SLEEP TOKEN has released "Damocles", the final single from the band's upcoming album, "Even In Arcadia", due on May 9 via RCA Records. The track delves into the quiet unraveling beneath the surface — where grandeur fades and unspoken battles take center stage. With their signature blend of mystique and vulnerability, "Damocles" captures the weight of unseen struggle and the haunting echo of former glory, inviting listeners to confront what lies beneath the mask.
As the last preview before the album's release, "Damocles" sets the emotional tone for "Even In Arcadia" — a record that navigates identity, inner eclipse, and transcendence with cinematic intensity. The album is expected to push the boundaries of sound and emotion even further, dissolving into something otherworldly. With momentum driven by previous singles "Emergence" and "Caramel" — both of which cracked the Billboard Hot 100 and hit No. 1 on the Hot Hard Rock Songs chart — the band has made history as one of only three artists to replace themselves at the top of the chart since its inception in June 2020. SLEEP TOKEN continues to deliver a refined, expansive sonic journey that deepens their exploration of emotional depth and enigmatic storytelling.
In a unique collaboration with Spotify, the official track listing for "Even In Arcadia" was recently revealed through a series of intriguing puzzles across various social media platforms. This creative, interactive rollout offered fans an immersive experience as they pieced together the album's final track listing, adding to the anticipation surrounding the record's release.
As this next chapter unfolds, the band will embark on its first sold-out arena tour in the U.S. — the "Even In Arcadia" tour — with stops in 17 cities this fall. Promoted by AEG Presents, the "Even In Arcadia" tour will be SLEEP TOKEN's only headline tour in 2025. The band will also make an appearance at the Louder Than Life festival on Friday, September 19.
"Even In Arcadia" track listing:
01. Look To Windward
02. Emergence
03. Past Self
04. Dangerous
05. Caramel
06. Even In Arcadia
07. Provider
08. Damocles
09. Gethsemane
10. Infinite Baths
Formed in London, United Kingdom in 2016, the SLEEP TOKEN members perform under cover of anonymity in cloaks and masks. Only two of the group's pseudonymous members — singer and multi-instrumentalist Vessel and drummer II — are credited as having played or written a note on any of SLEEP TOKEN's three albums so far.
Widely considered one of the biggest rock bands in Britain, SLEEP TOKEN wrapped up a massive U.K. arena tour last December that included two stops at London's O2 Arena.
The members of SLEEP TOKEN have never revealed their true identities and have only done a handful of interviews since forming in 2016.
SLEEP TOKEN masterfully blends epic, emotionally charged anthems with bold, boundary-pushing experimentation that transcends traditional genre limits. With rich layers of atmospheric soundscapes and hauntingly beautiful lyrics, they build an immersive, mystical world where music, emotion, and mythology converge under the being known as Vessel. This world becomes a sacred space for fans to escape, connect, and experience catharsis, fostering deep bonds among those who share in the band's ethos. Their innovative approach has established them as one of the most exciting forces in modern music.
Emerging in 2019 with their debut album "Sundowning", SLEEP TOKEN quickly garnered attention for their unique sound and mysterious persona. Two years later, they achieved mainstream success with their sophomore album, "This Place Will Become Your Tomb", which charted in the U.K. and attracted a growing global following. Their trajectory reached new heights in 2023 with the release of "Take Me Back To Eden", an album that became an international success, topping charts in multiple countries. Notably, standout tracks from "Take Me Back To Eden" have dominated streaming platforms, with "The Summoning" leading the charge. The track became a viral sensation, amassing millions of streams, taking the No. 1 spot on international Spotify viral charts, and earning a feature as a "YouTube Trending Artist On The Rise", appearing on YouTube's homepage and being viewed by millions every day.
With their meteoric rise, SLEEP TOKEN has never played a headline show that didn't sell out. In 2023, Revolver awarded the band both "Artist Of The Year" and "Album Of The Year" for "Take Me Back To Eden", while at the Heavy Music Awards, they took home "Best UK Breakthrough Band" and "Best Album" for the same record. Though notoriously elusive, SLEEP TOKEN's presence in the music world continues to strengthen, with their creativity and mystique drawing increasing attention from both fans and the media, earning praise from outlets like Billboard, Forbes, NME, Revolver and more for their innovative sound and creative vision.
San Francisco Bay Area metallers MACHINE HEAD have released the official music video for their song "Outsider". The clip was filmed during the band's April 17 concert at The Aztec Theatre in San Antonio, Texas. The track is taken from the band's eleventh studio album, "Unatoned", which came out today (Friday, April 25) via Nuclear Blast/Imperium Recordings.
MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn comments: "'Outsider' is an anthem that has kinship with anyone who's had to cut toxic people loose. These last few years, I've had to let go of a lot of relationships, and I know I'm not alone in that. This track is for anyone who's been there."
According to a press release, "Unatoned" is "a testament to momentum, an album honed to its sharpest edge, forged on creative discipline and the hunger to push forward. It drips with melancholy melodies, and yet hammers with bludgeoning riffs, soars with anthemic sing-alongs of love lost and sadness, to bellowing power and undeniable confidence. Eleven albums deep, MACHINE HEAD remain as fierce, relevant, and unstoppable as ever."
Written in motion — on the road, in hotel rooms, and across continents — "Unatoned" reflects the raw energy of their return to the global festival circuit after an 11-year hiatus. The LP was recorded at Robb's Jam Room, Sharkbite Studios and Drop Of Sun Recording between July 2023 and December 2024. The album was produced by Flynn, as well as Zack Ohren, who was also responsible for the engineering. The mixing and mastering was handled by Colin Richardson and Chris Clancy at Audioworks UK, and the mastering of the record was handled by Ted Jensen and his assistant Justin Shturtz. The only exception was the track "Landscape Of Thorns" which was produced by Flynn and Joel Wanasek who was also in charge of mixing the single alongside Zack Ohren. MACHINE HEAD once again tapped Seth Siro Anton to create the album artwork.
