Dusktone is proud to announce the forthcoming release of The Obscure Light Awaits, the second full-length album by Italian death metal visionaries SONUM.
Mark your calendars for 11th April 2025, as the band returns to the forefront of death metal with a record that masterfully balances abstraction and ferocity.
The new single, the album’s title track “The Obscure Light Awaits”, is now premiering via the mighty Mystification ZineHERE.
Following the critical acclaim of their debut, Visceral Void Entropy (2022), SONUM delve deeper into the labyrinthine realms of dissonance and atmosphere. “The Obscure Light Awaits” is an ambitious work that simultaneously pushes boundaries and honours the roots of the genre.
The album eschews unnecessary complexity in favour of a tight focus on songwriting, weaving together intricate, sibylline passages with a raw, unrelenting power that shows the influence of the pioneering works of old and contemporary death metal legends such as Gorguts, Morbid Angel, Execration and Artificial Brain.
A true testament to SONUM’s evolution, The Obscure Light Awaits presents a sonic journey defined by dark, otherworldly textures and relentless energy. The band’s ability to merge atmospheric depth with crushing riffs showcases their commitment to creating music that is both immersive and uncompromising. It’s an exploration of contrasts – between the abstract and the visceral, the chaotic and the structured.
Fans of progressive and atmospheric death metal will find The Obscure Light Awaits to be a landmark release that stands tall amidst this year’s most formidable works.
Stay tuned for more singles and further announcements as we approach the release date.
Tracklist:
01. Due To Inner Mess… 02. In This Void We Dwell 03. Famine 04. Trapped In The Labyrinth of Aberration 05. Ad Mortem (Iter Est) 06. Beyond The Gate… 07. The Obscure Light Awaits 08. Nobody Is Innocent 09. Messenger Of Cosmic Dread 10. Deliver Us (Final Trip)
Line-up: Thomas Girardello – Vocals, Bass Mirko Marchesini – Guitars Francesco Tresca – Drums
All songs produced by SONUM Mixed & Mastered by Luca Dal Lago
The new album from Boston progressive death unit PATHOGENIC is out now on Skepsis Recordings. Crowned In Corpses marks the band’s first full-length release in over half a decade, promising a bold evolution of their signature brand of progressive tech death, while retaining the intensity that has defined the band for years.
Watch the official music videos for the album’s title track and “Mass Grave Memory” on PATHOGENIC’s YouTube channel.
In support of the album, PATHOGENIC will hit the road with technical metal band Leylines (members of Through the Eyes of the Dead and ex-The Contortionist). The tour kicks off March 1 in Nashville. Dates are as follows:
3/1 – DRKMTTR – Nashville, TN 3/2 – Culture Shock – Atlanta, GA 3/3 – The Milestone – Charlotte, NC 3/4 – Chapel of Bones – Raleigh, NC 3/5 – The Metro – Baltimore, MD 3/6 – The Nail – Ardmore, PA 3/7 – The Woodshop – Brooklyn, NY 3/8 – The Middle East, Upstairs – Boston, MA
In 2022, the band’s resurgence was ignited when original vocalist Jake Burns and new drummer TylerMontaquila joined forces with guitarists Chris Gardino, Justin Licht, and bassist Dan Leahy. Together, they’ve forged a sound that is ferocious, intricate, and unapologetically heavy, delivering metal that demands to be heard.
Crowned in Corpses was produced by Raymond Marte (Moon Tooth), Anthony Lopardo (Loss Becomes), and ourselves. Raymond Marte mixed and mastered the record. “Crowned in Corpses” music video was shot by Nick Court of Killing It Entertainment.
Out of Boston’s depths emerges PATHOGENIC, a force unshackled from hiatus and reborn with Crowned In Corpses. Over 42 punishing minutes, this progressive death metal quintet weaves together labyrinthine riffs, relentless rhythms, and chilling visions of a decaying world.
In the more than three decades of their existence, CREMATORY have seen trends come and go, while always staying true to their trademarks, they belong to one of Germany’s most distinctive gothic metal pioneers to date. Following their latest studio offering, IngloriousDarkness (2022), now, CREMATORY returns with a brand new single entitled “Destination”, the title track of the band’s forthcoming album that is slated for a release on May 2nd via ROAR!
“It’s a really tough song, but at the same time it has a catchy chorus that drills itself straight into the ear canal and won’t let go,” the band comments. “This song will also be the opener on the tour in May for the Destination album. A big punch in the face with a great chorus!”
CREMATORY: Felix Stass – Vocals Rolf Munkes – Gitarre Oliver Revilo – Bass Katrin Jüllich – Keyboards, Samples Markus Jüllich – Drums, Programming
With their 17th studio album, CREMATORY promises to reach new and even higher levels than ever before! Literally combining all the strengths and phases of the gothic metal pioneers, going back to their melodic death metal roots in places, diving deep into the gothic realm again but also surprising listeners, “Destination” will mark a triumphant return to the past combined with the strengths of the present.
The new studio album Destination is an ingenious mix of the 90s gothic metal times like Illusions, combined with hard melodic death metal hymns like “Act Seven” and modern electronic songs with German lyrics in the style of Revolution. More is not possible“, drummer Markus Jüllich recently said and added: ”With Destination the new standard of the modern melodic gothic metal era is determined! The previous album Inglorious Darkness was the start of Felix singing all the songs on his own again and now we’ve managed a perfect precision landing with Destination!”
