTNING STRIKES have announced a guest guitar armada of world class axe slingers to fortify their upcoming sophomore effort, 'The King Is Victorious', set for release later this year.

 

The album's monumental title cut, which features the 45-piece Moscow Symphony Orchestra, will include lead spots from Roy Z (BRUCE DICKINSON, HALFORD), Rowan Robertson (DIO, BANG TANGO), Rob Math (LEATHERWOLF, SOUL SIGN), Dario Mollo (VOODOO HILL, Tony Martin), Mark Zavon (KILL DEVIL HILL, 40 CYCLE HUM), and Takehiko 'Shake' Kogure (RED WARRIORS, REBECCA). In addition, Michael T. Ross whose credits include Aldo Nova, Lita Ford and ANGEL will contribute keyboards. Says drummer/producer/mastermind Karpis Maksudian: "Once 'The King Is Victorious' started taking shape and its epic scope became clear, I knew I wanted tons of guitar to reflect the vibe of the song. And there is nothing better to manifest a battle scene than having guitar players chopping heads!  I couldn't be more stoked that my old friends Z, Rob and Dario said yes immediately and I was able to get Rowan, Mark, Shake and Mike as well. These guys are all awesome!"

The bulk of the album was recorded by Maksudian, Japanese guitar virtuoso, Norifumi Shima (CONCERTO MOON), American bassist extraordinaire, Barry Sparks (MSG, Yngwie Malmsteen), and up-and-coming Argentinian vocalist, Mariano Gardella, with keyboardist maestro, Derek Sherinian (BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, SONS OF APOLLO), who guested on the group's debut album, also making an appearance.

 

Originally formed in 1984, LIGHTNING STRIKES were the first metal band to feature an all Armenian-American line-up, well over a decade before the arrival of SYSTEM OF A DOWN. Co-founder Maksudian revived the name with new personnel a quarter century after the initial breakup recording the group's self-titled 2016 full-length debut with Brazilian vocalist Nando Fernandes (SINISTRA, HANGAR), the aforementioned Rob Math and Derek Sherinian, and former BLACK SABBATH vocalist, Tony Martin, who sang on and wrote the lyrics to 'Death Valley' and '301 AD Sins of Our Fathers'. Mixed by Roy Z, the album was well received and peaked on the Japanese Burrn! Magazine import charts at number 6.

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lightningstrikesrocks/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightningstrikesrocks/

X: x.com/lsrocksofficial

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@lightningstrikesofficial387

DAVID REECE Reveals the Album Cover & Title of the New BANGALORE CHOIR Album on BraveWords Records

DAVID REECE has revealed the title and album cover for the new BANGALORE CHOIR album to be released on BraveWords Records in late 2025. The new album is titled RAPID FIRE SUCCESSION: On Target Part II. The first single and video are expected to be released in the next month.

Giles Lavery produced the new album, along with DAVID REECE. Giles said this about the new material, "I think this is THE career album for David and Bangalore Choir... probably my favourite thing he has ever done, which is already a high bar, I am very happy! It's a "BIG" record, full of amazing songs, this is David's "Bat Out Of Hell II" or "The River", we went for the full melodic-rock 1989-1991 era soundscape with this one, with world class players and co-writers"

 

David Reece: Vocals

Diego Pires: Lead and Rhythm Guitars

Eric Juris: Lead and Rhythm Guitars

Andy Backing Vocals

Mario Backing Vocals

Riccardo Demarosi: Bass and Backing Vocals

Nello Savinelli: Drums

 

Guest appearances:

Jimmy Waldo: Keyboards

Ferdy Doernberg: Keyboards

 

Engineered by Riccardo Demorossi

Mixed and Mastered by Thomas Mergler @Tom's Soundranch

 

Fans can join the BANGALORE CHOIR email list where they will be kept informed about the new album. Join: https://m.bnds.us/hGGRHB

 

David Reece will be hitting the road later this year supporting Girlschool and his BraveWords Records label mates Alcatrazz. David Reece's Bangalore Choir will deliver a blistering set of hits from both Accept and Bangalore Choir, showcasing one of the most distinctive voices in heavy metal.

This tour is also the debut of his relaunched version of Bangalore Choir

 

Tickets: https://bit.ly/4j42NUm

MALVADA Announces Self-Titled Studio Album Out June 13, 2025 via Frontiers Music Srl

Women-led, talented Brazilian Rock band MALVADA is excited to announce the release of their self-titled album, out on June 13, 2025, via Frontiers Music Srl. Their new single and accompanying video, “I'm Sorry,” are also available now.

The band commented on the new album:

“It is the result of two years of work, and we are very excited to show the world how much Malvada has grown. We believe it is the best work of our lives, and everyone will like it, as it shows our real essence. You will have a real experience.

About the new single, "I'm Sorry," they added:

“It is a song that reflects our reality, being in music means that sometimes we have to be away from people we love. It is a song we made for them, and it is very emotional for us”.

 

The rising star of the Brazilian rock scene has a name: MALVADA, and they are ready to take over the world!

