No more money & fast cars
The filter is here to stay
Read the script & play the part
Just another face in the fray
Salar Rajabnik, better known as Darker Lighter, isn’t just another voice in the indie rock and post-punk chorus—he’s a singular presence with a sound that resonates deep and true. Born in Tehran and raised in Kansas City, Rajabnik’s music is shaped by crate-digging obsessions, cultural contrasts, and an unrelenting passion for songs that stir emotion at the core. Now firmly planted in Los Angeles, he has been quietly influencing the underground from behind the scenes; with the release of his self-titled debut, Rajabnik finally steps boldly into the spotlight.

His debut self-titled LP Darker Lighter is a baptism by fire: raw, reflective, and relentless. Rajabnik, who’s cut his teeth behind the scenes with the likes of Foo Fighters and Kim Gordon, finally takes center stage, fusing driving basslines, jangling guitars, and ghost-ridden vocals into a sound that feels both urgent and timeless. Darker Lighter is Rajabnik’s cathartic exploration of loss, heartbreak, identity, isolation, and political unrest…a deeply personal and emotionally charged debut.

In the opening track Hanging On, Salar Rajabnik drapes the wreckage of identity over spindled rhythms and crumpled confessions. Here, the spine of a man bent backwards by appeasement creaks under its own strain. Drums, both analogue and electric, throb with resignation, while warm synths and spindly guitars twitch like muscle memory. It’s music as excavation: prying loose the fossils of selfhood buried beneath years of “yes.” Prince’s punk-funk specter leers behind every rhythmic jolt, while spectral nods to The Pretenders and Television peek through jangling chords like postcards from another life. Yet this isn’t retro cosplay…it’s revival, resuscitation and reclamation in the truest sense.

Someday Soon snarls and stumbles through the monsoon. A song soaked to the bone, defiant in its drenched denim. Rajabnik’s voice cracks and coaxes in equal measure. The track’s storm-lashed tempo conjures the flannel-clad ghosts of MTV’s 120 Minutes: Dinosaur Jr. in the drainpipe, Sonic Youth in the rafters, Meat Puppets muttering in the mirror. Guitars screech and scrape like train brakes in a tunnel, while the bassline gallops.

Be arrives like a sigh at the end of the argument. Guitar riffs grind under the weight of strings that soar then vanish like smoke in wind. It’s a song of static truths and shifting names. Longing lingers in every corner, but it’s matched by the cool acceptance of displacement. The lyrics trace outlines of belonging on fogged glass, only to watch them disappear. Here, the album’s heartbeat is clearest: fractured, feral, and forever searching for a home that changes shape the closer you get.

“Be is one of the most deeply personal songs i’ve ever written,” says Rajabnik. “It’s about a feeling I get often; which is that I find myself feeling out of place. Whether ideologically, artistically or socially, often due to being unwilling to compromise my identity or principles. Themes of biculturalism, socio-political alienation, the fallout and consequences of activism and more influenced the meaning of the tune.

Watch the visualizer for Be below:

Nothing’s Ever Gonna Be The Same Again barrels in like a battering ram through a burning barricade. Rajabnik laces looping riffs with enough distortion to set circuitry on fire, a barrage of blown-out guitars and throttled drums that spit in the face of complacency. The track drags protest through the static, a serrated scream aimed squarely at the snickering suits who profit from collapse. This is a chainsaw symphony of fatigue and fury.

First Time takes a sharp left: no less urgent, but aimed inward. Here, the wounds are romantic, the salve sudden. Love, thought long dead and buried, bursts back through the topsoil with an almost terrifying joy. It’s sweet without being saccharine, a sprint through the fog with the headlights on. Reznor-esque bass buzzes beneath bright-eyed guitar lines, and Rajabnik sings like a man who just remembered what breathing feels like. Shadow of A Doubt swims in the wreckage of love lost and never fully returned. It’s soaked in static and sorrow, but never slinks into self-pity. Instead, it pleads with cracked vocals and calloused chords. Each chorus is a hand reaching through thick glass, hoping for a grasp that never quite arrives. Open Up, Sunshine is the sharpest spark in the pile: drenched in a shoegaze fuzz, driven by sheer will with strong, earnest vocals. There’s no mysticism here, just pure propulsion. It stomps, stings, and screams toward transcendence.

Nice To Meet You leans into the lull of a moment missed, or nearly caught, with a similar vibrant energy to the Dandy Warhols and 10,000 Maniacs’ classic Candy Everybody Wants. A brief brush of serendipity on a passing street corner, where a glance lingers longer than it should, and the mind spirals into what-ifs. It is a touching portrait of chance meetings tattooed onto memory, pulsing softly beneath the skin. Electronic Eye swipes at the sheen of the screen, where every filtered grin conceals a vacuum. It’s all angles and algorithms, a satire served on circuit boards. The track gnaws at the guts of performative culture, chewing through curated perfection to expose the glassy-eyed clones nodding along in digital purgatory. Like Birds Fly Away stretches skyward with quiet resolve. A gentle pull toward dissolution of fear, of repetition, of cages unseen.  Every line hums with the weight of doubt as much as the pull of promise, and yet the message is clear: leave the wreckage, become the wind.

Did You See Me Walking? bathes in ambiguity. It’s a sidewalk séance, a passing face that burns like déjà vu. Recognition twisted by distance, desire obscured by doubt. Is it real or imagined? A psychic slipstream of yearning where the answer never quite arrives. Take It All In is the slow dissolve: days that loop, questions that stretch, and meaning that drips through cupped hands. Time doesn’t move here; it circles. The flood wears down the stone, and the voice within wonders: what’s left when nothing stays?

Pre-order vinyl here.

Darker Lighter by Darker Lighter

Darker Lighter was recorded at Foo Fighters’ legendary Studio 606 with production maestro Robert Adam Stevenson (Paul McCartney, Queens Of The Stone Age, The Kills, Jeff Beck).

“While this album was not intended to be a concept album and therefore is not one, there is something of a central set of lyrical and musical themes that run through all of the lyrics,” says Rajabnik. “Many of the songs were written in and amongst devastation; whether reflective of past pains or actively in response to present ones. Reflections on losing loved ones abruptly, broken hearts, deep traumas to do with identity and isolation, refusal to compromise one’s identity, and political dissidence are all present. Musically there is something of a range as well; though the average seemed to land in the median of the sonic landscape I tend to gravitate towards. Still, more than anything, the central notion present in all of the songs is a sense of earnestness around getting across a message of fighting to retain hope in the face of tragedy. Simply put: a record about fighting to still give a fuck in the modern dystopian hellscape we live in.”

Follow Darker Lighter:

Website
Instagram
YouTube
Facebook
Bandcamp
Spotify

The post Los Angeles Indie Rock Artist Darker Lighter Burns Bright With Self-Titled Debut LP appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

Source: Post-Punk.com

Yes, I want to spit out the fake names
that settlers call these ancient rivers.
Yes, I want to rip out the roads from the map,
like veins from the cadaver of a killer.
A Stick And A Stone’s latest offering, Conspire, manifests itself as both a place of sanctuary and a cry of rebellion, plunging boldly into profound tonal darkness and ascending toward radiant summits. Philadelphia artist Elliott Miskovicz leads this diverse collective with a voice that drifts gracefully yet firmly through experimentation, embracing subtlety and raw intensity in equal measure. From whispered prayers to eruptions of primal sound, Conspire navigates deftly between meditative calm and insurgent clamour as seamlessly as the artist straddling their Arizona and Philadelphia bases.

The album vibrates with immediacy, every track an instinctive reply to contemporary strife. Initial tracks unfold softly, ghostly harp strings by Myles Donovan entwining delicately with Billy Ray Boyer’s sorrowful viola. These gentle harmonies imprint the first hints of quiet revolt. But soon enough, the layers thicken and fracture; Olivia Cadence Luxe’s drums swell into tempestuous crescendos, and Wren Radix’s sax bursts forth in unbridled frenzy, exhilaratingly free and feral. Benjamin Schurr’s dissonant synthesizers stab through the atmosphere, while Rhys Jewell’s cello moves with solemn grace. The collaboration feels both meticulously coordinated and fiercely liberated, building controlled chaos around Miskovicz’s vocal arcs.

Conspire’s political pulse runs deep, weaving rally chants and children’s hopeful voices through animal cries and elemental rhythms, anchoring the work in visceral urgency. Ecological disaster, warfare, and identity merge effortlessly, fostering a unified voice amid turbulence. Echoing the expressive depth of artists such as Zola Jesus, Dead Can Dance, Loreena McKennitt, Steeleye Span, and Philip Glass, the album conjures rich symbolism and an impressive palette of sound.

In The Birds Are Spiraling Backwards, perseverance resonates against personal and global anxieties. Drifting in mostly a cappella tones with medieval choral highlights, the song invokes resilience, grounding listeners amid spiraling uncertainties. Microbial Relatives poignantly contrasts childlike innocence with existential dread, illuminating unseen microbial connections beneath our shared humanity.

Cartographer’s Wrench confronts colonial erasure head-on, demanding reclamation of suppressed histories and identities. Its imagery defies imposed boundaries, urging authentic rediscovery of natural and ancestral bonds. Meanwhile, Carving Out A Doorway underscores collective endurance, emphasizing unity amidst adversity, symbolizing transformation through mutual struggle. White Moth Wing Mountain: Oblivion softly evokes spiritual escape from looming calamity, employing natural metaphors to portray serenity amid chaos, while Rinse/Repeat addresses historical traumas: Auschwitz, the Trail of Tears, reflecting soberly on cyclic suffering and healing’s slow progress.

In fierce resolve, Kill Him addresses generations of violence against women, its crescendo echoing solidarity and protective fury. Exile and Pride challenge the medical industry’s deceptions, reclaiming autonomy over bodily knowledge, while instrumental narratives like Red Planet and White Moth Wing Mountain: Adrenaline integrate children’s voices amidst ghostly vocals, imparting eerie intimacy.

Ultimately, Conspire emerges from societal fringes to speak universally. Elliott Miskovicz and their collaborators have sculpted an album deeply humane, bravely vulnerable, and undeniably profound.

Listen to Conspire below and order the album here.

conspire by a stick and a stone

Follow A Stick and A Stone:

Website
Facebook
Instagram
Spotify

The post Philadelphia Experimental Music Project A Stick and A Stone Releases Poignant “Conspire” LP appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

Source: Post-Punk.com

Ein ganz besonderes Angebot für Fans von Met und Co: Sichert Euch 15% Rabatt auf das gesamte Sortiment von Beerenweine mit unserem Rabatt-Code! Wir empfehlen insbesondere "Drachenrotz" und den "Skaldenmet" von Saltatio Mortis.

Source: Sonic Seducer

Das Kulturzentrum BACKSTAGE MÜNCHEN ist mit seinen drei Indoor-Hallen und einer überdachten Open-Air-Bühne nicht zuletzt für Rock- und Metalheads ein beliebtes Anlaufziel in der bayerischen Landeshauptstadt.

Welche Bands und Künstler:innen sich für Juli und August 2025 angekündigt haben, haben wir im Folgenden zusammengefasst. Zudem findet in den beiden Monaten das alljährliche Free & Easy Festival mit zahlreichen Gratis-Shows statt.

Tickets für die jeweiligen Shows gibt es u.a. über die offizielle Homepage der Location.