"Unatoned" track listing:
01. Landscape Of Thorns
02. Atomic Revelations
03. Unbound
04. Outsider
05. Not Long For This World
06. These Scars Won't Define Us
07. Dustmaker
08. Bonescraper
09. Addicted To Pain
10. Bleeding Me Dry
11. Shards Of Shattered Dreams
12. Scorn
MACHINE HEAD performed "These Scars Won't Define Us" and "Unbound" live for the first time during the kick-off concert of the band's North American tour on April 1 at Revolution Concert House And Event Center in Garden City, Idaho. MACHINE HEAD also played in Spokane, Washington on April 3 before teaming up with IN FLAMES, LACUNA COIL and UNEARTH for another 25 dates across the U.S. and Canada.
Flynn told "The Garza Podcast" about "Unatoned": "My last album was like a huge renaissance for the band. It just was fucking crazy. We headlined Hellfest [in France]. It was our tenth record. It was a concept record. It was the first time we ever did a concept record. Opening track was a 10-minute-long song. It's nuts.
"I'm fortunate enough to have been in this position a handful of times where I now have to follow up this record that is so beloved by fans, by people," he continued. "It's incredibly successful — elevates the band to another level. And everybody wants us to write another concept record. Everybody is just, like, 'You should just make another record like that one.' And I'm, like, 'You can't, because it's never gonna live up.' Nothing's ever gonna live up, because that moment for so many people... Lars [Ulrich of METALLICA] always talked about this — the reason so many people love [METALLICA's] Black Album, it's, like, they lost the virginity to the Black Album. Nothing is ever gonna top that. People lost their virginity to [MACHINE HEAD's] '[Unto] The Locust' or 'The Blackening' or whatever. Nothing's ever gonna top that. That's just life and stuff.
"So with this record, I set some pretty strict parameters around what I could do," Flynn explained. "And I'm not a big believer in talking about the direction of a record. I always feel like even if we have done it in the past, it never panned out. 'Oh, it's gonna be the heaviest or the thrashing' or the whatever, and you've just gotta follow it to wherever it goes… But I did want to put some structure around it. The last record had a bunch of long songs, so I was, like, 'I don't want any song longer than four minutes on this record.' So that was one structure. The other structure is — [I'm a] huge SLAYER fan to the death; [they're] one of my favorite bands, life-changing bands of all times. And one of the most underrated things about SLAYER is their genius use of chord changes — chord changes fucking galore all over every song. [They'd] have, like, three different chord changes in the lead section, and it the way it sets up the chorus or whatever. So I was, like, 'Every song has to have a chord change outside of the typical structure that you would expect.' … At some point it's gotta go to a key change that totally doesn't go with where the rest of the song went. Last thing is that the music in the last chorus had to be different from the music in the first chorus — maybe the drums drop out, maybe the guitars drop out, maybe that's where the key change happens, but something had to be [different]. The lyrics would always be the same. And at first it kind of took me a minute to kind of get into that mindset, like, 'Wow, this is a really challenging way to write,' but it always just became about trimming the fat, trimming the fat, trimming the fat. And in the end what we came up with was 10 songs plus two instrumentals. It's 41 minutes — the shortest album in MACHINE HEAD history. And I'm really proud of this thing. I really feel like we've got a fucking monster on our hands. It's just really unique."
Elaborating on the musical direction of "Unatoned", Robb said: "It's not our heaviest record; I would never say that it's our heaviest record. It's got a lot of melody. The last song on the record is a… I'm a total sucker for the Elton John piano ballad. I love Chris Stapleton… And that last song 'Scorn' is… It's, like, I've been trying to write a piano ballad for four albums in a row now, and I failed four albums in a row. And I finally nailed it with this album. I collaborated with this guy Joel Wanasek. I collaborated with Jordan [Fish], ex-BRING ME THE HORIZON, on the whole album. He actually got a piece on the record, which was really cool — added a really amazing element. I've got a few collaborators, like four guys that I work with, but me and this guy, Joel Wanasek, finally nailed down this piano thing… It was the last song I wrote on the record. And I know a lot of people think I'm super Mr. Libtard, social justice warrior guy and that's just not me, but that's kind of just what people think and the haters think. And I just started writing about — not that — but I just started writing about, I don't believe in Trump, but I think the fucking Democrats are a bunch of spineless fucking pussies. And I don't believe in anything anymore. I believe in myself. And I just wrote all of these lyrics kind of in that mindset. And the last line is, 'The wings of an angel, the heart of a king, the strength of a lion, the power I bring. I've lost faith in everyone, follow no more, my heroes have failed me, they look down on me with their scorn.' And so I took all of that. I was, like, 'I don't have any music, but I really like these lyrics.' So I came in with Zack [Ohren] — Zack's my engineer; he's my producer. He is fucking awesome; he's amazing… And I just picked up a guitar and I just said, 'I'm gonna play four chords here and I'm just gonna make this up as I go. I don't even know what I'm doing. I just wanna sing over this to something.' And I did, and I sang it, and I sang it in two takes. I laid out all the lyrics that I had written that morning. I pulled up some shit on my computer. I got two binders of lyrics. I wrote three and a half binders of lyrics from this record alone — just three and a half binders… And I literally sang the song in two takes, and when I was done, I was, like, 'That song's fucking done.' And it's the last song on the record. And I sent the chords to Joel and I was, like, 'Hey, like, can you make this into sad piano chords and put it together and kind of reverse engineer the rest of the song?' And I've gotta say, I'm so proud of this song. It's definitely kind of the outlier of the record, but I really just feel like it's a special song. And it's kind of something we've never done. And when you've been trying to do something for a long time — 15 years, I've been trying to write a fucking piano song — and it always just sounded too dorky… And it [finally] happened [on this album]."
