Birmingham (AL) – Ten years after its initial release and in honored celebration of the band’s fifteenth anniversary of existence, Boris Records is proud to announce today’s exclusive vinyl reissue of Ectovoid’s long out of print sophomore full-length album, Dark Abstraction. The limited reissue comes in two versions – plain black and marbled purple.
The band’s most recent full length recording and tragically the last to feature the band’s late founding guitarist Michael Stewart, Dark Abstraction, was originally released in 2015 on CD by Polish label Hellthrasher Productions and LP by Swedish label Blood Harvest Records. A massive step forward in every way from the outfit’s well regarded if unpolished debut album, Dark Abstraction represented an energetic, riff-focused, and creative spin on the cavernous blackened death metal sound that was flooding the scene in copious amounts in the mid-2010’s.
Band photo by Amber Slanders
With eight varied and memorable tracks, a greatly improved production, and an ever-advancing sense of expression and craftsmanship from all instruments, this was the sound of a young band stepping out of their formative beginnings and emerging confidently as the established and respected outfit they are known as today.
Boris Records is excited to bring this under-appreciated work of death metal darkness back to the public consciousness. Ectovoid’s exhumation from the forgotten graves is long overdue.
Track Listing:
1. Obscure Altars
2. Visions of Reflective Decay
3. Mental Netherworlds
4. Precipice of Absolute Chaos
5. Rituals of Hallucination
6. The Expanse Between Slumber and Death
7. A Prisoner of Paradox
8. Spawned from Unending Mystery
Ectovoid:
C.B. – Bass/Vocals M.S. – Guitar C.M. – Drums
Recorded in Autumn 2014 by Joshua Freemon at Dead Sound Studios. Mixed by Joshua Freemon. Mastered by Damian Herring at Subturranean Watchtower Studios. Cover art by Bartlomiej Kurzok.
Denver, Colorado’s stadium crust act VICTIM OF FIRE kick off their North American tour today in their home city at the Seventh Circle. Throughout September, stages across North America and Canada will be set ablaze in support of their newly released album, The Old Lie, out via Human Future Records/Return Trip Records.
2025 Tour Dates: 9/12 – Denver, CO – Seventh Circle 9/13 – Colorado Springs, CO – Vultures (What’s Left Fest 2025) 9/17 – Cheyenne, WY – Thrashzone 9/18 – Bozeman, MT – Gallatin Labor Temple 9/19 – TBD 9/20 – Calgary, AB – The MLB 9/21 – Saskatoon, SK – RCAF Hall 9/22 – Winnipeg, MB – Handsome Daughter 9/23 – Fargo, ND – Aquarium 9/24 – Minneapolis, MN – Flying V Music 9/25 – Milwaukee, WI – MKE Ultra 9/26 – Chicago, IL – West Town Bikes 9/27 – Indianapolis, IN – Black Circle 9/28 – Springfield, IL – Dumb Records 9/29 – St Louis, MO – Sinkhole 9/30 – Kansas City, MO – Howdy
The Old Lie – Track Listing: 1. The Old Lie 04:27 2. Apocalyptic Inclination 03:20 3. Wayward Light 02:21 4. Nightmares of Ceasefire 03:43 5. Soldiers Dream 04:03 6. Discordance 03:21 7. Barren Path 02:36 8. Front Towards Enemy 02:40 9. Disharmonist 07:04 10. Aces High (Iron Maiden) 04:13
VICTIM OF FIRE: Austin (Guitar/Vocals) Dustin (Bass) Emily (Guitar) Marc (Drums)
About VICTIM OF FIRE: Initially formed in 2016, the Denver hailing blackened crust ensemble began as a side project filling in a creative gap and available studio time. Now, almost a decade later, the quartet are preparing to unearth their third studio album, The Old Lie, and bring their explosive sound to the masses around the US and Canada.
Inspired by the likes of TRAGEDY, DISFEAR, IN FLAMES, DISMEMBER and IRON MAIDEN, Austin reveals his creative influences: “harmonized guitars have always been my favorite part of music ever since I discovered IRON MAIDEN at the age of 16, and I’ve just been trying to recreate it in my bands wherever I can. Also not being afraid to take a risk with a song of musical style to see if it connects. We aren’t trying to be the crustiest crust band, we want to blend a bunch of styles together to make something fun and energetic to play live.”
Album Credits: Producer: Austin Minney Recording Studio: All Aces Studios, Evergroove Engineer: Austin Minney Mastering: Brad Boatright (Audiosiege) Mixing: Austin Minney Album Cover Artist: Dan Bones
The gates of the dark kingdom have swung open, and the haunting has commenced once again. CEMETERY MOON has returned with a new album, a culmination of intensive composing, rehearsing, and performing its singular style of black metal art. Apparition’s vocals have coalesced into a ghostly voice of terror, while Langeloth joins the fray on “Smoke Trails at Vespers” to display his own call from the grave.
Likewise, the two guitarists attack the sonic landscape like two dragons, one baring its teeth in a ferocious growl, the other scorching the listener in waves of fire. Meanwhile, Astoroth’s bass lines quake the earth below, reinforced by the thunderstorm of Usurper’s merciless drumming.
The album displays the band’s ability to capture a variety of moods and motifs: from the soaring and heroic melodies on “Triumphant Spirit,” to the death metal-infused brutality of “Cultus Mortem.” Fans of pure, straightforward black metal will find much to praise on “Lunar Grave,” “House of Usher,” and “Boundless Heresy,” while fans of more progressive and unorthodox approaches have room to explore on “Temporal Bloodletting” and “The Wretched City.” Finally, there is the song that brings it all together, the band’s ultimate statement of purpose: “The Black Keep.”
