MANY EYES Shares New Music Video for "Speechless," Kicking Off North American Tour Next Week

February 20, 2025

Emerging metallic hardcore outfit MANY EYES is now debuting the official music video for the song, "Speechless," which was filmed on day off during the band's recent North American tour at Mahall's Lanes in Lakewood, OH. The video can be found below.

“'Speechless' was the first song I ever demoed for Many Eyes," explains Buckley. "It set a standard for us that we still aspire towards when writing even to this day-make it heavy, make it good, make it cool.”

"Speechless" is taken from the band's debut full-length, 'The Light Age,' which was released in September 2024 via Perseverance Media Group! The album can be found HERE.

Many Eyes began in the winter of 2022 when Keith Buckley (Ex-Every Time I Die, The Damned Things) connected with brothers Nick (Producer/ Owner of Dexter's Lab Recording) and Charlie Bellmore (Corpsegrinder/ Toxic Holocaust) through their mutual friend, Jamey Jasta, frontman for metal legends Hatebreed. 'The Light Age' was written and recorded over a few weeks in both Buffalo, NY, and Milford, CT, where the members reside.

Many Eyes is currently working on their second album.

MANY EYES is about to embark on its third U.S. tour, supporting THE AMITY AFFLICTIONalongside HAIL THE SUN. Recently, they supported the legendary SUM 41 on their final tour, stoner rock stalwarts CLUTCH, and post-hardcore icons, THURSDAY. Their ability to engage an array of audiences shows a prowess in crossing genres. With Alan Hague now on guitar and Sean Vallie on bass, alongside Nick Bellmore’s powerful drumming and Keith Buckley’s commanding vocals, the band remains focused on pushing forward and exploring new creative horizons.

MANY EYES will hit the road next week on February 27 in Phoenix, AZ. The band has now added several headlining shows to the itinerary, which can be found below while tickets will be available HERE.

GET TICKETS HERE

MANY EYES Tour Dates

(Supporting THE AMITY AFFLICTION + HAIL THE SUN w/ SOLENCE):

02/27: Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge** [JUST ADDED]

02/28: San Diego, CA @ Soma

03/01: Fresno, CA @ Tioga Brewery

03/02: Flagstaff, AZ @ Orpheum Theater

03/03: Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater

03/05: Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom

03/06: Memphis, TN @ Graceland Live

03/07: New Orleans, LA @ House Of Blues

03/08: Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl Music Hall

03/09: Birmingham, AL @ Iron City

03/11: Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz

03/12: Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa

03/13: Myrtle Beach, SC @ House Of Blues

03/14: Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel

03/15: Lexington, KY @ Manchester Music Hall

03/17: Omaha, NE @ The Admiral Theater

03/19: Billings, MT @ Pub Station

03/21: Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory

03/22: Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory

03/23: Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom

03/25: Reno, NV @ Virginia Street Brewhouse

03/26: Chico, CA @ Senator Theatre

03/28: Las Vegas, NV @ Berlin Bar** [JUST ADDED]

03/30: Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater** [JUST ADDED]

**Headlining Date, No Amity Affliction

Live Lineup:

Vocals - Keith Buckley

Drums - Nick Bellmore

Bass - Sean Vallie

Guitar - Alan Hague

Recording Lineup:

Vocals/ Lyrics/ Songwriter - Keith Buckley

Producer/ Songwriter/ Guitar/ Drums/ Bass - Nick Bellmore

Guitar/ Songwriter/ Bass/ Keys - Charlie Bellmore

Recorded and mixed by Nick Bellmore at Dexters Lab Recording in Milford, CT

Assistant Engineer William Hayes

Mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound

Additional vocals recorded by Anthony Potenza

All songs written by Keith Buckley, Nick Bellmore and Charlie Bellmore.

Art Direction & Design by Nick Steinhardt & Ryan Sanders for 23in

Produced by Nick Bellmore

Executive Producer Jamey Jasta

Orders: https://dthw.sh/thelightage

Links:

MILWAUKEE METAL FESTIVAL 2025 Welcomes DEATH ANGEL, Replacing DESTRUCTION

February 20, 2025

GET TICKETS HERE

While German thrash battalion DESTRUCTION will no longer be performing at this year's edition, American thrash icons DEATH ANGEL have saved the day and will now be wrecking The Rave instead! In addition, the festival is pleased to reveal that they have since added an all-star S.O.D. Tribute (ft. Scott Ian, Dan Lilker, Jamey Jasta + Revel Ian), EYEHATEGOD, Pentagram, Toxic Holocaust, Bongzilla, Revocation, Ov Sulfur, Left To Die + The Lurking Corpses, rounding out the already stacked lineup!

Due to the massive success of the second edition of Milwaukee Metal Festival, the iconic midwestern event is returning in 2025! The festival will take place once again at The Rave/Eagles Ballroom from May 16-18, 2025, with the pre-party kicking off on May 15. Tickets are now available HERE.

Follow Milwaukee Metal Fest:

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BEWITCHER Announces U.S. March Tour

January 22, 2025

All the best tunes belong to the Devil, and Portland’s bastard sons BEWITCHER have returned to take back rock n’ roll in Baphomet’s name. The band is now joining forces with DEATHCHANT to co-headline a U.S. tour in celebration of their latest offering, 'Spell Shock,' along with support from PERSEKUTOR. In conjunction with BEWITCHER's appearance at Hell's Heroes Festival on March 30, the speed metal demons will wreak havoc across the country from March 14 in San Francisco, CA until the final stop back in their hometown of Portland on April 5! The full itinerary can be found below while tickets can be found HERE.

Bassist A. Magus comments, “Few bands are as aligned with us in their love of all things Motörhead and Sabbath than DEATHCHANT. When the opportunity came to join forces for a spring run to Hells Heroes and back, we couldn’t say no. To make this tour even more killer, Romania’s snow obsessed riff-lords PERSEKUTOR will be tagging along. Expect nothing short of ice-cold beer soaked heavy tunes and hellish good times. PARTY ON!”

Joining Von Bewitcher, bassist A. Magus, and drummer A. Hunter in the studio this time was none other longtime BEWITCHER fan Lars Frederiksen. Most of the world knows Frederiksen as a force in his own right, playing in the likes of Bay Area punk heroes Rancid, as well as his own Old Firm Casuals. While to some, it may have been an unlikely pairing with Frederiksen taking the producer’s seat, for everyone in the studio the connection was immediate.

As Frederiksen previously commented on 'Spell Shock': "It’s the best record I’ve ever produced for one of the best bands in the world."

Magus explains about their experience with Frederiksen: “[Lars’] knowledge of heavy metal, black metal and thrash – as well as punk, is vast and extreme. It was definitely a match made in hell.'

'Spell Shock' is out now Century Media Records and can be found HERE.

BEWITCHER U.S. Tour Dates (w/ PERSEKUTOR + DEATHCHANT):

03/14: San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill

03/15: Sacramento, CA @ Cafe Colonial

03/16: San Diego, CA @ Brick by Brick

03/17: Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room

03/18: Phoenix, AZ @ Nile Underground

03/20: Houston, TX @ Hell's Heroes^*

03/21: Dallas, TX @ TX Tea Room

03/22: Austin, TX @ The Ballroom

03/23: Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th Street

03/25: Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar

03/26: Chicago, IL @ Reggie's

03/27: Milwaukee, WI @ X-Ray Arcade

03/28: St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club

03/29: Fargo, ND @ Aquarium

03/31: Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive

03/02: Richland, WA @ Ray's Golden Lion*

03/03: Seattle, WA @ El Corazon*

03/05: Portland, OR @ Twilight Cafe & Bar*

05/17: Vancouver, BC @ Modified Ghost Fest^*

^ No Deathchant

* No Persekutor

Since their formation in 2013, Bewitcher has seen their signature “Black Magick Metal” sound go from humble beginnings to new heights of creativity and wild anthemic fervor. A small collection of long out-of-print demo tapes kicked off what has proven to be an enduring line of ripping studio albums, singles and EPs. They have earned a reputation as one of the hardest working touring acts around, bringing their volcanic, high energy live shows to every corner of North America and parts abroad.

