Allegaeon are co-headlining the USA and Canada with Warbringer on The Vortex of Violence Tour. Support will be Skeletal Remains and Summoning The Lich:
March 18 – San Diego, CA @ Brick by Brick March 19 – Phoenix, AZ @ Last Exit Live March 20 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad March 21 – Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th Street Collective March 22 – Haltom City, TX @ Haltom Theater March 23 – Austin, TX @ Come and Take it Live March 24 – Corpus Christi, TX @ House of Rock March 26 – Orlando, FL @ Conduit March 27 – Jacksonville, NC @ Hooligan’s March 28 – Bensalem, PA @ Broken Goblet March 29 – Brooklyn, NY @ Woodshop March 30 – Montreal, QC @ Foufounes Electriques March 31 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison April 1 – Detroit, MI @ The Sanctuary April 2 – Chicago, IL @ Reggies April 3 – Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck April 4 – Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theater April 5 – Denver, CO @ HQ April 6 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall April 8 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon April 9 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre April 10 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater April 11 – San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge April 12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
NORTH AMERICAN I WANT BLOOD TOUR KICKS OFF TONIGHT
January 31, 2025 – Niagara Falls, Ontario – Jerry Cantrell kicks off his first North American tour in support of his recently released album, I Want Blood, tonight in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The tour launch coincides with the arrival of a deluxe version of the nine-track collection (listen here).
Featuring spoken word versions of each of the songs on I Want Blood, the Cantrell narrated pieces also feature their own unique score with contributions from producer Joe Barresi, engineer Maxwell Urasky, Greg Puciato (Better Lovers, The Black Queen), Roy Mayorga (Ministry), Gil Sharone (Stolen Babies, Team Sleep), Rani Sharone (Stolen Babies), George Adrian (The Maybirds), composer Vincent Jones, and producer Michael Rozon. An animated video series featuring graphics from Boy Tillekens can be viewed here.
“I wanted to do something special and I’ve never done a spoken word recitation of the lyrics, and I thought it might be kind of cool to have it on the B-side of ‘Vilified,’” Cantrellrecalls in a recent interview with Scott Lipps. “I thought maybe it needs some music or something, and I was sitting there with Maxwell Urasky, my demo partner. He’s a really talented musician, and he said ‘Let me mess around with it for a night.’ He came back the next day with that piece of music, and it sounded killer. I brought it in to Joe Barresi and he said, ‘Man, you should do this with all of them.’ I got this creative stew going of sending the lyrics out to people, having them come up with the music, and sending it back. We ended up with nine pieces of really interesting takes on the lyrics, but the music is done by creative partners of mine, and it has nothing to do with the real music, so it is truly a standalone piece.”
I Want Blood was recorded at Barresi’s JHOC Studio in Pasadena, Calif., and features contributions from Duff McKagan (Guns N’Roses), Mike Bordin (Faith No More), Robert Trujillo (Metallica), Greg Puciato (Better Lovers, ex-Dillinger Escape Plan), Gil Sharone (Team Sleep, Stolen Babies), and Lola Colette.
January 31 Niagara Falls, ON Fallsview Casino Resort February 1 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom February 2 Portland, ME Aura February 4 Boston, MA Citizens House of Blues Boston February 5 New York, NY Irving Plaza February 7 Silver Spring, MD The Fillmore – Silver Spring February 8 Bensalem, PA Parx Xcite Center February 11 Huntington, NY The Paramount February 12 Norfolk, VA The NorVa February 14 Raleigh, NC The Ritz February 15 Atlanta, GA Buckhead Theatre February 16 Louisville, KY Mercury Ballroom February 18 Columbus, OH The Bluestone February 19 Indianapolis, IN Murat Egyptian Room at Old National Centre February 22 St. Louis, MO The Hawthorn February 23 Chicago, IL The Vic Theatre February 25 Tulsa, OK Tulsa Theater February 26 Houston, TX House of Blues Houston February 27 San Antonio, TX The Aztec Theatre March 1 Mesa, AZ The Nile Theater March 2 Las Vegas, NV House of Blues Las Vegas March 4 Los Angeles, CA The Belasco March 5 Ventura, CA The Majestic Ventura Theater March 7 Spokane, WA Knitting Factory – Spokane March 8 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom March 9 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre
May 31 Padua, IT Hall June 1 Milan, IT Magazzini Generali June 4 Krakow, PL Mystic Festival June 6 Berlin, DE Columbia Theater June 7 Nüremberg, DE Rock im Park June 8 Nürnberg, DE Rock am Ring June 10 Zagreb, HR The Culture Factory June 12 Nickelsdorf, AT Nova Rock Festival June 13 Hradec Kralove, CZ Rock The People June 14 – 15 Donington Park, UK Download Festival June 17 London, UK O2 Forum Kentish Town June 19 Amsterdam, NL Melkweg June 20 Dessel, BE Graspop Metal Meeting June 22 Clisson, FR Hellfest Open Air Festival June 24 Paris, FR La Machine du Moulin Rouge June 25 Nijmegen, NL Doornroosje June 26 Hamburg, DE Gruenspan June 28 Oslo, NO Tons of Rock
Tickets are available now at jerrycantrell.com/tour. Filter opens on all North American dates.