Track Listing: 1. The Wretched City 2. Boundless Heresy 3. House of Usher 4. Temporal Bloodletting 5. The Sorting of Souls 6. Cultus Mortem 7. Lunar Grave 8. Triumphant Spirit 9. Smoke Trails at Vespers 10. The Black Keep
About CEMETERY MOON CEMETERY MOON began as a Connecticut based one-man project, dedicated to raw, blistering black metal. Over the ensuing years of stylistic development, CEMETERY MOON would expand into a fully formed band with a self-titled debut album in 2023.
The band’s live performances are known to overwhelm audiences with the sheer ferocity and musicianship on display, from Apparition’s scorching vocal delivery and his dual guitar riff barrage with Langeloth, to Astoroth and Usurper’s expert-level displays of rhythmic punishment. Now with a second full-length on the way, the band stands to continue its conquests and expand its dark kingdom’s borders ever further!
Technical death metal architects COGNITIVE are pleased to unveil their outstanding cover of Slipknot classic, “People=Shit.”
The stand-alone single comes in conjunction with the band’s upcoming US tour supporting Nile. The Underground Awaits Tour 2025 begins on September 12th in Raleigh, North Carolina and runs through October 11th in Indianapolis, Indiana. Additional support will be provided by Cryptopsy and labelmates, The Last Ten Seconds Of Life.
In a collective statement, COGNITIVE comments, “Here we go again mother fuckers! We have been hard at work writing our next album and prepping for tour but decided to spend some time having fun and recorded a cover of ‘People=Shit’ by the almighty Slipknot! We wanted to have fun with something that wasn’t exactly death metal, but still in the extreme realm! The world is an awful place, and humanity doesn’t make it any better, so to us the Slipknot math and song title added up correctly! We hope you enjoy and see you on the road with Nile, Cryptopsy, and The Last Ten Seconds Of Life.”
The digital single will be available for purchase on Monday, September 15th at: metalblade.com/cognitive.
COGNITIVE w/ Nile, Cryptopsy, The Last Ten Seconds Of Life: 9/12/2025 Chapel of Bones – Raleigh, NC 9/13/2025 Underground Arts – Philadelphia, PA 9/14/2025 Tally Ho – Leesburg, VA 9/16/2025 Brooklyn Monarch – Brooklyn, NY 9/17/2025 Wally’s – Hampton, NH 9/18/2025 Webster Hall – Hartford, CT 9/19/2025 Mickey’s Black Box – Lititz, PA 9/20/2025 Dingbatz – Clifton, NJ 9/21/2025 Montage Music Hall – Rochester, NY 9/22/2025 Mercury – Cleveland, OH 9/24/2025 Sanctuary – Detroit, MI 9/25/2025 Hobart Art Theatre – Hobart, IN 9/26/2025 The Annex – Madison, WI 9/27/2025 Studio B @ Skyway – Minneapolis, MN 9/28/2025 Apollo Theater – Belvidere, IL 9/29/2025 Bigs Bar – Sioux Falls, SD 10/01/2025 Pub Station – Billings, MT 10/03/2025 El Corazon – Seattle, WA 10/04/2025 Knitting Factory – Spokane, WA 10/05/2025 Knitting Factory – Boise, ID 10/06/2025 Urban Lounge – Salt Lake City, UT 10/07/2025 Oriental Theater – Denver, CO 10/09/2025 Wooly’s – Des Moines, IA ** 10/10/2025 Reggie’s – Chicago, IL ** 10/11/2025 Hi-Fi Annex – Indianapolis, IN ** ** No The Last Ten Seconds Of Life
COGNITIVE will be touring in support of their most recent full-length, Abhorrence, released last Spring via Metal Blade Records. The record finds the New Jersey powerhouse quintet at their brutal best. Abhorrence carries on band tradition with its a maniacal fusion of relentless riffs and thoughtful, devastating lyrics making for a raging, draining, and ultimately fulfilling experience.
COGNITIVE: Rob Wharton – guitars Harry Lannon – guitars Shane Jost – vocals Tyler Capone-Vitale – bass AJ Viana – drums
“Reptile Dysfunction” is the latest single from Chicago riff conjurors MOTHERLESS. The track comes by way of the band’s Do You Feel Safe? full-length, set for release on Friday, September 12th via Prosthetic Records.
Rooted deep within the city’s longstanding tradition of doom and riff-driven metal, MOTHERLESS is comprised of StavrosGiannopoulos and Alex Klein of The Atlas Moth, with Gary Naples and Anthony Cwan of Without Waves.
Together they manifest a raw, unfiltered sound that prioritizes weight and atmosphere over theatrics, combining elements of punk and hardcore with a bleak, driving intensity that reflects both personal darkness and industrial urban weight. There’s no gimmick here, just thick tones, sharp songwriting, and a commitment to keeping heavy music honest: “No fog, no light show, just riffs.”
Comments Giannopoulos on the band’s latest single, “‘Reptile Dysfunction’ was the last track we wrote for the record and is probably the most organic and natural song I’ve ever written. It came together so easily and the lyrics really sum up everything I felt this record was about. It’s a mission statement about feeling left behind, forgotten and returning to the music scene. The song title was actually thought up by my girlfriend Dee, who coincidentally stars in the video as well, which makes it even more special to me!”
Watch MOTHERLESS’ “Reptile Dysfunction” video HERE. Stream the track HERE.
Stream the band’s previously released single, “Weaponized Goodwill,”HERE. Watch the lyric videoHERE.
Do You Feel Safe? features artwork by Rosario Scimeca and was produced by Sanford Parker with vocals produced by Stavros Giannopoulos, mixed by Sanford Parker, and mastered by Brad Boatright.
The record will be available across all streaming services. Find preorders HERE.