Flynn also talked about his general approach to creating art with MACHINE HEAD, saying: "I don't know what I'm doing. I'm just trying to write music. Alls I ever wanted to do was just play guitar and write songs and sing and make motherfuckers circle pit and make motherfuckers jump and sing and fucking headbang and go crazy. That's all I've ever wanted to do.
"I'm not a businessman. I don't know what the fucking right decision is," he continued. "I just know the music that I do and where it comes from, and I do know that I'm really, really, really good at that. I know that. I'm not one of these guys who's good at a million fucking things — I'm not — but I do know that I'm really, really good at that. And I just try and focus on that. And I've got a good team of people that help me make decisions now and I feel like we've all got a good head on our shoulders and what MACHINE HEAD needs to be.
"We're not the heaviest band in the world," he added. "We're heavy, but we've been around for 32 years, and motherfuckers like [SUICIDE SILENCE] came along and LORNA SHORE and SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL, and [those bands are] fucking 10 times heavier than we will ever, ever, ever be. I can't sing like that. I don't even wanna try to; it'd be fucking ridiculous to. It would sound stupid for my fucking heavy metal Gandalf ass to be fucking trying to sing like that. We found our lane and we're super lucky that we found our lane and we fucking made that lane a little bit wider and a little bit wider so we can kind of go over here and do this and go over here and do this. But at the end of the day, it's just MACHINE HEAD music. That's what it is to me. It's metal, for sure — a hundred percent."
Last November, MACHINE HEAD released "These Scars Won't Define Us" as the first single from "Unatoned".
MACHINE HEAD's current lineup includes former HAVOK guitarist Reece Alan Scruggs. Scruggs stepped in for MACHINE HEAD's previous guitarist Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka, who had been unable to make some of the group's dates due to his touring commitments with his longtime band DECAPITATED.
Reece made his live debut with MACHINE HEAD in November 2022 at Strummer's in Fresno, California at the opening show of the "Electric Happy Hour (Live)" tour.
Vogg joined MACHINE HEAD's touring lineup prior to the launch of the band's "Burn My Eyes" 25th-anniversary tour in late 2019.
The rest of MACHINE HEAD's lineup consists of guitarist/vocalist Flynn, bassist Jared MacEachern and British drummer Matt Alston (DEVILMENT, EASTERN FRONT).
Earlier last year, MACHINE HEAD completed the "Slaughter The Martour" North American tour with support from L.A.'s FEAR FACTORY, Sweden's ORBIT CULTURE and Louisville, Kentucky's GATES TO HELL.
Swedish metallers SABATON have unveiled their new single and video, "Templars". The track will appear on the band's soon-to-be-announced eleventh studio album, to be released later in the year via SABATON's new label home, Better Noise Music.
Along with the digital release of "Templars", SABATON is offering its fans a special one-sided 12-inch vinyl single which is limited to 1,000 copies worldwide and set to be released on June 27.
The strikingly cinematic "Templars" video was filmed at two massive historical fortresses in Serbia and can be seen below.
"'Templars' is the first song we wrote for our forthcoming album and it truly brings out the theatrical side of SABATON," says SABATON bassist and manager Pär Sundström. "From the moment we started working on it, we were overflowing with ideas on how to bring it to life on stage. We didn't just want to play it — we wanted to show it!"
SABATON — Joakim Brodén (vocals),Pär Sundström (bass),Chris Rörland (guitar),Thobbe Englund (guitar),Hannes Van Dahl (drums) — has always had a signature focus on writing songs about historical battles, wars, and acts of heroism that have solidified their impact with their loyal and longtime fans. SABATON has accumulated more than three billion streams across all streaming platforms and almost two billion views on YouTube.
The video for "Templars" presents a fictionalized depiction of a possible last stand for the Knights Templar. The band members take on the roles of the last remaining Templars, sworn to protect the secrets of their order. The story unfolds as the Templars intercept a letter warning them of their impending arrest for heresy. Soon after, an enemy army arrives on their doorstep demanding their surrender on behalf of King Philip IV of France. Refusing to yield, the Templars choose to fight to the bitter end. One by one, they fall in battle until only a single warrior remains. In a final, desperate clash, he defeats the enemy commander before retreating to the keep. There, he makes the ultimate sacrifice, setting fire to the stronghold to ensure the secrets of the order are lost to history.
The video was filmed at two massive historical fortresses in Serbia (Belgrade Fortress within Kalemegdan Park and Smederevo Fortress),both of which provided a striking and authentic backdrop for the epic battle scenes. To ensure both realism and safety, the band enlisted a large group of experienced reenactors, many of whom had worked in film production before. Their expertise helped bring the fight sequences to life with remarkable accuracy. Shot over the course of two long, hot days, the production faced intense summer heat, adding to the challenges of filming, but also enhancing the raw energy of the battle scenes.
As Thobbe Englund had only just rejoined the band after his almost eight-year hiatus, his bandmates wanted to mark his return in a memorable way by making him the last Templar standing, tasked with one final, epic battle. Initially, the plan was for him to wear a helmet so that a stuntman could step in for the demanding fight scene. However, the stunt coordinator had a different idea. He decided to take on the fight alongside Thobbe himself. While the battle was carefully choreographed, moments of improvisation added to its intensity. Clad in 40 kilos of armor, the two clashed with such force that the impact rumbled like an earthquake. To make things even more challenging, the scene was filmed in the scorching summer heat, and Thobbe was battling a fever at the time. Yet, he powered through, delivering a performance that was nothing short of legendary — a fitting way to mark his triumphant return to SABATON.
Better Noise Music is known for its creative artist development, innovative cross-media strategies, and ability to build international success stories. It was named Billboard's No. 1 Mainstream Rock Airplay Label and No. 1 Mainstream Rock Airplay Imprint of 2024, after its history-making run of five consecutive years as the No. 1 Mainstream Rock Airplay Imprint (2018-2022). In 2023 Allen Kovac moved up to chairman role and over the last two and a half years the company has been run by Dan Waite CEO, Steve Kline COO and president, Harris Masood CFO and Paul Cormack GM.
