Defeated Sanity Announce U.S. Headline Tour

Fresh from the aftermath of wrecking the road with Sanguisugabogg, Despised Icon and Corpse Pile, Defeated Sanity are announcing their first U.S. headline tour in support of Chronicles of Lunacy. The brutal innovators of technical death metal will perform their latest Billboard-crushing album in full on top of pit-slamming favorites from their early classics. 

"From the first blast-beat barrage, the tempo was merciless, the riffs jagged and precise, the breakdowns heavy enough to register physically", New Noise wrote about Defeated Sanity's recent stop in Chicago. "What stood out was how they balanced their signature technical flair, unexpected time changes and bursts of jazzy dissonance with sheer raw impact". 

Supporting Defeated Sanity for all 27 dates on next year's headlining coast-to-coast run of the U.S. are South African heavies Vulvodynia and New Zealand death metal slammers Organectomy. Excresence, Scasm and Horrific Vision will join on select dates.

"We can't wait to play all of our new album Chronicles of Lunacy to our U.S. fans", Defeated Sanity says. "Be sure to join us as we return to brutalize the U.S. once again". 

Get tickets for Defeated Sanity's 2026 U.S. Headlining Tour

https://defeatedsanity.com/

Defeated Sanity 2026 U.S. Tour Dates
with Vulvodynia and Organectomy + Excrescence, Scasm and Horrific Vision on select dates

April 16 - Anaheim, CA @ Parish (HOB)*
April 17 - Fresno, CA @ Fulton 55*
April 18 - Santa Rosa, CA @ The California*
April 19 - Sacramento, CA @ Starlet*
April 21 - Seattle, WA @ El Corazon*
April 22 - Portland, OR @ Dante's*
April 23 - Boise, ID @ Shredder*
April 24 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Ace's High Saloon*
April 25 - Denver, CO @ HQ*
April 27 - Milwaukee, WI @ X-Ray Arcade*
April 28 - West Chicago, IL @ Social Club+
April 29 - Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle+
April 30 - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop+
May 1 - Rochester, NY @ Montage Music Hall+
May 2 - Clifton, NJ @ Dingbatz+
May 3 - Baltimore, MD @ Metro+
May 4 - Raleigh, NC @ Chapel of Bones+
May 5 - Jacksonville, FL @ The Albatross+
May 6 - Tampa, FL @ Orpheum+
May 7 - Orlando, FL @ Conduit+
May 8 - Pensacola, FL @ Handlebar^
May 9 - Houston, TX @ Pub 529^
May 11 - Dallas, TX @ Three Links^
May 12 - Austin, TX @ Come and Take It Live^
May 13 - Lubbock, TX @ Jakes^
May 15 - Phoenix, AZ @ Nile Underground^
May 16 - Las Vegas, NV @ Backstage Bar^
* Excrescence 
+ Scasm
^ Horrific Visions

Chronicles of Lunacy is out now on Season of Mist.

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

https://orcd.co/defeatedsanitythecroniclesoflunacy

Windswept Resurrect Historic Witch Trials on 'The Devil's Vertep'

In 2017, Roman Sayenko of Drudkh started a new band built on raw black metal. Now, Windswept are casting a cold spell over a dark moment in Ukrainian history with their upcoming third album The Devil’s Vertep.

The Devil’s Vertep come out Friday, December 12, 2026 on Season of Mist Underground Activists, but you can hear all six blazing tracks by listening to the full album stream at Black Metal Promotion.

Listen Below:

Pre-order & Pre-save

https://orcd.co/windsweptthedevilsvertep

Available Formats
CD Digipak
12” Vinyl Gatefold — Black
12” Colored Vinyl Gatefold — Red & Black

Across The Devil’s Vertep, Windswept retrace the witch trials that took place in Western Ukraine between 1753 and 1754. The album blisteringly unfolds across six acts: the grim discovery narrated in “Infanticide,” the escalating procedures of “Investigation” and “Torture & Confession,” the witchdoctor’s craft in “The Potion,” the broader networks of sorcery in “Nest of the Witches,” and the judicial reckoning in “Verdicts.” With a cold hard gaze, Windswept transform archival records into unflinching black-metal.

While The Devil’s Vertep marks Windswept’s first venture into Ukrainian demonology and witchcraft, these themes trace back much earlier in Roman Sayenko’s creative path. In the autumn of 1996, Sayenko began developing an unfinished project titled KOZLONOGYI (Goat-Footed):  a concept rooted in the same folkloric and mythological territory that would later resurface within The Devil’s Vertep. Although KOZLONOGYI never moved beyond a few rehearsals, its sketches and early riffs became the foundation for Windswept’s latest work. By reviving and re-working these ideas nearly three decades later, Sayenko bridges eras of black metal evolution, imbuing The Devil’s Vertep with a distinctly 1990s sensibility and reverence for the early traditions that shaped his artistic identity.

Recorded, mixed, and mastered at Viter Music with production handled internally, The Devil’s Vertep balances immediacy with conceptual cohesion. Its stark presentation reflects the gravity of the source material, while the cover art by Obsidian Bone situates the work in a visual landscape as unsettling as the music itself. By channelling the voices of the past, Windswept expand their raw black metal vision into a work of historical remembrance, turning archival fragments into a haunting artistic statement.

Line-up:
R. — Vocals & Guitars
T. — Bass
V. — Drums

Production Credits:
Recorded at Viter Music. Produced & engineered by R. & V. Mixed & Mastered by V. at Viter Music.

Cover Art:
Obsidian Bone

Bizarrekult Announces Absorbing New Album 'Alt Som Finnes'

True to the spirit of black metal, Roman V. started Bizarrekult as a lone wolf. Moving to the genre’s birthplace in Norway twenty odd years ago inspired him to bend but not break with tradition. Bizarrekult’s previous albums reflected on his childhood and changing place within the larger world, all while honing a grim yet luminar vision for the future. His upcoming third album also emerged from a deep personal crisis. Only this time, on Alt Som Finnes, he’s not alone in confronting all there is.

Today, Bizarrekult is announcing Alt Som Finnes by premiering the frighteningly tense video for the album’s lead single with No Clean Singing. While “Blikket Hennes” is tormented by never-ending self-doubt, Dødheimsgard vocalist Yusaf “Vicotnik” Parvez leads Roman out of its mental labryinthe - if only for a moment.  

“I was not ready for all of this”, Roman says about Alt Som Finnes. “None of us are, when the time comes. But at the end of this journey, it seems to have all been worth it. The music gave me hints as to where to go and what can be”.

Watch the video for “Blikket Hennes” below.

Alt Som Finnes comes out February 20, 2026 on Season of Mist Underground Activists.

Pre-order & Pre-save

https://orcd.co/bizarrekultaltsomfinnes

Available formats

CD Jewelcase

12” Vinyl (Black)

12” Vinyl (Purple, black and white marbled)

In keeping with Norwegian tradition, Bizarrekult can be as cold and raw as early Darkthrone, as eerily melodic as Enslaved, or as blistering in its beauty as Borknagar. Alt Som Finnes (All There Is) upholds that classic, manic energy of old-school black metal. “Blikket Hennes” buzzes like a mind plagued, hounded by sharp twisting riffs, pained screams and a steady pounding of double bass.

“Your conscience never sleeps’”, Roman explains. “It judges and evaluates everything you do. You will never be able to get away from it; it will pierce you day and night, for good and bad”.

As the punishing headwinds behind “Blikket Hennes” signal a change in the atmosphere, like a break in the clouds, Dødheimsgard vocalist’s Yusaf Parvez appears from behind the torrential melody with soothing cleans. It’s a welcome respite before the mental fog returns.

The video for “Blikket Hennes”  was directed by Natalia Drepina (@mourneress). It stars Pavel V. Boldyrev (@somebodyawful) and Natalia Drepina.

No one emerges unscathed from Alt Som Finnes. But while riddled with regrets, album closer “Tomhet” breaks new ground as the first Bizarrekult song sung in English. “Am I alone like this? No, we are many”. It’s a damning realization, but also a call for all of us to become something greater.

Line-up
Roman V. — Vocals
Ignat P. — Guitars & Bass
Alexander P. — Drums

Production Credits
Recorded at Seaside Room.
Produced, mixed & mastered by Miguel Tereso at Demigod Recordings, Portugal.