Backstage München – Konzerte im Juli 2025

01.07.2025 – STREET DOGS, CONSERVATIVE MILITARY IMAGE (Club)
02.07.2025 – VOIVOD (Halle)
03.07.2025 – LOS FASTIDIOS, 1328 BEERCORE (Club)
08.07.2025 – LOS AMIGOS INVISIBLES (Halle)
09.07.2025 – WISDOM IN CHAINS, EVERGREEN TERRACE, ALL OUT WAR, IN SCHWERER SEE (Halle)
10.07.2025 – THE DEVIL MAKES THREE, LIGHTNIN‘ LUKE (Halle)
12.07.2025 – FULCI, SLUG GORE, PROFANITY (Club)
14.07.2025 – PSYCLON NINE, PRETTY ADDICTED, ANTANIA (Club)
17.07.2025 – STEVE VON TILL, GREET (Halle)
17.07.2025 – ANTICHRIST SIEGE MACHINE, SPITE (Club)
18.07.2025 – WALTER TROUT (Halle)
19.07.2025 – ROCK TO MODE – The Sounds Of Depeche Mode (Halle)
19.07.2025 – CRADLE OF FILTH, NERVOSA, TERRADOWN (Werk)

Free & Easy 2025

24.07.2025 – Metal Yoga (Backyard Open Air)
24.07.2025 – DUST BOLT, TORTURESLAVE, ANTIPEEWEE, BLACKENED HALO (Halle)
24.07.2025 – DEEZ NUTS, DEFIANCE HC, HIVE LEADER (Werk)
25.07.2025 – ENDLESS WELLNESS, KORD (Arena Süd)
25.07.2025 – KENSINGTON ROAD, SAGURU (Backyard Open Air)
25.07.2025 – RAGING SLOTH, HIDAS, DOGHAG, MAROD (Club)
25.07.2025 – MARATHONMANN, CITY KIDS FEEL THE BEAT, BRUCHBUDE (Halle)
26.07.2025 – Metal Yoga (Biergarten)
26.07.2025 – Uli Sailor – Punk Piano (TERRORGRUPPE) (Biergarten)
26.07.2025 – LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE, THE VISION BLEAK, TORRENTIAL RAIN (Werk)
26.07.2025 – GRELL, DØM MAYERHOFER, BLŸTE (Club)
26.07.2025 – TENSIDE, IMPVLSE, DROVER (Halle)
27.07.2025 – DYING FETUS, PSYCROPTIC, DEADSQUAD, XILE (Werk)
27.07.2025 –  D.R.I., REACTORY, STRAIGHTLINE, THE PROPHECY 23, REPENTLESS EQUESTRIAN, WOLFPACK (Halle)
27.07.2025 – THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX, KANT, BLIND MESS (Club)
28.07.2025 – CRYSTAL LAKE, RESOLVE, HERIOT (Halle)
28.07.2025 – TRIDDANA, BRACHMOND (Club)
28.07.2028 – MINISTRY, LIGHT OF ETERNITY, SEASONS IN BLACK (Werk)
29.07.2025 – CRO-MAGS, SLAMDAMN, TAKER (Club)
29.07.2025 – PLAUSH. (Backyard Open Air)
29.07.2025 – BATTLESNAKE, GRLWOOD, ROBO (Halle)
30.07.2025 – Metal Yoga (Biergarten)
30.07.2025 – WUCAN, THE DELAYED, LENNY BRUCE & THE JUNIORS (Halle)
30.07.2025 – GOB, CHASER, DANKESCHATZ, SLACKRR (Club)
31.07.2025 – LIAB (LOST IN A BAR) (Backyard Open Air)
31.07.2025 – CALLEJON, BLACKTOOTHED, OUR SILENT VOICE (Halle)
31.07.2025 – COLOUR HAZE, MOTHER’S CAKE (Arena Süd)

Backstage München – Konzerte im August 2025
Free & Easy Festival

01.08.2025 – Emo’s Not Dead & Core All Over mit STILL TALK, CHIEFLAND, FOUR BLACK LUNGS, NEVER YOURS, AS TIME WENT BUY, ANCHORAGE, ESTRELLA DRIVE (Club + Halle)
01.08.2025 – MACKA B, THE TIPS (Arena Süd)
01.08.2025 – KING BUFFALO, VALLEY OF THE SUN, BEES MADE HONEY IN THE VEIN TREE, THE CROMPTONS (Werk)
02.08.2025 – REMODE – The Music Of Depeche Mode (Arena Süd)
02.08.2025 – MONUMENT OF MISANTHROPY, CASTIEL, NEW YEARS OF SUFFERING (Club)
02.08.2025 – WAYFARER, INTER ARMA, AYAHUASCA (Halle)
03.08.2025 – BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, BENTHOS, MONOSPHERE (Halle)
03.08.2025 – AUTHORITY ZERO, THE ANTI QUEENS, FOR I AM, DOLLY PASTA (Club)
04.08.2025 – BANE, SHUTDOWN, WAVES LIKE WALLS, AMPLIFIED HATE (Club)
04.08.2025 – ORANSSI PAZUZU, IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT, SIGH (Halle)
05.08.2025 – AGNOSTIC FRONT, BATTERY, BALE, LIFE COMES CLOSER, SLAMDAMN (Werk)
05.08.2025 – THE BROWNING, POLAR, THE DEFECT, A RISING CHAPTER (Halle)
06.08.2025 – NAILBOMB, FORBIDDEN, MAMMOTH GRINDER, OMEGA DIATRIBE (Werk)
06.08.2025 – LONELY SPRING, INDECENT BEHAVIOR, MISCONDUCT, CAPTAIN ASSHOLE (Halle)
07.08.2025 – NEULAND, ROLLING SUITCASE, MIDNIGHT POETS CLUB (Club)
07.08.2025 – SOLAR FAKE, GULVOSS, DAYS OF SORROW (Werk)
08.08.2025 – TURBOBIER (Arena Süd)
08.08.2025 – ATTILA, TO THE GRAVE (Halle)
08.08.2025 – PATRIARCHY, A BLACK RAINBOW, KONSTANTIN UNWOHL, PAAR (Club)
09.08.2025 – CORVUS CORAX Era Metallum, VERA LUX (Arena Süd)
09.08.2025 – BODYJAR, URETHANE, NOFNOG, BEESWAX (Club)
09.08.2025 – WITHIN DESTRUCTION, PARASITE INC., CYTOTOXIN, ABBIE FALLS, BLEAK SHOALS (Werk)
10.08.2025 – TRAGEDY (Club)
10.08.2025 – ELWOOD STRAY, EYES WIDE OPEN, LEONS MASSACRE (Halle)
10.08.2025 – REZN, KHAN (Club)
10.08.2025 – KATAKLYSM, EXHORDER, SKELETAL REMAINS, SOUL DEMISE (Werk)

Reguläres Programm:

03.08.2025 – W.A.S.P. (Werk)
12.08.2025 – PYREXIA, RELICS OF HUMANITY (Club)
14.08.2025 – DARK ANGEL (Halle)
20.08.2025 – FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, LORDS VOLTURE, HATEFUL AGONY (Club)
22.08.2025 – LOST IN HOLLYWOOD, VICIOUS RAIN (Club)
28.08.2025 – VISCERAL DISGORGE, VISCRAL, 9DEAD (Club)
28.08.2025 – THE LAZYS, JUNKYARD DRIVE, MAGNA VITA (Halle)

Source: Vampster

Nach dem neuen Nightwish-Album vergangenes Jahr hat Tuomas Holopainen nun ein neues Auri-Album in der Pipeline. Mehr Infos und die neue Video-Single "Museum Of Childhood" sowie kommende Tourdates hier!

Source: Sonic Seducer

July 01, 2025, Düsseldorf, Merkur Spiel-Arena When Linkin Park announced their return via livestream on September 5, 2024, the world collectively held its breath. Not only die-hard fans, but also critics and even people who were barely familiar with the band watched spellbound as the band introduced their new singer: Emily Armstrong, previously known as […]

Source: Orkus

Vergangene Woche ist nicht nur das neue Tyske Ludder-Album "Weltbühne" erschienen, die Band hat auch ein Musikvideo zu "Europa" veröffentlicht. Hier bei uns anschauen!

Source: Sonic Seducer

The UK industrial / EBM / powernoise / dark electronica artist ESA (Electronic Substance Abuse)...

The post ESA premiers new album ‘Sounds for your Happiness’ exclusively on Side-Line first appeared on SIDE-LINE.

Source: Side Line

(By our Norwegian correspondent Jan Ronald Stange) For Ray Noir, the queer artist raised in...

The post Ray Noir releases new single ‘Dead Valentine’ on July 3rd, also announces upcoming EP ‘Against the Machine’, out September 18th first appeared on SIDE-LINE.

Source: Side Line

PSYCLON NINE – DEVIL’S WORK TOUR MMXXV

Psyclon Nine are the California-based Blackened Industrial scene figurehead act led by Nero Bellum. They have just begun a headlining European tour to promote a new studio album entitled ‘And Then Oblivion’ (Metropolis Records), with the itinerary also including festival appearances in Poland and Germany (see above).

1st July  EDINBURGH (GB) Bannermans
4th July  LONDON (GB) Camden Club
5th July  LEIRIA (PT) Stereogun
6th July  MADRID (ES) Sala Ya’Sta
9th July  HELSINKI (FI) On The Rocks
12th July  BOLKOW (PL) Castle Party Festival
13th July  LEIPZIG (DE) Hellraiser Club
16th July  MUNICH (DE) Backstage Club
17th July  BERLIN (DE) Badehaus
18th July  HAMBURG (DE) Logo
20th July  KÖLN (DE) Amphi Festival

NERO BELLUM  2025 live photo

The group will return to Europe in September as special guests of Genitorturers, playing nine UK shows before heading to Belgium, Austria and Germany. Confirmed dates are as follows:

4th September  NEWCASTLE Anarchy Brew
5th September  GLASGOW Cathouse
6th September  BLACKPOOL Bootleg Social
7th September  MANCHESTER Rebellion
9th September  BIRMINGHAM Castle And Falcon
10th September  BRISTOL Fleece
11th September  BRIGHTON Chalk
12th September  LONDON Islington O2 Academy
13th September  SOUTHAMPTON 1865
14th September  DIEST (BE) Club Hell
17th September  VIENNA (AT) Viper Room
21st September  FRANKFURT (DE) Nachtlebenl

LIMITED MEDIA GUEST LIST PLACES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

Melding elements of Industrial Rock, Metal, Deathcore, Ambient and Trap, Bellum states that the writing and recording of ‘And Then Oblivion’ saw him “specifically set out to break as many genre limitations as possible, while staying true to the concepts and imagery that Psyclon Nine evokes.”

The album includes the singles ‘I Choose Violence’ and ‘Devil’s Work’, with a video for the track ‘CRWLNG FRM CNT T CSKT’ made available upon release.

PSYCLON NINE   And Then Oblivion album cover artwork
AND THEN OBLIVION
new album
LP CD digital
out now
(Metropolis Records)

stream    Bandcamp

PSYCLON NINE : I Choose Violence   Devil’s Work single cover artworks (click for audio)

album also includes
CRWLNG FRM CNT T CSKT

PSYCLON NINE   CRWLNG FRM CNT T CSKT video

“Showcases the dark and brutal side of the ‘Blackened-Industrial’ founders. Pulling from the realms of Dark Ambient and Deathcore, ‘CRWLNG FRM CNT T CSKT’ finds Psyclon Nine at an apex as part of their new album”
OUTBURN (US)

Since forming in 2000, Psyclon Nine have built a substantial dedicated fanbase worldwide via regular international touring that has included European festivals such as Dark Malta, Castle Party (Poland) and several appearances at Wave Gotik Treffen (Germany).