From its eye-grabbing-and-gouging artwork by Italian horror maestro Solo Macello, to songs like the haunting “We Die in Dust,” to the epic closing track “Ride of the Iron Fox” (“That’s BEWITCHER’s Dokken song!” laughs A. Hunter.) Spell Shock is BEWITCHER at their most evolved and most devastatingly primal. “We wanted it to be an album experience,” says drummer A. Hunter. “Imagine King Diamond’s Abigail in terms of atmosphere merged with the energy of AC/DC’s High Voltage.”

Line-Up:

Mateo von Bewitcher – vox + guitars

A. Hunter – drums + percussion

A. Magus – bass guitar + backing vox

Artwork: Solo Macello

Producer: Lars Frederiksen

Follow:

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Pre-order: https://bewitcher.lnk.to/SpellShock

Formats: Gatefold black LP

Ltd. Gatefold lilac LP (300x) available through cmdistro.de and various other retailers

Ltd. Gatefold translucent orange crush LP (US version, 300x) available only from BEWITCHER

Standard Jewelcase CD

Digital Album

DARK FORTRESS Releases Live Video for “The Silver Gate," Live Album 'Anthems From Beyond The Grave - Live In Europe 2023' Is Out Now”

January 18, 2025

In 2023, after an illustrious cult career spanning more than 20 years, German melodic black metallers DARK FORTRESS came to an end. Now, the band is making one final offering to its fans; 'Anthems From Beyond The Grave - Live In Europe 2023' was recording during the band's final European run, 'The Cosmic End Tour,' in 2023. To celebrate today's release, the band is now sharing the official live video for the song, "The Silver Gate," which can be found below.

“I never thought DARK FORTRESS would have a live album,” says V. Santura (guitars). “The technical situation–we had multi-track recordings of two shows [Rotterdam and Bochum]–allowed for ‘Anthems from Beyond the Grave’ to happen. I didn’t even listen to the recordings for months after the tour. When I finally did, I thought, ‘Holy shit!’ We sounded incredible, and I'm hardly ever happy with our shows. All of our hard work had finally fallen into place on that tour. When Century Media heard it, they said, ‘We’ve gotta release it–it’s too good not to!' If this is our end and it definitely is, then it’s a fitting end to DARK FORTRESS.”

'Anthems From Beyond The Grave - Live In Europe 2023' is out now via Century Media Records and can be ordered HERE.

DARK FORTRESS' march to the grave was inevitable. The journey from signing with American independent Red Stream Records in 2001 to The Cosmic End Tour (with The Spirit and Asphagor) in 2023 was circuitous, full of highs and lows and rife with raw potential. Ultimately, DARK FORTRESS ended life after releasing their lauded final album, 'Spectres from the Old World,' in 2020. By all metrics, self-imposed death is better than zombie-lurching into oblivion.

Many fans didn't see DARK FORTRESS writing their "early’" epitaph, however. From “Eidolon”'s (2008) acclaimed film noir aesthetic of “Edge of Night” and the breakaway success of “Ylem”’s (2010) video/title track to publications Deaf Forever and Decibel awarding 'Spectres from the Old World' (2020) near-perfect scores, the Bavarians appeared invincible. Yet, DARK FORTRESS uncoiled on their terms, leaving their only live album, 'Anthems from Beyond the Grave,' as their final offering to the ancient and unspeakable forces of darkness and evil.

DARK FORTRESS 2023 Lineup:

Morean - Lead Vocals

V. Santura - Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals

Asvargr - Guitar

Hannes Grossmann - Drums

Michael Zech - Bass

Linus Klausenitzer - Keyboards

Formats: Ltd. CD Digipak

Gatefold black 2LP & LP-Booklet

Digital album

Links:

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

SARCATOR Shares New Single, "The Deep Ends," New Album 'Swarming Angels and Flies' out TODAY

January 17, 2025

2025 is already a premier year for blackened thrash metal: Swedish rising force SARCATOR is now releasing its third full-length, 'Swarming Angels & Flies,' via Century Media Records! Stream the album HERE.

Upon announcing the signing to the label back in July, the young band released three striking, powerful, and raw singles that kept the anticipation for this record high. Now, 'Swarming Angels & Flies' is available in its full length. Across eight, grotesque and utterly venomous tracks, the band have deftly blended the wide-eyed extremity of their debut album with the inspirational musicality of their second work 'Alkahest,' while playing everything with more intensity than ever before. It is a record that surely raises the bar for face-flaying extreme metal. Both deliriously melodic and mercilessly brutal - 'Swarming Angels & Flies' is the most dangerously potent record the Swedens have made to date.

To celebrate, the band is now sharing a visualizer for the single "The Deep Ends," which can be found below.

Singer and guitarist Mateo Tervonen comments on the album, “If anyone has ever wondered how our intensity playing live would sound captured on a record, this is the one. There is no question that it’s our most intense, brutal and rawest creation yet, so those who enjoy those elements of our sound will not be disappointed! We worked a lot on the dynamics, so we are sure that this album will have something for everyone. It's not really a genre album and we like to keep it that way.”

With the tracks "Swarming Angels & Flies," “Comet of End Times” and “Where the Void Begins” released prior to the album launch, “The Deep Ends” holds a special place on this record, showcasing Sarcator’s skill in terms of songwriting with the track sounding both raw and yet defined by each second while combining both worlds of rock and extreme metal.

Regarding the track, the band explains,

"'The Deep Ends' stands as a strong representative of the traditional rock essence of our sound that we incorporated with our previous album ('Alkahest' 2022). It's all about the groove and rhythm in this one, hand in hand with epic-driven arrangements. Everything with our own blackened edge to it that has been the common ground for every SARCATOR song so far. With this one we wanted to push everything forward in combining traditional rock music with extreme metal vocals and expression and of course trying to make it sound organically together.”

Sarcator’s “Swarming Angels & Flies” sets the bar high for the upcoming album in terms of speed, heaviness and pure desire to see the song unfold live. Starting off like an explosion, the song delivers a sonic blast hurling the audience straight into a fire pit with raw, untamed energy. The album is now available for pre-order in various formats HERE.

At a juvenile age of 14-20, Sarcator released their first demo tape, “Visions of Purgatory”, via the American label Redefining Darkness Records in 2019. Just two years later the quadrumvirate got nominated for best rock/metal album for the Swedish music award P3 Guld with their 2020’s self-titled debut release for the same label. After releasing their 2nd album, “Alkahest”, via Black Lion Records in 2022, Sarcator finally got a proper chance to play live, captivating crowds with their intense, blackened live shows.

With their current line-up fully committed to the band despite their young age (all members are between 19 and 25) it was time for them to record their third album, which still features previous guitarist Emil Eriksson. Shortly after signing a new worldwide deal with Century Media Records and heading out on a debut European tour supporting Hellripper and Cloak, Sarcator will be releasing 'Swarming Angels & Flies' on January 17, 2025.