Guest Musicians
Yusaf "Vicotnik" Parvez (Dødheimsgard) — Vocals on "Blikket Hennes"
Lina (Predatory Void / Cross Bringer) — Vocals on "Drøm”
Kim Song Sternkopf (Møl) — Vocals on "Tomhet"

Cover Art
Gravestench Art (https://www.instagram.com/gravestench_art/)

Photography
Radmila Volchenkova

Available Formats
CD Jewelcase

12” Vinyl (Black)

12” Vinyl (Purple, black and white marbled)

Pre-save & Pre-order 

https://orcd.co/bizarrekultaltsomfinnes

Follow Bizarrekult
Bandcamp: https://bizarrekult.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bizarrekult/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bizarrekvlt/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6Cj4Bc1WpdNZhGcKyQfWci/
Apple Music:https://music.apple.com/artist/bizarrekult/1455860457 Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/artist/11699593

Cryptopsy Announced for Decibel Metal & Beer Fest

After nearly three and a half decades of brutal, technical supremacy, Cryptopsy are more insatiable than ever. The most vile band in death metal are cracking year-end lists at Decibel, Metal Injection No Clean Singing and other outlets with their latest Billboard-shaking album An Insatiable Violence. Now, as they prepare for their upcoming European headline tour with 200 Stab Wounds, Inferi and Corpse Pile, the Canadian legends are proud to announce a new milestone in their accomplished career.

Today, Cryptopsy are announcing that they are performing at Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest: Philly 2026. The band’s set at the Fillmore on Sunday, May 3 marks their first time performing at the world’s heaviest and headbangingest craft beer event. They will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their Decibel Hall of Fame inducted album None So Vile and perform fresh cuts off An Insatiable Violence.  

“We are so excited to celebrate the 30th anniversary of None So Vile while also showcasing An Insatiable Violence and the new era of Cryptopsy at the world’s most prestigious metal and beer fest”, the band’s vocalist Matt McGachy says.  

Tickets for Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest: Philly go on sale this Friday, December 19 at 10 am Eastern Time.

Ticketmaster pre-sale starts tomorrow, Wednesday, December 17 at 10 am local time (use code: WARMUP)

3 Floyds Brewing pre-sale begins Thursday, December 18 at 10 am local time (use code: ZOMBIEDUST)

Night Shift Merch pre-sale begins Thursday, December 18 at Noon local time (use code: NIGHTSHIFT)

Cryptopsy at Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest: Philly 2026

with Power Trip, Necrot, Fulci and Blood Monolith

Sunday, May 3 @ The Fillmore [TICKETS]

Get tickets for Day 1

https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0200638CD141F6D7

Get two-day tickets

https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0200638CD148F6E1

Cryptopsy’s new album An Insatiable Violence, Blasphemy Made Flesh, None So Vile and other albums from their fearsome discography are now available through Season of Mist

Order

https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/cryptopsyall

Catch Cryptopsy on their current tour of Australia and next year’s European headlining tour

Cryptopsy 2025 Asia, New Zealand & Australia All So Vile Tour Dates

December 17 – Canberra, AU @ The Base [TICKETS]
December 18 – Brisbane, AU @ Crowbar [TICKETS]
December 19 – Sydney, AU @ Crowbar [TICKETS]
December 20 – Melbourne, AU @ Croxton [TICKETS]

Lineup

Flo Mounier - Drums

Matt McGachy - Vocals

Christian Donaldson - Guitar

Oli Pinard - Bass

Guest Musicians

Mike DiSalvo performs vocals on "Embrace the Nihility"

Recording, Mixing & Mastering Studio

Christian Donaldson’s Studio

Production, Sound & Mixing Engineer

Christian Donaldson

Cover Art

Martin Lacroix

Photography

Maciej Pieloch

Biography

Adrien Begrand

Pre-order & Pre-save

https://orcd.co/cryptopsyaninsatiableviolence

Booking agents

USA - Continental Touring

www.continentaltouring.us

Europe - Avocado Booking

http://www.avocadobooking.com/

Follow Cryptopsy

Bandcamp: https://cryptopsyofficial.bandcamp.com/

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

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

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/29PgYwTelpNl6370XLqFtN

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CryptopsyDeathMetal

BandsInTown: https://www.bandsintown.com/a/2941-cryptopsy

Ponte Del Diavolo Devilishly Charm on "Il Veleno della Natura"

Fresh off of leaving a mark on their fiery debut, Ponte Del Diavolo are fanning the flames with their upcoming second album. Drawing from the dark and dancing depths of the band’s dueling bassists and the raw spirit of their fiery live ritual, De Venom Natura delivers an all the more potent twist of blackened post-punk.

“[…]deliciously diabolical” No Clean Singing wrote in praise of the album’s spirited lead single. “Erba del Diavolo’s dramatically beautiful but spooky singing creates a key contrast as it soars and quavers above the music’s charging pulse”

Today, Ponte Del Diavolo are releasing the second advanced single from De Venom Natura. A skeleton key into the album, “Il veleno della Natura” distills its theme into a chilling science, where nature’s poison becomes not a threat but a source of life.  

Watch the music video for Il Veleno della Natura below;

De Venom Natura comes out February 13, 2026 via Season of Mist.

Pre-order & pre-save

https://orcd.co/pontedeldiavolovenomnatura

“Il Veleno della Natura” is an intoxicating surrender to the venom of existence. Within the hypnotic flow of De Venom Natura, the album’s latest single marks a feverish turning point, where its poisonous metaphor comes alive with a shock. As the guitars and drums snake with tension, Erba del Diavolo slithers between whispered confessions and a fervent invocation that sparks an ecstatic transformation.  

PONTE DEL DIAVOLO craft a focused blend of doom, black metal, post‐punk, and wave—an aesthetic they call “blackened post‐punk.” Wave‐tinged female vocals anchor the project’s flaming core, supported by an uncommon dual‐bass setup that grounds the rhythmic guitars and a raw, dynamic drum pulse.

The result is an immersive, tension‐driven sound. Following the initial release of three EPs, the band signed to Season of Mist and unveiled their first full-length album, Fire Blades from the Tomb.

After two years on the road - appearing at leading European festivals such as Roadburn and Inferno in support of their debut - Ponte del Diavolo return with “De Venom Natura,” a record that extends and refines their musical boundaries.

Line-up
Erba del Diavolo — Vocals
Khrura Abro — Bass
Kratom — Bass
Nerium — Guitar
Segale Cornuta — Drums

Production Credits
Recorded at The Deepest Sea, Turin, Italy.
Produced & Engineered by Danilo Battocchio.
Mixed by Danilo Battocchio at The Deepest Sea.
Mastered by Magnus Lindberg at Redmount Studios, Stockholm, Sweden.

Guest Musicians
Francesco Bucci
Sergio Bertani
Vittorio Sabelli
Gionata Potenti

Cover Art
Francesco Dossena (https://www.instagram.com/facciobruttefacce/)

Photography
Sergio Bertani

Pre-save & Pre-order

https://orcd.co/pontedeldiavolovenomnatura


Follow Ponte Del Diavolo
Bandcamp: https://pontedeldiavolo666.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PontedelDiavolo/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pontedeldiavoloband/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@pontedeldiavolo3847
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4mAfr0B2wgIFbVBUAv9btD/
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/ponte-del-diavolo/1639072320
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/artist/179497657
Tidal: https://tidal.com/artist/33773763

Theodor Bastard Return with New Single “Nebo”

For three decades, Theodor Bastard have bridged the traditions of the old world with the new. Now, five years removed from their last full-length journey, the Karelian pioneers of electro-folk are beginning a new venture that reconnects with their earliest roots.    

Today, Theodor Bastard are releasing their first single in five years. While written specifically for the award-winning Russian crime drama The Method, “Nebo” offers an initial glimpse at the band’s upcoming ninth studio album. Yana Veva’s vocals continue to twirl with the fragility of snow, but the way the song’s beat rolls like smog recalls their early electronic experiments with World Music.  

“We leaned on analog synthesizers, most notably the Soviet-era Polivoks and modern Arturia MiniBrute”, says Theodor Bastard’s founding member Fedor Svolotch. “Our recent albums have focused more on acoustic and ethnically-inflected textures. Returning to analog gear felt like coming home to a language we missed”.    

Listen to “Nebo” Below;

Stream

https://theodorbastard.fanlink.tv/Nebo

Theodor Bastard were commissioned to write “Nebo” for the third season of The Method’, which premiered on Kinopoisk last Friday, December 12. The song plays during the show’s end credits and will soundtrack one of its pivotal scenes.

Theodore Bastard’s latest album Volch’Ya Yagoda, along with the recently reissued Vetvi and Oikoumene, are available now through Season of Mist.

Order

https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/theodorbastard

Their latest single, “Nebo”, appeared in a key scene during the third season of the Russian crime drama The Method. It will also appear on the band’s upcoming ninth album.