Photo credit: Nick Fancher
Jerry Cantrell is an iconic American troubadour, celebrated for his distinctive guitar playing, soulful vocals and profound songwriting. Known for his work in both Alice In Chains and as a solo artist, the GRAMMY nominated musician has sold in excess of 30 million albums, has been named one of the greatest guitar players of all time by both Guitar World and Rolling Stone, and has been instrumental in shaping the sound of modern rock music.
Over his career, he has released six studio albums with Alice in Chains, three solo full-lengths, has had his music featured in films from Cameron Crowe, Judd Apatow and Ben Stiller and made cameos in “Deadwood” and “Jerry Maguire.”
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.
OBITUARY – Celebrating 35 Years Cause Of Death W/ NAILS, Terror, Spirit World, Pest Control:
Apr 18 – San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theatre Apr 19 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater Apr 21 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater Apr 22 – Mesa, AZ @ The Nile Theater Apr 24 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues Apr 25 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues Apr 26 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Bellwether Apr 27 – Berkeley, CA @ The UC Theatre Apr 29 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater Apr 30 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox May 02 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot May 03 – Denver, CO @ The Oriental Theater May 05 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater May 06 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues May 07 – Detroit, MI @ The Majestic Theatre May 09 – Montreal, QC @ Club Soda May 10 – Toronto, ON @ The Concert Hall May 11 – Columbus, OH @ Sonic Temple May 12 – New Kensington, PA @ Perversing Underground May 14 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl May 15 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade May 19 – Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom May 20 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel May 22 – Maspeth, NY @ Knockdown Center May 24 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium May 25 – Reading, PA @ Reverb
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.
Stephen Pearcy RATT founder lead singer; “Never say never, right? There was no question when the idea was brought up doing something with Warren again. It wasn’t even a thought, it’s time, let’s do this. “Pearcy / De Martini” back in the cellar, let’s go! Let’s break the ice, with the utmost respect and do what we do best together, play RATT music. It’ll seem like yesterday instead of years when we’re back onstage regardless. It’s time to RATT n’ Roll again, even if it’s a double shot. It’s about the bands legacy. I know what we can do as a team, and that’s writing great songs and Kickin’ some ass onstage. It’s only appropriate that the first show in years is at M3 2025. It’s a great event. You’re getting ALL the RATT hits and more, let the “Invasion Celebration” begin. Never say never, right”? M3 Rock Festival officialstephenpearcy.com #sepwarnd #2025Ready #80s #rattnroll
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.
North Texas metal sensation WARHOG is set to dominate the airwaves once again with the release of their powerful new single, “Unleash The Beast.” This track, accompanied by a compelling lyric video, is now available on all major streaming platforms.
The band passionately shares, “‘Unleash the Beast’ is a heavy metal anthem inspired by the Book of Revelation and today’s deepening social divide. With thunderous riffs and raw vocals, it captures the tension between the powerful elite and the oppressed masses. This track is a searing commentary on inequality, corruption, and the apocalyptic unraveling of our world. A call to confront the chaos and unite before it’s too late.”
Formed in early 2020, WARHOG quickly adapted to the challenges of the pandemic, creating music that fused their intense creative energies with the possibilities of remote collaboration. The band’s latest release not only showcases their signature driving, rhythmic riffs and melodic, storytelling vocals but also breaks new ground with its cinematic and genre-blending sound. WARHOG’s mission continues to be about breaking barriers in heavy music and bringing their theatrical and atmospheric sound to a broad audience.