Facebook    Instagram

 

Source: ElectroWelt.com

This year, Swiss band The Young Gods celebrates its 40th anniversary, and the legendary trio...

The post The Young Gods – Appear Disappear (Digital/CD/Vinyl Album – Two Gentlemen Records) first appeared on SIDE-LINE.

Source: Side Line

Jetzt Sonic Seducer abonnieren und eine von vielen teils limitierten und signierten CD-Prämien sichern! Aktuell im Angebot: Saltatio Mortis, The Cure, Tyske Ludder, Peter Murphy, Crematory, Mono Inc., Lord Of The Lost, Feuerschwanz, Epica, Lacrimosa, Eisbrecher, Blutengel, Pink Turns Blue und dArtagnan!

Source: Sonic Seducer

ROME is celebrating its 20th anniversary with an extensive tour and numerous releases. In our July/August issue, we chat to the likeable Luxembourger about his personal connection to past albums and songs, talk about historical soundscapes that frighteningly transport us from the Second World War to the present day, and unearth previously unreleased treasures. ROME […]

Source: Orkus

The re-release of the debut album “El Peste Perverso Lleva Mi Peluca”, first released in 1991, marked the beginning of the vinyl releases. The third album “Monologues of a Tree” is now being released on vinyl for the first time! The live album “Live@clubseilerstrasse” was recorded on 19.10.2024. – We talk about all this with […]

Source: Orkus

Die Heavy Metal / Hard Rock-Band FIRMAMENT hat mit „For Centuries Alive“ ein neues Album angekündigt. Es ist nach „We Don’t Rise We Just Fall“ (2023) das zweite Album der Deutschen aus Leipzig, die dazwischen mit MIDNIGHT PREY die gemeinsame Split „Gathered Under Open Skies“ (2023) veröffentlicht haben.

„For Centuries Alive“ wurde von Eric „Kalli“ Kaldschmidt (MASTERS OF DISGUISE, ABANDONED) gemixt und von Bart Gabriel (u.a. für CRYSTAL VIPER tätig) gemastert. Das Cover-Artwork stammt von Ryan T. Hancock (u.a. für TERMINALIST tätig). Release-Termin ist der 19. September 2025 via Dying Victims Productions. Vorab gibt es den Track „A Legend Of The Fall“ zu hören.

FIRMAMENT Line-up:
Stefan Deutsch – Bass
Jonas Zeidler – Drums
Tom Michalik – Guitars
Philipp Meyer – Guitars
Marco Herrmann – Vocals

FIRMAMENT „For Centuries Alive“ Tracklist
1. Solarion’s Wake
2. Pulsar
3. A Legend Of The Fall (Audio bei YouTube)
4. Swear By The Moon
5. An Anthem For The Spotless Mind
6. Brother Of Sleep
7. Starbeast
8. Into The Realms Of Distant Wonders
9. The Empress And The Foundling

Source: Vampster

ABIGAIL WILLIAMS haben ein neues Album angekündigt: „A Void Within Existence“ ist das sechste Album der Black Metal-Band und erscheint am 18. Juli 2025 via Agonia Records. Mit „No Less Than Death“ gibt es nun ein Lyric-Video.

Zuvor hat die Band auch den Song „Still Nights“ bei YouTube geteilt.

Mit „Nonexistence“ gibt es seit Mai die erste Vorab-Single.

Produziert wurde  „A Void Within Existence“ von Sänger Ken Sorceron, der Mix ist von Dave Otero. Das Cover kommt von Eliran Kantor.

„Diese Platte wurde in stillen Stunden geboren, als sich alles hohl anfühlte“, sagt Sorceron. „A Void Within Existence“ ist nicht nur ein Titel. Es ist ein Gefühl, das ich beim Schreiben nicht abschütteln konnte. Einsamkeit zieht sich durch jeden Song. Die Welt da draußen brach zusammen, und in gewisser Weise auch die Welt in mir. Ich wollte über die Grenzen hinausgehen, die wir auf „Walk Beyond the Dark“ erforscht haben. Klanglich, emotional, spirituell – nichts war tabu. Ich habe das Album produziert, um dieser Vision treu zu bleiben, und mit Dave Otero am Mischpult und Mike Heller hinter dem Schlagzeug wurde alles genau so zum Leben erweckt, wie ich es in meinem Kopf gehört habe: roh, weitläufig und erdrückend. Dies ist ein Album über Abwesenheit. Es geht darum, das abzuschälen, was nicht real ist, und die Leere zu untersuchen, die zurückbleibt. Wenn danach noch etwas übrig ist – vielleicht ist es die Wahrheit. Vielleicht ist es auch nur die Leere. So oder so, dies ist das ehrlichste, was ich je gemacht habe. „A Void Within Existence“ ist mehr als ein Album. Es ist ein Schmelztiegel – eine Reise durch das Feuer, wo nur noch Schatten und Stille übrig bleiben.“

Zur aktuellen ABIGAIL WILLIAMS-Besetzung gehören:  Sänger und Gitarrist Ken Sorceron (ex-ABORTED, ex-THE FACELESS, VALE OF PNATH, NACHTMYSTIUM), Gitarrist Vance Valenzuela (VALE OF PNATH), Bassist John Porada (ex-NACHTMYSTIUM, ex-WOLVHAMMER) und Drummer Mike Heller (FEAR FACTORY, MALIGNANCY).

ABIGAIL WILLIAMS „A Void Within Existence“ Tracklist & Cover
1. Life, Disconnected
2. Void Within
3. Nonexistence (Audio bei YouTube)
4. Still Nights (Video bei YouTube)
5. Talk To Your Sleep
6. Embrace The Chasm
7. No Less Than Death (Lyric-Video bei YouTube)

Line-up:
Ken Sorceron – vocals, guitars
Vance Valenzuela – guitars
John Porada – bass
Mike Heller – drums

Source: Vampster

Die Melodic Death Metal-Band DYING AWKWARD ANGEL hat mit „9.99“ eine zweite Single von ihrem kommenden Album „The Missing Frame“ veröffentlicht. Das dritte Album der Band wurde von Bassist Davide Onida gemixt und gemastert und wird am 22. August 2025 erscheinen.

Als erste Vorab-Single ist im Frühjahr „Music Kills“ erschienen. Der Song beschäftigt sich mit der ambivalenten Natur der Musik selbst und erforscht ihr Potenzial, sowohl zu erheben als auch zu verzehren.

Zuvor hat die Band die Stand-Alone-Single „The Magical World Of The Dead“ veröffentlicht. Es war der erste neue Release der Italiener aus Turin seit ihrem zweiten Album „Absence of Light“ (2018). Der Song verläuft als Dialog zwischen einem Mann und dem Tod und sei eine angespannte und nachdenkliche Konfrontation über die Bedingungen des Vergehens.

DYING AWKWARD ANGEL Line-Up:
Michele Spallieri: Vocals
Demuro Edoardo: Guitars
Lorenzo Asselli: Guitars
Luca Pellegrino: Drums
Davide Onida: Bass Guitar

DYING AWKWARD ANGEL „The Missing Frame“ Tracklist
01. The Ecstasy of God (Instrumental)
02. Black Waves
03. The Fallen
04. Music Kills (Audio bei YouTube)
05. 9.99 (Audio als Stream)
06. Raptus
07. YOU MUST DIE!
08. Blinded
09. Skin and Bones
10. The Inner Paradox
11. Out of Mind (R’lyeh)
12. A Promise
13. The Missing Frame (Instrumental)

DYING AWKWARD ANGEL „The Magical World Of The Dead“ (Audio bei YouTube)

Source: Vampster

JOE STUMP’S TOWER OF BABEL kündigen ihr neues Album an. „Days Of Thunder“ erscheint am 4. Juli 2025 über Silver Lining Music. JOE STUMP ist bekannt als Leadgitarrist von ALCATRAZZ, zudem ist er Professor am Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. Seine Band TOWER OF BABEL veröffentlichte 2017 ihre Debüt „Lake Of Fire“. Zusammen mit Sänger Jo Amore, Drummer Mark Cross, Mistheria (aka The Maestro) an den Keyboards und Basser Nic Angileri schiebt STUMP nun „Days Of Thunder“ nach. Mit „Mit Rules of Silence“ gibt es nun einen weiteren Video-Clip.

Auch zum Titeltrack „Days Of Thunder“ kann man sich bereits ein Video anschauen.

JOE STUMP’S TOWER OF BABEL präsentiert Video zum Titeltrack vom neuen Album „Days Of Thunder“
JOE TRUMP sagt: „Alle meine Einflüsse sind die klassischen europäischen Hardrock-Meister, egal ob es RITCHIE BLACKMORE, MICHAEL SCHENKER oder GARY MOORE sind. Natürlich gibt die Platte eine moderne Interpretation dieser klassischen Sounds. Ich liebe natürlich auch klassische Musik wie Bach, Tschaikowsky, Vivaldi, all diese Einflüsse habe ich. Ich habe eher einen Metal-Hintergrund und mein Anschlag ist ein bisschen aggressiver, aber diese Days Of Thunder-Platte ist eher ein Hardrock-Album als eine Metal-Platte.“

Die Tracklist von “Days Of Thunder”:
Dominum
Rules Of Silence (Video bei YouTube)
Days Of Thunder (Video bei YouTube)
Blind Are Your Eyes
Alone In The Desert
In The Heat Of The Night
Sacrifice
Black Knight’s Prelude
Trust Me
The Princess

Source: Vampster

Die Retro Psychedelic Rock-Band SEOI NAGE hat mit „No Retreat, no Surrender“ ein neues Album angekündigt. Es ist das erste Album der Deutschen aus Münster, die 2022 mit der EP „The Gentle Way“ debütierten.

„No Retreat, no Surrender“ wurde von McCartney gemixt, von Alexander von Hörsten gemastert und mit einem Cover-Artwork von Benny Demmer ausgestattet. Release-Termin ist der 10. Oktober 2025.

SEOI NAGE Line-Up:
Jakob Hersch (Taishogoto)
Anton Zimmermann (drums)
Pascal Schaumburg (guitar/synth)
Pogo McCartney (bass, keys, guitar, production)

SEOI NAGE „No Retreat, no Surrender“ Tracklist
1. Gongs, Fists & Cymbals
2. Gentle Ways Are Harder Than (Dear Visitor II)
3. The Perils Of Pleasure
4. Caine vs Shaolin Bounty Hunter
5. Kan? Jigor?
6. Master Shogoro Yano (Interlude)
7. Enter The Dragon
8. Brotherhood Of The Wolf
9. Wu Tang Chief
10. Muneta
11. No Retreat, No Surrender

SEOI NAGE Tourdaten 2025
10.10. Münster – Black Box
16.10. Aachen – Raststätte
17.10. Freiburg – Slow Club
18.10. Karlsruhe – Kohi
19.10. Köln – Hängende Gärten von Ehrenfeld
5.11. Leipzig – Ilses Erika
6.11. Dresden – Heartbreak
7.11. Chemnitz – Aaltra
8.11. Berlin – Schokoladen

Source: Vampster

Die Death Metal-Band KONTUSION hat nach den Track „Throne Of Skulls“ mit „Subjugation“ einen Video-Clip ihres kommenden Albums „Insatiable Lust For Death“ veröffentlicht.

Es ist das erste Album des US-amerikanischen Duos, welches aus Drummer Chris Moore (REPULSION) sowie Sänger und Gitarrist Mark Bronzino (MAMMOTH GRINDER, Ex-IRON REAGAN) besteht.