With many more album details to be unveiled in the weeks ahead, one thing is already clear: CREMATORY are highly motivated, are upping the ante and definitely still have a lot to say even after 34 years of a successful band history!
CREMATORY Live: May 1, 2025 – DE – Kaiserslautern May 2, 2025 – DE – Leipzig May 3, 2025 – DE – Stuttgart May 4, 2025 – DE – Mannheim May 9, 2025 – DE – Regensburg May 11, 2025 – DE – Munich May 16, 2025 – DE – Erfurt May 17, 2025 – DE – Zwickau May 29, 2025 – DE – Oberhausen May 30, 2025 – DE – Potsdam May 31, 2025 – DE – Coesfeld
On March 7, 2025, progressive metal act SACROSANCT will unleash their new studio album, entitled Kidron via ROAR. A music video for the band’s latest, epic single “Coming Of The Scorpion” is now premiering below! To pre-order your album copy of Kidron visit:https://sacrosanct.rpm.link/kidronpr
With their third single release, SACROSANCT convince with another captivating hymn, full of melancholy and beautiful emotions. Join the ride end enjoy this growing anthem, now streaming on all digital services at:
SACROSANCT, established in 1988, are a well respected name in the metal scene, most known for their three classic albums during the early 1990s: Truth is – what is, Recesses for the depraved and Tragic intense. The band’s signature sound gradually progressed from sophisticated thrash metal to a more edgy, melodic and atmospheric aural landscape.
SACROSANCT: Max Morton – Vocals, Bass Randy Meinhard – Guitar Gerrit Knol – Guitar Jonas Schütz – Drums
The brainchild of founding member and lead guitar player Randy Meinhard (ex-Pestilence) returned in 2018, after a 25-year hiatus, with their fourth album “Necropolis”, which was highly acclaimed and bears all of the hallmarks and intricacies that defines SACROSANCT, with a strong emphasis on melancholic melodies and harmony guitar parts, as well as a focus on thought-provoking lyrics.
Six years later, SACROSANCT return with the even more powerful, still complex and catchy Kidron introducing their new singer Max Morton, who outshines the album with his clear, dynamic and unique voice. “The album combines all our trademarks, has a unique atmosphere due to all the circumstances we had to go through and is accessible and complex at the same time”, Randy Meinhard recently said.
The special thing about SACROSANCT is, that every album sounds different. As the four-piece recently revealed: “We always write and play songs in our own way. We can’t and won’t deny our roots. Of course, our first albums were more thrash-heavy, but there was a lot more going on in the songs. You just can’t reduce us to that. I personally love metal from Maiden to Priest to Fates Warning, VoiVod or Slayer. When writing songs, I try to find out how heavy or commercial a song can be in our own way. But we always want to touch people with the music and if, for example, a blastbeat can be combined with the classic Sacrosanct riff trademarks, then we have arrived at KIDRON.”
Kidron – track listing: 01 – Marching Days 02 – Avenging Angel 03 – Prince Of Clowns 04 – Coming Of The Scorpion 05 – Gethsemane 06 – Doorway Of Dreams 07 – Still Open Sore 08 – Before It Ends 09 – The Pain Still Lasts
“…this will be one of the best and most accomplished albums you’ll hear this year.” EVER-METAL.COM, Beth Morait – 10/10 (!) Points
“…the Swedish hard rock/heavy metal lords are back with an excellent full-length!”METAL-TEMPLE.COM, “Metal Mark” Garcia – 10/10 (!) Points
Highly praised by specified press around the globe, Swedish masters DAYS OF JUPITER’s much-awaited fifth album The World Was Never Enough has been released through RPM today. Fans can order/stream the album now, here: https://daysofjupiter.rpm.link/twwnePR
Besides delivering captivating hard rock/metal tunes over and over again, the group are also known for capturing the essence of their art in the form of well-crafted music videos, mostly directed by long-time partner Andreas Lundin (Litbox Productions) – and the visualisation of the record’s title track is no exception: kept in blue shades, “The World Was Never Enough” matches the thought-provoking atmosphere surrounding the whole album.
“Get ready to be captivated and energised by a powerful, heavy and tough hard rock/metal song with enchanting melodies and a catchy and haunting hook. Featuring lyrics which dive into a story with a spy and 007-like feeling to it, it’s a story about two people on the run who have a bond that is stronger and bigger than this world could ever offer,” lyricist Robert Hilli reveals.
01. Original Sin 02. The World Was Never Enough 03. Machine 04. Desolation 05. The Fix 06. Parazite 07. My Heaven My Hell 08. Denial 09. Ignite 10. Invincible
On The World Was Never Enough,DAYS OF JUPITER’s first album in almost seven years, pure energy blends with raw rock ‘n’ roll spirit, resulting in a soundtrack for rebels and outsiders. Also made to spread the word of DOJ in new territories, the album consists of 10 excitingly varied tracks.
It was recorded at Sweden’s Orange Monkey Studio, where the band locked themselves for quite a while, directed by mixing/mastering engineer Peo Hedin and Robert Hilli, who also took care of photography duties for the new campaign, to record the follow-up to Panoptical [2018]. Brilliantly summarising the essence of the record, the band hired Zark Metal Artwork to design the TWWNE cover which layout was fine worked by Jenny Pettersson.