This album marks the most intense, brutal and rawest creation yet for the band. It is a remarkably mature and sophisticated piece of work, from mercurial musicians who are only in their early 20’s, and still at the beginning of their creative journey. Across eight, grotesque and utterly venomous tracks, Sarcator have deftly blended the wide-eyed extremity of their debut album with the inspirational musicality of their second record “Alkahest”, while playing everything with more intensity than ever before. Both deliriously melodic and mercilessly brutal: “Swarming Angels & Flies” is the most dangerously potent record the Swedens have made to date.

Sarcator explains about the record and its creation process, “We wanted to highlight the most aggressive and extreme parts of us, but we still wanted to work with dynamics, so you still have elements of classic rock and post-punk, which we started experimenting with on the last record. There is no question that it’s our most intense, brutal, and rawest creation yet - It's not really a genre album and we like to keep it that way."

With plenty of live activity in support of the upcoming album, Sarcator are already at the forefront of an emergent, highly determined new generation of Scandinavian extreme metal bands and ready to take the rest of the world by storm soon too.

Lineup:

Mateo Tervonen – Vocals, Guitar

Felix Lindkvist – Bass

Leo Buchalle – Guitar

Jesper Rosén – Drums

Formats:

CD Jewelcase (in O-Card) w/ 11 tracks

Ltd. Purple LP (300x copies!) w/ 8 tracks & 2-page LP insert

Black LP w/ 8 tracks & 2-page LP insert

CD Jewelcase (US Version) w/ 8 tracks

Links:

MASVIDAL + MoonBladder Embark on ‘Spiritual Weight’ Tour, Combining Forces for an Unforgettable Collaborative Experience

January 8, 2025

MASVIDAL (Paul Masvidal of CYNIC, Æon Spoke, etc.) and MOONBLADDER (Jason Walton of AGALLOCH) have teamed up for the Spiritual Weight Tour, which will take place in three cities on the West Coast from January 21-24. Tickets for the intimate, mind-bending experience can be purchased upon walk up day of show. The full itinerary can be found below!

Masvidal comments, "Three exclusive, intimate solo shows across Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. This January, Jason Walton (MoonBladder, Agalloch) and I are teaming up to share an evening of sound and connection. Jason’s experimental soundscapes and my acoustic meditations merge two distinct worlds into a living, breathing organism."

In addition, Paul recently worked with motion graphics editor Drain Hope to release "The Fisher Tale," a track from one of his other projects, Æon Spoke. Paul performs material from Æon Spoke at his solo shows, along with stripped-back Cynic songs. The song can be found below.

Masvidal explains, "The visuals in this video were created using AI, with editing and motion graphics by Drain Hope himself. The visual approach has a children’s picture book fairy tale vibe, blending the feel of intentionally retro, slightly formal publisher graphics with drawings imagined by a computer. The Fisher Tale has been around for a while, originally written as an Aeon Spoke song, but for me, it always comes back to the music itself. These visuals help bring its dreamlike story to life in a more literal way.

"Musically, it’s likely the simplest song I’ve ever written—a 6/8 piece built on four cycling chords that steadily build tension. Lyrically, it’s a story about a fisherman who meets a magical fish offering him anything he desires. Like many of us, he asks for romantic love, wealth, fame, and power. But as his aspirations grow more deluded, so does his suffering. The message is simple: true joy and freedom don’t come from things outside ourselves—whether possessions, status, or relationships. Sure, they can bring fleeting moments of happiness, but it’s easy to get stuck in the endless loop of striving, thinking that more will make us whole. Ultimately, though, letting go and trusting that we’re already enough seems to be what frees us in the bigger picture. Anyway, I’ve strayed a bit—it’s really just a simple song about a fisherman and a wise, magical fish. Though who knows, maybe he gave up fishing altogether after that and started foraging seaweed instead—it’s more compassionate, and it’s great for your hair, haha.

"Warren Riker’s mix stands out to me—it’s one of those bold, unconventional decisions that just works. Panning the drums hard left and the vocals hard right for the first half of the tune creates such a vibe.

"This song emerged from a queer men’s spiritual group I joined after moving to Los Angeles. Every year, the group would focus on a theme, and we’d express it through performative art. That year’s theme, in particular, was fairy tales retold for gay men. That’s where The Fisher Tale came to life. During the performance, I was nearly naked, costumed like a wood elf, standing in the corner of a surreal forest scene alongside other characters in the piece. With my acoustic guitar, I sang the song over and over to the dreamer (audience) awake in the dream.

"At the end of the tune, you can hear birds chirping—a moment captured while I was recording vocals in an apartment I used to live in on Waverly Drive in Silverlake. It was right across from the infamous LaBianca house, known for the Manson murders, and I’d often see the Tragical History Tour bus packed with tourists driving by. The energy around there was definitely a little odd. In a way, it felt like those birds were letting me know the song was done—guess they had the final say.

"For me, songs like this exist more like physical pieces of art—they hold space and relevance in unusual ways over the passage of time. They evolve and take on new meaning, untethered from the urgency of new releases or trends. Most people haven’t heard The Fisher Tale yet, and its message feels more relevant now than ever. Sharing it again, through this video, feels like the right moment—for whatever it’s worth.”

Paul Masvidal is a groundbreaking guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of Cynic, a pioneering progressive metal band known for its innovative fusion of metal, jazz, and experimental music. Widely respected as a groundbreaking guitarist and songwriter, Masvidal has collaborated with major artists across genres, adding to his legacy as an innovative musician. Over time, he has become a well recognized figure in the metal and progressive music community, with countless younger artists and musicians citing him as a key influence in both technical ability and creative vision.

Known for his philosophical and spiritual approach to art, exploring themes of the dream-like nature of reality, consciousness, and the search for deeper truths, his music transcends labels, resonating with fans of both the metal world and beyond, thanks to his ability to combine technicality with emotional depth.

Masvidal played guitar on Death’s influential album, 'Human,' and helped shape the genre with Cynic's acclaimed 1993 release, 'Focus,' often regarded as a seminal record in progressive metal. Following 'Focus,' Cynic expanded their sound with albums such as 'Traced in Air' (2008), and explored more experimental territory with EPs 'Re-Traced' (2010) and 'Carbon-Based Anatomy' (2011), which reimagined Cynic’s music with atmospheric and ambient textures. Cynic continued to evolve with the full-length album 'Kindly Bent to Free Us' (2014), which took a more raw, progressive rock trio direction, further solidifying their role as innovators in the genre.

In 2022, Cynic released the futuristic concept album 'Ascension Codes,' a deeply philosophical record that explores themes of cosmic consciousness, spirituality, and transcendence, showcasing Masvidal’s continued creative evolution.

In addition to his work with Cynic, Masvidal has produced a solo trilogy, Mythical Human Vessel, and led the alternative project Æon Spoke. He gained significant attention for his personal coming-out story in the LA Times, advocating for LGBTQ+ representation in the metal community in 2014, where he courageously shared his journey as a gay man in the metal scene, shattering stereotypes and inspiring fans worldwide.during a time when coming out was still taboo. A dedicated vegan, Masvidal promotes conscious living and mindfulness, further extending his creativity through his jewelry line, Masvidalien, inspired by metaphysical concepts.

