Milwaukee (WI) – A new Blackened Death Metal entity has formed. Featuring veterans of the Milwaukee metal scene, RELIC is set to release their debut EP, Crown of Flies, April 3rd, on CD and digital formats.
Delivering Death Metal’s dissonant punishing riffage with Black Metal’s relentless chaotic speed, RELIC builds a new monument on the foundation of those that came before. Comprised of seasoned Milwaukee metal scene veterans with a history of making tight and focused music.
Their debut EP, Crown Of Flies, is a blistering slab of Midwest 90s Blackend Death Metal worship. Delivered with malintent for its listeners. No frills, no scene drama, or gimmicks used by so many bands today. Pure underground Death Metal that is in your face and out for blood.
Band Photo Credit: K Pro Creative
RELIC:
Kevin Forsythe (Jungle Rot, Emblazoned) – Guitar / Bass
Jeff Plewa (Micawber, Emblazoned) – Vocals
Alex “Pulverizer” Pulvermacher (Decrescent, Emblazoned) – Drums
Vinny Alvarez (A Night At The Chalet, Slam Pig) – Guitar
Credits:
Recorded at Belle City Sound in Racine WI, November 2025. Produced by Chris Wisco. Mixed and Mastered by Billy Diamond.
We’re excited to announce that we have another new song exclusively available on our website! It’s called “Midnight Gasoline”. Check it out and let us know what you think. Thanks for supporting FireHouse!
SŁOŃ, DROWNED IN SILVER and DIVING STOVE also confirmed for Szczecin’s debut edition
Szczecin, Poland; 26 February 2026: Hells Bells Festival has unveiled thrash metal royalty Frank Blackfire as the spearhead of its latest line-up announcement. The legendary guitarist, renowned for his work with Sodom and Kreator, will arrive in Szczecin with a set specifically curated from the cult thrash metal anthems he helped create. Festival attendees can expect a trip through the history of Teutonic thrash, featuring tracks from iconic albums such as Persecution Mania, Agent Orange and Coma of Souls.
The festival also welcomes Słoń, a pioneer of horrorcore/death rap in Poland and the head of Brain Dead Familia. Słoń has built a reputation for live shows that rival any metal concert in intensity. With a performance style that ignites walls of death and mosh pits in the audience, his presence on the Łasztownia waterfront bridges the gap between extreme rap and the metal underground.
The atmosphere will shift toward the mystical with the addition of Drowned In Silver. Despite their recent debut album Mothers, via the respected Pagan Records, the band consists of seasoned veterans from across the black metal and experimental scenes. Their music provides a unique balance between occult rock and trance-like expression: dark, heavy and deeply immersive.
Rounding out the announcement is Diving Stove, a fresh force that has taken the Polish scene by storm. Known for their wild and unpredictable live performances, the band’s most recent release is their stellar thrash masterpiece, Atavism.
These new additions join previously confirmed acts: Dirkschneider (All-Accept set), Grave Digger, Possessed, NunSlaughter, The Materia, Pretensje, Cockney Rejects, Vader, Discharge, Furia, Dezerter, Belzebong, The Stubs, Dola, Hamulec and Seks W Czasach Wojny.
Hells Bells Festival will take place in the heart of Szczecin, Poland, on 26-27 June 2026. The venue is the scenic Plac Gryfitów on Łasztownia, a historic island district in Szczecin known for its iconic “Craneosaurs” (historic port cranes) and stunning views of the Oder River.
Early bird weekend tickets have sold out but general weekend tickets are still available via the official festival website. One-day tickets will be available in mid-March following the conclusion of the band announcements. This will also be the moment when festival prices increase, so attendees are encouraged to purchase their passes today to secure the current rate. Discounted options, including the Youth Pass (ages 13-18) and Family Pass (adult with child under 13), remain available.
Metal Blade Records is pleased to announce their re-signing of UNEARTH!
Nothing short of standard-bearers and keepers of the faith for American metalcore, UNEARTH was the band born in the breakdown who never wavered from their love of European death metal melodicism, supercharged by American thrash and hardcore. Now, nearly three decades into a career that’s seen the Massachusetts mob play innumerable gigs and massive festivals on six continents, sell hundreds of thousands of records, and inspire some of the most important bands in extreme metal today, they remain a force with which to contend. And their reunion with Metal Blade Records, their label from their halcyon days of the 2000s first decade, only increases the ferocity of that force.