DAYS OF JUPITER are: Janne Hilli – vocals Marcus Lindman – guitars Johnny Grenwald – guitars Janne Karlsson – bass Magnus Larsson – drums
About DAYS OF JUPITER
With over 20 million streams on Spotify and widespread critical acclaim across four studio albums, DAYS OF JUPITER’s journey began in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden in 2010. Their debut album, Secrets Brought To Life [2012], marked their entrance onto the global stage, followed by a performance at the prestigiousSweden Rock Festival. Their albums OnlyAshes Remain and New Awakening helped expand their reach, landing them more live performances, including international shows. The band eventually supported DISTURBED in front of 10,000 fans in Estonia following the release of their fourth album, Panoptical [2018].
Now, with a strong new partnership with Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM), DAYS OF JUPITER are back with their fifth album, aiming to please their loyal fanbase and attract new metal fans worldwide.
New Video / Single Now Playing + Pre-Orders Available
Watch / Stream RIVERS OF NIHIL’s “House Of Light” HERE
Progressive death metal progenitors RIVERS OF NIHIL will release their eponymous fifth full-length on May 30th via Metal Blade Records.
Sixteen years and five albums into the Pennsylvania band’s career, RIVERS OF NIHIL is upping the ante with Rivers Of Nihil. Traditionally, a self-titled record can signal a return to basics and/or a fresh beginning, and in ten powerful songs, it’s clear that both those factors are in play. Founding bassist Adam Biggs became the band’s new lead vocalist/bassist in 2023; the same year marked the appearance of additional guitarist Andy Thomas (ex-Black Crown Initiate), whose vocals also play prominently on Rivers Of Nihil. Producers Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland at Atrium Audio captured the new dynamics across more than fifty minutes of music.
Photo by Mike Truehart
“I feel like these songs are the perfect blend of all our albums, with all the fat cut away,” says founding guitarist Brody Uttley. “There are more technical songs that call back to The Conscious Seed Of Light and Monarchy sound, but with a more mature understanding of how to pace a song. There’s a fair bit of the Where Owls Know My Name and The Work-type experimental stuff, but with a more refreshed perspective on those styles for the current era of the band.”
On June 15th, 2023, the band released a new single, “The Sub-Orbital Blues,” the first track with Biggs handling lead vocals following the 2022 departure of singer Jake Dieffenbach. It was also the first track to feature Thomas. A second single, “Hellbirds,” dropped on October 19th of that year. On April 29th, 2024, the band released the cut “Criminals” and an accompanying music video. Both “Criminals” and “The Sub-Orbital Blues” appear on Rivers Of Nihil.
The new album’s first single of 2025, “House Of Light,” is a track that “encapsulates the nature of what it is that we do perfectly while offering a different perspective on the sound with the new lineup,” explains founding member/guitarist Brody Uttley, who also plays piano and does the programming in the band. “Everything that our fans have come to love about our sound is demonstrated in this song with the new addition of Andy singing and Biggs on main vocals. It has the riffs, it has the big chorus, it has the prog, it has the solos, it has the sax. Just a real classic example of what we do as a band in 2025.”
Watch RIVERS OF NIHIL‘s “House Of Light” video, directed By My Good Eye Music Visuals, HERE.
Rivers Of Nihil also showcases additional musicians, including Patrick Corona on alto saxophone, Stephan Lopez on banjo, McFarland on cello, and a slate of other guest vocalists. Despite the fresh approach on Rivers Of Nihil however, the album fits neatly into the band’s discography. With Where Owls Know My Name(2018), RIVERS OF NIHILtranscended all labels applied to them, and with its 2021 follow-up, The Work, they forged further into new territory with Metal Injection calling the latter album “the group’s most cohesive, ambitious, meditative, and varied effort, with greater uses of philosophical significance and transcendental respites.”
Rivers Of Nihil will be released on CD and digital formats as well as vinyl in the following color variants:
Bleach & Ammonia (Light Blue Smoke – US) Adenochrome (Tiger’s Eye – US) Water & Time (Blue / Green Smoke – US) Stomach Acid (Blue / Yellow Smoke – US) House of Light (Yellow / Green Marbled – US Tour Exclusive) 180g Black (EU) Radiant Light (Neon Yellow Marbled – EU) Dark Teal w/ Orange & Yellow Splatter (EU – Ltd. 500) Gold w/ Black Dust (EU Impericon Exclusive – Ltd. 200)
Rivers Of Nihil Track Listing: 01. The Sub-Orbital Blues 02. Dustman 03. Criminals 04. Despair Church 05. Water & Time 06. House of Light 07. Evidence 08. American Death 09. The Logical End 10. Rivers of Nihil
RIVERS OF NIHIL: Adam Biggs – bass guitar, vocals Andy Thomas – guitar, vocals Brody Uttley – guitar, piano, keys, programming Jared Klein – drums, vocals
Vancouver death metal horde GRAVE INESTATION is set to release Carngage Gathers. The band’s second full-length will be out February 28 on Dark Descent Records and Invictus Productions.
Three years after their debut offering, the festering cadaver of GRAVE INESTATION, has risen again, ghastlier and more ravenous than ever before. Unleashed through a profane alliance between Dark Descent Records and Invictus Productions, Carnage Gathers emerges as a monstrous abomination, tearing flesh and sinew from the twisted legacies of Autopsy, Grave, Nihilist, Repulsion, and Abhorrence. These severed limbs and organs are stitched together into a horrifying golem of their own blasphemous design.