“Nebo” recording line-up:

Alexander Starostin (Fedor Svolotch) - Synths, Guitars, Drum and Synth Programming, Sound Design

Yana Veva - Vocals, Synths

Full line-up:
Fedor Svolotch - Dulcimer, Samplers, Vocals
Yana Veva - Vocals, Bawu, Ocarina
Alexey Kalinovskiy - Keyboards
Andy Vladich - Drums
Kusas - Percussions, Winds
Slava Salikov - Cello Morin Khuur
Ekaterina Dolmatova - Backing Vocals

Production Credits
Recorded, Mixed and Mastered at Theo Studio.
Produced, mixed & mastered by Fedor Svolotch

Cover Art
Fedor Svolotch

Order

https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/theodorbastard

Booking contact

Maxim Krupoderya

theodorbastard@gmail.com

Follow Theodor Bastard
Website: https://theodorbastard.com/
Bandcamp: https://theodorbastard.bandcamp.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2PQ9UX4kWDE3mf2fYGRzqF
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/theodor-bastard/204585292
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theodorbastard
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheodorBastard/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theodor_bastard/?hl=en

Benighted Unveil Freaky New Drummer on "The Spineless Freak"

Fresh from their latest full-length of psychological torment, Benighted are bringing a ripping new force into the band’s twisted folds. New single, “The Spineless Freak”, marks the official debut of the band’s new drummer Matthias Biechler with all his destructive force.  

“The whole story is pretty incredible,” explains Benighted’s vocalist Julien Truchan. “As we were casting other drummers, I got a message from my friend Eugene of Fleshgod Apocalypse who told me he had a student in Paris who learns incredibly fast and that I should contact him. Matthias came for the casting last July and he just amazed us by playing our fastest songs impeccably. He is only 22, has played drums for four years and we're officially his very first band as a drummer! I can't even imagine his level in two or three years. He is at the same time a machine and the nicest guy you can find. We're so happy to welcome him in the band!”

Watch Benighted’s new drummer show off his freakish speed and skill in the official drum playthrough for the band’s new single “The Spineless Freak”, Below;

Stream

https://benighted.fanlink.tv/TheSpinlessFreak

While he also plays bass, Matthias Biechler spent the last four years studying drums under the mentorship of Fleshgod Apocalypse drummer Eugene Ryabchenko. Matthias’ first-ever performance as a drummer took place live onstage while behind the kit for Benighted. The freakish phenom ripped through the band’s blistering songs with a sense of ease that stunned the audience and his new bandmates.  

“[…] it’s an honor for me to join Benighted behind the drums”, Matthias says. “This very band gave me the motivation five years ago to push myself and truly work hard on the drums, so joining them today as my first band as a drummer is beyond anything I ever imagined. I’ll give everything I have to live up to the band’s name and unleash all the violence you love so much. Thank you for welcoming me and your support. I can’t wait to share this journey with all of you!”  

Lineup:
Julien Truchan - Vocals
Emmanuel Dalle - Guitars
Pierre Arnoux - Bass
Matthias Biechler - Drums

Recording Studio:
Kohlekeller Studios, Germany (Powerwolf, Aborted, Crematory)

Producer, Sound, Mixing & Mastering Engineer:
Kristian Kohlmannslehner

Booking Contact:
France: Rage Tour - philippe@ragetour.com
Worldwide: Redback Promotion - ronny@redback-promotion.com

Follow Benighted:
Official Website: https://www.benighted.fr/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brutalbenighted
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benighted_band/
Bandcamp: https://benighted.bandcamp.com/music
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/brutalbenighted
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@benighted_band
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@_BENIGHTED
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0dUwIwaPc6UukkCZTaaf7J
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/benighted/267088245
Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/artist/3919180

Unverkalt Announce New Album Héréditaire (featuring Sakis Tolis)

While they’ve always pushed the intricate balance that defines post-metal, Unverkalt are now plummeting over the edge into the black below. Their upcoming third album and first since signing with Season of Mist descends into humanity’s deepest and darkest origins. Héréditaire lifts the veil from our cursed existence. What emerges is the band’s heaviest and most heartfelt offering.

“Our aim has always been to blend softer, more romantic elements with extreme chaos. With Héréditaire, that time has come”, says Unverkalt’s guitarist and chief composer Themis Ioannou. “This album is a lament for what is far older than our very existence. It speaks of what seeps through generations, searching for an answer to one pervasive question: What do we carry that was never ours?”

As they begin this dark descent, today, Unverkalt are releasing a haunting video for the stirring lead single from Héréditaire. Though it starts as a slow burn, album opener “Die Auslöschung” emerges from the envoloping haze as the band’s first song to pair Dimitra Kalavrezou’s heavenly cleans with hellish harsh vocals.  

“‘Die Auslöschung’ is both bleak and immersive”, Kalavrezou says. “Carved in blackened textures and hypnotic pacing, the song channels both personal and collective collapse, setting the tone for what is to come”.

Watch the video for “Die Auslöschung” Below:

Héréditaire comes out February 27, 2026 on Season of Mist.

Pre-order

https://orcd.co/unverkalthereditaire

Pre-save on Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/prerelease/5ndUNl3HyjsagbOuQCrakn?si=QESfESdPQwqHTC5MKNX4Jw

Unverkalt are still possessed by a cinematic vision. “Die Auslöschung” opens Héréditaire like a camera coming into focus. However, though rendered in crisp detail, the scene that the band paints is bleak. Beneath a smoldering bass line, riffs rise like smoke from freshly scattered ashes. “When did this darkness fall?” Kalavrezou sings as if trying to climb out of the shadowed rubble.

On previous albums, Unverkalt took cues from French painting and European film noir, but Héréditaire throws back the velvet curtain in favor a veil. “Die Auslöschung” begins to peel back the blackened layers of traumatic memories that are passed down to us like a disease. “He said enter the wide gate and walk the easy path to destruction”. As the pounding drums give way to a fiery stream of blast beats, Kalavrezou breaks into a scream so piercing it can be felt all across our shared history.

“I enjoy discovering new, unique and compelling music in today’s overwhelming world of information, and I believe I truly succeeded with Unverkalt”, says Season of Mist labelmate and Rotting Christ frontman Sakis Tolis, who’s featured on the monolithic “I, The Deceit” from Héréditaire. “This is an exceptional piece of art, worth every minute of listening”.

Catch Unverkalt in Suttgart, Germany early next year when they co-headline Club Zentral with Hippotraktor.

Get tickets: https://loveyourartist.com/en/events/progmotion-hippotraktor-stuttgart-HCAIBG

The video for “Die Auslöschung” was directed by Themis Ioannou at RAWBITE Studio

On Héréditaire, Unverkalt lift the veil on our cursed existence with their heaviest and most heartfelt offering.

Recording lineup
Dimitra Kalavrezou - Vocals
Themis Ioannou - Guitars, Keys
Eli Mavrychev - Guitars, Vocals
Joscha Hoyer - Bass
Christian Eggers - Drums

Guest musicians
Sakis Tolis - Vocals on "I, The Deceit"

Songwriting credits
Composed by Themis Ioannou
Lyrics by Dimitra Kalavrezou and Eli Mavrychev
Lyrics for "I, The Deceit" by Dimitra Kalavrezou and Joscha Hoyer

Recording credits
Recorded and engineered by Unverkalt
Drums recorded and engineered by Christian Eggers at Noir Surge Sound

Production credits
Produced by Themis Ioannou
Vocals produced by Dimitra Kalavrezou & Eli Mavrychev
Mixed by Joshua Barber
Mastered by Lasse Lammert at LSD Studios

Cover art
Themis Ioannou

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

Available Formats

CD Digipack

2x12” Vinyl Gatefold (Black)

2x12” Vinyl Gatefold (Gold with black splatters)

Follow Unverkalt:

Official Website: https://unverkalt.com/

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

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

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@unverkalt/

Bandcamp: https://unverkalt.bandcamp.com/music/

X: https://x.com/Unverkalt/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr8Fv2aEhLNPjN4zFPoPFfg

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/unverkalt/1524174404

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/55vU7DZVwI4ks0NpfKDAvK/

Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/artist/20499985

Last.fm: https://www.last.fm/music/Unverkalt

Alkaloid Break with Metal Tradition on Faithful Performance of New Single "Agnus Dei"

They've already redefined the very composition of progressive death metal, but on their upcoming live album, Alkaloid conduct a one-of-a-kind experiment that only a true maestro can perform. Joined on stage by an award-winning ensemble, on Bach Out of Bounds, the supergroup bring the revered classical composer in conversation with the heaviest of underground arts.  