„Insatiable Lust For Death“ wurde von Chris Pierce in den Volume IV Studios aufgenommen, von Kevin Bernsten bei Developing Nations gemixt und von Nick Townsend geasmtert. Das Cover-Artwork stammt von Rotting Reign. Release-Termin ist der 25. Juli 2025 via Profound Lore Records. Vorab gibt es den Track „Throne Of Skulls“ zu hören.

KONTUSION „Insatiable Lust For Death“ Tracklist
1. Endless Horror
2. Countless Atrocities
3. Revenge
4. Hemorrhage
5. Throne Of Skulls (Audio bei YouTube)
6. Incarnate
7. Subjugation (Video bei YouTube)
8. Melting
9. Horrid Eye
10. No Escape

Source: Vampster

Die Thrash Metal-Band ELECTROCUTIONER hat mit „Frozen File“ einen ersten Track ihres kommenden Albums „Harbinger“ veröffentlicht.

„“Frozen File“ wird aus der Sicht eines Kindes erzählt, das entführt und vergessen wurde“, erklärt Gitarrist und Sänger Mark Pursino – im Übrigen der Neffe von Edward Pursino (Virgin Steele). „Es ist ein Plädoyer für einen Abschluss – gefangen in der Schwebe zwischen Leben und Tod, während die Welt weitergeht und ihr Fall nur eine weitere staubige Akte in einer Schublade wird.“

Es ist nach „False Idols“ (2023) das zweite Album der Kanadier und soll im Herbst 2025 via CDN Records erscheinen.

ELECTROCUTIONER Line-Up:
Mark Pursino – Guitars/Vocals
Rich Nieves – Bass
Tyler Bogliole – Drums

ELECTROCUTIONER „Frozen File“ (Audio als Stream)

Source: Vampster

Die Black Metal-Band AURO hat nach „Insignien der Macht“ mit „Der Glanz des Titanen“ einen zweiten Track ihres kommenden Albums „Im Schatten der Bastion“ veröffentlicht. Es ist nach „Auro“ (2020) das zweite Album der Deutschen aus Augsburg und wird am 15. August 2025 via Folter Records erscheinen.

AURO Line-up
Framan – Guitars, Bass, Backing Vocals, additional Keyboards
Dragg – Vocals, Lyrics/ Concept
Fafnir – Bass
Azag – Guitars
Nefastus – Drums
Henker – Keyboards

AURO „Im Schatten der Bastion“ Tracklist
1. Präludium: Nachtschrecken (0:45)
2. Insignien der Macht (4:42) (Audio bei YouTube)
3. Strom der Verborgenheit (4:40)
4. Im Schatten der Bastion (3:23)
5. Lux Caeaca (5:08)
6. Haus der tausend Flügel (5:18)
7. Der Glanz des Titanen (5:32) (Audio bei YouTube)
8. Okkultation – Der Allgegenwärtige (4:33)
9. Ausklang – Figura Serpentinata (Im Zenit der Eklipse) (1:53)

Source: Vampster

  2024 saw the quartet of Adrian Belew, Steve Vai, Tony Levin, and Danny Carey embarking on a massive tour to carry on the legacy of King Crimson, performing material from the progressive rock outfit’s ’80s period. Now, InsideOutMusic has announced the release of Neon Heat Disease: Live in Los Angeles, chronicling the group’s performing [..]

Source: RE:GEN Mag

Bob Gaulke, the restless raconteur and poetic provocateur moonlighting from New York City’s classrooms, has long peppered the underground with biting lyrical commentary on class, sex, and alienation. Known for brief but bountiful musical dispatches, Gaulke has already unleashed more than thirty succinct collections into the ether, each a punchy commentary over post-punk rhythms brushed with global hues. His latest venture amplifies ambition, uniting him with avant-pop veterans Shriekback (Barry Andrews, Martyn Barker, Carl Marsh), whose decades-deep careers are marked by rhythmic inventiveness and lyrical sharpness.

This cross-Atlantic collaboration, set to materialize across three distinct volumes: (S)words, (detail), and When Are These Not Difficult Times?, came together through years of digital exchanges and meticulous overdub explorations, deftly mixed by Martin Scian. Initially ignited by a crowdfunding challenge from Shriekback, where fans commissioned bespoke tracks, Gaulke upped the stakes, proposing an expansive multi-track suite. Though that ambitious gesture ultimately shifted form, it sparked a sustained dialogue between Gaulke and Andrews, yielding a series of arresting, genre-fluid songs that reach public ears July 6th, 2025.

“Shriekback have been a part of my musical DNA since 83-84 when I was a teen and first heard “All Lined Up” on college radio in Rochester, NY. Their sense of musical and conceptual adventure seemed to know few boundaries. A song could be made up of a swinging rope or Gregorian chants…but it was always funky. There always seemed to be an active sense of almost scientific exploration going on which kept me listening over the decades. When I saw this opportunity to collaborate with its members in a novel way, I jumped at the chance.”

Gaulke, a public school teacher in the Bronx, has managed to release more than thirty short albums to limited acclaim and audience. He often blends world traditions with a post-punk foundation to achieve a personal fusion of elements. He cites John Hassell and Brian Eno’s concept of “Fourth World Music” as somewhat emblematic of what he hopes to achieve:

“We’re all stuck at home with the world at our fingertips. I think my songs on the template I use sort of reflect that sense,” he says. “I like short songs and albums. After twenty minutes, I sort of get bored. The sessions naturally became albums as I sort of write to a story arc before I pick up a guitar or bass. (S)words (pronounced “swords”) was more guitar-driven. You can hear echoes of old-school post-punk (Big Audio Dynamite, Wire, and Shriekback, natch) in the writing. The songs were written around a sense of lost personal agency with the first trump administration. It seemed like a good moment to finish them up and put out the album.

(S)words by Bob Gaulke

By contrast, the songs on (detail) were all written on the bass…It was my chance to pretend to be Dave Allen (RIP), who I actually had the pleasure of meeting once or twice when living in Portland. My original plan was to get him playing on these sessions, but things moved in a different direction.”

(detail) by Bob Gaulke

Both albums feature editing, backing vocals, and guitar work from Dutch singer-song writer, Hans Croon.

“Hans was another teenage hero of mine who’s since become a friend and collaborator,” Gaulke reflects. “We had worked together closely on an earlier project and his work as a co-producer was really important when trying to make sense of a galaxy of overdubs and crazy ideas….And the secret sauce is the Brazilian rhythm section of Gil Olivera (Lucas Santtana) and Paulo LePetit (Tom Ze). Then know how to move a groove.”

Completing the triptych is the 4-track EP, When Are These Not Difficult Times?… shorter format; a bit more reflective songwriting and different subjects.

“…A bit of a chaser after the two main courses,” he says.

When are these not difficult times? by Bob Gaulke

Gaulke plans to be active in the NYC area this summer playing from his catalogue with Leon Gruenbaum (Keyboards) and Gil Oliveira (drums). Gaulke caught up with Post-Punk.com to talk about his creative process, his influences, and work-life balance:

 Your creative output has been astonishingly prolific – at one point you were releasing new albums or EPs almost every month. What does your songwriting process look like when you’re working at such a relentless pace? How do you keep yourself inspired and avoid creative burnout while producing so much material?

I had a boring upper-middle class youth so I sort of stick myself into interesting situations and report from there. It keeps the muse happy. In terms of burnout, as I do not have any sort of learned background, I try to incorporate learning into what I do; whether it’s trying chord inversions, writing on top of exotic rhythm loops, or incorporating ideas from new things I’ve read. I guess I write with one eye towards pleasing myself. It was harder to do when I first started, but now I can stand listening back to my own material. There’s something really inspiring about a new set of chord changes or a funky bass line. I continue to listen to new music, experience life, then report back with an album.

Much of your recent recording has been done remotely, with tracks assembled by passing Logic sessions back and forth between collaborators in London, New York, Amsterdam, and even Patagonia. How has this far-flung, file-sharing recording process influenced the sound of your music? Do you find that working in a “vacuum” in the Bronx while collaborating globally presents any unique challenges or surprises in the way your songs come together?

Yes, it’s unfortunate; there are definite drawbacks to the remote approach; the music doesn’t always breathe correctly and there’s a danger in losing dynamics and feel, but it’s somewhat of a way that I can afford to work. I work with people who’ve influenced me, and as you probably can guess, no one’s making a living in the arts. As a single dude with a stable job I guess I do my part in supporting a circle of other artists.

The vacuum is somewhat helpful in that an artist needs peace of mind. The hipsters haven’t colonized the Bronx yet, so it’s an open canvas. Isolation isn’t the best for my psyche, though, as the downside is living a bit like an anthropologist. For this reason, I’ll be focusing more on playing live in the coming months. Cultural isolation is something I’ve done since my thirties when I moved around the world teaching English and I guess that approach stays with me in the jungle of NYC.

In terms of the sound, I’m trying to synthesize these diverse elements into a coherent whole so I guess I’m doing a bit what John Hassell and Brian Eno predicted about future music being this fusion of technology and world cultures (“4th World Music”). I’ve been listening to a lot of Yusef Lateef, Francis Bebey, and Egberto Gismonti recently and these folks created their own homespun, immaculate fusions.

You’ve mentioned that you approach songwriting like a film director, following the “Cassavetes template” where 90% of the work is in casting the right people. Can you expand on how collaboration factors into your writing and recording? When you send out the “bones” of a song to your collaborators, what are you looking for them to bring to it, and how do their contributions shape the final piece?

My own skill set is quite basic; I could always do better with my vocal melodies, I’m sure, but essentially i’ll send out a lyric sung over a set of chord changes, or bass lines, and a rhythm loop. A sketch that needs to be painted over. The chords sequences I usually find interesting; they have to provoke a lyric or match with one that’s moving in the same tonal and emotional direction. What I lack for in technique, I make up for with context. I was lucky in having some brilliant record store mentors and I think what I’ve listened to provides a sense of what’s possible. So it’s this triangulation between what I’ve heard, what I’ve experienced, and what I can play.

I think John Lurie works in the this same way, both with music and painting, where he teases out a scribble and then shapes it into something a little more recognizable. In many cases, I’m providing the scaffolding; I’m the most musically useless part of the collaboration; I just chose people whose work I admire and have them do the coloring. I’m happiest when I’m completely surprised; it’s Christmas in the inbox. If it’s tonally not what I’ve had in mind, I then go back and make adjustments to the lyrics to match.

Your music has been described as an eclectic blend that “dances on the fence” between pop, rock, psychedelia, jazz, world music, and dub reggae – and it’s notably rooted in Brazilian Tropicália and soulful post-punk influencesd. What draws you to such a wide palette of genres? When you’re writing a song, how do you decide which stylistic elements to incorporate, and how do you ensure these diverse influences coalesce into a cohesive sound that is distinctly you?

Well, I grew up with the first generation of MTV and college music and as Daniel Levitin has written in This Is Your Brain On Music, the music of your adolescence is tattooed on your mind as some sort of starting point. In my case, that was post-punk (Heaven 17, Fun Boy Three, Scritti Politti still get props). However, particularly as one starts writing, one’s tastes change. And life experience changes a person as well.

I don’t make Brazilian music, but I’m inspired by the palette. If chords have particular emotional resonances, one needs a different palette to color different experiences at different ages. Georges Moustaki once said, “Every decent song starts with emotional truth”. I’m looking to be true to the emotion I want to convey. I mean, as gringos, we don’t put that emotionality into our daily lives. We have to stick into our arts or we get locked up for being too passionate or violent.