Since SABATON's 2005 debut LP, the band has released 10 studio albums (some of which have been certified as gold, platinum, and even quadruple platinum),seen eight of its albums score Top 10 international chart status, and six claim the Top 5.
"We're truly excited to begin this new chapter with Better Noise Music," SABATON bassist and manager Pär Sundström comments. "After exploring various record labels worldwide, we found Better Noise to be the perfect fit. As an independent label, they haven't traditionally focused on our style of heavy metal, making this collaboration particularly exciting. We're excited to see how this partnership develops, confident that they're ready to embrace the challenge of working with a band that brings a unique sound to their roster."
"We're thrilled to welcome SABATON to our roster," says Lexie Viklund, the label's director of A&R. "Their powerful music and storytelling have resonated with fans worldwide, and we're eager to amplify their presence in the U.S. while continuing to grow their global impact."
Last October, Brodén told Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", about the progress of the songwriting sessions for SABATON's follow-up to 2022's "The War To End All Wars" album: "Yeah, we're working on new material always, it feels like. I mean, if we're done [with] an album, I feel like, 'Screw that. I don't wanna write music for a while now.' But there I am three months later writing new music. Maybe I'll sit with one of the guitarists on tour one day, and we'll be bored on a day off because there wasn't that much to do that day. It was Sunday. Everything's closed. So let's grab our gear and crank out a song because it's better than doing nothing."
He continued: "We already have some material. So it's not like we are, after this, gonna take a break and then start writing. We're in the works already."
Elaborating on how he feels after an album is completed, Joakim said: "For me, when an album is ready, I — sorry to say — fucking hate it, because first process… And I'm not the only songwriter in the band, but I'm the one who writes most of the music. And I'm involved with lyrics or in most of the songs and almost all of the songs in a musical way. So I spend months in the studio writing, alone or with somebody, then getting all the pre-productions ready, which is me again cleaning up takes and what are we gonna do putting it all together, delivering it to everybody in the band so they can practice. Then we go into the studio. And then I'm the constant in the studio, keeping track of everything, making sure everything is [as it should be], with the producer. So I'm there for the whole recording. Then I take a little break, and then the audio engineer starts mixing. And then I come in again for the mixing. And then, at that point, I'm already tired of the songs. And then all you do from that point on is try to find problems and errors. What went wrong? What's wrong here? Do we need to do a retake on something? Should we fix something? Oh, is that too loud? Do we need to EQ? So at that point I've programmed myself to only hear the problems with the album. So by the time like the master is done, I fucking hate it. I'm so tired of that music. So it'll take me a year or two before I can even, in some objective way, listen to it again."
"The War to End All Wars" was the last SABATON album to feature guitarist Tommy Johansson. He has since been replaced by a returning Englund.
Thobbe originally joined SABATON in April 2012 and amicably parted ways with the band in July 2016 to focus on his personal life and expand his creativity. He rejoined SABATON in February 2024.
Englund recorded two studio albums with SABATON, namely "Heroes" (2014) and "The Last Stand" (2016),and assisted with the songwriting of some very popular songs including "Shiroyama" and "Fields Of Verdun", among others.
In November 2025, SABATON will embark on a 20-city European run dubbed "The Legendary Tour". The band teased the trek as "a huge celebration of SABATON's music, storytelling and the incredible bond they share with their fans", featuring "The Legendary Orchestra and other surprises," resulting in "something unprecedented."
Last fall, SABATON served as main support to JUDAS PRIEST on the legendary heavy metal band's North American tour.
In the more than two decades since their launch, SABATON has achieved quadruple-platinum sales, headlined major festivals, sold-out arena concerts across the globe, and earned a legion of loyal fans by being self-managed and carving out a reputation as one of the most innovative bands in rock. SABATON combines standout stage design and production with epic concept albums, linking real-life historical war events with classic kick-ass metal. To date, the band has released ten studio albums, amassed six gold, two platinum, and one four-times-platinum awards, seen eight of its albums score Top 10 international chart status, and six claim the Top 5.
When SABATON hit the 20-year mark, they headlined both stages at Wacken 2019 — the biggest metal festival in the world — simultaneously. Meanwhile, in 2023 as part of a charity initiative, SABATON donated their full-length animated movie to museums around the world in order to increase awareness and visitor numbers, and successfully encouraged people to support the preservation of history in these establishments. During SABATON's 25th-anniversary year, the band released the "Tour To End All Tours" concert film, and through independent distribution, it was screened in more than 1,200 cinemas spanning 28 territories.
Get your denim and leather jackets ready for Ambush and their Napalm Records debut, Evil In All Dimensions, out September 5.
Marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter in their relentless quest for speed, Ambush captures the classic essence of heavy metal – championing the genre’s roots while setting a new benchmark for modern heavy music with their signature high octane vocals and riff driven anthems.
“Evil In All Dimensions”, the title track and first single, is an exhilarating 80s inspired heavy metal ripper refined with sleek, modern production. Taking listeners through a terrible nightmare that becomes reality, the song kicks off the record with thunderous drum fills by Linus Fritzson and powerful licks from guitar-virtuosos Karl Dotzek and Olof Engqvist. “Evil In All Dimension” arrives with a thunderous official music video and is now available on all streaming services worldwide, as well as a strictly limited 12” maxi single, available here. To make this special collector’s item even more special, Ambush include a non-album track and a cover of Diamond Head’s “Canterbury” as a B-side.
The evil in this world can’t hide – Ambush will take care of it with relentless heavy metal power!
Ambush about the new single “Evil In All Dimensions”: “Have you ever woken up in anguish from the fact that in your dream you did something terrible. Something so evil that – even if it was just a dream – you could not forgive yourself for even giving birth to such horror in your mind? What if you suddenly realize that your dream is reality?”