Do You Feel Safe? – Track Listing:
Reptile Dysfunction
Abrupt Violence
You Seem So Damn Sure
Darling, You Don’t Look Well
Weaponized Goodwill
Christian Math
Insect Politics
The New Romance
As they continue to carve out their place in Chicago’s storied metal landscape, MOTHERLESS stands as a reminder that in a city built on grit, the heaviest voices often rise from the underground. Fans of Intronaut, The Ocean, Kylesa, ISIS, High on Fire, and the like, pay heed.
Nameless Grave Records is proud to announce the signing and upcoming release of Apocryphal Verse, the highly anticipated new album from death metal powerhouse ADUANTEN. Featuring members of acclaimed acts Obsequiae, Vex, Panopticon, and Horrendous, ADUANTEN delivers a blistering yet sorrowful masterpiece that pushes the boundaries of the genre. Apocryphal Verse is set for release on October 24th.
Born from a desire to explore the darker, more aggressive side of melodic death metal, ADUANTEN‘s music is a relentless storm of punishing riffs and intricate melodies. While the band’s sonic foundation is built on ferocity, their sound is imbued with a profound sense of melancholic beauty, creating a unique and captivating atmosphere. The band’s lineage, including drummer Eoghan McCloskey of Obsequiae, ensures a level of musicianship and compositional depth that will immediately resonate with fans of sophisticated extreme metal.
On Apocryphal Verse, ADUANTEN masterfully blends the searing aggression of classic death metal with the atmospheric introspection of melodic black metal. Tracks on the album weave a narrative of decay and despair, driven by a maelstrom of intricate guitar work and a pummeling rhythm section. The album’s lyrical themes of destruction, sorrow, and hopelessness are perfectly mirrored in its dynamic and emotionally charged soundscapes.
Apocryphal Verse will be available on all major streaming platforms, as well as physical formats, on October 24th.
Fans of Dissection, Sacramentum, and Obsequiae will find ADUANTEN‘s new offering to be an essential addition to their collection.
Charleston, West Virginia metal veterans BYZANTINE are pleased to unveil their video for “Harbinger.” The track comes off the band’s latest full-length, Harbingers, released last June via Metal Blade Records.
Offers vocalist Chris Ojeda on the stop motion clip, “This video has taken months to curate. We wanted to continue our path of handmade original artwork for this new album. My daughter Mallory and I wrote the script for the story, hired a young Claymation artist from Mexico named Adrian Venti to hand build every scene out of clay and brought Holly Grayson with Screaming Butterfly Entertainment (Justinian Code, The Cicada Tree, The Agonies) to edit all the footage to make this beautiful music video about a boy who, after losing his father, searches for his importance in life, only to be lured in by a voracious Wolf who steers the boy down a path of greed and selfishness. The boy is eventually saved by one random act of kindness towards a lone Raven. Ravens never forget.
“Mallory and I are fans of all things stop motion. Movies like Fantastic Mr. Fox, Coraline, James And The Giant Peach, and music videos from Peter Gabriel, Bjork, Tool, and Primus. We modelled the main character after my six-year-old son, Henry. I hope you guys enjoy this labor of love and appreciate the amount of work and symbolism that has gone into the script, the Claymation, and the brilliant editing. Our team decided to push the creative aspect as far as we can and tell this story of a boy who just wants to be important.”
Watch BYZANTINE’s previously released videos for “Floating Chrysanthema”HERE and “The Unobtainable Sleep”HERE.
BYZANTINE’s “Harbinger” video comes in advance of the band’s US Fall tour which includes select shows with Cavalera Conspiracy, Fear Factory, Pissing Razors, and more! For tickets, visit byzantinewv.com. See all confirmed dates below.
BYZANTINE Live:
9/20/2025 123 Pleasant St. – WV w/ Truckstop
9/21/2025 Sharkey’s – Liverpool, NY w/ Cavalera Conspiracy, Sanguisugabogg, Enforced
9/23/2025 District Music Hall – Norwalk, CT w/ Cavalera Conspiracy, Fear Factory
9/24/2025 Preserving Underground – Pittsburgh, PA w/ Fear Factory
9/25/2025 Pierre’s – Fort Wayne, IN w/ Cavalera Conspiracy, Fear Factory
9/26/2025 Val-Air Ballroom – Des Moines, IA w/ Cavalera Conspiracy, Fear Factory
9/27/2025 The Rave – Milwaukee, WI w/ Fear Factory
9/28/2025 Red Flag – St. Louis, MO w/ Cavalera Conspiracy, Fear Factory
10/21/2025 The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA w/ Fear Factory
10/23/2025 Work Play – Birmingham, AL w/ Fear Factory
10/24/2025 Twist Of Lime – New Orleans, LA w/ Woorms
10/25/2025 Club LA – Destin, FL w/ Fear Factory
10/26/2025 Beacham – Orlando, FL w/ Fear Factory
10/27/2025 Jannus Live – St. Petersburg, FL w/ Fear Factory
10/29/2025 Culture Room – Fort Lauderdale, FL w/ Fear Factory
11/01/2025 Broken Goblet – Bensalem, PA w/ Pissing Razors, Single Bullet Theory
11/02/2025 Mixers – Sabbatus, ME w/ Pissing Razors, Single Bullet Theory
11/03/2025 Gabes 252 – Westfield, MA w/ Pissing Razors, Single Bullet Theory
The album cover, designed by mixed-media artist Ashley Hoey, beautifully depicts Irene of Athens, the mother of Emperor Constantine and the first female empress of the Byzantine Empire. This focus on a maternal ruler eloquently ties into the album’s title, Harbingers, which means “ones who usher in great change.”
Produced by Peter Wichers (Soilwork, All That Remains, Nevermore), BYZANTINE’s Harbingers full-length delivers nine tracks totaling forty-five minutes of deep lyrical wisdom alongside equally hefty riffs delivered seamlessly by one of the most commanding and unsung lineups to emerge from the New Wave Of American Heavy Metal movement of the early-2000s.