Watch the Video for “I'm Sorry” Below:

MALVADA was initially formed in March 2020, at the start of the pandemic. With a rock n' roll style full of personality, the band quickly attracted attention as one of the most promising acts in the Brazilian rock scene.

 

In January 2021, MALVADA released their first single entitled "Mais Um Gole," which gained great popularity. Shortly afterwards, in May of the same year, it was time to release the second single "Cada Escolha uma Renúncia," which preceded the launch of the band's debut album, 'A Noite Vai Ferver.'

In 2022 and 2023, MALVADA solidified its presence on the national rock panorama, performing more than a hundred shows in several cities in Brazil. The band had the privilege of participating in huge festivals, such as Rock in Rio, Best of Blues and Rock, Angra Fest, and Chama Rock, sharing the stage with renowned national and international rock names, like Pitty, Ira!, Angra, Viper, Edu Falaschi, Matanza, Golpe de Estado, Extreme and Tom Morello.

In November 2023, MALVADA, composed of Indira Castillo, Bruna Tsuruda, Rafaela Reoli, and Juliana Salgado surprised with a big announcement: the band has become the newest signee of the prestigious Italian label Frontiers Records, which has renowned bands in its catalog such as Mr. Big, Asia, Whitesnake, Jeff Scott Soto, among others, promising to take them to a new level, with opportunities to expand their reach and conquer the global market.

The new album, produced by the Brazilian Grammy-awarded producer Giu Daga, promises a powerful and exciting musical experience and will be the band's first work featuring tracks in English/Portuguese, aiming to conquer a global audience.

MALVADA's vibrant rock passion will take no prisoners!

Pre-Order 'Malvada' HERE

MALVADA are:

Indira Castillo - Vocals

Bruna Tsuruda - Guitar

Juliana Salgado - Drums

Rafaela Reoli - Bass

Phoenix dream-electronic artist FLDPLN (Andrew Saks) presents 'Escalator' single, previewing new LP

"A whole new world of electronic-based dreampop... With a perfect sense of space and symmetry, Saks’ particular sonic trajectory presents a sound unlike pretty much anything else out there on the ambient-pop-gaze music landscape" ~ Big Takeover Magazine

Phoenix-based dream-electronic artist FLDPLN presents his new single 'Escalator', previewing his full-length album by the same name. Scheduled for release on July 30, it will be available both digitally and on color vinyl via the label Sillas Famosas.

FLDPLN (“field-plan”) is the new solo project of Andrew Saks, former frontman of Southern California shoegaze band Sway ('The Millia Pink and Green' EP, 'This Was Tomorrow'). Here, he creates electronic-based dreampop that is deeply influenced by 80s pop with shoegaze-like textures and ambient aesthetic, created by layered saxophones and synths.

A mostly electronic project that generally defies genre pigeonholing, FLDPLN is an outlet for dreamy, blissfully textural songs featuring synthesizers, vocals and layered saxophones. Saks effectively captures blissful feelings, sharing them with spirits seeking a sense of nostalgia.

'Escalator' was written, produced, recorded and mixed by Andrew Saks at his home studio in Phoenix, Arizona. This follows up his 2018 album 'Let You Down' and his 2021 single 'Cashout', release in 2021.

“Escalator is really the result of my years of dabbling in electronic music production combined with my desire to reconnect with my roots, having been a saxophone player for most of my life," says Andrew Saks.

"For this album, I wanted to write songs that are true to the way I hear things in my head, dreamy, blurry, beautiful without compromise and incorporate the horn as a textural instrument as well as another melodic voice.”

A short time after Sway disbanded, Andrew (who handled half of the guitar duties in the band) decided to put down the guitar and return with resolve to his first love - the saxophone - which he has played from the age of 12.

The idea behind FLDPLN was to incorporate his love for electronic music production and early 90’s post-punk sensibilities, while allowing saxophones and synthesizers to be used to fill-in texturally, where guitars have typically been the fundamental building element of the “shoegaze” and “dream pop” sub-genres. Saxophone textures are layered, at times co-mingling with synthesizers to create a soft, warm bed of sound, the perfect backdrop for the whisper-like vocals reminiscent of Andrew’s hushed voice with Sway.

At times, Andrew’s horn playing features soaring leads that lift the dreamlike and serene to near-anthemic heights while, in other instances, they convey an emotional, whisper-like voice. While certainly nowhere near new to experimental music, the tone and texture of the saxophone in this context effectively lends itself to ethereal lullabies and reflective daydreams.

While textures and sound are an integral component of the music, Andrew does not shy away from hook-laden songwriting. This music is highly influenced by childhood memories of going to bed each night, falling asleep with Walkman headphones on and later waking up in the darkness, in a partial dream-state with the pop songs of the 1980’s - Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Bruce Springsteen, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, Debbie Gibson, Human League still whispering in his ears.

As of June 21, lead single 'Escalator' will be available everywhere across online stores, such as Apple Music, and streaming platforms like Spotify. The full 'Escalator' LP will released on July 30 and can already be pre-ordered digitally and on color vinyl via Bandcamp.

Keep up with FLDPLN
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