Today, Alkaloid are releasing the second advanced single from Bach Out of Bounds. While honoring the otherworldly power of Bach's original offering, the band's performance of "Agnus Dei" breaks from metal's traditions.  

"This is the most faithful interpretation of Bach on our new live album", vocalist, guitarist and primary composer Morean says. "It's a serene, fragile sound world hitherto unexplored by Alkaloid". 

Watch Alkaloid perform "Agnus Dei" below:

Bach Out of Bounds - Live in the Netherlands comes out January 23, 2026 on Season of Mist

Pre-order 
https://orcd.co/alkaloidbachoutofbounds

Pre-save on Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/prerelease/2pWtSI1XiPBUoM0TLenyKV?si=VX7Qw3CEQ5ec26ubrYgJiA&nd=1&dlsi=a691e08dbd9948ed

Across three studio albums, Alkaloid have experimented with worldly polyrhythms, brutally technical riffing, infectious choruses and sci-fi concepts built in honor of Lovecraftian entities. The band remain curious as ever on Bach Out Of Bounds, though even the brains behind their first-ever live album is shocked by its latest creation. "Agnus Dei" began life as a prayer back in the 5th century before Johann Sebastian Bach arranged it as the fourth movement of "Mass in B minor", his final masterpiece.    

"It's quite the departure", says Morean, who the Bachfestival in Dordrecht invited for this performance. "Bach Out of Bounds is very different from what other metal bands - or even Alkaloid - normally do". 

While it stems from a place of worship that's far removed from metal's underground crypts, Alkaloid's performance of "Agnus Dei" is a stroke of divine inspiration. The guitars wisely bow to the quiet command of the string section, ceding the spotlight to soprano Rianne Wilbers. Blessed with grace and gravitas, her voice transcends to a higher realm that's not of any genre nor this Earth.

"Like all of the guests who accompanied Alkaloid for Bach Out Of Bounds, Rianne is a true wanderer between worlds", Morean says. "After a youth in metal, she acquired an impeccable pedigree in the Netherlands as a performer of traditional and contemporary classical music. She sings 'Agnus Dei' so beautifully. She really knows how to sing Bach".   

The video for "Agnus Dei" was compiled from footage filmed live during performances at the 2024 Bachfestival in Dordrecht, Netherlands, Paard van Troject in The Hague and November Music in Den Bosch. It was created by Thomas Niehof / Creative Headroom & Lindy Balduk Photography.      

With Bach Out of Bounds, Alkaloid deliver a classically innovative performance as only a true maestro can.       

Alkaloid is
Morean - Vocals, guitar
Hannes Grossmann - Drums
Linus Klausenitzer - Bass
Justin Hombach - Guitar
Max Blok - Guitar

Guest musicians
Rianne Wilbers - Soprano
Chrysa Tsaltampasi - Soprano
Julija Hartig - Violin
Oene van Geel - 5-string violin
Marieke Hopman - Accordion
Ketevan Roinishvili - Cello

Recording credits
Recorded live in the Netherlands at Bibelot / Dordrecht and Paard van Troje / The Hague
Front of house engineer: Laurens Voois

Production credits
Produced by Alkaloid
Mixed by Hannes Grossman at Mordor Sounds, Germany
Mastered by Victor Bullok at Woodshed Studio, Germany

Songwriting credits
Music for "Allegro", "Adagio - All Is Vanity" and "Agnus Dei" written by Johann Sebastian Bach
Music for "Cthulhu" written by Morean and Hannes Grossman
Music for "Beneath the Sea" and "Haunter of the Void" written by Morean
Music for "A Fool's Desire" written by Hannes Grossman
Music for "The Fungi from Yuggoth" written by Christian Münzner
Lyrics to "Adagio - All Is Vanity" based on "Es ist alles eitel" by Andreas Gryphius and adapted by Morean
Lyrics to "Agnus Dei" taken from John 1:29
Lyrics to "Beneath the Sea", "Cthulhu", "Haunter of the Void", "A Fool's Desire" and "The Fungi from Yuggoth" written by Morean

Available Formats
CD Digipack
2x12" Vinyl Gatefold 

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

Follow Alkaloid
Website:https://alkaloid-band.com/
Bandcamp:https://alkaloid-band.bandcamp.com
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4KMQDFaAsPEKcqKzdvkYKc
Apple Music:https://music.apple.com/us/artist/alkaloid/368935306
YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/c/Alkaloidbandmetal
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/alkaloid.metal
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/alkaloid_metal/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlkaloidBand

Rotting Christ Release Live Video of "Under the Name of Legion"

After 35 years of evil existence, Rotting Christ still stand the test of time. Sakis Tolis, his brother Themis and their Greek brothers-in-arms have risen from the Athenian underground to become one of the metal world's most reliable forces, backed by a pantheon discography that has both defined and defied black metal. 

As they prepare for what's building up to be a monumental 2026, today, Rotting Christ are releasing a new live video from the upcoming Blu-Ray edition of  35 Years of Evil Existence - Live in Lycabettus. Though a familiar inclusion among the band's setlist, when performed in front of a sold-out crowd at their historic home theater, "Under the Name of Legion" raises the banner for Hellenic black metal to new heights.        

Watch Rotting Christ perform "Under the Name of Legion" Live in Lycabettus below:

The Blu-Ray edition of 35 Years of Evil Existence - Live in Lycabettus comes out this Friday, December 12, 2025 on Season of Mist. 

Pre-order

https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/RottingChrist35YearsLive

When Rotting Christ stepped onto the stage at the historic Lycabettus Hill Theater for the first time last summer, Sakis, Themis, Kostis Fouk and Kostas "Spades" Heliotis treated 7,000 devout followers to a two-hour set that spanned the band's entire career. Picking one song to close such a monumental evening is no easy feat, especially among their pantheon-level discography. But "Under the Name of Legion" gave them the perfect send-off. 

Originally, "Under the Name of Legion" appeared as the closing track on Genesis, Rotting Christ's seventh full-length album. While the song is still blessed with the band's enchanting gothic melodies, it's mighty opening chant recalls the unflinching pact they forged with metal legions during their earliest years. "Love of darkness signifies the enlightened life eternally". Beating from inside Lycabettus' ancient halls, Rotting Christ's true metal spirit echoed beyond the ages.  

"We are proud that our new live album will now be available on Blu-Ray", says Sakis. "Thanks to all our metal brothers and sisters for your attention, support and dedication over all these years. You can be sure that we will be at the frontline of the battlefield until the end. Non Serviam!"

The footage from 35 Years of Existence - Live in Lycabettus was directed by Yiannis Margetousakis & Thanos Liberopoulos.

Additional video credits

Camera operators
Thanos Liberopoulos
Giorgos Margetousakis
Manolis Rizikos
Roxani Varela
Phillip Daskas
Spirodon Flouretzou
Mike Kochiev

Drone operator
Yiannis Margetousakis

Editors
Evaggelia Tsiliakou
Yiannis Margetousakis

Coloring
Yiannis Margetousakis

Catch Rotting Christ next year during appearances at major summer festivals. More dates announcing soon!

Rotting Christ 2026 Summer Festivals
May 22 - Baltimore, Maryland @ Maryland Death Fest (Exclusive 1989-1995 Set) [TICKETS] 
June 19 - Clisson, France @ Hellfest [TICKETS]
July 19 - Bergen, Norway @ Beyond the Gates [TICKETS]

Line-up:
Sakis Tolis - Guitar, Vocals
Themis Tolis - Drums
Kostas "Spades" Heliotis - Bass
Kostis Fouk - Guitar

Video production credits

Camera operators
Thanos Liberopoulos
Giorgos Margetousakis
Manolis Rizikos
Roxani Varela
Phillip Daskas
Spirodon Flouretzou
Mike Kochiev

Drone operator
Yiannis Margetousakis

Editors
Evaggelia Tsiliakou
Yiannis Margetousakis

Coloring
Yiannis Margetousakis

Biography:
Sébastien J. Gamez

Follow Rotting Christ:
Official Website: https://www.rotting-christ.com/en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rottingchristofficial/
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/rottingchristofficial/
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/athanatoieste
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/RottingChristOfficia
Bandcamp: https://rottingchristofficial.bandcamp.com/
Apple Music: http://itunes.apple.com/artist/rotting-christ/id28441629
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7FhkwcO8Jd7BRWdllBpXBJ

The Virgos Sign with Season of Mist

Season of Mist is proud to welcome The Virgos!