Masvidal has also collaborated with various artists and composed music for TV and film, including the award-winning 'The Tiger Hunter.' He has also launched several signature guitars with Strandberg and now Kiesel, cementing his place as a guitarist whose influence is felt by players across a wide spectrum of genres.

His live performances offer a meditative experience, blending acoustic and electronic elements to create intimate, reflective soundscapes. Widely respected, Masvidal continues to influence generations of musicians with his technical prowess and philosophical approach to art.

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Streaming

BEYOND THE GATES 2025 Reveals Full Lineup; OPETH, CANDLEMASS, PARADISE LOST + More Added

December 14, 2024

BEYOND THE GATES 2025 FESTIVAL PASSES + TICKETS

Beyond the Gates Festival 2025 is now unveiling the final lineup for next summer, which is the festival's most varied lineup to date as 18 of the bands have never performed at BTG before! The festival now welcomes Opeth, Paradise Lost, Candlemass, Taake, Tribulation, Lucifer, Hexvessel, Misþyrming, Attic, Helheim and Gehenna to the already-stacked lineup.

In addition to Taake doing a special 20 year set of 'Doedskvad,' this will be Gehenna's first show ever with the original line-up! They will be performing a set based on their newly re-released first three albums - 'The First Spell,' 'Seen Through the Veils of Darkness (The Second Spell),' and 'Malice.'

The four-day extravaganza will once again take place in Bergen (NO) from July 30 - August 2, across several venues, including USF and the iconic Grieghallen, where many of Norway's seminal black metal artists recorded their legacy records.

Festival booker Torgrim Øyre comments:

"So this is it, the full line-up for Beyond the Gates 2025 - Chapter XIII. What is more natural than announcing our thirteenth chapter on Friday the 13th?

"What can we say - we are immensely proud of what is without a doubt our most varied line-up to date. 18 of the announced bands have never played the festival before, which we think is a statement of good health for a niche festival operating for 13 years.

"The 2025 line-up boasts a wide selection of curated sets, including a first ever live appearance of the original Gehenna line-up. The reformed band will perform a set based on their newly re-released three first albums. These are jewels in the Norwegian Black Metal canon and their brilliance can not be overstated. Pure class.

"King Diamond will play his first solo concert in Bergen ever, and his first show in Norway in 19 years.

"Opeth has just released their barnstormer 'The Last Will and Testament' to great acclaim. The album sees the band return to some of their metal roots, while still keeping their timeless prog elements firmly in place. What an album and what a treat it will be to see the Swedish master in the legendary Grieghallen.

"Abbath Doom Occulta will close the festival by bringing his incredibly awesome ‘Return to the Raven Realms’ tour to Grieghallen, featuring songs from his period in Immortal exclusively. Mind you, the production is a sight to behold."

The full lineup is now as follows:

Beyond the Gates 2025 Daily Lineup:

Wednesday, July 30 @ USF Verftet:

Triptykon (performing Celtic Frost)

I Am Morbid Destruction ('Infernal Overkill' 40 years)

Hellbutcher

Attic

Hellripper

Thursday, July 31 @ Grieghallen

King Diamond (First Norwegian show in 19 years!)

Paradise Lost

Lucifer

Misþyrming

Thursday Day Shift:

Koldbrann Askeregn Nihilvm

Thursday Night Shift: Darkened Nocturne Slaughtercult

Friday, August 1 @ Grieghallen

Opeth

Candlemass (40 years of doom)

Tribulation

Hexvessel

Friday Day Shift:

Furia

Eternal Evil

Morax

Friday Night Shift:

Absu (ft. Zemial, 30th anniversary of 'The Sun Of Tiphareth'

Saturday, August 2 @ Grieghallen

Abbath Doom Occulta (Immortal set)

Taake ('Doedskvad' 20th anniversary)

Gehenna (first show with original lineup)

Helheim

Dark Sonority

Tickets are now available HERE.

In addition, Beyond the Gates has launched a December campaign in which fans can enter to win a chance at a free hotel packages and other prizes! To enter the draw, buy your festival pass before December 31, 2024!

“As a festival, Beyond the Gates is immediately lovable. Bergen is intrinsically part of that embrace… Sure, Norway’s expensive, but seeing the best bands out there, taking in a Tolkienesque fjord or two, pilgrimaging to Fantoft church, hitting up Gaahl’s art gallery (Galleri Fjalar) nestled in the quaint houses at Bryggen while Freyr gleefully and continually pisses rain on you from the heavens? All worth its weight in hordes of kroner.” - Decibel Magazine, December 2022 issue

Since the inception of the Beyond the Gates festival, fans have been coming to Bergen to see performances of their favorite Norwegian artists in their home environment. As most visitors know, nature and local culture has always been a poignant source of inspiration for the bands emerging from the Bergen scene. Yet again, Beyond the Gates will give all of the traveling fans the opportunity to get an unique insight into all aspects of the Norwegian Metal scene and the local culture in general. In that regard, we’re putting together a series of events before and during the festival so that all of you can discover what inspired – and still does - the Norwegian metal scene.

More special events will be announced, including exclusive listening parties, music and culture panels, in-depth live interviews, and a wealth of of events and activities that will give you a Beyond the Gates Experience that will last for a lifetime. Stay tuned for more...

Links:

Official Beyond the Gates Website

Facebook

Instagram

Tickets

Emerging Swedish Thrashers SARCATOR Unleashes Vicious New Single, "Where the Void Begins"

December 12, 2024

Before the festive season starts, Sweden’s blackened thrash metal band SARCATOR offers an early present for its fans with their newest single “Where the Void Begins.” The third track from the band’s upcoming album delivers a haunting exploration of despair and existential reflection. With vivid imagery, the lyrics delve into themes of isolation, loss, and the allure of the unknown. Dark and poetic, the song paints a picture of surrender to the infinite unknown - terrifying but liberating. “Where the Void Begins” will be the last single before Sarcator’s third full length album, 'Swarming Angels & Flies,' will be fully unleashed January 17th, 2025, via Century Media Records.

Listen below.

The band comments, "'Where the Void Begins' is the brother song of 'The Long Lost,' off our 2022 album 'Alkahest' - not in an obvious way but it felt like continuing on a story that wasn't complete. It's the heavy one on this album and ends up in a total rock n roll frenzy.

Additionally, it is the first one we wrote that ended up on this album, so it still carries the spirit of the previous album in a way.”

Lineup:

Mateo Tervonen – Vocals, Guitar

Felix Lindkvist – Bass

Leo Buchalle – Guitar

Jesper Rosén – Drums

Formats:

CD Jewelcase (in O-Card) w/ 11 tracks

Ltd. Purple LP (300x copies!) w/ 8 tracks & 2-page LP insert

Black LP w/ 8 tracks & 2-page LP insert

CD Jewelcase (US Version) w/ 8 tracks

Links:

MILWAUKEE METAL FESTIVAL 2025 Adds ROTTING CHRIST, CHIMAIRA, SCOUR, TESSERACT + More to the Lineup

December 11, 2024

The festival is now pleased to welcome ROTTING CHRIST, CHIMAIRA, SCOUR, TESSERACT + EVIL DEAD to the lineup! More bands will be revealed this week as part of the festival's 12 Days of Christmas campaign, in which the festival will be revealing a new artist every day through this weekend. Be sure to check the official Milwaukee Metal Fest socials (Facebook, Instagram, X) to keep up! Then, the full lineup will be unveiled just before the holidays, so keep a close eye out for more!

The updated lineup is now as follows with more TBA!