In terms of cohesion, the diverse elements have to support the meaning/intention of the song. I don’t think consciously of style; I just want to make something interesting to myself and expand my limited skill set. That being said, I’m drawn to the feeling of physical liberation from cultures that produce a type of “body music.”

You grew up on the first wave of post-punk and admire artists like John Cale, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Caetano Veloso. How have those formative influences – from the art-rock experimentation of someone like Cale to the Brazilian Tropicália of Veloso – shaped your approach to songwriting and arranging? Can you give an example of a song or album of yours where you feel these influences really shine through in the music or lyrics?

These artists I mentioned I cited because they are/were fearless in their innovation. I feel you’re either an idiot savant/beautiful dead loser, or you’re a scientist. I don’t think there’s room for much else. My father was a classical musician, so I’m sure the rigor of that approach is what attracted me to Cale and Sakamoto. My mother was Iranian. Iranians shit poetry for breakfast, so that’s basically how I see myself: A half-poet born into a half-musical family.

I don’t know if I’ve stolen anything in particular from any of these dudes, but with Caetano, at times in his work, he’s only suspended by the strength of his ideas; he doesn’t really possess a musical virtuosity. Cale is a bit more interesting in terms of how much he was a creative compliment to Lou Reed and how emotionally repressed he was coming from a European classical background. I feel his best work is when he loses his mind, lol, amidst all his technical brilliance. Sakomoto was just fearless; a scientist of sound. And with Sakamoto, there’s the dream of the piano. I dream of not dying before I can get decent on the piano. I really can barely play my instruments. It doesn’t stop me from buying more of them, though.

Let’s talk about your three latest releases – the two albums (S)words and (detail), and the new EP When Are These Not Difficult Times?. You described the EP as a “coda” to the first two albums, perhaps marking a different direction from them. What themes or musical ideas were you exploring across these records? Do you see them as interconnected pieces of a larger narrative or concept, or does each have its own distinct identity and mood in your catalog?

I feel so much of creativity is organization; where do the ideas fit? How big are they? I think in terms of albums being a story. I don’t always remember the circumstances that inspired a lyric but in essence I’m trying to convey a sense of life from behind my eyes from the minutiae to the dreaming. Hopefully, if I’m doing this correctly, I have kept track of things I’ve previously written about and am not duplicating myself, but inevitably individuals are limited in scope, so themes carry over.

(S)words is meant to be aggressive; a sense of waking up into a world that should be so much better; a world that was promised and stolen by theft and greed. I mean, historically, I span from the Seventies until today, so I’ve felt the social damage done to the promise of a middle-class society taken apart through oligarchic policy. How are those big ideas felt in a little life? In a society that is soaked in all sorts of violence; directed towards itself and the world. That said, I’m an optimist, but I think we feel everything. I teach public schools; I see it behind the eyes of students seeming to say, “Is this all there is?”

(detail) is many ways is the flip side to (S)words; more nocturnal/internal; hopefully the humor is a bit more on the surface. Perhaps it’s more of a feminine take on the same themes? All the songs were written on bass, so that probably tilts things in a more “open”-feeling direction.

When Are These Not Difficult Times? notably features a collaboration with members of Shriekback – Barry Andrews on keyboards and Martyn Barker on drums. How did this collaboration with such legendary post-punk musicians come about? What was it like working with artists from a band as influential as Shriekback, and did their presence influence the sound or creative process of that EP in any unexpected ways?

…I was a huge fan of Shriekback’s early work; I got into them just before Jam Science and it was amazing to me coming from being an XTC fan that Barry was the same guy in both projects. As you probably know, the band has been ahead of the curve in terms of crowdfunding and fan outreach. At a certain point about a decade ago, they offered to commission a piece of music for keeps, then later changed the policy. I squawked to them loudly about this so we worked something out where they would play on my work in exchange for me granting them permission to use my commissioned pieces.

Other coincidences abounded as I had already met Dave Allen on two occasions while living in Portland and subsequently met and have worked a bit with Ivan Julian here in NYC. I’ve got a lot more with the Shriekback gang in the pipeline. In terms of sound, Barry just fucking delivers. Never predictable. And one just tries to survive the impact, lol. Martyn’s a bit more adaptable. I wrote these songs knowing I’d be working with some of my idols; I think their idea DNA is already in me, so perhaps they recognized a distant nephew.

In addition to Shriekback, you’ve worked with an array of international artists like Dutch guitarist Hans Croon and Brazilian drummer Gil Oliveira on your projects. What do these cross-cultural collaborations bring to your music? Can you share how collaborating with musicians from different backgrounds (geographically and stylistically) has enriched your songwriting or challenged you to approach music in new ways?

Gil’s drumming is a bit like Barry’s keyboards. He can play anything and it’s always interesting. I’ve had engineers just have their minds blown when lays a groove down. So he comes in and replaces the loops and that goes a little way to returning some dynamics into the arrangement. Hans did the editing and added his guitar and backing vocals. I think that was a good match for his skill set. I don’t want to invoke national stereotypes, but he’s Dutch, lol., from a great band called The Dutch, which has continued since the 80’s in crafting perfect pop. I have no objectivity about how things are sounding so I rely on someone like Hans to bring things together. Barry sent millions of keyboards over so Hans went through the overdubs and figured out what worked. I think our approach is quite seamless on (detail) in particular.

Many of your songs grapple with themes of class, sex, alienation, and political undercurrents in modern life. You’re not afraid to write about uncomfortable realities – from critiques of economic inequality to intimate social observations. What draws you to these subjects as a songwriter? Do you see your music as a form of social commentary or storytelling about the world around you? In tackling such complex themes, how do you balance being pointed or provocative with being poetic and open to interpretation?

A lot of this does come from the Post-Punk background; how can one listen to Gang of Four and not see things differently? I never thought my boring life was interesting enough, but once you start moving around the world and gaining experience, you start to see some social patterns. I’m amazed at how many people namecheck groups like GO4 or Scritti and write endless drivel about their romantic states. It almost feels like a conspiracy at times. I don’t know how people interpret or misinterpret my work. I’m not that well-known enough to get much feedback. Perhaps music today is the only safe space left for our fragile emotional states, but the lack of social commentary in so much of pop in these dangerous times is dangerous in of itself.

Alongside being a musician, you’re also a veteran school teacher in the Bronx, teaching English language learners in one of New York’s poorest neighborhoods. How has your teaching background and daily life in the classroom influenced your music? Do experiences from your day job ever find their way into your lyrics or the way you think about making music (for example, insights into communication, empathy, or the struggles your students face)?

I steal all my ideas from them, lol. Adolescence is the start of your adult life. I try to get over the cringe moments and try to get a feel from what they’re going through. I don’t even think many of them realize what a disadvantage they’re starting from; they just consume social media and buy Nikes like the rest of the nation. What they’re lacking is what many Americans are; beyond the social connections, the low literacy is the hill I die on. I buy books for kids just to hip them to stuff. If we start with comic books, then that’s where we start. They definitely color my writing. I think Paul Simon said once, “Three implies direction”. Ideas start to percolate and I write them out. It somewhat therapeutic for a stress I willingly put myself through.

On a practical level, how do you balance a full-time career in education with a prolific music career? Since 2005 you’ve been working as a teacher by day and steadily releasing albums on your own time. Has maintaining that dual life changed your perspective on what success in music means? Do you find freedom in not having to rely on music for income, allowing you to take more artistic risks or follow your muse more freely?

I balance things out by crying a lot. I met many of my heroes on a recent trip to Rio and to a person, they all married rich and had significant side hustles. I didn’t start doing bands until I was 27-I think I’m a late bloomer. I never feel like I’m wasting my time helping poor kids, but of course I dream of my work finding even a small audience one day. It can be very painful; I was warned, though.

Your album The Humanities was very much a product of observing life in the Bronx and New York City – you wrote as a “former middle-class gringo” watching people “lurch from crisis to crisis” in a 21st-century urban landscape. How does the environment of NYC, and the Bronx in particular, seep into your songwriting? Are there specific songs you’ve written that you consider portraits of your neighborhood or commentaries on city life? How important is setting and a sense of place in your music?

Well, I don’t feel that what going on in the Boogiedown (Bronx) is that removed from the rest of America. Perhaps we’re five minutes into the future. A huge change in American life has been the effects of changing immigration quotas on demographics. In this regard, the Bronx is somewhat representative of the US. I tell my kids (majority Dominican/Latino) that they’re the new White people.

I wouldn’t be considered White a hundred years ago. This point is often lost in the political dialogue. My job as a public school teacher is to make new Americans. And I try to do that, unironically. I remember seeing black goths in Bahia. They were beautiful. Who would’ve thought that Morrissey would have a huge Mexican fanbase? We should all be about the flavor. I remember talking to a reporter who went undercover with white supremacists in the NorthWest. The kids eventually tired of waffles and baseball; that’s when they stopped being nazis. I truly believe in strength through diversity. We all grew up on Star Trek and Sesame Street, didn’t we? Setting and characters are all important. Again, as a writer, my hardships can be turned into gold. When I step out of my apartment, my mental recorder is always on.

You’ve lived and worked in far-flung places like France, Japan, and Brazil during your journey as both an educator and musician. How have those international experiences – learning languages, immersing in other cultures – impacted your music? For instance, did your time in Brazil studying Tropicália or in Japan and France broaden your musical vocabulary or the topics you write about? In what ways has being a self-described “rootless cosmopolitan” shaped your identity as an artist?

I think we should all take what’s best from the world and ignore the rest. Speaking a second language slightly shifts your personality. Being a fish-out-of water sharpens your powers of observation. So much of learning is just exposure-I don’t think that should change as an adult. My heroes are the people who are always learning, reading, and traveling.

A signal event that blew my mind recently was a 5-hour dinner I had with Judy Nylon. She’s 78 and still involved in fashion, rock, politics, and culture. She gave me her benediction for my work and I hope one day to grow up to be like her. I think at its best, this is what the Post-Punk experience was alluding to; culture clashes; whether it be reggae and rock (Clash) or disco and punk (ZE Records) or whatever Malcolm McLaren was onto next. At the heart of creativity is sharing freely. That’s what informs my growth.

France has a strong troubadour tradition (the poet who sets their verse to music) in Chanson; Brazilian music is like an alternative universe of information that richly informs how I write. It comes from listening critically to new songs; taking listening as a form of learning and hopefully meeting people who guide you through the experience. Taking it all home and trying to make it your own. Someone said that both Brazil and Japan are post-modern societies with the ancient sitting side by side with the future. Japan, culturally, was definitely one of the toughest things I did. I forget all the hardships and get ready for the next adventure. Lately, I’ve been thinking how we’re all our own cultures onto ourselves. I hope the signal I’m broadcasting has some resonance and coherence.

There’s a streak of wry humour and satire in your work, even when dealing with serious themes. On The Humanities, for example, you have songs narrated as an AI from Uber Eats, or about “sex with hedge funders” and “sex with social workers,” which mix absurdity with social commentary. How important is humor and irony in your songwriting? Do you find that using a bit of absurdism or dark comedy helps you address difficult societal issues more effectively? Can you talk about how you balance the tongue-in-cheek elements with the earnest messages in your music?

Again, I think emotionality is the coin of the realm. The heart beats the head every time, so I don’t want to appear too detached and ironic. Do you know the tune by Herman Brood, Never Be Clever? I occasionally slip things in but I hope I’m conveying something emotionally resonant that I’m concerned about. Eventually, you have to choose life, I think. You see what works and what doesn’t, but constant cynicism starts to burn you out. That’s why a lot of people can’t do Steely Dan. The heart doesn’t have a lot of parking spots open for the snide. I think songs can make us feel less alone. I wrote a song about Andy Partridge in a sincere attempt to cheer him up.