Following a decade of setting the standard for hardcore and metal as a member of Bad Seed, Harm's Way and Nails, vocalist and guitarist Andy Saba banded together with kindred spirits Danni Crockett and Eli Gerrity over an addiction to all things heavy. Channeling thick Sabbathian rhythms, Manowar's majesty and the hypnotic ass-shaking of Queens of the Stone Age, the Wilkes-Barre power trio have declared a new age for true heavy metal.

"We decided it was time to let the Apocalyptically loud horses of metal run free again, and shine a light on every color of the Dark Rainbow of Metal", Saba says.   

This year, The Virgos released their third and finest full-length. "Lord Have Mercy is a triumph in multiple heavy musical styles", writes Swim to the Sound. "Fans of everything from melodic hardcore to goth rock to stoner metal will be able to find something to love here". While familiar to lovers of Heaven and Hell, Into Glory Ride, Type O Negative and Lucio Fulci, the album's full-throttled blast of psychedelic pyrotechnics is unlike anything you've heard before or since. 

"The theme of Lord Have Mercy is that we missed out on the future", explains Saba. "Utopia isn't happening. We're going backwards now. Superstition, devilry, war, plagues, revolution...it's the Dark Ages again. So let's get with the times. Medieval times call for Medieval responses. If you want to understand the headspace I was in while writing this album, watch Fulci's 1983 movie Conquest several dozen times. It's all in there". 

Watch the video for "Yes", the heavy, hard and horny single from Lord Have Mercy below.

The Virgos entire discography is now available on digital streaming platforms through Season of Mist. 

https://orcd.co/thevirgoslordhavemercy       

Catch The Virgos on tour with Superheaven and White Reaper next week across the Northeast. 

The Virgos 2025 + 2026 U.S. Tour Dates 
with Superheaven and White Reaper

December 11 - Baltimore, Maryland @ Baltimore Soundstage [TICKETS]
December 12 - Rutherford, New Jersey @ Black Box [TICKETS]
December 13 - Amityville, New York @ Amityville Music Hall [TICKETS]
December 27 - Kingston, PA @ Doug's Boardroom [TICKETS]*
January 9 - Washington, D.C. @  Songbyrd [TICKETS]
*with Planning For Burial, If Kansas Had Trees

More dates for 2026 to be announced soon. 

The video for "Yes" was directed by Kyle Barber. 

Additional video credits
Assistant Director / Prop Master - Dana Lakacs
Wizard - Martin Glick
Witch - Demitria Saba
Dog Man - Nick Sedeski
PAs - Noah Gerrity, Kelsey Frank, James Platt, Nick Sedeski and Jordyn Thompson

Special thanks to Katie at Moxie Femme Studio, Gear Rental Tribe Productions, LLC, Indie Iron & Steel Industry and BUDK Knives & Swords

Familiar to lovers of True Heavy Metal, but unlike anything you’ve ever heard before or will again, now is the age of The Virgos, Pennsylvania’s Heaviest Band.   

Lineup
Andy Saba (ex-Bad Seed, ex-Harms Way, ex-Nails) - Vocals, Guitars
Danni Crockett (Rosary Guild) - Bass, Vocals
Eli Gerrity - Drums

Guest musicians
Chelsea Collins (Sower) - Vocals, Piano and Synth on "Babylon (Live)"
Pat Brier - Drums on "Hey Majesty" and "The Hypnotist (March of the Pseudoscientists)"

Recording credits
Recorded by Joe Loftus at JL Studios

Production credits
Produced and engineered by Taylor Young
Mixed by Taylor Young at The Pit in Los Angeles, California
Mastered by Brad Boatwright at Audiosiege

Booking Agent
Doomstar - luc@doomstarbookings.com

Download & Stream
https://orcd.co/thevirgoslordhavemercy

Follow The Virgos
Bandcamp:https://thevirgos.bandcamp.com/
Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/1F7lqL76K5oMIhpwkiqGiA
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/theevirgos/?hl=en
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/the-virgos/1581051952  
Bandsintown:https://www.bandsintown.com/a/15609690-the-virgos?came_from=250&utm_medium=web&utm_source=artist_event_page&utm_campaign=artist

Mawiza Release Live Session from Gojira frontman's Silver Cord Studios

While already Chilean Grammy winners, this year, Mawiza continued their rise as a guiding force for indigenous metal. Behind their critically-acclaimed new album ÜL, the modern day Mapuche warriors appeared on magazine covers, took the stage at major summer festivals and brought home a LIT Music Award.

Today, Mawiza are capping off 2025 by releasing a special performance from Gojira frontman Joe Duplantier's Silver Cord Studio. Introduced by ceremonial Mapuche chanting, this session features the thunderous stomp of "Wingkawnoam", the towering "Mamüll Reke", earthshaking lament "Ti Inan Paw-Pawkan" and other defiant anthems from ÜL. Fittingly, the band closed their Silver Cord session with a rousing cover of Gojira's "Amazonia".      

“I love Mawiza! For their music, for who they are as individuals and for what they stand for”, Joe Duplantier says. “They represent and honor their powerful Mapuche heritage, amplifying its relevant message of connection with our roots and the universe as a whole. And they do so with determination and in the most modern way, with heavy riffs and an openness to new ideas and to the world. A conversation between past, present and future. Don’t give up the fight!”  

Watch Mawiza's session Below;

ÜL is available now on  Season of Mist.  
Order & Stream

https://orcd.co/mawizaul

"In the winter season of 2024, Mawiza arrived at Silver Chord Studio in New York, right in the middle of the Northern summer. We came answering an invitation from Joe Duplantier", recalls Mawiza's vocalist and guitarist Awka. "We traveled light, almost with nothing, the way bands from the bottom usually move. By trusting more in our newen than in any objects, we knew that if the path was true, the music would find its own tools. And that's exactly what happened. Joe welcomed us with a generosity that still moves us, a kind of care for guests that feels very close to what we are taught since childhood in our nation. He didn't hesitate to lend us his own instruments so we could shape the noise we carry inside". 

"Silvercord felt like a crack in reality for us", Awka continues, "metal breathing from the walls, the city howling outside, and us walking with the shadow of our ancestors over a faraway land. The north of Abya Yala has ancient guardians; we felt them watching, testing us, opening the way only because we arrived with respect and memory. 

"We thank Joe for his honest and powerful hospitality, along with his family for receiving us with warmth from their hearts. We also thank Jamie for his impeccable work and all the people at Silver Cord. Finally, we thank the spirits of that distant mapu for letting us create without losing the pulse of who were are. We returned to our territory marked by a dark echo, a spiritual weight that is born only when the energy of nature and the brotherhood of metal meet in distant lands". 

Don't miss Mawiza when they headline next year's Pumapu Rock Fest XVII and perform at Midgardsblot.

Mawiza 2026 Tour Dates
January 10 - Santa Juana, Chile @ Pumapu Rock Fest XVII [TICKETS]
12- 15 August - Borre, Norway @ Midgardsblot [TICKETS] 

Lineup
Awka - Lead vocals & rhythm guitar
Karü - Lead guitar & backing vocals
Zewü - Bass & backing vocals
Txalkan - Drums & percussion

Guest musicians
Fabiola Hidalgo (Liquen) contributes vocals to "Wingkawnoam", "Pinhza Ñi pewma", "Ngulutu" and "Mamüll reke"

Joe Duplantier (Gojira) contributes vocals to "Ti Inan Paw-Pawkan"

Recording Studio
Estudio del Sur in Chile

Producer
Pancho Arenas

Sound & Mixing Engineer
Pancho Arenas

Mastering Studio
West West Side Music

Mastering Engineer
Alan Douches

Cover Art
Kata Ulloa
 

Booking information
 Europe: juan@thatmusicagency.com
 Rest of the World: unai@cowboymusic.agency

 
Pre-order & Pre-save
https://orcd.co/mawizaul
 
Follow Mawiza
Bandcamp: https://mawizakvlt.bandcamp.com
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/mawizakvlt
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/mawizakvlt
TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@mawizakvlt
Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/4oJP24bXA2fbdVmNGNmCtt
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mawizakvlt
Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/mawiza/1653435953

Enthroned Ascend Into the Fires of 'Ashspawn'

Belgian black metal institution Enthroned are opening a new chapter in their storied career with their upcoming twelfth album. Conceived during six years of ritualistic creation, Ashspawn now emerges as the band’s most uncompromising statement. Written in collaboration with occult author Gilles de Laval, it descends into spiritual death, only to emerge reborn amongst the flames.