The band comments on the album: “It’s a frantic death metal assault! Violent, and unrelenting. The fast parts are faster, the slow parts are slower, and everything is just plain nastier. It’s like we made an album that sounds like it came out even before our first album.”
A putrid production, steeped in decay and malevolence, is the lifeblood of death metal. What we have here might just be one of the most grotesquely brilliant productions of the year.
“The album was recorded and mixed with engineer Greg Wilkinson at the infamous Earhammer Studios in Oakland, producing a vile record that is a sonic push forward,” states vocalist/guitarist Graham Christofferson. “We wanted the album dripping with disgustingness and bringing forward elements we love about sick, underground death metal. The great thing about working with Greg is he’s entrenched in the music we love and play. He could see our vision and helped us make it happen. He had death metal solutions for death metal problems, along with great old cabinets and amps. Even the studio itself gives off deathly ambience.”
GRAVE INFESTATION: GC – lead guitars/vocals BC – lead guitars TS – bass AS – drums
The record comes infested with macabre verses and cover artwork, the latter courtesy of the notorious Misanthropic Illustrations, “Each song references a story of someone’s strange relationship to death, real or fictitious,” reveals Christofferson. “The cover art is related to the track The Anthropophagus, it’s about a 17th century French cannibal hermit. That’s the cave he lived in. People called him the Anthropophagus, which means cannibal, but he was just basically starved to madness.”
GRAVE INESTATION will join forces with Quebecois death dealers Sedimentum in disgracing the rotting stages of Europe in March 2025.
One simply couldn’t find better words to describe what 2025 has in store for HELLOWEEN. While the German metal legends are finishing the highly anticipated follow-up to their self-titled no. 1 album, they have launched yet another snippet of their prestigious live album Live At Budokan. The classic “Future World” from their genre-defining album Keeper Of The Seven Keys, Pt. 2 successfully keeps up the memories of this remarkable night the pumpkins experienced at Tokyo’s Budokan Arena in September 2023.
Singer Michael Kiske comments: “I love the positive message of this song. Our future will be bright, but it won’t fall into our laps. We all have to find our own way to future world. Musically, it’s one of the highlights and guarantees a great atmosphere every night.”
Live At Budokan has been released worldwide as 2CD set, limited 3LP “deluxe edition” (trifold first pressing), Blu-ray, DVD, but is also available on all major streaming platforms. Purchase/listen: https://helloween.rpm.link/liveatbudokanPR
Seattle (WA) – Powerhouse Action-Metal band, Hyperstrike, is back with an explosive new single, “Savage Sword,” on all digital platforms!
Serving as the ultimate rallying cry for those who know we live in a simulation, this track challenges listeners to confront the fabric of reality itself. “Savage Sword” tells the story of a world trapped in an artificial construct controlled by an evil deity broadcasting illusions from Saturn. Hyperstrike asks the provocative question: what if everything you see is a lie? The song’s protagonist wields the savage sword, a symbol of truth and rebellion, to sever the deceptive veil and spark a revolt against this cosmic oppressor.
“Savage Sword” follows close behind debut single, “Warning Shot.” Both cuts will appear on the band’s long-awaited debut album, High Risk, a ten-track thrill ride that drops this spring, delivering an unrelenting assault of melody, power, and precision.
Each of the album’s songs plunges listeners into a high-stakes narrative, from the devastating chaos of “Meltdown (Stop the Reactor)” to the primal defiance of “Steel Heart” and the warrior’s anthem “King of the Slain.” The album captures the sound of rebellion with blistering guitar solos, thunderous rhythms, and vocals that alternate between soaring and savage. Recorded in the heart of Seattle’s legendary metal scene, High Risk cements Hyperstrike’s reputation as a band that dares to push boundaries while delivering unforgettable hooks. Brace yourselves for the countdown to the most electrifying release of 2025 is on!
“Savage Sword” is available at the following links:
Lyrics and music by Hyperstrike. Mixed and mastered by Joe Cincotta at Full Force Studios. Drums recorded at One Shot Studios – Engineered by Josh Richins. Produced by Ben Bennett. Artwork by Ilya (Siberian Claw) Ignatov. Logo by Dipayandas Arts.
‘Red Giant’ is taken from CHEMICIDE’s new album Violence Prevails, to be issued on Listenable on the 28th of February, 2025.
“The song is a metaphor on how the sun could exterminate all we call life in a single beam of light, just like some politicians do when they get to to power. They have ultimate control over their nations and can control everything and obliterate whatever they want on their path.”
Video credits: Andrea Mantelli Productions
WATCH THE LYRIC VIDEO HERE and listen to DIGITAL HERE
Album Artwork by Ian Permana
TRACKLISTING: 01 – Do As I Say, Not As I Do 02 – Red Giant 03 – Systemic Decay 04 – Parasite 05 – Violence Prevails 06 – Prey of Failure 07 – Chokehold 08 – Supremacy 09 – That’s Right, We’re That Spic Band! 10 – 72 Seasons (CD Bonus track – Metallica Cover) 11 – Hear Nothing, Say Nothing (CD Bonus track – Discharge cover)
CHEMICIDE: Frankie – Vocals/guitar Sebastian – Lead guitar Kohke – Bass Chalo – Drums
Discography: Violence Prevails 2025 (Listenable) Common Sense 2022 Inequality 2019 The Act Of Retaliation 2017 Episodes Of Insanity 2016 Radioactive Annihilation 2010
January 31, 2025, PORTLAND – Red Fang kicks off their 20th-anniversary celebrations with the March 14 release of Deep Cuts, an extensive 26-song collection of non-album tracks, covers, and previously unreleased singles.