In terms of production, you’ve experimented with a “less is more” approach. I recall you mentioning that on one record you employed dub-inspired principles – “when in doubt, leave it out” – to keep arrangements sparse and effective. What is your general philosophy in the studio when arranging songs? How do you decide when a track needs additional layers and experimentation, versus when to strip things back to a minimalist core? Are there specific albums or songs where you challenged yourself to keep it simple, and what did you learn from that process?

Yeah, the song has to be served. I think I’ve gotten pretty indulgent with some albums; I’m playing with some world-class musicians. I try to mix things up and strip things back. And there’s always the nightmare of my older brother pointing out to me that I really can’t play my instruments. So, I’m playing live from here on out, just to remind myself that I exist. My parents are both dead and I just lost a best friend. There’s a weird bonus in getting older in that you start to care less about what other people think, particularly when the important people in your life have gone.

Lyrics and poetry clearly play a central role in your music. You’ve been praised for your expressive, witty lyrics – one reviewer called you an “un-drunk existentialist Bukowski” in terms of writing style. How do you typically approach lyric-writing? Do you carry notebooks of poetry and later fit lines to music, or do the words and melody develop together organically? Also, who are some of your literary or lyrical influences – are there poets or songwriters whose work has inspired the way you craft your lyrics?

Yeah; I write lyrics first, which gets me in trouble with vocal melodies. I took a workshop twice with Martin Briley where he emphasized that for US/UK pop songs, the vocal melody is king. I used to carry notebooks, but now I write on my phone. I then have to go fishing for chord changes that match the emotional contours of the lyric. It’s a bit like ceramics, if you follow the metaphor; you’re squaring the words against the chords; sound vs sense and then tweaking both to make a fit. In terms of influences, I just read; I’ve always read. I read whatever interests me. I guess it goes back to childhood where heaven felt like a big stack from the library, my air conditioner, and chocolate chip cookies. I remember feeling really “advanced” reading Richard Brautigan at 14; but that’s the perfect age for that. Brautigan, Vonnegut, Pynchon, and Bukowski all seemed to make feeling grown-up easy.

Being middle class and really into culture presents problems as you get older as so much of it functions as toys for the rich; it stands as a sort of aristocracy we can all join through education; yet some people still gatekeep though; the number of dates that’ve ended badly with comparative lit majors; my literary interests have created a lot for sexual dysfunction in my adult life.

Howard Devoto wrote my life; I found myself living inside of Magazine lyrics as I got older. I guess Andy Partridge initially; Phil Judd of Split Enz; Ian Dury seems to tower over his contemporaries; Green Gartside, as I mentioned; a huge amount of respect for Jerry Dammers and what he created as well as Paul Weller for following his muse with The Style Council and so many others. The Slits and Les Rita Mitsouko. Outside of Post-Punk, I learned French listening to CharlElie Couture albums and Sergio Sampaio’s brilliant vibes forced me to learn Portuguese.

You’ve described yourself as identifying strongly with the troubadour tradition – essentially the poet-with-a-guitar crafting songs as storytelling. In the modern era of music, what does being a “troubadour” mean to you? Do you view your role as a singer-songwriter in a similar way to, say, the folk or protest singers of the past, or the French chanson and Brazilian lyricists you admire? How do you aim to connect with listeners through that storytelling lens, and has that approach evolved over time?

Yeah; I’m interested in narrative/storytelling; that creates certain criteria for how you present the work; you’d like lyrics to be clearly understood, but there’s the larger arrangement to consider. The troubadour has their fingers on the pulse of what’s going on so that sort of implies opening up the subject matter a bit wider than pop usually accommodates. Again, I wish my melodies were sharper; that’s always the hope for the next song. I’m still in the trenches, trying to find a balance of sound vs. sense. I feel I might have gotten there with Heat Sink from The Humanities, but I don’t know if anyone else feels that way. I guess I think of Phil Och’s later work on the West Coast where he was matching all these baroque arrangements against his still-trenchant social observations as a model to follow. Not the suicide bit, though.

You are in the midst of a remarkable creative run – I believe you set out a plan to release as many as 50 albums/EPs and were 15 titles in as of earlier this year. What keeps you motivated to maintain this intense output? Do you have an overarching vision or goal for this large body of work (for example, documenting certain ideas or experimenting with different genres on each release), or are you simply following your inspiration from month to month? And looking forward, where do you see your musical exploration taking you next as you continue this journey?

I write compulsively, just to get through my life. Some of this was intentioned. I certainly continue to do stuff to serve the muse. I’ve got about 50 near-completed albums on my hard drive, but I’m just sort of going with the “new ideas only” credo moving forward. I’m a bit in debt with paying for all this, so we’ll see where things go. I hope there’s some sequence to all of this and I just hope I’m not repeating myself.

As I mentioned, I try to incorporate learning into my aesthetic. I’ve got an idea of where I want to take things in the future; I’d just hope to find a small public. The next thing that’s coming out is a collaboration with Marcos Cunha, a dear friend and a maker of Brazilian soundtracks, and Junior Tostoi, a guitarist who’s a bit like Phil Manzanera meets Reeves Gabrels. I’m just trying to not be blown off my own album.

Over a career that spans decades, you’ve referred to yourself as a “late-bloomer” and a lifelong learner in music. How has your perspective on making music changed from your early days trying to form bands in the ’90s to now, as an independent artist in your 50s? Do you feel that age and experience have given you a different voice or confidence in your songwriting? Additionally, what advantages do you think there are to creating art outside the typical youth-driven hype cycles of the music industry?

I feel fortunate in still being hot while old (joke). Obviously, the tech has made things easier; the tools are amazing, that being said, everything might just mean a bit less. Albums used to be the internet. I hope I’ve got a menopause strategy in place where I can just position my work and don’t have to compete with twenty-year olds for listeners. I can’t compete! But my hope is that there are people who connect with what I’m saying and feeling and that might be enough. I’ve got a friend who writes music for NPR and plays in his trio weekly. His advice? “No one’s coming to save us.” I just hope to continue to do my thing. Ultimately, writing demands experience. When I was younger, I didn’t have the stories. I’ve got ‘em now.

Ironically, it seems that giving up on the idea of “making it” commercially allowed you to truly find your sound – as one article noted, once you shrugged off the pressure to chase mainstream success, you honed a remarkably accessible yet genre-blending style on your own terms. Can you talk about that turning point in your life? How did letting go of industry expectations influence the music you make and your definition of success as an artist? Do you ever feel vindicated that the lack of commercial constraints has opened up more creative freedom and authenticity in your work?

Yeah, I mean I was ambitious; when I was 20, I did a school year in France with a pocketful of addresses of musicians I had listened to. The Nits in Holland made an impression as here was for all intents and purposes, a group of middle-class artists making creative pop on a major label. That clicked with the professionalism I knew as the son of a classical musician. The problem was, I couldn’t play or write yet.

I connected with a fellow malcontent a few years later when I was back home in Rochester, NY. And we did bands; he was sex/drugs/rock’n’roll and I was thinking I could do this as a career. Anyways, there are hundreds of discreet skills that need to be learned in this field and some people are fortunate to launch something out of university where there’s a structure to support you. We were a bit late for that and so never really got traction (There’s also the rule of nostalgia that works in twenty-year intervals. We were doing a post-punk sound in the 90’s. Wrong decade for a revival.). So my thirties were about learning those skill-sets and I didn’t get my writing end together until my forties. There are choices and consequences. I’ve spent all my time and money keeping the muse happy and people walk in and walk right back out of your life if you don’t prioritize them. The songs are a sort of consolation, I guess. I currently, just want to be real to the life and experiences I’m having now; at 85 years of age or however old I am. Even the greats at twenty are writing about the problems of twenty-year olds.

“(S)words” feels like a statement of intent right from the title—a play on “swords” and “words.” How did that linguistic duality shape the record thematically? Were you consciously exploring the idea that language can cut as sharply as any blade, and do any tracks on the album most clearly embody that metaphor?

Exactly this. I hope my words cut! I think “Please Rise” is my most Big Audio Dynamite socio-political number on this album.

You’ve said that “(S)words” was largely guitar-driven, while “(detail)” was composed almost entirely on bass, and When Are These Not Difficult Times? serves as a reflective EP “chaser.” What prompted those distinct instrumental starting points, and how did writing on different instruments alter your melodic instincts, song structures, or even lyrical tone across the three releases?

I’m just a very limited guitarist so that probably inspired more simple lyrical moments. I think Martin Gore once said, “life doesn’t happen in major chords”, but rock sounds good with them, so one tries to amp up the hormones a bit on the lyrical side to match.

With bass, I can stretch out a bit more. I had just bought a Squier IV, so that created an interesting sound. The song, “Human Television” on “(detail)” was written on it; I’m consciously trying to be groovy like Dave Allen, but with chords. The Brazilian artist Lenine sometimes plucks his guitar like a bass; the same approach. It seemed to work. The E.P. seemed to have songs of a similar cast and I felt the four songs worked well together and were tonally different from the other 16 tunes that comprise the two albums.

All three projects were mixed by Martin Scian after years of remote overdub sessions. What role did Martin’s mixing play in giving each release its own sonic fingerprint while still tying them together as a loose triptych? Can you point to a specific mix decision—say, a spatial effect, vocal treatment, or rhythm-section balance—that fundamentally transformed a song for you?

I just sort of blindly trust Martin; he’s an A-level mixing engineer based in Patagonia ; an early adapter of Logic. The arrangements were created by myself with the other artists, and as I mentioned, Hans Croon had a big hand in editing them. What would blow me away about Martin’s mixes was the depth and detail of the stereo image he creates on the tracks- he finds a place for everything.

On “(detail)” you’ve mentioned channeling the late Dave Allen’s bass swagger as a tribute to both his Shriekback era and his post-punk legacy. Could you walk us through one track where you most consciously “pretended to be Dave Allen”? And/or what are your favorite basslines of his from Shriekback or Gang of Four?

Re: Dave. Well, I think one wants to create something funky and melodic at the same time. I’m a pretty DIY player. I think Women of Earth or Moving Center might pass muster. For Shriekback, I loved all his work on Jam Science. I only found out years later all the songs were Carl Marsh compositions. The first side of Oil & Gold is completely killer, as well.

The songs on “(S)words” were written amid the first Trump administration and a sense of “lost personal agency.” Looking back now, which lyrics from that record feel most prophetic—or perhaps most cathartic—when you perform them today? Conversely, does When Are These Not Difficult Times? suggest any glimmers of resolution or new questions that grew out of the earlier albums’ political unease?

Well, Please Rise is a call to activism that I hope still sounds relevant ; I think we’re always trying to insert glimmers of hope into what we write; I hope my writing doesn’t come across as too dark. Sometimes there’s this weird mojo where lyrics become predictive; I have no idea where or when inspiration comes; I try to just clean the rust off my antennae and receive the cosmic signals.

Follow Bob Gaulke:

Website
Bandcamp
YouTube
Instagram
Facebook
Spotify

The post (S)Words in Difficult Times — An Interview with NYC Singer-Songwriter Bob Gaulke appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

Source: Post-Punk.com

Tortured by imagination
Until the chains come off
Paralyzed by my own making
Until the chains come off
Society of the Silver Cross has returned once more with their latest invocation, Until the Chains Come Off,  a richly textured hymn heralding their forthcoming third album. Helmed by Seattle’s musicians Joe Reineke and Karyn Gold-Reineke, the band merges the spiritual resonances of India with shadow-draped Western sensibilities.