Watch the official music video for “Evil In All Dimensions” below.
Evil In All Dimensions is undeniable proof of Ambush’s unwavering passion and talent for the genre. Now, with Napalm Records as their partner, they are primed to take the world by storm. Ambush wield an arsenal of of 80s metal prowess: with whipping drums, sharp guitars, and high-pitched vocals, “Come Angel Of Night” explores themes of reconciliation when the damage seems irreversible, culminating in a soaring solo that highlights the band’s musical power. Bassist Oskar Andersson hypnotizes listeners with his infectious grooves in the brooding “The Night I Took Your Life”, while “Maskinovka” features an anthemic, standout performance from vocalist Oskar Jakobssons. The track’s mid-tempo groove personifies the difficulties of standing up for truth in a world shaped by manipulation.
In addition to their undeniable talent to revive fast and glorious 80s headbangers, the Swedes also surprise with the gripping power ballad “I Fear The Blood”. A song to pump your fist to, vacillating between themes of escapism and self destruction, amidst the battle against one’s inner demons. Founder Oskar Jakobssons screams his soul out in this heavy-hearted and honest masterpiece, which creates the perfect moment to wave your lighters in the air, passionately belting along.
Ambush about the album: “We are stoked to unveil Evil In All Dimensions – our long awaited 4th album. For us the album feels like a new dawn where everything is possible and steel rules the world. We regard it as the proudest moment in our hellbent strive for Heavy Metal mastery, and we hope that you guys will appreciate it!”
Evil In All Dimensions will be available in the following formats:
– 1LP Marbled Yellow Orange – limited to 300 copies worldwide (Napalm Records Mailorder only)
– 1LP Marbled White, Viola, Royal blue – limited to 300 copies worldwide (Napalm Records Mailorder only)
– 1LP Gatefold Black
– Digipack & Shirt Bundle
– 6 Page Digipack
– Digital Album
Pre-order here.
Evil In All Dimensions tracklisting:
“Evil In All Dimensions”
“Maskirovka”
“Iron Sign”
“The Night I Took Your Life”
“I Fear The Blood”
“Come Angel Of Night”
“The Reaper”
“Bending The Steel”
“Heavy Metal Brethren”
After turning heads with their crushing rendition of Motörhead’s “Iron Fist”, UK thrash legends, Onslaught, return with the second single from their upcoming double-album Origins Of Aggression, which is due out on May 23 via Reigning Phoenix Music.
This time it’s personal. “In Search Of Sanity”, a re-recorded version of the band’s 1989 title track, explodes back to life in 2025 with a vengeance. Packed with towering riffs, mind-blowing solos, and vocal lines sharper than ever, this modern take breathes new fire into a thrash anthem – while keeping its roots raw and intact.
Guitarist and founding member Nige Rockett opens up about the song’s return: “This new recording of the title track from the album of the same name has completely blown me away… It’s like night and day compared to the original version. It’s common knowledge that I’ve never been a huge fan of the album overall. Don’t get me wrong – I love the songs, but at the time it just wasn’t an Onslaught album in terms of the production, vibe, and everything else that surrounded this particular release. It’s always been my dream to re-record the whole album and to finally make it sound like a real Onslaught record – the way it should have sounded the first time around. Here it is…! Tons of aggression and anger, a real heavy thrash song with all the necessary components. I hope you dig the new lease of life this track now has, as much as we do!”
Listen to the song here, and watch the video below:
“In Search Of Sanity” [2025 Version] is the second of three singles leading into Origins Of Aggression – a full-throttle retrospective featuring re-recorded classics and influential punk and metal covers, all delivered with a modern-day brutality.
Disc 1 features a fine selection of ten re-recorded tracks from Onslaught’s early days [1982-1989], while Disc 2 presents a colourful bouquet of cover versions of punk and metal songs that lead fans through the range of bands – from the Dead Kennedys, The Exploited and Discharge to Judas Priest, Black Sabbath and beyond – defining the group’s sound.
Origins Of Aggression can be pre-ordered [formats: 2CD-digipak, coloured vinyl, digital] or pre-saved on your favourite digital service provider (DSP) worldwide, here.
Cirith Ungol is pleased to unveil their live video of “Relentless.” The track and footage appears on the band’s upcoming Live At The Roxy offering, set for release on April 25 via Metal Blade Records.
One of the world’s most iconic music venues – the Sunset Strip’s Roxy Theatre – hosted a legendary 2024 gig by one of the world’s most iconic heavy metal bands: Cirith Ungol. The one-night-only performance was an album release show for the band’s 2023-released Dark Parade LP. It captured the lineup at the height of its considerable powers, performing Dark Parade in its entirety, along with a set of classic songs including “Join The Legion,” “Frost And Fire,” “Black Machine,” and “Atom Smasher.” The end result is a stellar live album and DVD.
On “Relentless,” co-founding drummer Robert Garven comments, “The Egyptian and Hindu guitar scales have always intrigued me for their exotic sound, so I wanted to come up with a sort of snake charmer melody for a new song. First I came up with a rhythm that is reminiscent of ‘The Fire’ off of the One Foot In Hell album. Next came the accompanying signature lead on top. It fit well and stuck, so we built the song from there creating simple, straight forward, rockin’ verses, choruses, bridges, and solo sections. I’m pleased with how it turned out. Relentless, overwhelming, forever black… Our many and treacherous demons thwarting our every effort to stay sane in an insane nightmare. Prayers? Realty? To whom and why? A twisted path to our inevitable downfall, despite the frail attempts at avoidance. The future leads nowhere? As of now it seems likely, Eternal and Black.”