Now a five-piece for the first time ever featuring founding frontman Chris “OJ” Ojeda, alongside former guitarist Tony Rohrbough, bassist Ryan Postlethwait, veteran guitarist Brian Henderson, and drummer Matt Bowles, with Harbingers, BYZANTINE is a crown jewel in their impressive seven album discography.
Vancouver (BC) – Canadian/U.S. progressive rock/metal band, SYRINX, have released sophomore album, Time out of Place, on Ocula Records!
SYRINX‘s sophomore LP Time Out of Place is a modern-day rock opera that pushes the boundaries of heavy metal and classic prog rock. Glistening ethereal soundscapes collide with crushing riffs, heavy moods, and unforgettable hooks. Music with true cerebral depth, recorded entirely on analog gear with no computers or A.I. trickery.
The album carries forward the signature guitar riffs of Graham McGee (ex-Spell, Opulent Decay, For None and All) alongside the soaring vocals of JP Abboud (ex-Traveler, Termination Shock, Prequel to Madness). The result is a bold, uncompromising vision.
Killed By Deaf – A Punk Tribute To Motörhead album cover
FOURTEEN OF THE FINEST PUNK BANDS ON THE PLANET COVERING THEIR FAVORITE MOTÖRHEAD SONGS INCLUDING RANCID, PENNYWISE, THE BRONX, GBH, FEAR AND A PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED COLLABORATION OF MOTÖRHEAD & THE DAMNED PERFORMING THE DAMNED CLASSIC: “NEAT, NEAT, NEAT”
Sept. 10, 2025 – Heavy metal and punk rock! It’s fair to say that these two noisy tribes now have a great deal in common, often melding together, almost indistinguishable, to produce bastard offspring of their own. But it wasn’t always this way. Indeed, there was a time when fists were more likely to be thrown than bumped, and beers more likely to be hurled than shared – except when it came to Motörhead. That was the one band all could agree on. The one band that was truly ours!
But while Motörhead’s impact on metal has long been acknowledged, their influence on punk, particularly the post-Sex Pistols second wave shouldn’t be underestimated. Cause and effect: It’s that simple. And such is the case with hundreds, thousands, of other bands, all made faster, dirtier, louder, better, by Motörhead. None more so than in punk rock. And that’s because Motörhead were, in essence, a punk rock band.
Lemmy once said: “The punks loved us. The only reason we weren’t in that lot was because we had long hair, so obviously we must be heavy metal. That was the thinking. But a lot of kids heard us without seeing a picture, so they thought we were a punk band.”
Across the fourteen tracks on the cunningly titled Killed By Deaf – A Punk Tribute To Motörhead (Oct. 31, BMG Recordings), you’ll hear a loving tribute to Motörhead from some of punk rock’s biggest and most respected bands. Luminaries like Rancid, Pennywise, Lagwagon, GBH, The Bronx, and FEAR all contribute raucous versions of their favorite Motörhead tracks… and also up-and-coming upstarts like Slaughterhouse contribute, because, let’s face it Motörhead always loved and championed the underdogs.
Killed By Deaf – A Punk Tribute To Motörhead will be available on vinyl, CD and digitally. Pre-orders are available now: https://motorhead.lnk.to/killedbydeaf.
Killed By Deaf – A Punk Tribute To Motörhead track-list:
Lemmy and Motörhead aren’t honored with their own space in the Punk Rock Museum for nothing. Long before they covered the Sex Pistols’ “God Save the Queen” on We Are Motörhead and long before writing “R.A.M.O.N.E.S.” for the 1916 album in tribute to New York’s finest, Motörhead were sharing stages with the likes of The Damned, as they would continue to do many times over the years. Hell, Lemmy even joined The Damned (when they were The Doomed), albeit briefly, and playing some now infamous shows, and playing bass on a couple of studio tracks. It’s only fitting then, that the only non-Motörhead song on this album is from when he teamed up with them again in 2002 for a previously unheard and blistering version of The Damned’s classic, “Neat Neat Neat.”
The ancient, demonic rites of South American metal are resurrected as EVILCULT prepares to unleash their third full-length album, Triumph of Evil, on September 19th via Awakening Records. Forged in the fires of chaos and blasphemy, this new offering is a merciless assault on Christian morality and a hell-forged tribute to the primitive, raw energy of ’80s underground metal.
Since their formation in 2016, the Brazilian horde, composed of vocalist/guitarist Lucas From Hell, bassist Speed Lobo-Guará, drummer Filipe Stress, and guitarist Hell Bordini, have clawed their way to the forefront of the modern black-speed-thrash scene. Their previous blasphemous tomes, At theDarkest Night (2020) and The Devil is Always Looking for Souls (2023), established them as keepers of a sacred, unholy flame. On Triumph of Evil, they wield it like a burning crucifix, searing the very foundations of convention.
The album’s sound is a venomous amalgam of Teutonic thrash and first-wave black metal, heavily indebted to the savage legends who first dared to mix speed with satanic rage. Lucas From Hell’s vocals rip through the chaos with a feral aggression, shifting from guttural growls to the piercing, possessed shrieks. The raw, analog production ensures every riff, solo, and blast beat echoes with the primitive spirit of ’80s legends like Hellhammer, Sodom, and the ferocious Brazilian pioneers Sarcófago.
The concept of Triumph of Evil is a direct, blasphemous inversion of a common religious narrative. The album’s stunning, hand-painted artwork shows Satan not defeated, but victorious, humiliating the Archangel. This visual rebellion sets the stage for the title track and the album as a whole: a merciless celebration of evil and the subversion of all that is considered holy. This is not just metal worship; it’s a declaration of war.