DOWN (Anselmo, Windstein, Keenan, Bower, Bruders)

Black Label Society

Devin Townsend

The Dillinger Escape Plan (Performing 'Calculating Infinity')

Exodus

Chimaira

Enslaved

Destruction

Rotting Christ

Suicide Silence

Scour

3 Inches of Blood

Wolves in the Throne Room

Trouble

The Acacia Strain

Harms Way

Fugitive

Speed

Exhorder

Tesseract

Macabre

Full of Hell

END

Nekrogoblikon

Deceased

Evil Dead

Legions of Doom

+ more TBA!

Follow Milwaukee Metal Fest:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

OPETH's Critically-Acclaimed New Album Charts Worldwide

December 9, 2024

OPETH’s highly anticipated and critically acclaimed 14th studio album 'The Last Will & Testament,' was officially released on November 22 via Reigning Phoenix Music / Moderbolaget and is now charting internationally.

The current positions can be found below:

The current positions can be found below:

Order ‘The Last Will & Testament’: HERE

Opeth's fourteenth album was written by Åkerfeldt, with lyrics conferred with Klara Rönnqvist Fors (The Heard, ex-Crucified Barbara). ‘The Last Will & Testament’ was co-produced by Åkerfeldt and Stefan Boman (Ghost, The Hellacopters), engineered by Boman, Joe Jones (Killing Joke, Robert Plant), and Opeth, with Boman, Åkerfeldt, and the rest of Opeth mixing at Atlantis and Hammerthorpe Studios in Stockholm. The strings on ‘The Last Will & Testament’ were arranged by Åkerfeldt and returning prog friend Dave Stewart (Egg, Khan) and conducted by Stewart at Angel Studios in London. Not one to miss a beat, visual artist Travis Smith returns to the fold, crafting his 11th cover, a haunting "photograph" reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick's infamous "Overlook Hotel" photograph. Miles Showell (ABBA, Queen) also revisits mastering and vinyl lacquer cutting at Abbey Road Studios in London.

Åkerfeldt rolls out the red carpet for storied flautist and Jethro Tull main man Ian Anderson. Not only do Anderson's signature notes fly on "§4" and "§7", he narrates on "§1", "§2", "§4", and "§7". Joining Anderson, Europe's Joey Tempest lends a backing vocal hand on "§2”, while Åkerfeldt's youngest daughter, Mirjam Åkerfeldt, is the disembodied voice in "§1".

‘The Last Will & Testament ‘is gripping from start to finish, jaw-dropping inside and out, representing some of Opeth's finest material to date. Just as Opeth welcomed many into its distressed arms over the years, the Swedes again deliver on the promise that great music always tells a compelling story—this time with growls.

Moreover, OPETH has landed the the cover story for Decibel Magazine's current December 2024issue! The in-depth interview with the band was conducted by journalist Chris Dick while the photos were shot by Ester Segarra. The issue can be found HERE.

Lineup:

Mikael Åkerfeldt – Vocals, guitars

Fredrik Åkesson – Guitars, backing vocals

Martin Mendez – Bass guitar

Waltteri Väyrynen – Drums and percussion

Joakim Svalberg – Keyboards, backing vocals

Special Guests:

Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) - spoken word (tracks 1, 2, 4, 7) // flute (tracks 4, 7)

Joey Tempest (Europe) - backing vocals (track 2)

Mirjam Åkerfeldt - spoken word (track 1)

All Music and Lyrics written by Mikael Åkerfeldt

Lyrical concept by Mikael Åkerfeldt, dramatic consultation by Klara Rönnqvist Fors

Produced by Mikael Åkerfeldt

Co-produced by Opeth and Stefan Boman

Engineered by Stefan Boman, Joe Jones and Opeth

Mixing by Stefan Boman and Mikael Åkerfeldt and Opeth at Atlantis and Hammerthorpe, Stockholm, Sweden

Mastering and vinyl lacquer cut by Miles Showell at Abbey Road studios, London, UK

Strings conducted by Dave Stewart at Angel Studios, London, UK

Strings arrangement by Mikael Åkerfeldt and Dave Stewart

Drum technicalities by Kit Cunningham

Artwork by Travis Smith with directions from Mikael Åkerfeldt

Biography by Dom Lawson

About Reigning Phoenix Music

Founded in 2023, Reigning Phoenix Music is truly the 100% independently owned vision of music industry professional Gerardo Martinez and avionics and tech entrepreneur, Sven Bogner. The blueprint is to continue to help heavy metal, extreme, hard, and heavy music thrive by partnering with an array of well-established acts, new talent, and iconic artists, by offering best services and practices in the industry. But most important is to help the artists amplify their art and talent to a winning formula for success!

BEYOND THE GATES 2025 Unveils Day + Night Shift Lineup

December 6, 2024

BEYOND THE GATES 2025 FESTIVAL PASSES + TICKETS

Beyond the Gates Festival 2025 is now unveiling the lineups for the day and night shift performances for next year's edition! Absu (featuring Zemila) will be performing a special 30th anniversary set of 1995's seminal album, 'The Sun Of Tiphareth!' In addition, the newly added bands include Darkened Nocturne Slaughtercult, Koldbrann, Furia, Eternal Evil, Askeregn, Morax, and Nihilvm.

The current lineup is now as follows, with more TBA:

Beyond the Gates 2025 Lineup:

King Diamond (First Norwegian show in 19 years!)

Abbath Doom Occulta (Immortal set)

Triptykon (performing Celtic Frost)

I Am Morbid

Destruction ('Infernal Overkil'l 40 years)

Hellbutcher

Hellripper

Dark Sonority

+ more TBA!

Day + Night Shift: Absu (ft. Zemial, 30th anniversary of 'The Sun Of Tiphareth'

Darkened Nocturne Slaughtercult

Koldbrann

Furia

Eternal Evil

Askeregn

Morax

Nihilvm

Tickets are now available HERE.

Deathcore Newcomer STOIC SUFFERING Shares New Single (ft. CHANEY CRABB + DENIS STOFF), Unveils Debut Full-Length Details

December 6, 2024

Bay Area deathcore newcomer STOIC SUFFERING is announcing that its debut full-length, 'All Tomorrows,' will be released independently across all streaming services on April 4, 2025!

The brainchild of musician John Rivera, STOIC SUFFERING is now revealing the new single, "The Star People," which features ENTHEOS vocalist Chaney Crabb and DRAG ME OUT frontman Denis Stoff. The vicious track can be found along with a music video, which was filmed by J.T. Ibanez and features 3D visuals by Michael Steinheiser, below.

STOIC SUFFERING comments, "We are beyond thrilled to unveil 'The Star People,' the first of many releases from our forthcoming album, 'All Tomorrows.' Join us as we delve into humanity’s violent evolution through war, genetic engineering, and the relentless march toward the infinite unknown."

Stream "The Star People" HERE.

Stoic Suffering is a relentless sonic project merging intricate synths with crushing, progressive rhythms and an unmistakable heaviness that fans call “disgusting in the best way.” Since 2018, Stoic Suffering has drawn visceral reactions, with listeners comparing the music to “the kind Noise Marines in Warhammer 40K kill people with.” With roots in Seattle and now based in the Bay Area, Stoic Suffering’s high-quality audio and visuals have captured attention from icons like Akeem (The Browning) and Fronz (Attila).