Ashspawn comes out tomorrow, Friday, December 5, 2025 on Season of Mist, but you can bask in the towering flames of all nine songs by listening to the full album stream on the Season of Mist YouTube channel.

Listen to Ashspawn Below;

Pre-order & Pre-save

https://orcd.co/enthronedashspawn

Ashspawn represents a total unity of vision. Enthroned channel ferocious blast beats, oppressive mid-tempos and progressive structures into an album that moves between violent catharsis and crushing introspection. Solos oscillate from Morbid Angel frenzy to sharp, ascendant phrases that recall classic heavy metal’s virtuosity.

Lead single “Raviasamin” is a chant and a curse, invoking both negation and transformation with frostbitten riffs and serpentine rhythms. The title track embodies the band’s driving ethos, blazing into spiritual destruction as a path toward transcendence. Conceived as the album’s final rite of passage, “Ashen Advocacy” rises in a slow-burning psalm of judgement. With each crack of the judge’s gavel, the song divides the self between accuser and the accused.

Ashspawn now stands darker, heavier, and more personal than anything in Enthroned’s catalogue, crafted as a transformative weapon rather than an act of reiteration.

Now, in 2025, Ashspawn stands as Enthroned’s most ambitious and personal statement to date. Musically, it embodies a total unity of vision: ferocious blast beats, oppressive mid-tempos, and progressive structures collapse into one another, laced with solos that veer from Morbid Angel-like madness to Judas Priest-inspired virtuosity. Lyrically, it operates as a metaphysical architecture, its verses designed not merely to be heard but to infect and transform. Tracks such as “Raviasamin,” “Ashspawn,” and “Ashen Advocacy” reveal its dual nature: violent catharsis intertwined with crushing introspection, a tribunal where the self is broken and reforged.

More than three decades after their inception, Enthroned remain steadfast in their purpose: not to replicate the past, but to realign with the forces that birthed them. Ashspawn is the testimony of this alignment, a ritual weapon that rejects nostalgia and compromise. It is a resurrection of spirit through suffering, a reaffirmation of Enthroned’s place among black metal’s most visionary entities.

Line-up:

Nornagest — Vocals & Samplers

T. Kaos — Guitars & Bass

Menthor — Drums & Percussion

Production Credits:

Recorded at Ophiussa Studio, London, UK.

Produced by Menthor.

Mixed by Stefano Santi at SPVN Studio, Milan, Italy.

Mastered by Phil Bashford at The Hive, London, UK.

Cover Art:

Cover artwork by Jose Gabriel Alegria Sambogal
(https://www.instagram.com/josegabrielalegriasabogal/)

Photography:

Band photography by Emanuela Giurano

Pre-save & Pre-order: https://orcd.co/enthronedashspawn
 
Follow Enthroned:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Frater.Silurian
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enthronedofficial/
Bandcamp: https://enthroned.bandcamp.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@enthronedofficial
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5lmT6zZl7aPNg8hv5UrJGz
Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/artist/enthroned/47713289
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/artist/14611
Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/artist/3604477

HÉR Stay Propulsive on New Single "Patience in Observation"

HÉR are seekers and storytellers. Their upcoming debut album, Monochrome, reflects polar extremes: fire and ice, violence and tenderness, bravery and care, the brutality of war and the solace that’s brought by peace.

Today, the band are releasing the album’s second advanced single. “Patience in Observation” captures one of Monochrome’s most reflective passages. The song unfolds with distilled calm, spurred along by a steady percussive pulse. Swept up by strings and smooth vocals, HÉR remain a grounding force.

Watch the music video for “Patience in Observation” below:

Monochrome comes out January 30, 2026 on Season of Mist.

Pre-order & Pre-save

https://orcd.co/hermonochrome

“Patience in Observation is a reflective journey through the nature of life and the unchanging rhythm of the universe”, says HÉR.

“The world has been moving according to its own rules for millions of years. Our task is to find our place within this dance. ‘Patience in Observation’ is a song about calmness and precision in everyday actions, following the motto ‘calmly and precisely, piece by piece’. It serves as a warning against the desire for things too grand, which may lead us to the edge of an abyss. This is a musical meditation on acceptance and understanding, a reminder that our growth requires patience and harmony with the surrounding world”.

“Hér” in Icelandic means „here”. It is a very clear calling from the band to the audience: be here, experience, be inspired, it is happening now, and it is the essence of participating in our artistic expression. HÉR was formed in Gdańsk, northern Poland. Five independent, strong musical personalities met “here”—in a specific place and time—to create communitas that are both unique and harmonious.

The music the band proposes carries the listener to 11th-century Old Norse wisdom poetry. The first inspiration for this artistic meeting were the poems of the Poetic Edda. Hér reveals wild, root-like, undiscovered musical spaces, the clash of worlds, and a glimpse of the otherworld. It uses raw means of expression and sounds, as raw as the North itself: trembling throat singing, increasing trance-like rhythm, gliding over the violin strings like over an ice surface. We start here: Iceland, the beginning of Europe. It is a musical meditation on a place, growing out of specific soil, reaching to the roots of Norse mythology but not stopping there. It is not only the wisdom of the Vikings, Odin’s recommendations for those who stand at the gates of Valhalla. The threshold of the otherworld leads further to universal, human, fundamental experiences.

By exploring the human nature described in Norse mythology, the musicians make a deep insight into the emotions embedded in its verses. They bring out the dark beauty of the North and its extremes: fire and ice, violence and tenderness, bravery and care, the brutality of war and the solace that peace brings, struggle and feast, the milky sweetness of honey and the salty tang of blood, love and hatred, birth and death, beginning and end, terror and awe…

Sestu hérna, sit here… sit here and listen, sit here and grow, sit here and drift away.

Line-up:
Maciej Świniarski — Vocal, Percussion
Tomasz Chyła — Vocal, Violin, Synth Percussion
Piotr Chęcki — Saxophone, Percussion
Tomasz Sadecki — Bass Guitar, Synth, Percussion
Sławek Koryzno — Drums, Percussion

Production Credits:
Recorded at Monochrom Studio, Gniewoszów, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland.
Produced & Engineered by Ignacy Gruszecki.
Mixed & Mastered by Marcin Bors at Fonoplastykon, Wrocław, Poland.

Guest Musicians:
Magdalena Kuraś „Freya”

Cover Art:
Mary Zaleska

Photography:
Daria Szczygieł (https://dariaszczygiel.com/)

Pre-save & Pre-order

https://orcd.co/hermonochrome

Follow HÉR:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/herbandofficialprofile/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/her.bandofficial/
Bandcamp: https://hersom.bandcamp.com/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4yHViIb0eCl4eVMFcVnzm5

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/h%C3%A9r/1751778615

Rotting Christ Announce Re-Recording of Aealo

As they continue to celebrate 35 years of evil existence, Rotting Christ are beginning what is sure to be a monumental new year by reinforcing one of the pillars in their mighty discography.  

Today, the Greek legends are announcing a re-recorded version of the band’s 11th album. Chiseled with modern production, polished by a rich mix and draped with fresh cover art, the new and improved AEALO enhances every aspect that makes this album a cornerstone from Rotting Christ’s Hellenic era.

“Dear friends”, begins the band’s vocalist and guitarist Sakis Tolis. “We have re-recorded, remixed and remastered our 11th album AEALO with deep respect for the original recording. We are proud to present to you the first sample from the album with a new video for its title track”.

Watch the new lyric video for the album’s classic title track below.

The re-recorded version of AEALO comes out January 23, 2026 on Season of Mist.

Pre-order & Pre-save

https://orcd.co/rottingchristaealorerecorded

Long-held as one of Rotting Christ’s defining anthems, “AEALO” is a fierce yet tragic portrayal of warfare. In English, the title means “I destroy” or “I thrash”. Martial percussion, ceremonial melodies and a female choir evoke the spirit of ancient Greek rituals and the psychology of the battlefield. The re-recorded version unearths new layers that were once hidden, strengthening the song’s mythic resonance while reflecting on the album’s larger themes of sacrifice and the cost of conflict.  

In 2019, Rotting Christ’s epic journey continued with The Apocryphal Spell compilation, which offers fans an intimate glimpse into unreleased and rare material. This allowed them to gather strength, preparing for the release of their next, highly anticipated, 14th full-length studio album: Pro Xristou.

