One of the world’s most captivating guitarists, Yngwie Malmsteen has announced his new studio album, Hell or High Water, which will be released on 13 November via Music Theories Recordings / Artone Label Group. To whet your appetite, he has also revealed the first single from the album, ‘Now or Never,’ which you can listen to HERE.
When we think of the greatest guitar players of all-time, specifically the crème de la crème musicians who invented a whole new style and sound on the instrument, Yngwie J. Malmsteen is a name that sits comfortably alongside game-changers like Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page and Edward Van Halen.
The nine tracks that make up his latest triumph were crafted meticulously and purposefully, away from the distractions that stall the creative process in the modern age. This is something he first tried with 2021’s Parabellum – mainly because of the state of the world at that time – and the results were so strong, he decided to stick with this as his modus operandi moving forward.
“When I started making records, I would just take the songs I had lying around,” he admits. “Later on, I fell into a schedule – make a record, tour the record and then write the next record. Over the pandemic, I realised it was better to focus completely uninterrupted, so I stayed at home to write this album over the course of eight months. I had around 80 or 90 tracks finished, and then I had to decide which ones were the strongest.”
For a man born with a gift to conjure up overtures “out of nowhere”, the science behind writing a song is something that’s hard to explain. But, in any case, he’s grateful for the abundance of gold-standard ideas that do arrive – the kind that would take other musicians months or even years to realise into actuality. For Yngwie J. Malmsteen, this is simply what he was born to do.
“Even without a guitar in my hands, the music just comes to me,” he reasons. “It’s like that movie Amadeus. Mozart was getting music given to him in complete form. I understand the building blocks and can therefore build you anything you like. If you asked me to write you a death metal song, call me back in five minutes, and I’d have it ready for you. You want country and western or reggae? No problem. I can give you whatever you want. The language of music is simple. There are certain notes that belong together in whatever stylistic direction and sound pleasant to the ear. The ideas don’t come all the time, but when they do, it’s like an avalanche. The pieces I choose for my records are like gifts that I capture because they amaze me. I’m very lucky in that sense.”
Lead single ‘Now Or Never’ is a perfect storm of palm-muted riffing, baroque counterpart melodies, soaring vocals and mind-blowing dexterity. If you’re looking for Yngwie in a nutshell, this is very much it, and similar things could be said of the second track and instrumental pièce de résistance ‘Am Caprice/Hell Or High Water.’
‘(On The) Battlefield’ and ‘Eye For An Eye’ feature some of the singer/guitarist’s strongest vocal performances to date, alongside the stunning instrumentals ‘Antikythera’ and ‘Beyond Zeta Reticuli’ – which were both named after important scientific breakthroughs and discoveries.
Hell Or High Water is an album that’s bursting with emotion from all corners, but the closing track ‘Father’ is undoubtedly the most spirited of them all, written in tribute to the guitar legend’s dad, who passed away last year.
“He was an amazing man,” remembers Yngwie. “I was proud to have him as a father, and I loved him. I wanted to dedicate all of this to him, and that one particular track is for him. I wanted others to feel what I felt when they hear it. Nicola Paganini once said, ‘One must feel strongly in order to make others feel strongly’. It’s one thing to be a typewriter and another thing to be someone who writes stories that can touch people. That was always the point.”
All these years on, Yngwie J. Malmsteen looks and sounds more determined than ever. If the music feels good to him, that’s enough – anyone else liking it is a bonus. And this is precisely the creative fortitude and single-mindedness that turned him into a household name among the guitar community. There is no such thing as half measures or compromise in his world. Here is an artist who will be forever bound to authenticity and creative honesty.
Track listing 1. Now or Never 2. Am Caprice/Hell Or High Water 3. (He Is) Living A Lie 4. Antikythera 5. (On The) Battlefield 6. Beyond Zeta Reticuli 7. Prestissimo In Bm/Adagio 8. Eye For An Eye 9. Father
September 4 – Beijing, China @ East Third Live House September 6 – Shanghai, China @ Phase Live House September 11 – Tokyo, Japan @ Toyosu Pit September 13 – Yokohama, Japan @ Pacifico Yokohama
Acclaimed rockers John Diva & The Rockets Of Love share today their new single and official visualizer video, “The Devil’s Got My Back”, taken from the upcoming new album, “Your Favorite Drug”, out October 16, 2026, via Frontiers Music Srl.
