Dirkschneider And The Old Gang announce 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

DIRKSCHNEIDER & THE OLD GANG Release New Single "Time To Listen"

With “It Takes Six To Rock!” - the core message of their enthusiastically received latest single- still echoing in everyone’s heads, DIRKSCHNEIDER & THE OLD GANG strike again. Only one month after "It Takes Two To Tango," they’ve shortened the wait for their upcoming album Babylon, set for release in October 2025 on Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM). The second new track, "Time To Listen," cranks up the anticipation even more and delivers another high-energy preview of what fans can look forward to.

The band describes the song as follows: “‘Time To Listen’ is an up-tempo song that once again shines with DATOG’s typically diversified lead vocals. A soaring guitar riff paves the way for a powerful Udo performance, accompanied by Peter’s harmony vocals and continues with Manuela’s sustained two-part vocals. The chorus, with its convincing power casts a spell over everyone. Here also, Mathias’ guitar solo is a marvel of ingenuity that ignores all convention and whips through the musical realms in an unconventional manner. The compact and powerful ending is just as uncompromising as the beginning of the song.”

With "Time To Listen," DATOG once again highlight their unique identity and their commitment to making bold musical statements - energetic, authentic, and with a signature sound that’s instantly recognisable.

It’s time to listen - and time to rock!
 

Watch the music video Below:

Stream "Time To Listen": https://datog.rpm.link/timetolistenPR

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, key instruments

Stefan Kaufmann | guitars, backing vocals

Mathias “Don” Dieth | guitars, backing vocals

Sven Dirkschneider | drums, backing vocals

Spinefarm Signs GORE. + Band Shares "Babylon" Video

SPINEFARM is pleased to announce the signing of GORE. — vocalist Haley Roughton, guitarist Alex Reyes, and bassist Devin Birchfield — to the global roster.

The band will release the A Bud That Never Blooms EP on October 24. Pre-order it here.

The EP was produced by Miserable Productions, with Ben McGuiness and Caleb Freihaut serving as co-producers. The EP was mixed by Cody Stewart.

Today, the band has also shared the video for "Babylon," its debut single for its new label home.

Watch the video below.

"'Babylon' is about my desire to have a pure, somewhat traditional love," offers Roughton, laying her emotional cards face up on the table. "The dream of having a strong and loving husband, with children and an unconditionally loving home being the center of my universe (and is what I felt I lacked in my childhood). Through the years, and all of the relationships I have failed to sustain, that dream has yet to come true. This song is the eulogy of that dream. In other words, 'Babylon' is the action of putting that dream of being a wife and a mother to rest, for now."

Regarding the accompanying visual, Roughton shares, "The music video uses religious imagery to depict the dream for a pure, unconditional love that is slowly dying. In the video, the pastor can be seen as everything that causes a relationship to fail — ego, external pressure from others, unhealed inner wounds — even the other person in the relationship. The pastor is seen slowly killing the woman with the dream by holding her underwater, while she is seen crying and begging for the life she wants. From the action of killing her emerges a creature that is completely stripped of hope and innocence. The sludgy, disturbing human-like being can be seen as a symbol of cynicism, resentment and vengeance."

Gore. will embark on a slate of tour dates supporting Within the Ruins in October. All dates are below.

GORE. ON TOUR:
WITH WITHIN THE RUINS:
10/9 — Lubbock, TX — Jake's
10/10 — Denver, CO — Roxy Theater
10/11 — Oklahoma City, OK — 89th Street
10/12 — Dallas, TX — RBC
10/13 — San Antonio, TX — Vibes Underground

ABOUT GORE.:
Haley Roughton leads the charge in Gore., a band that brings a distinctly feminine perspective to the heavy music scene. Debuted in 2023 with guitarist Alex Reyes and bassist Devin Birchfield, the Texas-based trio quickly made waves with their emotionally raw and unapologetically vulnerable sound. Their recent signing to Spinefarm solidifies their place in the industry.
 
Gore.'s A Bud That Never Blooms EP is a deeply personal exploration of the complexities of femininity. Tracks like "Babylon" confront the painful realities of womanhood, while "Doomsday" reflects on the desensitization to violence and suffering in today's world. Roughton's vocals range from delicate, emotive cleans to fierce, guttural growls, capturing the duality of strength and vulnerability that defines the band’s music. Gore. count members of Motionless in White, Flyleaf, and Papa Roach, among others, as fans.
 