Slaying audiences across North America on his "There's No Such Thing As Monsters" tour celebrating 20 years of "Transylvania 90210", Wednesday 13 has just unleashed the biggest surprise in his bag of tricks — brand-new single "No Apologies" featuring FASTER PUSSYCAT's Taime Downe. The track appears on the band's upcoming full-length album, "Mid Death Crisis", out this Friday, April 25 via Napalm Records.
"No Apologies" wastes no time ripping into a heavy rock rager, laced with fiery guitar leads and even more searing lyrics. The fast-romping anthem is an unapologetic exorcism of toxic demons and even more toxic people, and arrives alongside a new music video, also featuring Taime Downe.
Wednesday 13 comments: "This is the most rock 'n' roll song I've written in years. I wanted to go back to my roots, and my roots are '80s glam. The name at the top of that list was FASTER PUSSYCAT, so it made total sense to have Taime Downe guest on this track. Having one of my rock 'n' roll idols alongside me in the studio was an honor. We whipped up a nasty little middle finger salute to ourselves on this one, and the result is 'No Apologies'."
After returning in 2022 with his widely acclaimed full-length album "Horrifier", as well as several major tours supporting his solo work and celebrated MURDERDOLLS-centric shows, world-renowned fearsome frontman Wednesday 13 is back with another slew of harbingers of horror to slay the masses.
The Duke Of Spook himself dubs "Mid Death Crisis" as a fun, campy, "leave-your-brain-at-the-door" rager and a true return to his hard-rocking roots! Produced by guitarist Alex Kane (LIFE, SEX & DEATH, ENUFF Z'NUFF, ANTIPRODUCT) and mixed by Steve Evetts (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, PRONG, DEVILDRIVER) the album oozes infectious 1980s sleaze metal energy.
Eerie introductory track "There's No Such Thing As Monsters" vibrates with electricity before industrial-tinged "Decease And Desist" kicks in full blast. Wednesday 13's trademark crooning wastes no time entering the fold as he careens through the high-octane horror anthem, before tracks like "Rotting Away" and "Blood Storm" ensnare with metallic goth-punk energy that will have crowds moving wall to wall. Featuring Downe on guest vocals, standout heavy rocker "No Apologies" is a fast-romping exorcism of toxic demons, while the triumphant mini-murder ballad "Decapitation" riles up listeners with a catchy lead riff before making a hard left into a theatrical bridge straight out of a sinister '60s sock hop! Ragers like "In Misery", "Xanaxtasy" and "Sick And Violent" explore various genres of metal, injecting the album with elements of gripping heaviness for any listener, while downtempo stunners "I Hurt You" and "My Funeral" approach a more pensive territory.
Although its title, "Mid Death Crisis", may suggest otherwise, the Duke Of Spook shows zero signs of stopping on this refreshingly powerful and multi-faceted entry into the Wednesday 13 hall of horrific history.
"Mid Death Crisis" track listing:
01. There's No Such Thing As Monsters
02. Decease And Desist
03. When The Devil Commands
04. Rotting Away
05. No Apologies (feat. Taime Downe)
06. Decapitation
07. In Misery
08. Blood Storm
09. Xanaxtasy
10. I Hurt You
11. My Funeral
12. Sick And Violent
WEDNESDAY 13 is:
Wednesday 13 - Lead Vocals / Guitar
Jack Tankersley - Guitar
Troy Doebbler - Bass
Mike Dupke - Drums
Ashes - Lead Guitar
German power metal veterans PRIMAL FEAR will release their new album, "Domination", on September 5 via Reigning Phoenix Music.
To celebrate this announcement, the lead single "Far Away" has officially landed on streaming platforms worldwide. Packed with all the signature elements of a classic PRIMAL FEAR anthem — soaring melodies, thunderous drums and bass, and a blistering twin-guitar solo — the track also carries a powerful sense of yearning, brought to life by Ralf Scheepers's unmistakable vocals. Filmed at Dennis Ward's Kangaroo Studios in Karlsdorf-Neuthard, Germany, where the "Domination" recording sessions took place in late 2024, "Far Away" is also available now as a performance-style music video on YouTube.
Scheepers explains the meaning behind the single: "It's an expression of faith and trust, no matter where or what. We all know this feeling of missing someone so much, not being able to see or hear him/her every day — especially as musicians whilst touring."
Going strong for nearly three decades, PRIMAL FEAR was founded and is still led by Mat Sinner (bass, vocals) and Ralf Scheepers (vocals),who have never let down their global fanbase. Relentless and constantly pushing their limits, PRIMAL FEAR ensure that no two albums ever sound the same. After "Code Red" (2023) hit some of the highest chart positions of their career, expectations for the next release were higher than ever. Now joined by Italian/Cuban sensation Thalìa Bellazecca (ANGUS MCSIX, ex-FROZEN CROWN) on guitar and André Hilgers (AXXIS, RAGE, SILENT FORCE, SINNER, BONFIRE) on drums, the quintet was more than up for the challenge. And as "Domination" makes clear, no obstacle is too great for PRIMAL FEAR's powerhouse songwriting trio — Sinner, Scheepers and Swedish guitarist Magnus Karlsson, who also rejoins the band's live lineup after several years away.
From the hard-hitting opener "The Hunter" and first single "Far Away" to the uplifting mid-tempo anthem "Tears Of Fire" and the epic ballad "Eden" — featuring a guest appearance by AD INFINITUM's Melissa Bonny — "Domination" delivers on all fronts. Add in neck-breakers like "Scream" and "Crossfire", and the reflective, string-and-piano-driven closer "A Tune I Won't Forget", and it's clear: PRIMAL FEAR aren't here to reclaim the crown — they're here to prove they've never left the throne of heavy/power metal royalty.
"Domination" was recorded in autumn 2024, produced by Mat Sinner and co-produced by Ralf Scheepers as well as Magnus Karlsson. Rounded off by multiple PRIMAL FEAR mixing/mastering engineer Jacob Hansen at his own studios in Denmark, the album artwork was designed by Death.Milk.Designs.