With instruments that range from the rare to the familiar, including the harmonium, shahi baaja, 12-string acoustic guitar, and the spectral swirl of vintage synths, the track blossoms into a lush meditation, drenched in Gothic romanticism and cinematic allure. Vocals drift through a veil of otherworldliness, striking a delicate balance between earthly turmoil and ethereal serenity.

Echoes of Dead Can Dance’s ritualistic grandeur, the melancholic embrace of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and SQÜRL’s drone-driven minimalism float subtly throughout the composition; yet Society of the Silver Cross weaves their own hypnotic spell, crafting soundtracks suited equally for darkened sanctuaries or moonlit rites.

At its core, the song confronts the restless ache of confinement: the emotional paralysis wrought by lingering memories and inner anxieties. Society of the Silver Cross paints these themes with lyrical elegance, questioning if love itself is potent enough to dissolve chains forged by past sorrows.

Listen to Until The Chains Come Off below and order the single here.

Until the Chains Come Off by Society of the Silver CrossCaptured within the solemn beauty of their Temple of the Trees studio, hidden among Seattle’s evergreens, the single thrums with sacred tension. The music calls us to shed their burdens in order to welcome in transformative immersion. Society of the Silver Cross whispers truths at the crossroads between spiritual liberation…and the haunting beauty of our shadows.

Follow Society of the Silver Cross:

Spotify
Website
Instagram
Facebook

The post Seattle Dark Folk Duo Society of the Silver Cross Unveil Brooding New Single “Until the Chains Come Off” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

Source: Post-Punk.com

This one is fresh from the Audioglobe news alert line. Japanese noise icon Merzbow will...

The post Merzbow announces new album ‘Sporangium’ and reissue of ‘Merzphysics’ 10CD box first appeared on SIDE-LINE.

Source: Side Line

  Like any subgenre, it can be difficult to quantify entirely what “body horror” really is [..]

Source: RE:GEN Mag

  Bristol-based outfit Allflaws has released a new single as the latest indication of the forthcoming The Age of Nefarious album. “Subservience” delves into themes of control, compliance, and censorship [..]

Source: RE:GEN Mag

Merkur-Spiel-Arena, Duesseldorf, Germany 1st July 2025Linkin Park - “From Zero World Tour” 2025 - Special Guest: Architects “Hush child, when did you grow so big?” This gasp teenage adolescents tend to hear from their well-meaning grandparents also applies here: The career trajectory of Nu Metal icons LINKIN PARK with their new-found front woman Emily Armstrong seems to know only one direction: 90 degrees upward.

Source: Reflections of Darkness

Belgian post-punk pioneers The Names return with a new single and video, “Swimming With Brian...

The post The Names release ‘Swimming With Brian Jones’ EP with video and remix first appeared on SIDE-LINE.

Source: Side Line

Here’s a project you might not expect to see on Side-Line, yet its strong industrial...

The post Vlad T. Addams unveils new single ‘Haunted Frequencies’ ahead of album release first appeared on SIDE-LINE.

Source: Side Line

UK dub innovator Adrian Sherwood will release his first solo album in over a decade...

The post Adrian Sherwood announces first solo album in 13 years, ‘The Collapse of Everything’ first appeared on SIDE-LINE.

Source: Side Line

School Daze Records and compiler Philip King will release “All The Young Droids: Junkshop Synth...

The post New compilation ‘All The Young Droids: Junkshop Synth Pop 1978-1985’ now set for July release first appeared on SIDE-LINE.

Source: Side Line

Als sogenannten „Shadow Drop“ veröffentlichten HIGHER POWER ihr neues Album „There’s Love In This World If You Want It“ ohne vorherige Ankündigung am 27. Juni 2025. Erhältlich ist die Platte bislang ausschließlich digital, die physische Version auf Tonträger folgt am 19. September 2025 via Nuclear Blast.

Frontmann Jimmy Wizard äußert sich zur Platte:

„Dieses Album ist die natürliche klangliche Weiterentwicklung von Higher Power als Band. Es ist das erste Mal, dass wir bewusst ein Album selbst produziert haben – und ich bin zum ersten Mal wirklich erfreut, etwas zu veröffentlichen, das sich für uns als Individuen und als Band absolut authentisch anfühlt.“

Eine Single hat die Formation ebenfalls ausgekoppelt: „All The Rage“ bei YouTube.

HIGHER POWER „There’s Love In This World If You Want It“ Tracklist
01. Absolute Bloom
02. Count The Miles
03. All The Rage (Video bei YouTube)
04. Better
05. Two Doors Down
06. Lunar Tuesday
07. Kaleidoscope
08. Wide Awake
09. My Sweet Surrender

HIGHER POWER „There’s Love In This World If You Want It“ Artwork

Source: Vampster

„‚Wildlive (Live at Olympiahalle)‘ ist weit mehr als nur ein Live-Release. Es ist ein Vermächtnis. Eine Hommage an all die unvergesslichen Momente, die wir zusammen erschaffen haben.“ Mit diesen Worten kündigen POWERWOLF ihr neues Live-Album an.

„Wildlive (Live at Olympiahalle“ erscheint zwar erst am 6. März 2026 via Napalm Records. Wer das Earbook oder die Vinylbox-Edition aber schon jetzt im Shop von Napalm Records vorbestellt, kann seinen Namen bzw. max. 20 Zeichen im Booklet beider Editionen verewigen lassen.

„Wildlive (Live at Olympiahalle)“ erscheint auf CD, Vinyl, DVD und Blu-Ray, der Mitschnitt der Wolfsnächte Tour 2024 wurde in der ausverkauften Münchener Olympiahalle aufgenommen.

POWERWOLF kommentieren:

„Uns war von Anfang an klar: Keine Worte und keine Videoausschnitte könnten je vollständig einfangen, was wir gemeinsam auf der Wolfsnächte 2024-Tour erlebt haben. Jeder Abend hatte seine ganz eigene Magie! Und doch wollten wir einen Weg finden, diese Erinnerungen festzuhalten und mit euch zu teilen. Deshalb haben wir uns entschieden, das komplette, ausverkaufte Konzert in der Münchner Olympiahalle aufzuzeichnen. Wildlive (Live at Olympiahalle) ist weit mehr als nur ein Live-Release. Es ist ein Vermächtnis. Eine Hommage an all die unvergesslichen Momente, die wir zusammen erschaffen haben.“

Anfang 2026 folgt dann auch eine Europatourne mit Konzerten in Bremen, Düsseldorf, Nürnberg, Leipzig, Ulm und Mannheim (Termine s. unten). Im Vorprogramm treten HAMMERFALL und WIND ROSE auf.

POWERWOLF „Wildlive (Live at Olympiahalle)“ Cover

POWERWOLF Tourdaten 2025/2026
Summer Of The Wicked Tour 2025
06.06.25 FR – Nancy / Heavy Week-End07.06.25 DE – Nürnberg / Rock im Park08.06.25 DE – Nürburg / Rock am Ring10.06.25 FR – Toulouse / Zenith (+ DragonForce)11.06.25 FR – Lyon / Halle Tony Garnier (+ DragonForce)13.06.25 AT – Nickelsdorf / Nova Rock15.06.25 NL – Leeuwarden / Into The Grave17.06.25 FR – Lille / Zenith (+ DragonForce)20.06.25 DE – Rostock / Stadthalle (+ DragonForce)21.06.25 DK – Kopenhagen / Copenhell22.06.25 SE – Huskvarna / Folkets Park (+ Amaranthe & DragonForce)24.06.25 SE – Uppsala / Fyrishov (+ Amaranthe & DragonForce)25.06.25 NO – Oslo / Tons Of Rock27.06.25 EE – Tallinn / Tallinn Rock Festival28.06.25 FI – Helsinki / Tuska Festival30.06.25 PL – Łódź / Atlas Arena (+ Epica & DragonForce)01.07.25 SK – Bratislava / Peugeot Arena02.07.25 HU – Dunaújváros / Rockmaraton04.07.25 DE – Ballenstedt / Rockharz Festival11.07.25 DE – Saarbrücken / E-Werk Open Air (+ Warkings)13.07.25 CZ – Vizovice / Masters Of Rock02.08.25 RO – Râșnov / Rockstadt Extreme Fest09.08.25 ES – Villena / Leyendas Del Rock

Wake Up The Wicked Tour 2026
Support: HAMMERFALL, WIND ROSE

19.02.26 DK – Copenhagen / K.B. Hallen
20.02.26 NO – Oslo / Unity Arena
21.02.26 SE – Stockholm / Hovet
23.02.26 FI – Helsinki / Ice Hall
25.02.26 SE – Gothenburg / Scandinavium
27.02.26 DE – Bremen / ÖVB Arena
28.02.26 DE – Düsseldorf / PSD Bank Dome
01.03.26 DE – Nürnberg / Arena Nürnberger Versicherung
03.03.26 DE – Leipzig / Quarterback Immobilien Arena
04.03.26 DE – Ulm / Ratiopharm Arena
05.03.26 DE – Mannheim / SAP Arena
07.03.26 UK – London / OVO Wembley Arena

POWERWOLF Line-up 2025
Attila Dorn – VocalsFalk Maria Schlegel – OrganCharles Greywolf – GuitarMatthew Greywolf – GuitarRoel van Helden – Drums

POWERWOLF – Summer Breeze 2023 – 18.08.2023 – Konzertfotos

Source: Vampster

LETTERS SENT HOME haben eine neue Single geteilt: „A Wife. A Whore“ gibt es als Visualizer bei YouTube zu sehen.

Die Nummer folgt auf „September 29„. Es ist das erste neue Material seit dem Album „Forever Undone“ (2024) und u.a. als Stream bei YouTube zu hören.

Ob auf die Tracks auch eine neue Platte folgen wird, hat die Alternative Rock-Band gegenwärtig noch nicht verraten.

Source: Vampster

Ryo Kinoshita, ehemaliger Frontmann der japanischen Metalcore-Band CRYSTAL LAKE, meldet sich mit einem neuen Projekt zurück. KNOSIS bleibt dem Genre treu, zeigt sich jedoch offen für weitere Einflüsse. Wie das klingen kann, demonstriert die Single „Dokunuma“, die auf allen gängigen Streaming-Portalen verfügbar ist – ein Musikvideo zum Song hat die Formation ebenfalls nachgelegt. Neu ausgekoppelt hat die Gruppe jetzt den Track „Tanebi„.

Einen Eindruck vermittel auch „Shinmon“, zu dem es ein Video bei YouTube gibt. Darüber hinaus ist „Fuhai“ verfügbar, bei dem auch HANABIE.-Sängerin Yukina zu hören ist.

Beide Stücke sind dem Debütalbum „Genknosis“ entnommen, das am 1. August 2025 auf CD, Vinyl sowie digital erscheinen wird. Im Herbst 2024 haben KNOSIS einen Plattenvertrag mit SharpTone Records abgeschlossen.

KNOSIS „Genknosis“ Tracklist

GENKNOSIS
SHINMON (Video bei YouTube)
FUHAI (feat. Yukina Hanabie.) (Video bei YouTube)
YAKUSAI
SEISAI
KURUIBI
IMIONI
DOKUNUMA (Video bei YouTube)
TANEBI (Visualizer bei YouTube)
ANGETSU

Source: Vampster

Die Deathcore-Band PSYCHO-FRAME steht seit Anfang 2025 bei SharpTone Records unter Vertrag. Gemeinsam veröffentlichte man die Standalone-Doppel-Single „Feed“, wobei man zu „No Revives“ sogar ein Musikvideo produziert hat. Den zweiten Track „Breathing Napalm“ gibt es u.a. via YouTube im Audiostream.