The album’s lead single, “Midnight Ritual,” serves as a perfect introduction to this hellish journey. Penned as a “killer track” with a “catchy chorus,” it is a raw, blood-soaked anthem celebrating the fusion of heavy metal with unholy rituals. This song, and indeed the entire album, was a testament to the band’s dedication, with songs written and arranged remotely under immense pressure, just weeks before their upcoming European tour.
This isn’t an album for the faint of heart. It is a raw, uncompromising tribute to the true underground. Triumph of Evil is a sound forged in defiance and a testament to the enduring power of pure, unholy metal.
Infinity Dream recently announced a new alliance with Nameless Grave Records for their upcoming album Silver Lining on October 17, 2025. To mark their return, the band has unleashed the album’s first single and music video, “Lost Embrace,” available HERE.
Silver Lining builds upon the band’s acclaimed 2022 debut, Memories, expanding their sound with greater atmosphere, soaring harmonies, and the seamless interplay of male and female vocals. The band members are no strangers to metal though, as they call have been part of the incredible power metal band WIDOW, who have released their work via Cruz del Sur and Pure Steel previously.
Formed in 2019, Infinity Dream draws from the dark grandeur of Tony Martin era Black Sabbath, the drama of Dio, and the mysticism of Warlord and Rainbow; all while crafting songs with their own voice and emotional weight. Their music blends the heaviness of doom with the melodic spirit of classic metal, making Silver Lining a compelling listen for both devoted underground fans and the new legion of fans who have come to love bands like Ghost and Witchcraft.
Silver Lining was recorded at Wootensound Studios with drums tracked at Sonark Studios, produced by John Wooten III and Chris Bennett, and mixed by Steven Raets of Sonark Media. The album’s striking artwork and visual design were created by Chris Harris.
Eastern Pennsylvania-based brutal death metal faction PILE OF KNIVES presents their second EP, Driven By The Blade, confirming the record for release on Halloween and dropping the first single, “Stabbed.”
Based in the Pocono Mountains, PILE OF KNIVES may be a new name to many, but the band’s origins stretch back more than a decade to when guitarist Chett Kolakoski, Lee Messerschmidt, and drummer Dylan “Pickle” Jaludi played together in their prior band, Existence. Following nearly a decade-long hiatus, the band began jamming together again in late 2022.
It didn’t take long for them to realize they wanted to take it a step further and get a new band going. Within a few months, Messerschmidt’s friend Jay Stromeyer was recruited to play bass. Shortly thereafter, Bryan Martinez, formerly of Grimus, was enlisted as the band’s vocalist, and PILE OF KNIVES was born.
Infusing influences from their favorite bands from across the spectrum of death metal, slam, beatdown hardcore, and deathcore. PILE OF KNIVES found their footing and began laying down new demos, and recorded their debut EP, No Light, which was released in the Summer of 2024.
Their relentless groove-laden attack reflects the works of brutal death metal acts Skinless, Dying Fetus, Internal Bleeding, Origin, and Through The Eyes Of The Dead, with the more metallic hardcore-adjacent death/beatdown acts like Crawlspace, Final Resting Place, Shattered Realm, and No Zodiac. Lyrically, Martinez infuses his love of horror films and real-life experiences, reflecting themes centered around regret, self-loathing, and grappling with one’s own flaws.
photo by Tia X Slaughter
Upon the release of No Light, PILE OF KNIVES was already cultivating new material, some of which now arrives on the band’s second EP, Driven By The Blade. The EP takes the band’s calculated yet unhinged viciousness to further levels of intensity, delivering four new tracks of simply merciless, slamming death.
Driven By The Blade was recorded, mixed, mastered, and produced by Shaun Werle, with the drums recorded at Soundmine Recording Studio. The cover art and photography are by Giancarlo Bruno and the lyric videos are by Jon Lievano of Malevolent Media Videos. Additionally, the song “Kukri” features guests Anthony Bacola on acoustic guitar and Ben Karas on violin.
With the lead single from the EP, “Stabbed,” Martinez writes, “It’s tough sometimes having to deal with vulnerability, and that’s mostly where I had gained influence from when writing this song. I had to look at myself and accept that I have flaws like the rest of us, and that’s okay. This, mixed with my love for brutal horror films, inspired the single and the remaining songs on the EP.”
Watch PILE OF KNIVES’ “Stabbed” lyric video on YouTube HERE and stream the track on Bandcamp HERE and other digital services HERE.
Driven By The Blade – Track Listing:
Laceration
Shank
Kukri
Stabbed
Driven By The Blade will be released on October 31st. Digital preorders are live HERE. A CD version will be available for preorder shortly through Been There Scene That Records.
Additional lyric videos and an official video from the EP will be playing shortly.
PILE OF KNIVES plays shows throughout the East Coast scene and continues to write music, with their next release already under construction.
PILE OF KNIVES: Bryan Martinez – vocals Lee Messerschmidt – guitar Chett Kolakoski – guitar Dylan “Pickle” Jaludi – drums Jay Stromeyer – bass
Route One Booking is proud to announce that New Orleans’ undisputed kings of Sludge Metal and ‘The Heaviest Band in the World’, the mighty Crowbar, will return to the UK & Ireland in February 2026!
Kirk & the boys will be bringing a killer package for support too. Legions Of Doom, (featuring members of Trouble / Saint Vitus / Pentagram / COC etc) will be main support and rising UK hardcore / metalcore stalwarts Silverburn (featuring Jimbob of Taint / Hark) will open each show so get there early!
Tickets will go on sale for all dates on Friday 12th September at 10.00am UK time.