A preview of the album arrives today with the release of “It’s Always There” (https://orcd.co/redfang-deepcuts), a track from the deluxe version of Whales and Leeches. “I remember really liking the melancholic vibe of ‘It’s Always There,’ but Aaron and I had no vocal ideas coming to mind,” recalls Bryan Giles. “When I lived in San Diego, I became friendly with Pall Jenkins, and was always a fan of Three mile Pilot and The Black Heart Procession, so it was exciting for me to enlist his help bringing the song to life. I think he did a really beautiful job on it!”
Deep Cuts also includes several covers, such as the Wipers’ “Over The Edge,” and Tubeway Army’s “Listen To Sirens,” along with rare Red Fang originals like “Antidote” (from the mobile game, “Red Fang: Headbang!”) and “Wires (demo),” which makes its vinyl debut.
“Perhaps unremarkable to anyone else, it’s fucking amazing to me that we have made it TWENTY YEARS,” Aaron Beam shares. “Before we started jamming in John Sherman’s basement, I’d already been in 40 (maybe more!) bands, none of which lasted more than a year or two. Yet somehow in 2005, for the first time since probably 1987 I found myself without any band to play in. It turned out this was also true of John, David, and Bryan! So it was only natural that we’d start playing together.
All we ever wanted to do was make music that we knew our friends would be stoked to hear at a basement party. Our first show was in David’s basement, and no matter how big the stages were that we ended up playing, we always tried to bring as much of that basement party feeling as we could.
In that regard, this double album feels very much at home. It’s got a sampling of the weird variety of covers that reflect the different shit that inspire us. The computer drum-laden home demo for ‘Wires’ gives a little peek into the process that we pretty rarely but sometimes used for writing (more often than not, all the writing happened in the jam space). There’s of course a generous helping of rare B-sides and bonus tracks that might be hard to find even in today’s digital world. And there’s even a smattering of pretty atypical GarageBand demos that are some of my favorite things to listen to on this record. They could probably never make a regular Red Fang release, but really let you see what is going on in our heads when we’re not banging them!
Please enjoy this record that we are happy to have made for you.”
1. Antidote (from the “Red Fang: Headbang!” mobile game)
2. The Shadows (from Scion AV Presents – Red Fang)
3. Murder The Mountains (bonus track from Whales and Leeches Deluxe Version)
4. Weird Poly *
5. Hollow Light *
6. Over The Edge (Wipers’ cover)
7. Listen To The Sirens (Tubeway Army cover)
8. Stereo Nucleosis (from the Adult Swim Singles Series)
9. Black Hole (bonus track from Murder the Mountains Deluxe Digital Version)
10. Through (No Talent cover)
11. Champ Chugger **
12. Ice Ice Baby *
13. It’s Always There (bonus track from Whales and LeechesDeluxe Version)
14. Black Water (bonus track from Whales and Leeches Deluxe Version)
15. Pawn Everything (bonus track from Murder the MountainsDeluxe Digital Version)
16. Wires (Demo)
17. In 5 With Keys *
18. Bad Places (Played on the band’s first U.S. tour, one of the first ever Red Fang songs)
19. Forgot To Write *
20. Endless Sea (from the Spelljams soundtrack)
21. Suicide (Dust cover)
22. OMG OMD *
23. LSP (from “Wires” single)
24. 50’s Tremors **
25. AGB Fruit **
26. Feeder (bonus track from Only Ghosts Deluxe Version)
*-Written/recorded during the pandemic lockdowns at the band’s practice space
**- Songs recorded at Aaron’s house “almost certainly while legally high on marijuana”
Photo credit: James Rexroad
Red Fang is Aaron Beam (bass, vocals, guitar, keyboards), Bryan Giles (guitar, vocals, synthesizers, happy accidents), John Sherman (drums) and David Sullivan (guitars). Over their 20-year career the Portland, Oregon based band has released five studio albums: Red Fang (2009), Murder the Mountains (2011), Whales and Leeches (2013), Only Ghosts (2016), and Arrows (2021). Their music videos have captivated a generation of heavy music fans, racking up tens of millions of views. From the beer-can armor of “Prehistoric Dog” to Fred Armisen’s cameo in the zombie-themed “Blood Like Cream,” and the katana-gone-wrong chaos of Arrows,” Red Fang has mastered the art of the music video like no other band.
Two legendary titans of the extreme metal scene – IGGOR CAVALERA (Cavalera, Petbrick, ex-Sepultura) and SHANE EMBURY (Napalm Death, Dark Sky Burial) – join forces for a unique split album through long-running UK-based Cold Spring Records, who has specialized in releasing esoteric, dark ambient, industrial, and other forms of ominous underground music since 1990. Brooding dark ambient, industrial strength noise, and heavy synth-laden electronics, create what feels like the lost soundtrack to some dystopian fever dream on Neon Gods / Own Your Darkness.