"Domination" track listing:
01. The Hunter
02. Destroyer
03. Far Away
04. I Am The Primal Fear
05. Tears Of Fire
06. Heroes And Gods
07. Hallucinations
08. Eden (feat. Melissa Bonny of AD INFINITUM)
09. Scream
10. The Dead Don't Die
11. Crossfire
12. March Boy March
13. A Tune I Won't Forget
Bonus track (physical only, excluding jewel case CD)
14. Bridges Will Burn
Warming up at five select summer festivals, PRIMAL FEAR will return to the live front with its longest European tour since 2018. Reigning Phoenix Music labelmates ELEINE have been confirmed as special guests.
In August 2024, guitarists Alex Beyrodt and Tom Naumann, drummer Michael Ehré and bassist Alex Jansen announced their departures from PRIMAL FEAR, writing in a statement: "Dear fans and friends of PRIMAL FEAR, we unfortunately have to inform you today that Alex Beyrodt, Tom Naumann, Michael Ehré and Alex Jansen, who helped us on bass for the last two years, are no longer part of the band PRIMAL FEAR. Triggered by decisions within the band that we do not agree with, this step was anything but easy for us to take. We would like to make it clear that despite the differences of opinion, there was no argument or bad blood.
"We would like to thank you for the time we spent together, the numerous albums, the tours, shows and festivals that have taken us around the world together, and of course for the love of the fans. We wish Mat and Ralf all the best for the future!"
Formed by Sinner in 1997 as an outlet for Scheepers (who had left GAMMA RAY and was a rumored candidate for the then-open JUDAS PRIEST vocal spot, but was considering early retirement from metal),PRIMAL FEAR has emerged as one of the most consistent European metal bands, rarely straying from its core PRIEST-styled power metal sound.
PRIMAL FEAR 2025 is:
Ralf Scheepers - vocals
Mat Sinner - bass, vocals
Magnus Karlsson - guitars
Thalìa Bellazecca - guitars
André Hilgers - drums
Metal gods Judas Priest performed at Vibra São Paulo in São Paulo, Brazil on April 20. Fan-filmed video of their entire show can be viewed below.
Setlist:
“Panic Attack”
“You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'”
“Rapid Fire”
“Breaking the Law”
“Riding on the Wind”
“Love Bites”
“Devil’s Child”
“Saints in Hell”
“Crown of Horns”
“Sinner”
“Turbo Lover”
“Invincible Shield”
“Victim of Changes”
“The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)” (Fleetwood Mac)
“Painkiller”
Encore:
“The Hellion / Electric Eye”
“Hell Bent for Leather”
“Living After Midnight”
Finnish progressive metal band, Oddland, are thrilled to share their new single and official music video, “Freefall”, available today via Frontiers Music Srl. Watch the official video below, and stream/download the song here.
The band commented on the new single: “’Freefall’ paints a picture of a repeating nightmare in sleep paralysis that feels like you are forever falling, without a way out. Like a broken record, you are forced to relive it again and again, but with the difference that you can’t get up and change it. Hopefully people will find this song a pleasant ‘nightmare’ that you really don’t mind listening to again and again!”
The song was mixed and mastered by the Grammy nominated producers Carson Slovak & Grant McFarland from Atrium Audio (August Burns Red, Lorna Shore, Candlebox). The video for the song was shot by the band in various cities during Oddland’s European tour with Soen in October/November 2024, with additional cinematography during the tour’s last concert in Gdansk, Poland by Dariusz Feluz, who did an amazing job capturing the intense atmosphere on camera. The final editing and special effects were added by the band’s drummer Ville Viitanen.
Founded in 2003 in Turku, Finland, Oddland’s forward-thinking delivery melds aggressive tones, spacious textures, and glorious melodies into a seamless and cohesive entity. Following a string of successful demos, the band was signed to Century Media for the 2012 debut album, The Treachery Of Senses.
Mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö, the record was greeted with a barrage of critical acclaim, and was praised as the best prog-metal record ever recorded in Finland.
Oddland recorded the magnificent follow-up album Origin at Fantom Studios (Insomnium, Korpiklaani, Oranssi Pazuzu) after which it was mixed and mastered by Daniel Bergstrand (Meshuggah, In Flames, Dimmu Borgir) and release worldwide through Sensory Records in 2016.
Containing a bit more than forty-five minutes of music, the album bears a theme which ties deeply into the lyrics and extensive artwork, with a separate piece of art being created for each of the nine songs, by Egyptian artist Mohammed Essam.
Oddland have performed at several festivals including FME, Tuska, Headway, Næstved metalfest and Progpower Europe, been touring Europe three times, both as support act for Persefone, for Manticora and as split headliner, in addition to many shows alongside the likes of established acts including Soen, Leprous, Swallow the Sun and Omnium Gatherum. It’s a great live band that leaves nothing to be desired.
In February 2022, the band signed with the brand-new German label Uprising! Records (a sub-label of Target Group) and released their third album, Vermilion. With an insanely amazing production that takes the listener into the universe of Tool and mixes that super production with a perfect blend of musical twists that would startle any Leprous, Pain Of Salvation or even Faith No More fan, you just can’t go wrong with these Finnish masters of prog.
Vermilion is nothing short of a production-wise masterpiece that combines all that prog-lovers love about prog. Mixed and mastered by Carson Slovak and Grant Mcfarland (Black Crown Initiate, Rivers Of Nihil, a.o.), with an eerie artwork, created by drummer/multi-talent Ville Viitanen, this album sees Oddland lifted to higher levels within the world of heavy metal.
Oddland is:
Sakari Ojanen – Vocals, guitars
Joni Palmroth – Bass
Ville Viitanen – Drums
Jussi Poikonen – guitars
Armored Saint played their biggest Wacken Open Air show so far in 2024. Below you can watch professionally-filmed footage of the band performing “End Of The Attention Span”, “March Of The Saint”, and “Reign Of Fire”:
Watch the full show at Magenta Musik, here.