FEBRUARY 2026:
12.02: Dolans warehouse, Limerick, IRE 13.02: Limelight 2, Belfast, N. IRE 14.02: Opium, Dublin, IRE 16.02: Cathouse, Glasgow, UK 17.02: University, Newcastle, UK 18.02: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, UK 19.02: Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, UK 20.02: Phoenix, Exeter, UK 21.02: Rebellion, Manchester, UK 22.02: Waterfront, Norwich, UK 24.02: KK’s Steelmill, Wolverhampton, UK 25.02: The Globe, Cardiff, UK 26.02: Kola, Portsmouth, UK 27.02: Electric Ballroom, London, UK 28.02: Blitz, Preston, UK
Reigning Phoenix Music, in collaboration with Hasbro, a leading games, IP and toy company, is thrilled to announce that COLD SLITHER, the reimagined heavy metal menace inspired by the infamous band from G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero, is preparing to take New York by storm. The show will take place on October 11th, the same weekend as NYC’s Comic Con, where the Gramercy Theatre will be conquered by an explosive sonic force that fuses nostalgia with a modern metal powerhouse. Get your tickets HERE.
Zartan comments on the forthcoming NYC show:
“Well, well, it seems as though there are several potential recruits whom have a desire to join our small but elite society of Dreadnoks… This time in New York City! Our services are once again called upon by Cobra Commander and Reigning Phoenix Music to melt minds with Cold Slither! So be it, my Dreadnoks and I will see you all October 11th… Come prepared…Cobraaaaa!!”
The show announcement follows the release of the self-titled debut album in June of this year via Reigning Phoenix Music. Also on the horizon, the G.I. Joe-stanning supergroup are set to join the Decibel Flexi Series with an exclusive new banger, “Cobra Island.”
Cold Slither is a declaration of war. Fronted by the enigmatic Zartan and his ruthless Dreadnok bandmates Torch, Ripper, and Buzzer, the band fuses old-school heavy metal with anarchic energy and unrelenting force. With tracks built on punishing riffs, venomous vocals, and apocalyptic atmosphere, COLD SLITHER resurrects the myth and turns it into a modern-day metal juggernaut.
Featuring 10 original tracks and a remastered version of their cult-classic single “Cold Slither,” the album plunges into dystopian metal with themes of swamp-born menace and Cobra-fueled power. The Cold Slither album is available across digital and vinyl formats.
“Taan ti le Xibalba” now available on all streaming/download platforms
Guadalajara-based Ancestral folk metal group CEMICAN – hailed by Revolver as “an ancient Mexican answer to The Hu or Heilung” – are proud to bring you their latest opus, ‘U_k’u’uk’ankil_Mayakaaj.’ Much anticipated, this album comes out Oct. 31st and the pre-order for it is here: http://lnk.to/cemican
Available on digital, as well as jewelcase CD with 20-page booklet and limited-edition colored 2LP gatefold vinyl featuring two variants – the N. American variant on K’Awiil (300 blue orange haze) representing the celestial fire/lightning and abundance or the European variant Itzamna (200 purple) for he who embodies the cosmos – the god of the heavens who taught the Mayan people language. We’ve even added the two singles released mid-cycle (one created for Adult Swim programming) as bonus tracks.
“Cemican’s new album, ’U k ‘u’ uk’ankil Mayakaaj’ (translated as the Mayan Resistance) is based on Mayan ideology, worldview, mysticism, and the universe. It contains various legends and stories of ancestral gods, the duality of life and death, as well as stories based on the band members, transformed with that touch that identifies us,” explainsdrummerTlipoca.
“The concept was taken as a way to revive what our warriors and their Mayan people were, honoring this great Mayan culture and representing the worldview and mysticism of this great ancestral empire.”
“The album contains a dark and aggressive atmosphere, as well as some songs with tranquil melodies. A sound that embodies that language of music with ancestral instruments that Cemican has achieved as its own unique and hallucinatory sound, fused with lyrics that blend Spanish with Yucatan Mayan. This new album is a tribute to our ancestral peoples, their stories and their customs, giving a valuable message of their language and their ancestral glory.”
Today, we also reveal the cover art to ‘U k ‘u’ uk’ankil Mayakaaj’ created and designed by Tlipoca.
“It depicts the great creation of the Mayan universe and the elements of life (water, fire, wind, and earth) by the great supreme Itzamnaaj… raising the great Temple of Kukulkan for the worship of the Mayan people. Among the immensity of the ocean, the first sacred man emerges, creating the inter-dimensional chaos between trails and nebula. In the right hand of the great Itzamnaaj, a black hole is born, representing the great infinite darkness. In his left hand, a whirlwind of fire represents the beginning of light or the dawn of life and the beginning of it. At the top, between an avalanche of meteors and stellar earth, two faces are drawn: that of a woman or mother, who gives life or the birth of humans; and on the other side, the face of death, representing the cycle of earthly man in his passage through this life.”
The album has been preceded by two single/music video releases: the thundering “Taan ti le Xibalba” and “KUKULKÁN WAKAH CHAN” with its corresponding epic music video.
The music of CEMICAN – whose name means “the duality of life and death” in the Aztecan language of Nahuatl (spoken by 2 million people in Central Mexico) – incorporates elements of the legends, mysticism and ideologies of ancient Mexican culture. Compared by Revolver to “Slipknot scoring Mel Gibson’s ‘Apocalypto,’” while praised by Brooklyn Vegan for “combining indigenous instrumentation with Headbanger’s Ball-worthy riffage” the group combine the modern instrumentation of a metal band with traditional pre-Hispanic instruments.
Since releasing their third album, In Ohtli Teoyohtica In Miquiztli, in 2019, and M-Theory Audio debut, CEMICAN have performed alongside some of metal’s top names (Amon Amarth, Korpiklaani, Ensiferum, Eluveitie, etc.) in their native Mexico.