Pro Xristou (‘Before Christ’ in Greek), serves as a fervent tribute to the last Pagan kings who resisted the onslaught of Christianity, guarding their ancient values and knowledge. In this thematic odyssey, intricately woven through tracks such as ‘The Apostate’ and ‘Ygdrassil’, Rotting Christ delves into the legacies of historical figures such as Flavius Claudius Julianus and Nordic mythological kings, embodying the might of Pagan wisdom in the face of Christian adversity. The album encapsulates the essence of Rotting Christ’s signature style – melodic, yet harsh at times – reinventing themselves yet again, while remaining rooted in their 35-year legacy.

Line-up:
Sakis Tolis - Guitar, Vocals
Themis Tolis - Drums
Kostas "Spades" Heliotis - Bass
Kostis Fouk - Guitar

Biography:
Sébastien J. Gamez

Follow Rotting Christ:
Official Website: https://www.rotting-christ.com/en/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rottingchristofficial/
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/rottingchristofficial/
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/athanatoieste/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/RottingChristOfficia/
Bandcamp: https://rottingchristofficial.bandcamp.com/
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/rotting-christ/28441629/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7FhkwcO8Jd7BRWdllBpXBJ/

Ponte Del Diavolo Uncork First Intoxicating Spell from 'De Venom Natura'

Fresh off of leaving a mark on their fiery debut, Ponte Del Diavolo are fanning the flames with their upcoming second album. De Venom Natura pushes the band’s potent blend of black metal and post-punk into an intoxicating trance. Forged in the fires of the band’s ritualistic performances at Roadburn and Inferno Festival, lead single, “Spirit, Blood, Poison, Ferment!”, distills its poisonous essence into a feverish hymn of decay and rebirth.  

“This song was among the first written for our new album”, says Ponte Del Diavolo. “It powerfully marks the transition from our previous work to now. Featured guest Francesco Bucci of Ottone Pesante adds apocalyptic nuances that intensify the song’s atmosphere”.  

Watch the video for “Spirit, Blood, Poison, Ferment!” Below:

De Venom Natura comes out February 13, 2026 on Season of Mist

Pre-order & Pre-save

https://orcd.co/pontedeldiavolovenomnatura

“Spirit, Blood, Poison, Ferment!” encapsulates the potency of Ponte Del Diavolo’s patented blackened post-punk. Erba del Diavolo’s enchantments slither beneath spiky riffs, entangled bass lines, a ritualistic pounding of drums and curious bursts from Bucci’s trombone.

The song’s video was filmed and edited by Underroom Studio and stars Davide Straccione. Along with being the vocalist for Shores of Null, Straccione is a long-time friend and collaborator of Ponte Del Diavolo. He first appeared on the band’s debut album, Fire Blades from the Tomb, where he contributed guest vocals to their cover of “Weeping Song” by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.

After two years on the road - appearing at leading European festivals such as Roadburn and Inferno in support of their debut - Ponte del Diavolo return with “De Venom Natura,” a record that extends and refines their musical boundaries.

Line-up:
Erba del Diavolo — Vocals
Khrura Abro — Bass
Kratom — Bass
Nerium — Guitar
Segale Cornuta — Drums

Production Credits:
Recorded at The Deepest Sea, Turin, Italy.
Produced & Engineered by Danilo Battocchio.
Mixed by Danilo Battocchio at The Deepest Sea.
Mastered by Magnus Lindberg at Redmount Studios, Stockholm, Sweden.

Guest Musicians:
Francesco Bucci
Sergio Bertani
Vittorio Sabelli
Gionata Potenti

Cover Art:
Francesco Dossena (https://www.instagram.com/facciobruttefacce/)

Follow Ponte Del Diavolo:
Bandcamp: https://pontedeldiavolo666.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PontedelDiavolo/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pontedeldiavoloband/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@pontedeldiavolo3847
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4mAfr0B2wgIFbVBUAv9btD/
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/ponte-del-diavolo/1639072320
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/artist/179497657
Tidal: https://tidal.com/artist/33773763

1349 Streams Full Performance Video for 'Winter Mass' Concert via Black Metal Promotion

True Norwegian black metal horde 1349 is now streaming the full performance of their 'Winter Mass' concert via Black Metal Promotion! The concert was captured on November 20, 2021 in the band's hometown of Oslo (NO) at the venue Parkteatret. Fans can now watch the entire set below.

'Winter Mass' will be released on November 28, 2025 via Season of Mist on vinyl, CD, and audio downloads; pre-orders can be found HERE.

1349 has also recently been announced among the first wave of bands to take the stage at next year's edition of Beyond the Gates Festival. The epic four-day metal event will take place once again in the heart of Bergen (NO) from July 29 - August 1, 2026. Tickets are available HERE.

The cover artwork and layouts for 'Winter Mass' were created by Kim Diaz Holm. The Norwegian artist has captured more than 2,000 concerts, often while standing to the side of the stage. Holm has worked with larger-than-life artists like Abbath but developed a special connection with 1349 after drawing them at both Inferno Festival and Hulen in 2012. Over the past 13 years, he has continued to document the band's incendiary live shows and even designed their merch. What he's created for Winter Mass draws fans even closer to fire. Sketched while he was headbanging in the pit, these drawings leap off the page with the same raw, dark spirit as their muse.

With their signature aural hellfire, 1349 embodies the original spirit of black metal.  

Unhappy with the direction the genre took during the mid-90s, in 1997, vocalist Ravn formed the 1349 with like-minded bassist Seidemann. The band’s current lineup – which is bolstered by guitarist Archaon and Frost (who also drums for Satyricon) – has been in place since 2001. Over the past two decades, they have ignited major European festivals such as Wacken Open Air and Hellfest with their fiery performances and toured internationally with the likes of Cannibal Corpse and Carcass. Each of their eight studio albums have been inspired by the same guiding principal: to bring back the grimness, the eeriness and the primal emotions of Norwegian black metal.

Now, fresh from the ashes of their eighth album, The Wolf & The King, 1349 are releasing a new live album. Though recorded shortly after pandemic lockdown was lifted, 'Winter Mass' explodes out the gates with the band’s signature aural hellfire. This hour-plus set, recorded at Oslo's Parkteatret, enraptured their home crowd with apocalyptic spells from across their discography’s massive cauldron of chaos. Early classics like “Sculptor of Flesh” thrash with unchained madness. Recent favorite "Striding the Chasm" whips by at a blistering pace that could only be captured by cover artist Kim Diaz Holm, who drew the album’s artwork while headbanging in the pit.   

"I will always be here / In all ways in all times", snarls Ravn on hellacious cut "I Am Abomination". After three decades and counting, what was once a proclamation is now a testament to 1349's enduring firepower. 

Experience aural hellfire live in the flesh back where it all began with 'Winter Mass.'

Live Line-up

Archaon - Guitars

Destructhor - Guitars

Frost - Drums

Ravn - Vocals

Seidemann - Bass

Recording:

Parkteatret, Oslo on November 20, 2021

Production Credits

Producer & Sound Engineer - Hugo Alvarstein

Mixing Studio - Alvarstein Mix & Mastering Studio Oslo Norway

Mixing Engineer - Hugo Alvarstein

Mastering Studio - Alvarstein Mix & Mastering Studio Oslo Norway

Mastering Engineer - Huge Alvarstein

Cover + Layout Artist:

Kim Holm

Pre-Order // Pre-Save: https://orcd.co/1349wintermass

Links:

Official Website

Facebook

Instagram

X

Apple Music

Spotify

Rotten Sound Blast the Alarm on "Idealist"

Few grindcore bands have enjoyed the shelf life of Rotten Sound. After outrunning the apocalypse on their last long-player, the Finnish grindcore vets are back with another politically-charged EP. The latest single from Mass Extinction is slightly more optimistic about our future than its initial discharge, but "Idealist" gets its message across with such blunt force, that it's impossible not to heed the band's charge. 

"'Idealist' is a cynical D-beat anthem about our fight for a better future", says the band's vocalist Keijo Niinimaa. "I do believe that better times are ahead, but it feels impossible to find a new level in humanity. The transition seems to take forever. That frustration led me to write the lyrics to this song. Mika's riffs and Sami's grooves open the circle into a mosh pit".        

Listen to "Idealist" Below.
 

Mass Extinction comes out December 12 on Season of Mist.

Pre-order
https://orcd.co/rottensoundmassextinction

Pre-save on Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/prerelease/4GjDqqrZi7TTEjCmvvXq5f?si=maLSpuYJTP-Vqs4RmsTaUA

All of the songs on Mass Extinction mutated out of the same radioactive Petri dish that spawned Rotting Sound's prior LP Apocalypse. But even though it clocks in at a freakishly fast nine minutes, the band's new EP is no half-life mutation. As they recently demonstrated while touring Latin America with Crypta, Baixo Calao and Season of Mist labelmates DVRK, their time-tested blend of D-beat punk and Swedish death metal has only grown more dangerous after two decades. "Idealist" marches at a spirited pace toward a new state of light and glory before Niinimaa's screaming commands launch the song into a downright hostile groove.   