Armored Saint will enter the studio next month to begin recording their long-awaited ninth studio album, tentatively slated for a spring 2026 release through Metal Blade Records.
In September, the band will join W.A.S.P. for a trio of UK shows before returning to the States to support legendary guitarist Michael Schenker on his My Years With UFO US Tour. Armored Saint will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of their second album, Delirious Nomad, with a five-song micro set of songs from the record throughout the tour.
To further commemorate the cornerstone record, the band is making available a special Delirious Nomad wrapped guitar from Dean Guitars. Each guitar is signed by the band.
Slavic black/death metal institution, Hate, are pleased to unleash the title track of their forthcoming new full-length, Bellum Regiis, set to drop on May 2 via Metal Blade Records.
With a dozen ferocious and lauded albums since 1996’s Daemon Qui Fecit Terra, Hate’s lucky thirteenth album, Bellum Regiis, finds the unrelenting Polish quartet forging a bolder and more aggressive style than ever. Bellum Regiis’ nine songs see vocalist/guitarist ATF Sinner, guitarist Domin, drummer Nar-Sil, and bassist Tiermes honing a modern sound rife with eerie atmosphere and depth. Produced by David Castillo (Candlemass, Carcass, Dark Tranquillity, Katatonia) at Stockholm’s Grondahl Studio, Bellum Regiis is lyrically a more “humanity focused and personal” album than 2021’s Rugia while its songs are timely aural and visual exploration of, according to the vocalist, “a struggle for power and everything that comes with it.”
Bellum Regiis roughly translates to “A War of Royalty” or “A War of Kings” and the title track encompasses the LP’s leitmotif. “As a song, ‘Bellum Regiis’ has both a deep melancholy and a sense of grandeur,” notes the frontman. “The vocals laid down by Eliza Sacharczuk [a renowned singer and voice teacher who runs a holistic arts center in Bialystok] give the song a strong sense of time. Whether that’s nostalgia, reminiscence, regret, or preparation for the future is in the eye of the beholder. These wars, these struggles, have been ongoing since the dawn of our existence. Whether they are futile or not, they are scars on our very nature. ‘Bellum Regiis’ represents the whole album in the best way possible.”
Consisting of vocalist Therese Damberg, her brother Marcus Damberg on guitar, Hampus Steenberg on bass and Kent Svensson behind the drums, Teaser Sweet have already made some waves in the Swedish metal scene.
They originally started out in 2013, when Marcus Damberg asked his sister and former bass player Christoffer Cardell “shouldn’t we start a band?” The initial line-up was completed by Kalle Krantz on drums. Before writing their own material, they used to play KISS cover songs. After recording a demo, they took to the stage and eventually released three albums and an EP: Hit And Run (2015), In The Night (EP, 2017), Hypnotized (2018), and Monster (2020).
For the new album, Night Stalker, Teaser Sweet has inked a deal with High Roller Records. Therese Damberg’s powerful yet melodic vocals at times sound like a cross between Acid’s Kate, Leather Leone and Johanna of Lucifer. However, she herself sees it in a different light: “If I must name a female singer, it is Doro Pesch that I love to listen to. Otherwise, it’s male singers that catch my attention, such as Rob Halford with his great feeling and attitude in his vocals.”
When asked about the big number of high-class female-fronted or all-female hard rock and metal bands in Sweden – from Crucified Barbara and Slingblade to Thundermother and The Gems –, the singer searches for an explanation: “Hard to say what the reason is for that. My guess is that Swedish women probably have an ear for hard rock and a confidence to follow their own path. ABBA laid the foundation for female singers from Sweden, and it is natural that hard rock bands have female singers just as there are bands with only men.”
Apart from being influenced by the music of Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Dio and even latter-day Europe, a song like “Deep In The Woods”, with its galloping bass work, owes a lot to Iron Maiden. Therese laughs: “You have a really good ear, that’s correct!” Elsewhere, numbers such as “Cold Is The Fire” and “Turn Me On” are also full of great hooks, making Night Stalker the band’s best album so far.
Tracklisting:
Intro
Night Stalker
Deep In The Woods
Living In Sin
Blue Sky
Eat You Alive
Turn Me On
Killer Machine
Cold Is The Fire
Following one of the most successful comebacks in underground death metal history with their crushing 2023 release The Rebirth, death metal pioneers Deteriorot are back with another punishing visual installment. Today, the band unveils their powerful new music video for “Political Evocation”, the latest in a three-part series promoting The Rebirth.
A stark shift from the band’s usual themes of the supernatural and the undead, “Political Evocation” dives headfirst into the decaying fabric of modern society. Set against a backdrop of searing riffs and thunderous rhythm, the track delivers a scathing critique of political obsession, religious fanaticism, and the false realities curated through social media. The video itself is a cinematic assault, combining brutal performance shots with original film sequences that amplify the song’s message.
“The song lyrics are an observation of how society can get lost by obsessing over politics, religion, and falling into the trap of being divided while another side of it is oblivious and living in a fake social media world worshiping influencers and trying to be one themselves.”
But that’s not all — fans can rejoice knowing that Deteriorot is deep into post-production for their upcoming full-length album Awakening. Unlike the long waits between their past releases, the band is charging full speed ahead, ensuring that the flames reignited by The Rebirth continue to blaze.
Tracklisting:
Undead (Intro)
Dark Embrace
Return To Rot
A Nameless Grave
The Rebirth
Reanimate
Political Evocation
Hauntings
Unholy Rebirth
Âåëèêîáðèòàíèÿ
Sleep Token
![=]](/img/news-bord-shr.gif){kind=small}
Øâåéöàðèÿ
ÑØÀ
Øâåöèÿ
Ìåæäóíàðîäíûé
Ãåðìàíèÿ
Ôèíëÿíäèÿ
Ïîëüøà