Constantly evolving and defying genre expectations, Stoic Suffering blends raw brutality with cinematic layers for a haunting, immersive experience. With each release, the project carves a unique space in heavy music, delivering intensity that’s been described as “music that deconstructs your being.”

Creative Lineup:

John Rivera (co-produced, vocals, instrumentals)

Aaron Chaparian at Iron Audio (co-produced, mixed, mastered)

Michael Steinheiser from Good Hangs (3D visuals, creative

Special Guests:

Chaney Crabb of Entheos + Denis Stoff of Drag Me Out ("The Star People," "Gravital," "Asteromorph")

Dan Crown of Crown Magnetar ("Beware of the Qu")

Links:

Municipal Waste Adds Pre-Party to 25th Anniversary 'Spring Kickback' Weekend

November 27, 2024

If there's one band who knows how to throw a rager, it's Richmond thrash kings, MUNICIPAL WASTE! The band is now inviting fans to kickoff their previously announced 25th anniversary 'Spring Kickback' weekend with a raucous pre-party! The 'Waste Kickoff' show will take place on April 10, 2025 @ Cobra Cabana in Richmond, VA and features performances by Asshole Parade, Morbikon, Stepmother, Suppression, and Shooting Pain.

Municipal Waste frontman Tony Foresta comments, "Stoked to announce the pre-party at our pal Herbie's bar, Cobra Cabana, on Thursday night. Asshole Parade was one of the first bands we ever toured with and it's great to see them still ripping it up. This line up is surely going to be a memorable one. More crazy shit to be announced soon. Plan to stay in Richmond all weekend. Plan for a brutal hangover as well. Cheers!"

The full festival schedule is now as follows:

Waste Kickoff - Pre-Party [TICKETS]

April 10, 2024 @ Cobra Cabana:

Asshole Parade

Morbikon

Stepmother

Suppression

Shooting Pain

'Weekend Kickback - Day 1 [TICKETS]

April 11, 2024 @ The Broadberry

Annihilation Time

The Spits

Bat

Public Acid

Special Guest TBA

'Weekend Kickback - Day 2 [TICKETS]

April 12, 2024 @ The National

Municipal Waste

Toxic Holocaust

Midnight

Excel

Enforced

In addition to the weekend celebration, Municipal Waste will hit the road in support of Kerry King along with Alien Weaponry this upcoming January and February. Tickets are available HERE.

1/15 The Regency Ballroom, San Francisco, CA

1/17 Spokane Live Casino, Spokane, WA

1/18 Showbox SoDo, Seattle, WA

1/19 Roseland Theater, Portland, OR

1/20 Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC

1/22 The Palace Theatre, Calgary, AB

1/23 Midway Music Hall, Edmonton, AB

1/25 Burton Cummings Theatre, Winnipeg, MB

1/26 The Fillmore, Minneapolis, MN

1/28 The Rave, Milwaukee, WI

1/30 The Majestic Theater, Detroit, MI

1/31 House of Blues, Cleveland, OH

2/1 Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ON CANADA

2/2 L'Olympia, Montreal, QC CANADA

2/4 Royale, Boston, MA

2/5 Theatre of the Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA

2/7 Irving Plaza, New York, NY

2/8 Baltimore Soundstage, Baltimore, MD

2/10 Buckhead Theatre, Atlanta, GA

2/11 Jannus Live, St. Petersburg, FL

2/13 House of Blues, Houston, TX

2/14 Emo's, Austin, TX

2/15 The Studio at the Factory, Dallas, TX

2/17 Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO

2/18 Sunshine Theater, Albuquerque, NM

2/19 The Nile Theater, Phoenix, AZ

2/21 House of Blues, Las Vegas, NV

2/22 The Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles, CA

Motörhead Unveils Signature Hot Sauces "Born to Raise Hell" via Jade City Foods

November 27, 2024

Motörhead unveils signature hot sauces that are “Born to Raise Hell!" Heat up your holidays with five “Over The Top” sauces from Jade City Foods, which can be ordered at THIS LOCATION.

Iron Horse - Mango Habanero Sauce

Heat scale rating: 5/10 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

This sauce has a blend of Habanero peppers, mangos, yellow bell pepper, onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, vinegar, lime, and salt. It is recommended to pair with seafood, grilled chicken, pork and vinaigrette salads.

100 Percent Heat - Aged Red Pepper Sauce

Heat Scale Rating: 6/10 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

100 Percent Heat is a tasty blend of aged red peppers, distilled vinegar, salt, and spices. This boasts as an excellent breakfast pairing as it goes well with scrambled eggs, omelets, taco salad, burrito and for those looking to spike their Hot Chocolate with something other than booze, this is the way to go!

Iron Fist - Reaper Pepper Sauce

Heat Scale Rating: 8/10 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

For those who dare to turn up the heat, the Iron Fist Reaper Sauce has an extra spicy blend of habanero, ghost, and cayenne peppers with notes of paprika, garlic, distilled white vinegar, and salt. This pairs best with seafood, Brussel sprouts (great way to turn up your Thanksgiving sides this year!), tacos and poultry.

Bomber - Carolina Reaper Sauce

Heat Scale Rating: 8/10 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Ranked among the hotter blends, the Bomber sauce prominently features the hardcore Carolina reaper pepper along with piquillo and peri peri peppers, red wine vinegar, tomato, onion, garlic, distilled white wine vinegar and salt. This is a fantastic seasoning for salsa, chili, sautéed vegetables and tacos.

Killed by Death - Chili Extract Sauce

Heat Scale Rating: 11/10 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

This one goes all the way to 11! The aptly named Killed by Death sauce is a concentrated and bold blend of aged red peppers, vinegar, chili extract and salt. You can really pair this with anything, if you dare! But best to start with very small doses as it can easily overpower a dish with its hardcore heat.

OPETH Streams Visualizers for Song, "§4 ," New Album 'The Last Will & Testament' Out Today

November 22, 2024

The wait is finally over and OPETH's highly anticipated 14th studio album, 'The Last Will & Testament,' is now available worldwide today, November 22, via Moderbolaget // Reigning Phoenix Music! To celebrate this release, the Swedish prog legends are now sharing a visualizer for the song "§4," which can be found below.

Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt comments on the track, "'§4' is an oddball song, just written by instinct. I'm not a clever guy when it comes to writing music. People call us 'thinking man's metal,' I think that's laughable. I listen to music from so many different genres, it's impossible to me to stick to one genre. I find the idea boring to try and belong somewhere, we're a bit all over the place, and I think this song shows our diversity. For '§4' I was inspired by something called 'twelve note music,' which I think is a classical term, where you're supposed to play twelve notes und you cannot repeat a note twice. I heard some of that music by classical pianists playing, and it sounds wicked, it sounds evil, it sounds really strange - so that inspired the initial guitar theme. There's a melodrome theme in the beginning, it just sounds odd, like it doesn't fit in, almost like a free-form jazz solo or something like that. But it quickly kind of lands in an almost traditional metal theme with a common response type death metal vocal that has a stereo double-tracked normal vocal response.

"I can't remember what happened during the writing process, but I reached a point where I just stopped and felt, 'ok, time for something strange!' We ended up with a flute solo by Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, which was kind of an accident in a way, because I asked him to do a narration, not flute. As he was doing the spoken word bits, he asked me 'do you need a flute solo?' I was like, 'yes, please!‘, while I didn't really have a part for a flute solo! I had to shuffle through the songs quickly in my head before he would change his mind. I had him on the hook, of course I was gonna find a piece! So, he played almost like a common response type flute solo in '§4.'