January 24, 2024, Bergen, Norway – Wardruna‘s new album, Birna, is available today (listen here). Birna, translating to the she-bear in Old Norse, is a work of art dedicated to the warden of the forest, nature’s caretaker. The group has simultaneously released the film: “Live at the Acropolis,” which was recorded at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Acropolis, Athens.
Einar Selvik comments on the release of Birna: “Today is the release of our sixth album, Birna– a sonic journey into the woodland realms of the bear and its cyclic life rhythm. It is very much a conceptual album that is perhaps best experienced when listened to from beginning to end. If you wish to dive even further into the deeper meanings of the songs but don’t understand the language, then please know that our albums always include a booklet including lyrics translated into English. Give it a listen and let us know what you think.”
Photo credit: Morten Munthe
A six-song exploration of the bear and the cyclical process embedded both in nature and the worldview of older cultures, drives the creative process behind the album.
Birna nurtures the insight that has been at the core of Selvik’s philosophy right from the start: sowing new seeds whilst strengthening old roots. Instruments and wisdom from ancient times, coupled with modern day soundscapes and recorded sounds of nature, provide a rare opportunity to tell us something valuable about ourselves. It works as a reminder that we are part of nature, not above it, and it offers a way of remembering, not for memory’s own sake, but to gain both new and forgotten insights.
Wardruna on the February cover of Decibel Magazine
Birna seeks to address the here and now and the way forward. “The more I thought, read, and researched, the more I realized that this album should mainly have a contemporary focus. Unraveling the long and entangled history of the relationship between man and Bear and contemplating the present state of how we humans relate to the wild in general,” Selvik adds.
Birna and “Live at the Acropolis” is available on limited-edition vinyl, CD and digitally.
Wardruna tour dates:
January 25 Sydney, AU Enmore Theatre January 27 Brisbane, AU Fortitude Music Hall January 30 Auckland, NZ Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre
Special guest Jo Quail on March UK and IE dates
March 17 Liverpool, UK Philharmonic March 18 Birmingham, UK Symphony Hall March 19 London, UK Royal Albert Hall March 21 Bristol, UK Beacon March 22 York, UK Barbican March 23 Dublin, IE Olympia Theatre March 25 Glasgow, UK SEC Armadillo
April 26 Oslo, NO Operaen SOLD OUT April 27 Oslo, NO Operaen SOLD OUT April 29 Trondheim, NO Olavshallen May 2 Kristiansand, NO Kilden May 3 Stavanger, NO Konserthuset May 4 Bergen, NO Grieghallen
June 7 Reykjavik, IS Harpa July 25 to 27 Red Eagle Campground (Cut Bank), MT Fire In The Mountains July 30 to August 30 Rasnov, RO Rockstadt Extreme Fest
The Comalaska Tour: Apr 29 Baltimore Soundstage – Baltimore, MD Apr 30 House of Blues – Cleveland, OH May 1 Elevation – Grand Rapids, MI May 2 Granada Theater – Lawrence, KS May 3 Waiting Room – Omaha, NE May 5 Sunshine Theater – Albuquerque, NM May 6 Rialto Theatre – Tucson, AZ May 7 The Belasco – Los Angeles, CA May 8 The Observatory – San Diego, CA May 9 Ace of Spades – Sacramento, CA May 11 The Grand @ The Complex – Salt Lake City, UT May 13 The Black Sheep – Colorado Springs, CO May 15 The Vanguard – Tulsa, OK May 16 Delmar Hall – St. Louis, MO May 17 Milwaukee Metal Fest – Milwaukee, WI (No PTH/Different Set) May 18 Deluxe at Old National Center – Indianapolis, IN May 19 The Orange Peel – Asheville, NC May 21 The NorVa – Norfolk, VA May 23 House of Independents – Asbury Park, NJ May 24 Preserving – New Kensington, PA
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
“Moloch” is the second single from BENTHIC’s Lifeforce Records debut album Sanguine, which is set to be released on February 28th (Vinyl LP March 15th).
