Pittsburgh-based three-piece wrecking ball STALEMATE OF WILLS is set to drop their debut full-length album, Existence Denied.
Following a string of singles, STALEMATE OF WILLS is ready to unleash an 8-track rager that embodies the American rust belt blight that surrounds them. True to the band’s mantra of “heavy riffs for a withering world,” Existence Denied is an amalgamation of doom metal, hardcore, New Orleans-style sludge metal, with flourishes of traditional 90s death metal.
Listeners can expect down-tuned, groove inflicted “meat and potatoes” riffing and drumming, that easily pivots into creepier and mellower territory. Lyrically, STALEMATE OF WILLS concentrates on the endless frustrations created by the hopelessness experienced throughout life, and the inability to change it but still survive.
Check out the album’s first single, “Two Worlds” at this location.
FFTC Records will release Existence Denied on April 26.
Track-list: 1) Visibility 2) Maximum Amounts of Woe 3) Existence Denied 4) Two Worlds 5) Let It Be Known 6) High Above 7) Unusual Character Profile 8) Light the Way
Stream more from STALEMATE OF WILLS on Bandcamp and Spotify.
Bio:
STALEMATE OF WILLS was formed in 2023 by guitarist/ vocalist Derek Kovacs as a one man studio project releasing the singles “Corrode” followed then by “Subside”, but it soon became clear that Stalemate of Wills needed to become a full band.
Not long after, scene veterans Jake Morris (Bass) and Bob McSherry (drums) were quickly recruited to fill the voids. STALEMATE OF WILLS embraces an ethos of self-reliance, releasing and recording their own music and began working on an 8-song full length entitled Existence Denied, to be released in Spring of 2026 on FFTC Records, an independent label run by Kovacs.
STALEMATE OF WILLS: Derek Kovcas – guitar / vocals Jake Morris – bass Bob McSherry – drums
The song is also available on the usual streaming platforms, including Bandcamp, Spotify, and Apple Music.
Four LPs deep and a slew of EPs behind them, COGNIZANCE show no signs of restraining the pace of unrelenting inventive riffs and razor-sharp grooves. In Light, No Shape is a masterful Progressive Death Metal opus, rich in texture and atmospheric detail, delivering everything long-time listeners crave while channeling the mid-90s technical extremity of Death, Extol, and Meshuggah. This time, the band deliberately fractures the conventions of modern extreme production, opting instead for a more organic and visceral mix that sharpens the defining traits of their work.
In Light, No Shape marks the first lineup shift in a decade, as the band sharpen from a quintet to a quartet with founding guitarist Alex Baillie stepping forward as vocalist while retaining guitar duties, following the 2023 departure of founding vocalist Henry “Big Mac” Pryce.
Band Photo Credit: Nadine Geuter
Line-up:
Alex Baillie – Guitar/Vocals Apostolis Karydis – Guitar Chris Binns – Bass David Diepold – Drums
“This record is a defining milestone for us. Taking on vocals has pushed us to re-engineer how we experiment with the blend of elements in our sound, unlocking new creative pathways to compliment the core identity of the band. What you will hear are four dudes all adding their flavours to the melting pot to create a body of work that felt completely natural to us.”
Mix and Master by Ronnie Björnström (AEON, BLOOD RED THRONE). Artwork by Jef Whitehead (NAILS, LEVIATHAN). Produced by Alex Baillie and Apostolis Karydis. Photography by Nadine Geuter.
NEW SINGLE/VIDEO, “FATAL PATH,” STREAMING NOW! + ON TOUR THIS SPRING W/BLEED FROM WITHIN & SYLOSIS
Texas’ incendiary crossover thrash metal band LIFE CYCLES is back with a new EP, No One Escapes Death, due out March 27th via 1126 Records. Following a string of relentless singles and EP’s and countless ferocious live shows over the last decade, the five-piece continues their warpath, showing no mercy on their latest release, comprised of 6 face-melting tracks that feature the band’s signature concoction of brutal thrash, hardcore and death metal.
Commenting on the record, drummer Xavier Rios says:
“This record is an expansion of our crossover sound with a focus on groove and detail in the riffs. We really wanted to display the journey we’ve been on as a band the last couple of years through this project. The energy is on 10 and we have a little bit of new flavor this time around.”
In late 2025, LIFE CYCLES gave fans a preview of the new EP with the massively heavy single, “The End Still Waits.” Today, the band ups the ante with another sonic assault, “Fatal Path,” accompanied by the music video below.
Vocalist Luis Lopez Jr discusses the track’s lyrics:
“‘Fatal Path’ is about the evil persuasive ways of lust. Letting it drag you to dark places, it tricks you into believing it’s more than just pleasure, ultimately pulling back the curtain and showing that it was all an illusion.“
1. Hell Beneath (ft. Josh Middleton of Sylosis) 2. Fatal Path 3. No Man’s Land 4. Mouth Of Doubt 5. Soul In Chains (ft. Matt Heafy of Trivium) 6. The End Still Awaits
LIFE CYCLES will join BLEED FROM WITHIN, SYLOSIS and GREAT AMERICAN GHOST on tour this spring, in support of the new EP, No One Escapes Death. Tickets are available now at: https://www.bleedfromwithin.com/tour-dates/.
LIFE CYCLES Tour Dates w/BLEED FROM WITHIN & SYLOSIS:
April 2 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium April 3 – Montreal, QC – Theatre Beanfield (SOLD OUT) April 4 – Toronto, ON – Opera House April 6 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of the Living Arts April 7 – Lakewood, OH – The Roxy April 8 – Millville, PA – Mr Smalls April 10 – Detroit, MI – St Andrew’s Hall April 11 – Grand Rapids, MI – Elevation April 12 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues April 14 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theatre April 15 – Lincoln, NE – Bourbon Theatre April 17 – Englewood, CO – Gothic Theatre April 19 – Boise, ID – Shrine Social Club April 20 – Seattle, WA – The Crocodile April 21 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre April 22 – Roseville, CA – Goldfield Trading Post April 24 – Los Angeles, CA – The Regent Theatre April 25 – Pomona, CA – The Glass House April 26 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom April 28 – Austin, TX – Come and Take It Live April 29 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater May 1 – Tampa, FL – The Orpheum May 2 – Atlanta GA – The Masquerade (Hell) May 3 – Greensboro, NC – Hangar 1819 May 5 – Richmond, VA – Canal Club May 6 – Baltimore, MD – Nevermore Hall May 7 – New York, NY – Gramercy Theatre
About LIFE CYCLES: San Antonio thrash prodigies Life Cycles are doubling down on their classic Texas sound with 2026’s No One Escapes Death.
The crew’s take on classic Texas thrash is excellent, pairing mean riffs with technical precision while never losing sight of the infectious groove that dominates the sound.
“We write music that we genuinely like,” said vocalist Luis Lopez. “That we would listen to, instead of trying to be like something else. This group doesn’t operate in a box—we write the music that we like to hear.”
The record perfectly captures the energy of the group’s live shows.
“It’s a party when we play,” explained drummer Xavier Rios. “I always tell people that don’t like metal ‘come to these shows’ because you’re going to have a good time.”
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