Mit „The Portal“ und „Blueprints For Idol Genocide“ sind ferner zwei Tracks des kommenden Studioalbums „Salvation Laughs In The Face Of A Grieving Mother“ vorab verfügbar. Nun legt die Gruppe mit einem weiteren Clip nach: „Black_Wave II“ ist via YouTube aufrufbar.

Produziert wurde „Salvation Laughs In The Face Of A Grieving Mother“ von Hunter Young, welcher auch gemeinsam mit Brandan Lopez für Mix und Mastering verantwortlich zeichnet. Die Platte erscheint am 25. Juli 2025 via SharpTone Records auf CD, Vinyl sowie digital.

PSYCHO-FRAME „Salvation Laughs In The Face Of A Grieving Mother“ Tracklist

BLUEPRINTS FOR IDOL GENOCIDE (Video bei YouTube)
INVERTED SPEAR OF HEAVEN
THE PORTAL (Video bei YouTube)
BLACK_WAVE II (Visualizer bei YouTube)
ENDLESS AGONAL DEVOTION
APOCALYPSE THROUGH LYSERGIC POSSESSION
I WON’T BE THERE TO WATCH YOU GO
FILLETED AND FUCKED
GOD IS BUSY
STILL WATER SALVATION
NEURO++TERROR

Source: Vampster

„Burning Chrome“ lautet der Titel der neuen EP aus dem Hause KINGDOM OF GIANTS. Erscheinen wird die Platte am 29. August 2025 via SharpTone Records, mit „Collide“ ist vorab die erste Single verfügbar.

KINGDOM OF GIANTS „Burning Chrome“ Artwork

KINGDOM OF GIANTS „Burning Chrome“ Tracklist

Tune Me Out
Collide (Video bei YouTube)
Lead Me Back
Cold Burn
Taste Of Poison
Digital Hell

Fotogalerie: KINGDOM OF GIANTS – Muffathalle, München – 11.02.2025

Source: Vampster

Einem alten Hund könne man keine neuen Tricks beibringen, heißt es im Volksmund. Muss man aber auch gar nicht zwingend, wie uns SOUL DEMISE so selbstbewusst vor Augen führen. Über drei Jahrzehnte Erfahrung machen sich unweigerlich bemerkbar, wenn es für die Bayern auf „Against The Abyss“ zum siebten Mal in eine altbekannte Nische geht. Göteborgsche Tendenzen gehören im Melodic Death Metal der Formation zum guten Ton, doch mit Routine und Erfahrung bleibt selbst ein so altehrwürdiger Ansatz nahezu unkaputtbar.

Stimmungsvoll leitet das Instrumentalintro „Into The Abyss“ ein, nur um uns im Anschluss in die Hochzeit des Genres zurück zu katapultieren. Trotz des Aggressionspegels bleibt „Destiny’s Edge“ dank der melodischen Gitarrenarbeit eingängig, während Drummer Jan Sotiriu per Double-Kicks ein paar interessante Akzente streut.

SOUL DEMISE zeigen auf „Against The Abyss“ ein tiefgreifendes Verständnis der Materie
Dass AT THE GATES (u.a. “Unbreakable“) als eine der primären Referenzen herhalten müssen, ist schnell offensichtlich und spiegelt sich darüber hinaus in den galligen Screams Roman Zimmerhackels. Aber auch die eine oder andere Prise IN FLAMES blitzt in den Melodien von „Uncharted“ hervor – die Berührungspunkte ergeben sich quasi von alleine.

Ein Manko ist das Wiederaufgreifen klassischer Stilmittel aus unserer Sicht übrigens nicht. Im Gegenteil, zeigen die Arrangements ein tiefgreifendes Verständnis der Materie: Das Gleichgewicht aus Härte und unmittelbar packenden Melodiebögen gelingt dem Quintett äußerst gut, krönt das abschließende „Veil Of Solitude“ sogar mit einem catchy Hit-Refrain.

SOUL DEMISE füllen ihre routinierte Darbietung dennoch mit Leben
Was „Against The Abyss“ hingegen ein wenig zurückhält, ist der gewissermaßen gleichförmige Ansatz, den SOUL DEMISE verfolgen. Zwar drosselt das Gespann in „Scattered By The Storm“ auch mal das Tempo, im Großen und Ganzen baut das Material jedoch auf ähnliche Ausgangsideen auf. Eine Zäsur wie sie der Death-Thrash-Brecher „Unseen Void“ setzt, ist durchaus willkommen, ein paar ruhigere Momente und Interludes hätten der Dramaturgie des Albums als Kontrast derweil sicherlich nicht geschadet.

Realisieren kann das sonst gutklassige „Against The Abyss“ sein Potenzial daher nicht vollumfänglich, wobei gerade Genrefans trotzdem genug Gründe finden dürften, das Album hin und wieder aufzulegen. Wenn schon nicht der Innovation wegen, dann aufgrund der routinierten Darbietung, die Veteranen wie SOUL DEMISE selbst ohne neue Tricks mit Leben füllen können.

Veröffentlichungstermin: 21.03.2025

Spielzeit: 46:26

Line-Up
Roman Zimmerhackel – Vocals
Alex Hagenauer – Gitarre
Andreas Schuhmeier – Gitarre
Dennis Schneider – Bass
Jan Sotiriu – Drums

Produziert von Kai Stahlenberg (Mix und Mastering)

Label: Apostasy Records

Homepage: https://www.souldemise.de
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/souldemise/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/souldemiseband/
Bandcamp: https://souldemise.bandcamp.com/

SOUL DEMISE “Against The Abyss” Tracklist

Into The Abyss
Destiny’s Edge (Lyric-Video bei YouTube)
Uncharted (Video bei YouTube)
Broken Skin (Video bei YouTube)
Scattered By The Storm (Video bei YouTube)
Unseen Void
Unbreakable
Echoes Of Time
Lost In Reality
Last Breath
Glimmer Of Hope
Veil Of Solitude

Source: Vampster

Mit "Wildlive (Live at Olympiahalle)" haben Powerwolf nicht nur ein brandneues Live-Album in der Pipeline, die Band kommt Anfang 2026 auch auf "Wake Up The Wicked"-Tour! Mehr Infos hier.

Source: Sonic Seducer

Mit "Hangman's Night" haben Warkings eine weitere Single vom kommenden Album "Armageddon" ausgekoppelt. Mehr Infos und das Musikvideo zum Feature-Track mit Dominum hier!

Source: Sonic Seducer

Manchmal sind es eben nicht die lauten Gitarrenriffs oder epischen Synthwellen, die uns in andere Bewusstseinszustände katapultieren – sondern einfach nur ein elektrisches Summen. Am 2. Juli...

Source: MedienKonverter

Vergesst düstere Sommerflauten – 'Lord Of The Lost' haben andere Pläne. Während sich der Mainstream noch an Sommerhits klammert, lassen die Gothic-Metal-Giganten mit ihrer neuen Single Ghosts...

Source: MedienKonverter

Der Sommer rollt derzeit mit mehr als 30 Grad durchs Land – und was macht Liam Thomas? Der australische Soundzauberer schenkt uns die perfekte Klangwolke für heiße...

Source: MedienKonverter

Während Donald Trump wieder einmal damit liebäugelt, Kanada wegen „idealer Golfplatzbedingungen und liberaler Schwäche“ ins Sternenbanner einzugliedern, steht Calgary auf und schreit zurück – mit mehr als...

Source: MedienKonverter

Die Death Metal / Deathcore-Band CALL OF CHARON hat mit „Tales of Tragedy“ ein neues Album angekündigt. Es ist nach „Plaguebearer“ (2019) das zweite Album der Deutschen aus Duisburg, die 2022 die EP „The Sound of Sorrow“ veröffentlicht haben.

„Tales of Tragedy“ wurde von Stephan Hawkes gemixt und gemastert und wird am 1. August 2025 via Massacre Records erscheinen. Vorab gibt es zu „The Demon King“ – mit Damien Moyal (AS FRIENDS RUST) – ein Lyric-Video.

CALL OF CHARON Line-Up:
Patrick Kluge – Vocals
Arthur Solich – Guitars
Tobias Finkl – Guitars
Christoph Knobloch – Drums
Alex Voß – Bass Guitar

CALL OF CHARON „Tales of Tragedy“ Tracklist
01. Devil In The Darkness
02. We Are One (An Ode To Murder)
03. Ocean Grave
04. Suffer In Silence
05. The Demon King (Lyric-Video bei YouTube)
06. Already Dead
07. Insomnia / Paranoia
08. Words Of Separation
09. They Come At Night
10. One More Day

CALL OF CHARON Tourdaten 2025
12.07.2025 – Malters (CH), Bull Head Fest
29.07.2025 – Wacken, WACKEN OPEN AIR
05.08.2025 – Oberhausen, Kulttempel (NAPALM DEATH Support)
20.08.2025 – Düsseldorf, Pitcher (ESCUELA GRIND Support)
23.08.2025 – Oberhausen, Helvete
29.08.2025 – Bad Wörishofen, Forest Metal Fest
20.09.2025 – Haby, Haby Rockt Open Air
10.10.2025 – Hagen, Kulturhof
30.10.2025 – Essen, Don‘t Panic (EVERGREEN TERRACE Support)

Source: Vampster

Die französische Symphonic Metal-Band OÏKOUMEN hat nach „Impulse“ mit „Enchanted Worlds“ – mit Noémie Marie (HARTLIGHT) – eine weitere neue Single mitsamt Video-Clip veröffentlicht. Die Songs folgen auf das 2022er-Debütalbum „Dystopia“.

OÏKOUMEN Line-Up
Guitar & composition – Elie Veux
Vocals & lyrics – Laura Mazard
Bass – Yael Febvray
Drums – Amaury Didon

OÏKOUMEN „Impulse“ (Video bei YouTube)

OÏKOUMEN „Enchanted Worlds“ (Video bei YouTube)

Source: Vampster

Die Progressive Doom / Gothic Metal-Band THIS I OWE hat einen Labeldeal bei Wormholedeath unterschrieben. Erstes Zeugnis dieser Zusammenarbeit ist der neuerliche Release des Albums „Alchemists“, welches im Eigenvertrieb digital im Februar 2025 erstmals erschienen ist. Über das italienische Label wird das Debütalbum der Griechen am 22. August 2025 neuerlich aufgelegt.

„Das Album folgt einem Protagonisten, der die Phasen des Verlustes durchläuft und den Tod der Hoffnung, seiner Herzenskönigin, betrauert. Von Trauer und Wut bis hin zu Reflexion und schließlich Akzeptanz, ist „Alchemists“ sowohl eine persönliche Reise als auch ein kathartisches, klangliches Ritual“, sagt die Band.

THIS I OWE Line-Up:
Thodoris Grigoroudis – Bass
Gerasimos Avgeris – Drums
Christos Kalentzos – Guitars
Maria Kanellaki – Vocals

THIS I OWE „Alchemists“ Tracklist
1. Prologue
2. Equinox
3. Sharks
4. Disdain (Video bei YouTube)
5. Queen of Hearts
6. Isobel
7. Feelings to Dust
8. Nightmare
9. Echo Chambers
10. Solstice

Source: Vampster