"This is a great song with the ending piece being one of the more evil pieces of music I've written in a long time: it sounds really menacing, sick almost!“

Order ‘The Last Will & Testament’: HERE

After three decades of dazzling the world, Opeth have made their most daring creative leap yet. The Last Will & Testament is a progressive and dramatic triumph, and yet more proof that expecting the unexpected is the only way forward for fans of Sweden’s finest.

“It’s a restless record for me,” concludes Åkerfeldt. “It’s an explosion of ideas, which I like. It’s a bit shorter and snappier. But I definitely didn’t want to rehash anything. The only thing that has come back is some of those death metal screams, but the mindset is still much more forward looking. In typical Opeth fashion, it’s not a direct record that you understand and that you love or hate right away. It takes time and if you put that time into it, you might like it… or hate it! It feels like it was written on a whim. Which it was, in a way! I hear things on this album and think, where the fuck did that come from?”

Lineup:

Mikael Åkerfeldt – Vocals, guitars

Fredrik Åkesson – Guitars, backing vocals

Martin Mendez – Bass guitar

Waltteri Väyrynen – Drums and percussion

Joakim Svalberg – Keyboards, backing vocals

Special Guests:

Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) - spoken word (tracks 1, 2, 4, 7) // flute (tracks 4, 7)

Joey Tempest (Europe) - backing vocals (track 2)

Mirjam Åkerfeldt - spoken word (track 1)

All Music and Lyrics written by Mikael Åkerfeldt

Lyrical concept by Mikael Åkerfeldt, dramatic consultation by Klara Rönnqvist Fors

Produced by Mikael Åkerfeldt

Co-produced by Opeth and Stefan Boman

Engineered by Stefan Boman, Joe Jones and Opeth

Mixing by Stefan Boman and Mikael Åkerfeldt and Opeth at Atlantis and Hammerthorpe, Stockholm, Sweden

Mastering and vinyl lacquer cut by Miles Showell at Abbey Road studios, London, UK

Strings conducted by Dave Stewart at Angel Studios, London, UK

Strings arrangement by Mikael Åkerfeldt and Dave Stewart

Drum technicalities by Kit Cunningham

Artwork by Travis Smith with directions from Mikael Åkerfeldt

Biography by Dom Lawson

About Reigning Phoenix Music

ABBATH Partners with Photographer JEREMY SAFFER for Exclusive Printed Portrait Series

November 21, 2024

SHOP HERE

Legendary black metal icon ABBATH has partnered with renowned photographer JEREMY SAFFER for an exclusive print photo series! The limited edition prints were shot by Saffer and signed by Abbath; they can now be purchased HERE.

Jeremy Saffer comments, "I am elated to announce I have teamed up with the legendary Abbath Doom Occulta for an autographed print series. Abbath is an icon of icons and without question one of my favorite people to work with. His image is as iconic as his music and I am extremely fortunate to have had multiple opportunities to contribute to his visual legacy working together in photo shoots. (with more photos on the way soon!) The signed prints are from our shoots in New England over the past 10 years and are printed on Pearl paper which looks absolutely incredible giving it a metallic look with crystals in the paper. There are also super limited (4 of each) larger museum quality Hahnemühle Fine Art Giclée Agave prints which are just absolutely unreal in image, color, texture, and quality. There are an extremely limited amount of hand signed prints available, each were hand signed by Abbath in silver sharpie in Boston earlier this year. Its such a massive honor to work with such a legend and to team up on a very rare autograph print series with Abbath is beyond words."

Behind the scenes footage of Saffer's shoots with Abbath can be viewed HERE.

In addition, ABBATH DOOM OCCULTA will be performing two very special Immortal sets at Inferno Metal Festival and Beyond the Gates Festival, both of which will take place in Abbath's home country of Norway next year!

More information and tickets for Inferno Festival can be found HERE while tickets and the first wave of artists for Beyond the Gates are available HERE.

BEYOND THE GATES 2025 Reveals First Wave of Bands; KING DIAMOND, ABBATH DOOM OCCULTA, TRIPTYKON (CELTIC FROST set) + more!

November 16, 2024

Beyond the Gates Festival 2025 is now revealing the first wave of bands for what is already shaping up to be an epic lineup! The four-day extravaganza will once again take place in Bergen (NO) from July 30 - August 2, across several venues, including USF and the iconic Grieghallen, where many of Norway's seminal black metal artists recorded their legacy records.

The current lineup is now as follows:

King Diamond (First Norwegian show in 19 years!)

Abbath Doom Occulta (Immortal set)

Triptykon (performing Celtic Frost)

I Am Morbid

Destruction ('Infernal Overkil'l 40 years)

Hellbutcher

Hellripper

Dark Sonority

+ more TBA!

Tickets are now available HERE.

For the first time in 19 years, King Diamond will return to Norway with his fantastic horror infused heavy metal spectacle.

Festival booker Torgrim Øyre comments, "For those of you who saw Mercyful Fate in Grieghallen a few years back will know that this will be the ultimate way to experience King Diamond and his amazing show. We’ve been hard at work to get King Diamond to Norway for quite some time and what a treat it is to finally be able to announce this gem.

"King Diamond will be joined by the mighty Abbath Doom Occulta who will bring his incredible ‘Return to the Raven Realms Tour’ to Bergen for the first time. The epic show includes a set consisting wide array of Immortal classics from his tenure in the band.

"Going even further back in the history books. Triptykon will perform a full set of Celtic Frost classics, while German thrash pioneers, Destruction, will celebrate the 40th anniversary of their magnum opus, ‘Infernal Overkill.'

"If that’s not education enough, David Vincent and Pete Sandoval will bring you the finest death metal available when I Am Morbid is diving into the Morbid Angel catalogue.

"Former Nifelheim singer Hellbutcher has delivered one of the best albums this year, who hasn’t twisted some neck muscles after hearing ‘The Sword of Wrath.’ Next year you can experience this masterpiece live on stage.

"Scotland-based Hellripper has taken the thrash world by storm over the last few years. This force of nature has quickly become one of the hottest underground acts around. If you’ve attended one of their concerts you will understand why.

"Last but not least, Dark Sonority, formerly known as Kaosritual. This ensemble is well known throughout the underground as the epitome of Sorcerous Black Metal, alongside other Nidrosian Black Metal bands such as Mare and Celestial Bloodshed with whom they share members. This will be one of their very few concerts next year.

"The 2025 edition of Beyond the Gates is the 13th chapter in the festival saga and will showcase why the festival has grown into the international metal gathering it has become. Attracting visitors from 50 different countries around the world, Beyond the Gates has become a global phenomenon.

"The festival is taking place in the city center of Bergen, using several venues spread across town, including the legendary Grieghallen and USF Verftet.

"Welcome to 4 days of darkness in the heart of Bergen."

Links:

Official Beyond the Gates Website

Facebook

Instagram

Tickets

UADA Kicks Off Devastation on the Nation North American Tour

November 14, 2024

Enigmatic black metal masters UADA will be retraversing the void in North America starting tomorrow, November 15, in Tampa, FL as part of the epic Devastation on the Nation tour! UADA will be supporting I AM MORBID along with SUFFOCATION, MORTIFERUM, FULCI + KNOLL. The full itinerary can be found below while tickets can be found HERE.

ICYMI: UADA previously released a mind-bending new music video for the song, "Retraversing the Void," which is taken from the band's latest full-length, 'Crepuscule Natura.' The evocative clip can be found below.