Setting the tone for this double-headed behemoth with creeping, cinematic dark ambience, IGGOR CAVALERA‘s side-long “Neon Gods” unfolds into a brutal sonic nightmare. Equal measures of dread and anguish come together with the occasional reprieve of slow, pulsating drones and almost meditative waves of static. The crescendo of harsh industrial noise with heavy death industrial vocalization is nothing short of pummeling.
CAVALERA reveals, “‘Neon Gods’ is a bit of a sonic trip, with different layers of atmospheric vibrations, from darkness to light. It’s an absolute pleasure to do this split release with Shane; I believe we share a lot of similar ideas when it comes to opening our mind to different styles of sounds”
The other half of the record, SHANE EMBURY‘s “Own Your Darkness” merges menacing, pitch-black dark ambient and hypnotic bass swells with celestial synth lines that subtly lurk around the peripheries. Rising and falling, ebbing and flowing, until finally the all-encompassing apocalyptic bleakness, the enveloping darkness, closes in around you.
EMBURY writes, “Iggor and I have been good friends for decades and this is a record very different for us both but amazing! A very interesting track to make, it was my first experiment with the Solar 42 – an excellent synth for those eternal drones of despair – and I was assisted by my longtime colleague, Russ Russell. As I journey ever onward in through my individuation it’s imperative that I own my own darkness… hence the title. We all need to strive for balance and to kindle a light in the darkness of being.”
Preview excerpts from IGGOR CAVALERA and SHANE EMBURY’s Neon Gods / Own Your Darkness RIGHT HERE.
Cold Spring Records will release Neon Gods / Own Your Darkness digitally, on CD, and on 180-gram vinyl – the latter with both Black and limited White variants – on March 21st. Preorders are currently available at the label webshop HERE and Bandcamp HERE.
New Video/Single Now Playing + Preorders Available
After thirteen years of silence, an unsettling sound that is strangely familiar yet somehow even more haunted re-emerges from the Arkansas depths. There is no mistake as to what this is. RWAKE has released a new transmission. The Return Of Magik, set for release on March 14th via Relapse Records, has arrived.
Years have now fed into an album that reaches into a swirling, cosmic unknown – RWAKE has grown, and the perspective of the material has shifted accordingly. Overwhelming at its peak and haunting during moments of respite, The Return Of Magik is undeniably RWAKE.
Every movement feels like an emotionally engrossing journey. Arrangements carefully and thoughtfully built in layers over a period of years lend mystique and a feeling of building toward a cathartic release. There is no box into which the material might fit other than one with the band’s name on it.
Today, the band shares the official video for the album’s title track.
Watch RWAKE’s “The Return Of Magik” video, directed by Nouvel Photo & Film, on YouTube HERE. Stream the track HERE.
The Return Of Magik will be released on CD, LP, and digital formats. Find preorders at Relapse.com HERE.
The Return Of Magik Track Listing:
You Swore We’d Always Be Together
The Return Of Magik
With Stardust Flowers
Distant Constellations And The Psychedelic Incarceration
In After Reverse
Φ
Additionally, RWAKE has announced their first shows of 2025 around the release of The Return Of Magik – including a hometown release show on March 15th.
RWAKE: C.T. – vocals, words, theme Reid – bass guitars, distortion John – guitars, lap + pedal steel, 12-string bass Austin – guitars Brittany – energy peddler, keys and a microphone Jeff – drums, acoustic guitar, 12-string bass
* “…Psychedelic Incarceration” written and spoken by Jim “Dandy” Mangrum, February 17th, 2024 in Black Oak, Arkansas.
Recorded in early 2024 at East End Sounds in Hensley, Arkansas, The Return Of Magik introduces RWAKE’s new lead guitarist Austin Sublett with a barrage of shredded solos suited to the angular, progressive metal riffing of the album’s most jaw-clenching moments, while presenting a through-line of molten, immersive ambience.
The opener “You Swore We’d Always Be Together” – already a fixture of live sets – and the expansive sprawl of “Distant Constellations And The Psychedelic Incarceration” move with cruelty and grace alike. Foreboding, syncopated riffs sway against Moog-driven space and guttural bellows. The Return Of Magik’s songs stand alone as individualized post-metallic blends of genres.
RWAKE remains dually fronted; Chris Terry’s powerful vocals lay against Brittany Fugate’s visceral screams. Jeff Morgan returns to the drum kit, in addition to acoustic guitar and 12-string bass. Bassist/noisemaker Reid Raley, Sublett, and fellow guitarist John Judkins set an instrumental backdrop that is vast and engrossing in itself – quiet, contemplative passages often explode into gut-wrenching, doomed out distortions. The Return Of Magik, which features artwork by Loni Gillum of Minerva’s Menagerie and RWAKE, burns brighter and beyond the ferocity of the band’s already storied catalog.
Although the Magik may be bleak, the manner in which RWAKE revels in it can only be called a celebration.
Out Now And Streaming Everywhere On Creator-Destructor Records
Richmond, Virginia-based death metal quintet BLAZING TOMB today releases a new EP, Singles From The Tomb, out now and streaming everywhere through Creator-Destructor Records.