In addition, the six-piece group became a regular fixture of European festivals like France’s Hellfest and the Paris edition of Download Festival, Germany’s Wacken Open Air, Spain’s Resurrection Fest and Leyendas Del Rock, as well multiple festival performances in their homeland – Hell & Heaven Fest, Force Fest, Mexico Metal Fest, Dragon Rojo Fest, Tattoo Fest, Knotfest and countless more; as well as appearances in Central and South America. CEMICAN have received regular airplay on Sirius XM Liquid Metal, and composed an original song, “Yóok ‘ol kaab Maya,” for the Adult Swim network. 2025 will mark more opportunities and breakthroughs are in store for the extremely original, creative and epic act.
Swedish metal band ELEINE simply can’t return to the stages unnoticed: embarking on a massive European tour as special guests to label mates PRIMAL FEAR, they simultaneously celebrate the release of their We Stand United EP through Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM). A strong title underlining the unparalleled bond ELEINE have built with their worldwide fan legions over the years, which becomes even thicker! An unreleased song as well as live and orchestral versions of selected ELEINE classics are now available for streaming and on limited CD and vinyl editions. Get your (signed) copy & listen to We Stand United here:
Vocalist Madeleine & guitarist/vocalist Rikard comment: “We wanted to give you something in between album cycles. A feel of what’s to come, where we stand right now and a closer look at our past. This is We Stand United – an EP dedicated towards our strong and loyal fans across the world including live tracks and something brand new! On this EP, w present you with live tracks on CD and vinyl for the first time ever! We enjoy the studio, but it will always be when performing LIVE that we truly thrive as a band. This is where we connect with the crowd, where we create beautiful and empowering memories together and where we get to live out the songs on stage. We Stand United is a 5-track EP carrying new heavy riffs, thundering live performances and a rawness we feel many will appreciate.”
Introduced by “Towards The Fields”, the release’s main focus lays on its brand new title track, which highlights the group’s magic touch for vibrant songwriting while still giving space to their soaringly uplifting and symphonic trademark moments. To give the We Stand United music video the attention it deserves, ELEINE are pleased to announce that they’ll witness its unveiling together with their main driving force – their fans – on Monday, September 8 @ 6PM CEST. Subscribe here & join the watch party: https://eleine.rpm.link/youtubePR
We Stand United – Track Listing: 01. Towards The Fields (Intro) 02. We Stand United 03. Never Forget [Live at Masters of Rock 2024] 04. We Are Legion [Live at Masters of Rock 2024] 05. Promise Of Apocalypse [Symphonic Version]
Lead single “Down to Hell (Black Cat Bar)” features banjos, distorted guitars, percussion, chains and “lots of alcohol.”
Guests on album to include Okoi Thierry Jones (Bölzer), Perikis Tikof (Opened Paradise) and Ioanna Noir Zacharopoulou (Glitter Grotesque).
The Harvest – a Southern Gothic-inspired record about dead lovers, serial killers and lost souls, will be released on 17 October and is available for pre-order.
The Dark Americana outfit :Skull & dawn: will release their second full-length album, The Harvest, on 17 October 2025, through The Circle Music. The first single, “Down to Hell (Black Cat Bar)“, is now out with a new video.
An introductory track to the album’s sound, “Down to Hell (Black Cat Bar)” tells a story of late-night revelry and a dark descent. The band describes it as an “urban ceremony” filled with banjos, distorted guitars, percussion, chains and “lots of alcohol”, culminating in a fall into a “dark well” that leads straight to hell.
Watch the video for “Down to Hell (Black Cat Bar)”:
:Skull & dawn: are: Manos Six – Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Electric Guitar, Percussion Stamos A. – Electric Bass Chris Abatis – Electric Guitar Alex Tabakakis – Drums + Percussion Vassilis Kemanidis – Violin
The upcoming album The Harvest dives deep into a mysterious world of Southern Gothic horror, featuring songs about dead lovers, serial killers, lone cowboys, and lost souls. The album blends the band’s neofolk past with a true Americana sound and a Southern Gothic atmosphere.
The Circle Music said: “Although at first glance the style of :Skull & dawn: might seem out of step with The Circle’s previous releases, for some inexplicable yet undeniable reason, The Harvest felt destined (from the moment of its creation) to be released by us.
“It’s not just the fact that :Skull & dawn: have shared the stage with several of The Circle’s artists during live performances; it’s the very atmosphere of the album itself. From the very first listen, we all had the same instinctive reaction: The Harvest had to be released by us. There was simply no other way.”
The Harvest will be released in digital and CD formats, with the CD version including two bonus tracks: “Kingdom of the Corn (Live)” and “St. James Infirmary (Live)”. A limited edition black LP (250 copies) and a limited edition gold LP (250 copies) with a printed insert will also be available.
Guests on the album include: Okoi Thierry Jones (Bölzer), Perikis Tikof (Opened Paradise), Ioanna Noir Zacharopoulou(Glitter Grotesque) and Vasso Jism.
Founded in 1999 under a different name as a trio in Athens, Greece, the band started by creating industrial noise music using hammers and electric screwdrivers. From 2002 to 2009, they embraced the heritage of Old Europe and folk instruments under the name Défilé des Âmes. They released the full-length LP Lust & Stone, a split EP, and several DIY EPs. They also collaborated with notable artists like Sieben.
The band reformed in 2009 as :Skull & dawn:, shifting their sound to be influenced by the American South. Their debut album, Zombie Horses (2016), fused their industrial roots with American folklore, creating a sound inspired by artists like The Bad Seeds and Hank 3. They have maintained a strong live presence over the years, performing with a wide range of artists, including Jarboe, Chelsea Wolfe and Psychic TV.