UNEARTH’s change back then from hardcore-focused Eulogy Recordings to one with “Metal” literally in the name aligned with their sound’s sharpening into a more brutal “Blade.” This time it’s more about going home to the host of genre-defining albums like The Oncoming Storm, III: In The Eyes Of Fire, and The March.
It’s not to say they haven’t made great albums (see Watchers Of Rule and the latest LP The Wretched; The Ruinous) with great partners MNRK Heavy – formerly eOne Music and Century Media, respectively and the lightning here has the chance to strike twice and UNEARTH are ready to ride it.
Comments vocalist Trevor Phipps, “Getting another shot at working with Metal Blade Records feels nothing short of coming home. We truly got our best chance at making a life of creating music and touring during our first run with Metal Blade from 2004 to 2011. Working with so many familiar faces we trust and appreciate is something we wholeheartedly welcome. The music we’re cooking is as heavy and boundary-pushing as we’ve ever been, and we look forward to sharing it with you all in 2027.”
They gave us our start; now, they’re part of our future,” says guitarist Peter Layman. “After fifteen years apart, we’re back with Metal Blade, the home of some of our defining records. With the writing process well underway, we felt Metal Blade was the perfect fit for us and the direction we’re headed. We’re thankful that they feel the same way and know that what comes next will be our best offering yet.”
Adds Michael Faley, Metal Blade Records A&R, “It is an honor to have UNEARTH back in the Metal Blade family. Our history with the band includes some truly incredible moments in this label’s catalog. Reconnecting with them now, at a time when both the band and the label have grown so much, is a massive win. We’ve always believed in their vision, and we’re honored to be the ones helping them tell the next chapter of their story. A new Storm is coming!”
Additionally, UNEARTH is pleased to announce their new management home of AISAmusic and European booking agency, Cobra.
Says Phipps, “We are excited to team up with AISAmusic for a new era of UNEARTH. Simon Füllemann has been a friend, peer, and colleague of ours for almost 25 years, while Bradley Zorgdrager has proven to be an ally in this business in the few short years we’ve known him. With new music, tours, and partnerships coming, we are eager to get in the studio and back on the road to riff with you all.”
“We couldn’t be happier to join the AISAmusic team for management,” notes Layman. “Heading down a new path with Simon and Bradley at our side has instantly had a positive impact, and we know it’s only the beginning. Their professionalism, knowledge, experience, and level of planning gives us the best opportunity to be successful moving forward.”
Phipps continues, “We want to thank the good people at Cobra Agency for bringing us onto their killer roster for Europe and Asia. We look forward to spending a lot of time on the road with you all, starting this summer with a European festival and club run.”
Layman concurs, “We are incredibly proud to announce our partnership with Cobra Agency for booking throughout Europe and Asia. One of the best parts about being in a band is sharing your art while visiting incredible places around the world. We know that working with Cobra Agency gives us the best opportunity to continue doing this.”
UNEARTH’s nearly thirty year ride has been wild enough thus far. As one of the key bands of the New Wave Of American Heavy Metal (NWOAHM), they rose alongside the likes of Killswitch Engage, Lamb Of God, Shadows Fall, Darkest Hour and more. “It was a healthy competition between all of us,” recalls Phipps. “It made for some great music and opened up a new chapter in American metal.” And though the Wave ain’t so New anymore, the great music continues as UNEARTH opens a new chapter of their own.
UNEARTH Live: 7/25/2026 Barba Negra – Budapest, HU * 7/31/2026 Afdreiht Un Buten Festival – Goldenstedt, DE 8/01/2026 Full Rewind Festival – Löbnitz, DE 8/03/2026 Magnolia Open Air – Milan, IT ^ 8/04/2026 Dynamo – Zurich, CH ^ 8/05/2026 Brutal Assault Festival – Jeroměř, CZ 8/07/2026 Frischluft Open Air – Linz, AT ~ 8/13/2026 Motocultor Festival – Carhaix, FR
w/ In Flames ^ w/ Of Mice & Men ~ w/ The Ghost Inside
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