Consisting of two guitars, bass, drums and a powerful singer, BENTHIC are playing a mixture of powerful post-hardcore and grooving metal with sustaining melodies. Dark guitar walls and angry roars are constantly being broken down to give room for emotions. An association with the elemental forces of maritime nature in all its beauty and brutality.
The band, featuring founding member Sebastian Formella of long-defunct German metalcore act DESTINY aka THE DESTINY PROGRAM and Siegmar Holzfuß of progressive rock act EDEN CIRCUS, was formed in Hamburg in 2012.
After a long period of writing, countless rehearsals and a few line-up changes, they finally joined as BENTHIC in 2014. Their debut EP called “THE MESS” was released in 2016.
After a long break, BENTHIC now has found a new label home at LIFEFORCE RECORDS and will be back in February with the first full-length “SANGUINE”
With this work, which has matured in complexity and arrangements, BENTHIC wants to create new horizons and is looking forward to future large and small stages of this world.
TRACK LIST:
Sanguine Moloch Murmur Pitch and Tar The Stranger The Living Torch All Is Vanity Faded Godot Sanguine Pt. II
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.
Photo Credit – Kat Dydyk L-R – Ahmed Saad (Drums), Stephen Reynolds (Bass, Vocals), Costa Skoulikas (Guitar), Chris Nascimben (Guitar)
Canadian thrashers MUTANK have their next headbanging video for fans to check out for their track “Abortron” from their latest album Think Before You Think released this past November from Boonsdale Records.
Band members comment about the track: Costa: “Elon Musk is jealous he didn’t invent this robot who sucks the lives out of your uterus!” Stephen: “The lyrics for Abortron are disgusting and no one should read them.”
After a short hiatus, MUTANK has exploded back on the thrash scene with their new albumThink Before You Think to followthehighly praised 2017 EPW.H.A.T.S.T.H.A.T also released on Boonsdale Records and was named by Metal Injection as “1 of 8 Hidden Gems in Canadian Metal You Need To Know” (Read here).This new full-length features a rampage of ten thrash happy tracks with fan favourites such as “Running Reds”, “Abortron”, and “Thrash Primordial”.
“We want this album to energize people and make them feel the way we do when we listen to some of our favourite artists. This album is the most material we have ever put out! 50 minutes of pure metal across 10 tracks. The songs really picked themselves as we kept writing tracks we really enjoyed playing. This is Thrash for Metalheads by Metalheads! We have evolved from crossover to a more refined thrash band with longer and more intricate songs, it can be a bit proggy… The level of seriousness in songwriting is evident on this new record.” adds the band.
With a passion for classic thrash and a desire to play radical riffs, MUTANK made a big impression on the Canadian metal scene in 2014 with their debut EP M.E.C.H METAL and being declared champions of the Wacken Metal Battle Canada to garner them a performance at Wacken Open Air (Live Video – https://youtu.be/yQrLaG8BPL4). By 2017, the band took their distinctive sound and hit the road to tour across Canada supporting ANNIHILATOR alongside Australia’s MASON.
Track Listing: 1. Illuminatus – 6:14 2. Payback – 5:24 3. All Against All – 4:43 4. Channel Change – 5:11 5. Bad Magnitude – 5:30 6. Abortron – 3:37 7. Groundbreaker – 2:08 8. Metalheads For Hire – 5:37 9. Running Reds – 6:27 10. Thrash Primordial – 4:40 Album Length: 49:38
Kicking off 2025, MUTANK plans to be a tour de force, hitting moshpits everywhere and anywhere in support ofThink Before You Think.
Recommended for fans of D.R.I., Suicidal Tendencies, Havok, Megadeth, Overkill, and Exodus, Think Before You Think is available at the following links:
March 07, 2025 will see French heavy rockers OVERDRIVERS release their much-awaited, third studio offering, entitled Glory Or Nothing, via ROAR (Grave Digger, Mystic Prophecy, Crematory a.o.). A music video to the band’s high-voltage, new single, “Meet the Monsters”, is now premiering below! To pre-order Glory Or Nothing, visit: https://overdrivers.rpm.link/glorypr
“Welcome to the dark side! ‘Meet the Monsters’ delivers heavy riffs and a sinister beat, born from our love of horror.” Comments the band on their latest single. Crank it up now on all digital streaming services at: https://overdrivers.rpm.link/monsterspr
Since 2015, OVERDRIVERS has been tearing through the Northern Lands like a runaway freight train. Born from nowhere and fueled by pure rock rebellion, these four hard-hitting rockers bring the kind of thunder only cranked-up Marshall amps can deliver. With their amps on blast, they claimed every stage in their path, quickly earning a reputation for leaving chaos and converted fans behind them.