The Harvest – track-listing: 1. Down to hell (Black Cat Bar) 2. Knoxville Girl 3. Kingdom of the Corn 4. Born Dead 5. GG Allin 6. Gold is the Metal 7. Trouble was her Name 8. Old Testament 9. Hail to the King 10. Kingdom of the Corn (Live) (CD Bonus Track) 11. St. James Infirmary (Live) (CD Bonus Track)
Photo credit: Timo Isoaho AMORPHIS @ Sonic Pump Studios (Helsinki, Finland)
L-R: Olli-Pekka “Oppu” Laine (bass), Tomi Koivusaari (guitars), Santeri Kallio (keyboards), Jan Rechberger (drums, percussion), Tomi Joutsen (vocals), Esa Holopainen (guitars)
Invited to Helsinki’s Sonic Pump Studios under a pretext, Finnish metal icons AMORPHIS have been decorated with gold records for sales of their 2022 studio album Halo by their label partners Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM). The band’s management, distribution and media partners gathered secretly earlier this week to witness the handover of the awards at the iconic Finnish recording studio, where the sextet crafted a number of much-loved albums over the years and even parts of Halo.
Still being busy with interviews to support their forthcoming offering Borderland, due out on September 26, 2025, as well as tour preparations, AMORPHIS were pleasantly surprised when the shiny vinyls were presented to them.
Guitarist Esa Holopainen states: “Achieving a gold record is far from being guaranteed in these days. We’re truly grateful to all listeners and fans who supported us along the way. ‘Halo’ wasn’t an easy album to make as the corona virus was challenging the world. Some parts of its production had to be done remotely, while at other times we were actually allowed to travel to our beloved neighbouring country Sweden. ‘Halo’ also isn’t the easiest album of the AMORPHIS catalogue, but it certainly has its special moments which will live on through people’s sound systems and our live shows.”
Originally released on February 11, 2022, AMORPHIS managed to hit the top of the official album chart in their home country for the sixth time in their eventful career with Halo. Many other notable global entries (Germany #3, Switzerland #4, Austria #7) completed this enormously successful launch under complicated circumstances.
Followed by a Finnish headline run and a European arena tour alongside ARCH ENEMY, ELUVEITIE and GATECREEPER, the group’s new album, Borderland, will become available in late September.
Pre-order Borderlandin your preferred physical format (ltd. box set & more) & stream it once out to possibly add yet another gold record to AMORPHIS’ treasure room:
The new music video from heavy rock all-stars ALPHA DESTROYER – featuring Martin Sweet (Crashdïet), Kelly LeMieux (Buckcherry), and Eric Sexton-Dorsett (Sleepless), is now streaming. “Lobotomized” marks the third single off the band’s upcoming debut album, Fast Lane.
A true ripper in every sense, “Lobotomized” anchors the album’s thematic momentum, cementing the band’s vision for sonic intensity in untamed fashion.
Fast Lane is due out this fall on Necromantic Press Records. Physical copies of Fast Lane, including limited-edition red splatter and standard black vinyl, will begin shipping on October 15. The album will be available on all streaming platforms on October 31. Pre-orders are available at this location.
Maggot Stomp is proud to announce the debut full-length album from death metal upstarts Dying Remains. Merciless Suffering is set for release on Friday, September 19th. The band has also unleashed a chilling new music video for the track “Hung and Drawn,” which can be viewed HERE.
Merciless Suffering is a masterclass in songwriting, delivering an uncompromising blend of crushing brutality and catchy, well-crafted moments that mold together into a monolithic force. This is death metal for those who appreciate the genre’s time-tested foundation. Dying Remains brings together seminal sounds reminiscent of acts like Morta Skuld, Jungle Rot, and Obituary while still keeping things fresh and exciting for a new generation of death metal to take root.
The video for “Hung and Drawn” was directed by Aron Diaz and serves as a visual companion to the album’s core lyrical themes. Drawing heavily from ’70s and ’80s B-grade gore films, the video is a short horror film that depicts one gruesome segment from the album’s over-arching story of a sprawling torture chamber. The band, all avid fans of the horror genre, wanted to bring this macabre vision to life, and the result is a truly unsettling and memorable piece of art.
DYING REMAINS TOUR DATES – Headline: 9/12 | Edmonton, AB | 99ten 9/13 | Calgary, AB | The Rock Shop 9/14 | Vancouver, BC | The Cobalt 9/15 | Seattle, WA | Belltown Yacht Club 9/16 | Olympia, WA | The Crypt 9/17 | Portland, OR | Twilight Cafe 9/19 | Sacramento, CA | The Starlet Room
w/ Gored Embrace: 9/20 | San Fernando, CA | Midnight Hour 9/21 | San Diego, CA | The Che Cafe 9/22 | Phoenix, AZ | Palo Verde Lounge 9/23 | Tuscon, AZ | 951 Calle Castile 9/25 | Houston, TX | Eighteen Ten Ojeman 9/26 | San Antonio, TX | O’Death 9/27 | Dallas, TX | Double Wide 9/28 | Kansas City, MO | Howdy 9/30 | Denver, CO | Seventh Circle 10/2 | Salt Lake City, UT | Black Lung Society 10/3 | Boise, ID | TBA 10/4 | Spokane, WA | The Big Dipper
w/ Mutilation Barbecue: 10/6 | Fargo, ND | The Aquarium 10/7 | Minneapolis, MN | Pillar Forum 10/8 | Milwaukee, WI | Cactus Club 10/9 | Chicago, IL | Reggies 10/10 | Cleveland, OH | No Class 10/11 | Fort Wayne, IN | Legion Post 241 10/12 | Louisville, KY | Magnolia Bar 10/13 | Springfield, MO | Lindbergs Tavern
If you’re a band or musician and would like your music reviewed or be interviewed by Stone, please click the link under the “ALBUM REVIEWS ARCHIVES” section below!
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