BLAZING TOMB appeared on the radar of extreme music fans upon the release of their eponymous debut EP in 2022 via Creator-Destructor. Having honed their attack over the past several years, their second release hits with more devastation than its predecessor. Singles From The Tomb delivers three merciless new tracks, infusing an old-school death metal assault influenced by Bolt Thrower, Obituary, and Cannibal Corpse, fueled with the aggression of Merauder, Cold As Life, and 100 Demons.
photos by Stephen Kline
BLAZING TOMB’s Singles From The Tomb was engineered, produced, and mixed at Soul Craft Audio by Jordan Faett (Mutually Assured Destruction, Evade, Killing Pace), co-produced by Alex Young, mastered by Arthur Rizk (Power Trip, Cavalera Conspiracy, Tomb Mold), and completed with artwork by @no.power__, and the track “Tortured Minds” features guest vocals by Knox Colby (Enforced).
photos by Stephen Kline
The band states, “Richmond, Virginia possesses a strong tradition as a breeding ground for powerful heavy metal, hardcore, and punk rock. With Singles From The Tomb, we sought to continue its legacy of aggression, while forging our own path, yet still drawing inspiration from seminal bands like Bolt Thrower and Merauder. These songs are a preview of the sonic onslaught that will come with the full-length BLAZING TOMB album, soon to be unleashed upon the world.”
Stream BLAZING TOMB’s Singles From The Tomb everywhere including Bandcamp HERE and find the 7” vinyl at the Creator-Destructor label shop HERE.
BLAZING TOMB: Ethan Thomas – vocals/lyrics Danny Prock – bass, lyrics Nick Morris – drums Josh Fransisco – lead guitar Chris Miller – guitar
Oulu (FI) – Get ready for some true, underground classic Finnish metal! Gates of Hell Records are proud to announce the forthcoming release of Caballero‘s self-titled debut album on March 7 in North America (Feb. 21 in Europe). The album will be available on cassette, vinyl, and digital formats.
Caballero’s triumphant debut blends old-school metal mastery with timeless power metal, reminiscent of early Jag Panzer, Judas Priest and Omen!
The origins of Finland’s Caballero trace back to 2009 when vocalist/guitarist Aguirre and drummer Pizarro teamed up to play metal in the vein of Brocas Helm, Manilla Roadand Cirith Ungol. However, their first iteration was short-lived. After writing a handful of songs and playing one gig, Caballero was placed in hibernation mode until Aguirre got the urge to resurrect his compositions and properly record them. Bassist Alvarado joined the fold, a full-length album was written and a deal with Gates of Hell Records was summoned. Now, in 2025, Caballero makes its proper entrance into the metal underground with their self-titled debut album.
Recorded in July 2024 at Soundmix Studios in Oulu, Finland and produced by Mika Pohjola, Caballero, with the exception of the majority of the vocals, was tracked during a single weekend. Furthermore, the songs were played live in the studio, except for solos and one additional track of rhythm guitars. Also adding to the album’s luster, the vocals and the mixing were done during a number of sessions that usually started around midnight and finished in the early morning hours, nearly causing some of the band members to die of sleep deprivation in the process. (No members of Caballero were harmed while making this album!)
Caballero does indeed feature songs that stretch back to 2009 and 2010, including “Caballero,” “The Moor-Slayer,” and roughly half of “Lightning Conquest.” Yet the bulk of the album features material from the current formation of Caballero composed from 2020 to 2023, which helps account for its dark, obscure brand of power metal that capably blends the likes of early Jag Panzer, Tyrant and Omen with the aforementioned trio of Brocas Helm, Manilla Road and Cirith Ungol.
The album’s seven cuts conceptually tie together the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, drawing from that exact point in history as well as Aztec mythology. Ultimately, though, the songs are about warfare, which can be seen as a divine calling and a route to immortality for the brutal warriors on both sides of the conflict. Engla Jansson created the artwork. The central figure is Mictlantecuhtli, the Aztec God of Death, looming over the two sides of the conflict, which captures an essential part of what the album is about.
Over 15 years in the making, Caballero instantly places themselves in league with fellow Finnish classic metal underground heroes Chevalier, Emissary and Lord Fist. If this description from Aguirre doesn’t whet your appetite, nothing will: this album sounds like a battlefield, smells of blood and sweat and torments you with terrors both physical and metaphysical.
Track Listing:
The Moor-Slayer
Caballero
Sorcery Above the Lake of the Water Dog
Lightning Conquest 5/ Mortally Wounded, Counting the Galaxies
Massachusetts’s AVERSED share more new music from their forthcoming album. Today, the group’s new digital single and music video “Lucid Decapitation” makes its way online, showcasing their intense, progressive, and blistering performance:
“In 1905, French physician Dr. Jacques Beaurieux performed an experiment on prisoners condemned to die by guillotine. Immediately after his subjects were decapitated, he called out their names seeking to determine to what extent and for how long consciousness remained in their detached skulls,” explains drummer Jeff Saltzman. “In ‘Lucid Decapitation,’ we explore the horrifying prospect of being subjected to such a test, and our world’s hunger for knowledge, regardless of the cost. What does it feel like to be a head, detached from your body? Can science ever be justified in performing such grisly experiments?”
Interesting themes for an interesting album that takes extreme, gothic and melodic death metal inspirations and builds them to create something uniquely AVERSED. “Lucid Decapitation” follows up “Cross To Bear” https://youtu.be/lUatQbOXUlU which weaved wondrous awe with righteous anger and left fans anxious for more new music.