Recorded at Miserable Productions Studios and co-produced by Ben McGuiness and Caleb Freihaut, the EP embodies what Roughton calls "emotional gore." It's an embrace of the raw, unfiltered aspects of life, particularly from a female perspective. With plans for more music in 2025, Gore. is poised to continue challenging norms and expressing the full spectrum of feminine experience through their powerful sound.

GASKET Release "BABYLON" EP on 6/21 + Band Shares "ACOLTYE"

Baltimore quartet GASKET, who released Dull the Needle, a seven-song EP back in November 2023, have just dropped their new EP BABYLON today, June 21, via Blue Grape Music.

Get the EP, which is earning raves from Revolver, Metal Sucks, Brooklyn Vegan,and more, here on vinyl or cassette.

Listen to "ACOLYTE" here.

"'ACOLYTE' is about coping with the monotony of life and accepting that the only thing that can change for the better is yourself," says vocalist Flynn Zimmer.

Regarding the EP as a whole, the band says, "This EP is the hardest we've ever worked on anything together. As simple as it may sound, it's a culmination of all of our favorite bands.  Lyrically, it's a melting pot of experiences and feelings we've had for the past two years that we hope people can relate to. BABYLON represents GASKET as a whole; it's our escape from reality and we couldn't be more grateful for it." 

BABYLON is a perfectly executed and lethal mix of crusty punk, gnarly, old school hardcore, and grimy metal. Most of the tracks span under two-and-a-half minutes, but the band uses the time wisely. Every song is a like a grenade blast that you won't soon forget.

GASKET will also be hitting the road this summer on a series of headline dates. All dates are below. More touring is planned through the year and will be announced in due course.

GASKET ON TOUR: 
7/4: Greenville, SC
7/5: Atlanta, GA
7/6: Athens, GA
7/7: Gainesville, FL
7/8: Orlando, FL
7/9: Miami, FL
7/10: Tampa, FL
7/11: TBD, NC
7/12: BABYLON Release Show (Baltimore, MD)
7/13: Philadelphia, PA
7/14: NYC, NY
7/16: Manchester, NH
7/17: Boston, MA
7/18: Salem, MA
7/19: Providence, RI

GASKET ARE:
Flynn Joseph Zimmer — Vocals
Maxwell Bagster-Collins — Bass
Calvin Mumma — Guitar
 Austin Jenkins — Drums

GASKET To Release "Babylon" EP on 6/21 + Band Shares "Syndicate" Video

Baltimore quartet GASKET, who released Dull the Needle, a seven song EP back in November 2023, are pleased to announce their forthcoming BABYLON EP. The EP arrives June 21 via Blue Grape Music. Pre-order it here on vinyl or cassette.

Today, the band has dropped the video for "SYNDICATE." Watch it below. 

It also premiered over at Brooklyn Vegan. 

"'SYNDICATE' is the most personal song on the record, and the most fast-paced," the band shares. "The song is about an old friend you wish you'd never met."

Regarding the EP as a whole, the band says, "This EP is the hardest we've ever worked on anything together. As simple as it may sound, it's a culmination of all of our favorite bands.  Lyrically, it's a melting pot of experiences and feelings we've had for the past two years that we hope people can relate to. BABYLON represents GASKET as a whole; it's our escape from reality and we couldn't be more grateful for it." 

BABYLON is a perfectly executed and lethal mix of crusty punk, gnarly, old school hardcore, and grimy metal. Most of the tracks span under two-and-a-half minutes, but the band uses the time wisely. Every song is a like a grenade blast that you won't soon forget.

GASKET will also be hitting the road this summer on a series of headline dates. All dates are below. More touring is planned through the year and will be announced in due course.

GASKET ON TOUR: 
7/4 — Greenville, SC*
7/5 — Atlanta, GA*
7/6 — Jacksonville, FL**
7/7 — Orlando, FL**
7/9 — Miami, FL**
7/10 — Tampa, FL**
7/11 — Charlotte, NC**
7/12 — Baltimore, MD // EP Release Show
7/13 — Philadelphia, PA**
7/14 — NYC**
7/15 — Manchester, NH***
7/16 — Boston, MA***
7/17 — Worcester, MA***
7/18 — Providence, RI***
7/19 — Connecticut***
*With Snuki
**With Watts
***With Prayer Position

GASKET ARE:
Flynn Joseph Zimmer — Vocals
Maxwell Bagster-Collins — Bass
Calvin Mumma — Guitar
 Austin Jenkins — Drums