"Wake up!" At this earth-shaking volume, ignore Rotting Sound if you dare.  

Next year, Rotting Sound will return to the grind with a fresh set of European headline dates in support of Mass Extinction. Following this blistering ride with Repulsive Feast and Teething, the band will return to the U.S. for a special set at Maryland Death Fest celebrating their classic albums Murderworks and Exit.      

Rotten Sound know how to get their message across. In just under 10 minutes, Mass Extinction chews through toxic consumerism, labor exploitation and other plagues on society. Lead single “Brave New World” pushes for unity over divisive politicking behind a barrage of blast beats. But while our leaders certainly need to clean up their act, there’s nothing stale about this band’s filthy brand of grindcore. Even the slightly optimistic “Idealist” gives way to a downright hostile groove upon Niinimaa’s screaming command.   

“Wake up!” With so much atomic force, it’s impossible not to heed Rotten Sound’s warning on Mass Extinction.

Recording lineup
Keijo Niinimaa - Vocals
Mika Aalto - Guitars
Sami Latva - Drums
Matti Raappana - Bass, Backing vocals

All music written by Mika Aalto

All lyrics written by Keijo Niinimaa

Producer
Rotten Sound

Recording & Sound Engineer
Janne Saksa

Recording Studio
Sound Supreme for drums and vocals, Nordic Audio Labs for guitar and bass

Mixing
Jesse Gander at Rain City Studios

Mastering
Brad Boatright at Audio Siege

Cover art
Error Design

Photos
Mika Aalto

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

Available formats

Digital Download
CD Digipack
12" Vinyl (Black with B-side etching)
12" Colored Vinyl (Dark Green with B-side etching)
12" Colored Vinyl (Half Copper, Half Black with B-site etching)

Follow Rotten Sound
​​​​​https://music.apple.com/artist/rotten-sound/71466405
http://rottensound.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/RottenSoundOfficial
https://www.instagram.com/rottensoundgrind/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4aglyvdJ7ApTfDC6aQ2LFf

Ponte Del Diavolo Announce New Album 'De Venom Natura'

Last year, Ponte Del Diavolo made their mark by bridging the gap between several darkened corners of the underground on their fiery debut album. Fire Blades from the Tomb welds doom, black metal and post-punk into a towering, twisted, new wave of dark art that's as cruel and mesmerizing as their native Italy's infamous Devil's Bridge.

"...a bold, engrossing, fully formed debut from a talented new band", wrote Last Rites.

Today, the Italians are fanning the flames by announcing their new album. De Venom Natura pushes the band’s potent fusion even further behind their distinct, dueling bass guitars. Forged in the fires unearthed by their ritualistic performances, the album offers an intoxicating meditation on nature’s poisonous undercurrent. Charmed by Erba del Diavolo’s bewitching vocals, the lyrics slither and snake around the idea that every life form carries its own toxin that brings both rebirth and decay.  

“For this record, we wanted to push the boundaries of our music and further develop certain sounds that were only sketched in our previous works,” Ponte Del Diavolo says. “After two years of live shows, we set out to capture the atmosphere of our performances and put it on record. The core of bass, guitar, and drums was recorded live to recreate that feeling of being at one of our shows.”

De Venom Natura comes out February 13, 2026 on Season of Mist. More details will be announced soon.  

PONTE DEL DIAVOLO craft a focused blend of doom, black metal, post‐punk, and wave—an aesthetic they call “blackened post‐punk.” Wave‐tinged female vocals anchor the project’s flaming core, supported by an uncommon dual‐bass setup that grounds the rhythmic guitars and a raw, dynamic drum pulse.

The result is an immersive, tension‐driven sound. Following the initial release of three EPs, the band signed to Season of Mist and unveiled their first full-length album, Fire Blades from the Tomb.

After two years on the road - appearing at leading European festivals such as Roadburn and Inferno in support of their debut - Ponte del Diavolo return with “De Venom Natura,” a record that extends and refines their musical boundaries.

Line-up:
Erba del Diavolo — Vocals
Khrura Abro — Bass
Kratom — Bass
Nerium — Guitar
Segale Cornuta — Drums

Production Credits:
Recorded at The Deepest Sea, Turin, Italy.
Produced & Engineered by Danilo Battocchio.
Mixed by Danilo Battocchio at The Deepest Sea.
Mastered by Magnus Lindberg at Redmount Studios, Stockholm, Sweden.

Guest Musicians:
Francesco Bucci
Sergio Bertani
Vittorio Sabelli
Gionata Potenti

Cover Art:
Francesco Dossena (https://www.instagram.com/facciobruttefacce/)
Follow Ponte Del Diavolo:
Bandcamp: https://pontedeldiavolo666.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PontedelDiavolo/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pontedeldiavoloband/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@pontedeldiavolo3847
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4mAfr0B2wgIFbVBUAv9btD/
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/ponte-del-diavolo/1639072320
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/artist/179497657
Tidal: https://tidal.com/artist/33773763

Horrendous Announce 'Anareta' Anniversary Shows

As they prepare to follow up their latest list-topping, Billboard-busting album, Horrendous are kicking off 2026 by celebrating the record that has come to define the band's steady upward trajectory.

Come January, Philadelphia's finest death metal band will perform two special shows in New York City and Baltimore to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Anareta, which Decibel Magazine named the best album of 2015. During both shows, the band will play the album in full.

"This album was forged during a period of intense inspiration and drive", Horrendous says about Anareta. "We were honing our sound while exploring new territory, and felt like we were truly becoming ourselves".

"We are excited to reanimate these songs, many of which have not been performed in years, and to breathe new life into this record that propelled the band down our current trajectory", the band continues. "We hope you'll join us to toast Anareta! We will shortly be entering hibernation to focus our efforts on writing our sixth album".   

Horrendous Celebrating 10 Years of Anareta 
January 23 - New York, NY @ TV Eye [TICKETS]
January 24 - Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery [TICKETS]

Horrendous' latest album Ontological Mysterium is now available on Season of Mist. 

Order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/HorrendousShop

Stream: https://orcd.co/ontologicalmysteriumpresave

“Surprises always come up during writing — spontaneous ideas pull you into new territory and enable the realization of novel possibilities that previously were inaccessible.”

Such are the words from Horrendous drummer Jamie Knox when discussing the creation of the band’s fifth full-length, the highly anticipated 'Ontological Mysterium'. Knox’s quote also encapsulates Horrendous’s approach to extreme metal. Since 2009, the band has capably tapped into the inaccessible by providing a fresh, unconventional take on death metal that harnesses technical brilliance with elaborate, mind-melding melodies, frothy, spewing vocals and labyrinthine song structures. This combination has made each Horrendous long play a clinic in the gratifyingly unorthodox. The trend continues on Ontological Mysterium.

The follow-up to 2018’s Idol was recorded, mixed and mastered at Subterranean Watchtower Studios in Virginia, which doubles as the homestead of guitarist/vocalist Damian Herring. While the band (completed by guitarist/vocalist Matt Knox and bassist Alex Kulick) finished much of the songwriting for Ontological Mysterium in 2019, its recording was delayed by the 2020 global pandemic and various life events. Horrendous eventually finished recording in early 2022 and mastered the album before the start of 2023.

The album upholds Horrendous’s position as one of the underground’s best outside-of-the-box extreme metal bands. Having long abandoned concern whether people would appreciate their “uniqueness,” Horrendous has embraced its role as a band willing to veer far from death metal conventions, intentionally stretching and breaking norms. To wit, the band primarily views its music as filtered through a death metal lens. This may be Horrendous’s defining trait: By not accepting parameters, nothing is off-limits.
 
Lineup: 
Damian Herring - Guitar, Vocals
Matt Knox - Guitar, Vocals
Alex Kulick - Bass
Jamie Knox - Drums

Producer / Sound Engineer / Mixing / Mastering: Damian Herring at Subterranean Watchtower Studio, Arlington, VA, USA

Style: Progressive death metal

Cover art: Brian Smith

Stream: :  https://orcd.co/ontologicalmysteriumpresave

Order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/HorrendousShop  

Followe Horrendous
https://www.facebook.com/HorrendousDeathMetal
https://www.instagram.com/horrendous_official/
https://horrendoussom.bandcamp.com/
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/horrendous/496063134
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Na6P4MqOassrZtvT9Z12s