Erasure of Color will be in stores and online March 21, 2025 and pre-orders are now available on CD, limited-edition (300) smoke colored vinyl and exclusive limited (100) cassette at https://lnk.to/aversed
Packaged with intriguing artwork from Adam Burke (Unto Others, Gatecreeper, Cloak) of Nightjar Illustration, and self-produced by guitarists Alden Marchand and Sungwoo Jeong with orchestrations composed/arranged by Vikram Shankar (Redemption, Silent Skies, Pain Of Salvation), the album is mixed by AJ Viana (Wormhole, Hath, Cognitive) and mastered by Brad Boatright (Code Orange, Obituary, 200 Stab Wounds) at Audiosiege.
AVERSED formed in Boston with guitarist Sungwoo Jeong and bassist Martin Epstein remaining the sole members from the early days. By 2016, with the additions of drummer Jeff Saltzman (now also of Allegaeon) and guitarist Alden Marchand, the band released their impactful EP, ‘Renewal,’ demonstrating their ambition and future promise. Their blend of extreme instrumentation and tender melodicism was highlighted with 2021’s full-length CD, ‘Impermanent,’ displaying further growth, musicianship and potential.
Now joined by Sarah Hartman on vocals, AVERSED are armed with a new album full of rage and yearning. Erasure of Color presents a glimpse of hope and beauty on a backdrop of raging, mournful Gothic Extreme Metal.
After terrorizing stages all over europe with Baest & Benighted, COFFIN FEEDER releases “Porkshop Express,” a brand-new single taken from the Big Trouble full length debut . The band features members of Aborted, Leng Tch’e, Fleddy Melculy honed their unique & energetic blend of death metal, grind, deathcore and hardcore, branded as a tribute to the great action movies of the 80’s & 90’s. It features Julien Truchan of Benighted as a featured guest .
This ode to John Carpenter‘s Big Trouble in Little China is a furious onslaught of deadly blasts and grooves produced by the infamous Dave Otero (Cattle Decapitation, Shadow of Intent, Archspire).
“Porkshop Express” is Out now on all platforms HERE – taken from COFFIN FEEDERBig Trouble debut album due for release on April 25, 2025.WATCH HERE
COFFIN FEEDER Big Trouble – tracklisting: 1) There will be Trouble 00:56 2) Porkchop Express 2:57 3) If it Bleeds 3:10 4) The Destroyer 3:02 5) Love at First Death 3:18 6) Plain Zero 3:29 7) OBEY 2:32 8) Get to the Party 3:25 9) Let Off some Steam 3:48 10) H.I.S.S. 1:44 11) A Good Day to Die 3:28 12) The Wrong Arm of the Law 3:22
BAND LINE UP: Sven De Caluwe: Vocals Bart Govers: Guitar/vocals Jeroen Camerlynck: Guitar/vocals Jan Halbert: Bass Siebe Hermans: Drums
DISCOGRAPHY: Plug It In Single 2022 Stereo Homicide EP 2022 Dead or Alive Single 2022 A Good Supply of Body Bags Single 2022 Over the Top EP 2022 Big Trouble 2025 (Listenable)
Horror Pain Gore Death Productions are set to release the new album from Tokyo Japan’s Grinding Death/Thrash guitarist Kosuke Hashida. Outrage is up now for pre-order and will be released February 14th on CD and Digital formats along with merch.
Hailing from Tokyo Japan, Kosuke Hashida previously played guitar for the Japanese band World End Man, as well as performing live guitar duties in Abysmal Dawn. Outragepresents 11 brutal tracks blending Death Metal, Thrash Metal and Grindcore, showcasing skillful extreme aggression and vicious calculated speed on this monstrous album of hatefilled anger and brutality.
For fans of Brutal Truth, Lock Up, Napalm Death, Nasum, No/Más, Pig Destroyer, Repulsion, Rotten Sound, Slayer, Terrorizer and Wormrot.
Los Angeles (CA) – Doom/Thrash trio THE CIMMERIAN set a crushing tone for the new year with today’s release of An Age Undreamed Of…, the band’s first full-length album! This rogue set conjures images of high adventure and mayhem with an aggressive mix of sludgy-based rumblings, caustic fuzz-filled riffs, and sonorous war drumming that recalls High on Fire, among others.
THE CIMMERIAN: Bass/vocals: Nicolas Rocha Guitars: David Gein Drums: David Morales
The groundwork for THE CIMMERIAN was laid in 2021 by guitarist David Gein and bassist Nicholas Rocha, two-thirds of crossover thrash group Septik Onslaught. The two were writing what would become the band’s first EP when a Craigslist ad brought drummer David Morales – armed with unyielding energy and a bag of Halloween candy to the fold.
THE CIMMERIAN delivers a wall of sound that draws inspiration from the likes of Motörhead, Black Sabbath, Venom, and Gates of Slumber. Lyrical themes informed by a deep understanding of world history, mythology, and historical literature weave throughout this chainmail tapestry.
The band released their debut EP, Thrice Majestic, in the summer of 2022. By early 2023, they returned to Robert Frank’s Minor Chord Studio to record the two-track cassette/digital release, Sword & Sorcery Vol. I.
Follow THE CIMMERIAN, for it is Crom’s will. If you don’t – to hell with you!
Track Listing:
1) Shadow Kingdom 2) Neck Breaker of The Mountain 3) Silver and Gold 4) Darkwolf 5) Mournblade 6) Black Coast Tigris 7) Deathstalker 8) Monarch
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!
Metal Odyssey's Rock, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Hall of Fame! These Are The Rock And METAL Legends Wrongfully Ignored By "The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame"
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