'Crepuscule Natura,' was released worldwide on September 8, 2023 via Eisenwald and is available HERE. The album was named among the best albums of 2023 by Knotfest, This Day in Metal, Riff Riot, Metal Sucks, Metal Hammer Germany, and many others!

UADA (Devastation on the Nation w/ I Am Morbid, Suffocation, Mortiferum, Fulci + Knoll)

11/15: Tampa, FL @ Orpheum

11/16: Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Heaven)

11/17: Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl

11/19: Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live Midtown

11/20: Austin, TX @ Come and Take It Live

11/21: Dallas, TX @ House of Blues

11/22: Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey Theater

11/23: Phoenix, AZ @ Nile

11/24: San Diego, CA @ House of Blues

11/26: Los Angeles, CA @ Belasco **LOW TICKET WARNING**

11/27: San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall **LOW TICKET WARNING**

11/29: Portland, OR @ Bossanova Ballroom **LOW TICKET WARNING**

11/30: Seattle, WA @ El Corazon **LOW TICKET WARNING**

12/02: Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall

12/03: Denver, CO @ The Oriental Theater

12/04: Omaha, NE @ Admiral

12/05: Chicago, IL @ Avondale **LOW TICKET WARNING**

12/06: Pontiac, MI @ Crofoot Ballroom

12/07: Columbus, OH @ King of Clubs **LOW TICKET WARNING**

12/08: Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Monarch **LOW TICKET WARNING**

12/10: Worcester, MA @ Palladium (Upstairs) **LOW TICKET WARNING**

12/11: Mechanicsburg, PA @ Lovedraft's

12/12: Jacksonville, NC @ Hooligans

12/13: Columbia, SC @ The Senate

12/14: Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room

Ever since the cloaked Pacific Northwest band appeared on the music radar, UADA has always been electrified by both polar worlds. Their echelon was stark and meaningful. Within the stretch of three albums as well as dense and triumphant live shows across the globe, they have not only spiked the map of extreme metal music but their unrelenting touring schedule and unbridled will to push forward into new horizons has also earned them a reception in all the extremes imaginable, be it worship or spite.

Five sonic vessels form the nucleus of 'Crepuscule Natura,' and within it`s 41 minutes, the record easily creates a sonic and aesthetic bridge between the band`s debut, 'Devoid of Light' (2016), and their sophomore effort 'Cult of a Dying Sun' (2018), only to forge onward upon the relentless path set forth with 'Djinn' (2020). Here, a more refined and muscular, yet no less melodic stronghold awaits. On 'Crepuscule Natura,' UADA provides all their memorable hooks, tasteful leads, and riding blasts in their distinct style, balancing their epic surging melodies with powerful spurts of aggression. Just like the band's smoke-heavy shows, the momentum and emphasis of their craft always stays grandiose, mythical, and triumphant – all the while making sure to birth a couple of new fan favorites and soon-to-be staple live songs.

'Crepuscule Natura', once again graced by the artwork of legendary Kris Verwimp and photography by Peter Beste, shows UADA on fire to unleash the marrow of black heavy metal.

Album Credits:

All music by UADA

Mixed and Mastered by Jake Superchi at Obsidian Spells

Album Cover & Moon emblem by Kris Verwimp

Photography by Peter Beste

Layout by Valkenstijn

Released via Eisenwald

Follow/Stream UADA:

Digital album released on September 8, 2023

CD formats to be shipped on or around September 15, 2023

Vinyl formats to be shipped on or around November 3, 2023

Emerging Swedish Thrashers SARCATOR Unleashes Ferocious New Single, "Comet of End Times"

November 14, 2024

Swedish thrash metal newcomers SARCATOR will be releasing their new full-length, 'Swarming Angels & Flies,' on January 17, 2025 via Century Media Records, making it their debut to the label! The band is now sharing the ferocious new single from the offering, "The Comet of End Times," which can be found along with a lyric video below.

Vocalist Mateo Tervonen comments, “'Comet of End Times' is where the dynamics we like to work with become the most present, especially within a song itself. It throws you around between different soundscapes, shifting from total death metal worship to Sabbath-grooves while maintaining a unique flow to it that ties everything together and makes it work very well. A strong pillar of the album.”

Sarcator will be joining Eradikated, Eternal Evil, and Bloodstain for the “The Rising Four” tour in autumn/winter 2024 with a total of 10 stops throughout Sweden. More information and tickets can be found HERE.

Lineup:

Mateo Tervonen – Vocals, Guitar

Felix Lindkvist – Bass

Leo Buchalle – Guitar

Jesper Rosén – Drums

Formats:

CD Jewelcase (in O-Card) w/ 11 tracks

Ltd. Purple LP (300x copies!) w/ 8 tracks & 2-page LP insert

Black LP w/ 8 tracks & 2-page LP insert

CD Jewelcase (US Version) w/ 8 tracks

Links:

Icelandic Prog Metal Newcomers Múr Unleash Music Video for New Single, "Holskefla"

November 13, 2024

With a sound that defies generic labels and a vision that stretches the limits of creativity, Múr are the latest descendants from Iceland’s volcanic underground. The emerging quintet are forging a new era of dark, atmospheric and boundary shattering metal. With progressive sensibilities that harken to the Devin Townsend Project and mid-era Opeth, a talent to cohesively juxtapose atmospheric textures with polished technicality a la Meshuggah and Gojira, and a focus on jazz study among the fresh-faced instrumentalists, Múr is already proving itself to be a reckoning force.

Múr is now unleashing the latest offering from its upcoming self-titled debut, which is due on November 22, 2024 via Century Media Records! The new single, "Holskefla," can be found along with a music video below.

The band comments: “‘Holskefla’ is one of the oldest songs written for our debut album and our earliest exploration into writing in odd time signatures. The title means ‘deluge’ or ‘barrage’ and the song embodies the album’s overall theme of breaking the shackles of inner turmoil and finding strength in letting go.”

Múr’s trajectory really gained momentum a year after their formation when their talent was recognized in the spring of 2022 as they conquered the Icelandic Wacken Metal Battle, propelling them to an impressive fourth place in the international finale at Wacken Open Air in Germany.

The band recently created a buzz following the release of their folk horror infused video for “Heimsslit," which can be found HERE.

“'Heimsslit’ is an Icelandic word for the apocalypse, but the literal translation is 'world's tearing,’ inspiring a vision of the world coming apart at the seams,” says the band. “The lyrical themes have more to do with an acceptance of something vital falling apart within one's own mind rather than being about the physical world ending. The song is accompanied by our first music video, a massive cross-discipline collaboration between local artists."

The album is due digitally on November 22, 2024 while CD and vinyl will be available January 10, 2025. Pre-orders are now live HERE.

Making their debut with their self-titled full-length, which will be released via Century Media Records on November 22, 2024, the newcomers already have a buzz around them as they have been winning over crowds on the festival circuit since conquering Soulcrusher Festival in 2023. Through their unique blend of atmospheric textures, evocative songwriting, and raw emotional intensity, Múr has garnered critical acclaim both within their homeland and beyond, solidifying their position as one of the country's most promising and exciting musical exports.

Lineup:

Kári Haraldsson - Vocals, Keytar, Synthesizers

Hilmir Árnason - Guitar

Jón Ísak Ragnarsson - Guitar

Ívar Klausen - Bass

Árni Jökull Guðbjartsson - Drums

Links:

Formats:

Ltd. CD Digipak

Ltd. deep blood red LP

Digital album