OVERDRIVERS are: Adrien Desquirez – Lead vocals, rhythm guitar Anthony Clay – Lead guitar, backing vocals Florian Morgano – Drums, backing vocals Lion Das Neves – Bass
Once they’d conquered every inch of their homeland, the band set their sights on broader horizons, unleashing their electric storm on Spain and beyond. With relentless, high-voltage shows, Overdrivers brought their raw, headbanging energy to rock lovers everywhere, proving that in the face of their All-Powerful Rock’N’Roll, resistance is futile.
Glory Or Nothing – track listing: 01 – Kings of the Road 02 – Overdrivers 03 – Glory Or Nothing 04 – My Girlfriend Is a Pornstar 05 – Cobra Kai 06 – Guitar Playboy 07 – Bad Breath Girl 08 – Meet the Monsters 09 – Ready for the Rodeo 10 – We Are One 11 – Perfection Is My Name 12 – In Fear, Blood and Fire
Armed with three explosive releases, Rockin’ Hell (2016), She’s On Her Period (2018), and the Rock Out! EP, the band rallied thousands of followers and forged an unbreakable army of die-hard fans.
Now, OVERDRIVERS prepares to release their most powerful weapon yet: Glory Or Nothing. This new album is set to drop like a bombshell, reigniting their worldwide crusade and solidifying their place as a force in modern rock. Brace yourself and get ready to rock. OVERDRIVERS is coming. Louder, fiercer, and more unstoppable than ever!
“We could not be more excited for this show announcement! The 40th anniversary of our debut only happens once, and to fall on Paul Baloff’s birthday, on a Friday, we KNEW we had to crush the Bay Area. Bonded By Blood. Played in its entirety. Only Baloff era songs. Once in a lifetime moment for us. So killer that we added a second show in Southern California to show our appreciation to both regions. Joining us our some dear friends, especially Death Angel. Don’t miss this. Posers must die!”
Artist Presale: Thursday, January 23rd at 10am local – 10pm local (PW: BONDED) Local/promoter/venue presale: Thursday, January 23rd at 10am local – 10pm local Public Onsale: Friday, January 24 at 10am local
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)
CAREER-SPANNING SETLIST TO FEATURE TRACKS FROM TO BE CRUEL
January 21, 2025, NEW YORK – Khanate play their first North American shows in 20 years this spring, with a trio of rare live dates, including headlining performances in Chicago and New York, as well as a featured spot at the Prepare The Ground festival in Toronto.
Khanate tour dates:
May 30 – Chicago, IL Thalia Hall (Jon Mueller opens) June 1 – Toronto, ON Prepare The Ground June 3 – New York, NY (Le) Poisson Rouge (Mick Barr opens)
Tickets are on-sale this Friday, Jan. 24, at 10 am CT/11 am ET via this link: https://bnds.us/lcb8ux.
Photo credit: Ebru Yildiz Khanate: Alan Dubin (vocals), Stephen O’Malley (guitar), James Plotkin (bass) and Tim Wyskida (drums).
In the lead up to the band’s Roadburn 2024 appearance, Khanate shared: “As a collective, Khanate has been silent during our dormancy, but now we will get loud; very loud. We’ll be returning to the stage to explore tension and the elasticity of time. Get dead.”
Reviews from the event noted the band’s “powerful doom intensity” (Louder), their “glacial riffs and unyielding venomous tide of deconstructed doom” (Metal Hammer), and their “immaculate” sound with “new highs and lows of sonic extremism” (Invisible Oranges).
To Be Cruel, the band’s fifth album and first in 14 years, arrived in 2023 via Sacred Bones Records. Stereogum praised the three-song, sixty-plus minute album as “just as uncompromising as their past work,” while SPIN declared the band “more relevant than ever.” In a sprawling Q&A with Decibel, the magazine reflected on the band’s sound: “Even calling them a doom band sells them short. The cramped corner of hell that Khanate takes the listener to, sonically and psychologically, is way beyond doom. It’s doom as a forgone conclusion…”
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