The band described the single as “one of the album’s heaviest and fastest tracks. A monstrous opening riff drags listeners deep into the shadowy canyons of a dark, flickering city, where temptation and damnation wait at every corner – and where John dives headfirst with reckless abandon and devilish delight. Two blazing guitar solos from Snake Rocket and CJ Stevens, thunderous drums, and an aggressively pumping bass push the song to the very edge of heavy metal, playing with fire every step of the way.”
“Lyrically, the Devil isn’t the villain here”, they added. “He’s the ultimate wingman for a night of excess, the one who’s got your back long after the little angel on your shoulder has given up. Welcome to the dark, lust-fueled engine room of the new album.”
John Diva & The Rockets of Love make a triumphant return with their explosive new album “Your Favorite Drug”. Bursting with attitude, swagger, and unapologetic energy, the band delivers a full-throttle hard rock experience that feels both timeless and electrifyingly fresh.
The band commented: “We wanted to achieve absolute focus and intensity – and in the production, working together with Hannes, to be extremely efficient. What sounds like hard work (which it was) – this sharpening of focus – brought us a lot of joy. It can be fun to keep hammering away at a raw diamond until it sparkles and shines. This time, there’s less emphasis on experimentation (like on “American Amadeus” for example) – though the album is still experimental in the sense that everything unnecessary has been stripped away”.
John Diva added: “When I think about making this album, there’s a very personal layer to it. We recorded in southern Germany, where my family is from, and I stayed with relatives during the sessions. It brought back a lot of great memories, so I went into the studio with a double sense of joy – giving everything to the record while reconnecting with my roots”.
“Your Favorite Drug” was a trip in the cleanest sense – we stayed completely sober, but worked in a real frenzy. Writing, recording, and finishing the album happened fast, and by the fourth record you know exactly what you want – and how to get it. There’s a lot of spontaneity in it too: the title track came together in just a few hours, and songs like “Bigger Than America” evolved into something bigger and bolder than we first imagined”, he continued.
Packed with massive hooks, soaring choruses, and razor-sharp riffs, “Your Favorite Drug” showcases the band at the peak of their songwriting power. Standout tracks like “Bigger Than America” and “The Devil’s Got My Back” emerge as true anthems, destined to ignite stages and thrill every hard rock fan with their infectious energy and sing-along choruses.
Produced by Hannes Braun, the album captures a polished yet gritty sound that perfectly amplifies the band’s larger-than-life personality. This is more than a comeback – it’s a statement. John Diva & The Rockets of Love are back, louder, bolder, and more addictive than ever.
One of the best hard rock releases of the year!
“Your Favorite Drug” Tracklist:
1. The Devil’s Got My Back 2. Bigger Than America 3. No Mercy For The Teenage Heart 4. Lamborghina 5. Favorite Drug 6. S.M.I.L.E. 7. Love Is Cold 8. Girls In Overdrive 9. Spectacular 10. Soundtrack Of My Life
Line Up: John Diva Snake Rocket Remmie Martin Marcus Coolman jr. C.J. Stevens
No matter how his genius takes shape, Tor-Helge Skei remains one of the most consistent and surprising artists in extreme music. As a founding member of the critically acclaimed Manes and Lethe, the Norwegian multi-instrumentalist and producer has pushed the boundaries of metal and electronic music. Now, he’s expanding his vision like never before with Holissstik, a new collective experiment that features fellow members of Manes and Lethe, underground legends and rising stars from the avant-garde.
“Holissstik’s innovative nature and mission of fostering collaboration through extreme risk set them apart and above”, New Noise wrote upon the announcement of the second single from the collective’s upcoming debut album and first in a trilogy.
Today, Holissstik are releasing the third and final advanced single from Chapter 1: This Endless Solitude. Though haunted by the current state of the world, “Reoccurring Dreams” possesses the collective spirit that makes Skei and his collaborators such a unified force.
“Collaboration is the heart and soul of Holissstik”, Skei says. “I’ve had the idea for ‘Reoccurring Dreams’ for quite some time. But, as is often the case, the song evolved, unplanned and uncontrolled, as Nik, Kristoffer, Eivind, Tor Arne and I worked on it together. While quite floaty, it twists off in unexpected directions. There’s even an Easter egg for fans of Manes and Diabolus, Mecum Semperterne! to find!”.
As one could reasonably expect, This Endless Solitude began in 2024 with Tor-Helge Skei alone at his studio in Norway, revisiting unfinished songs from previous projects. The album’s latest single opens as if falling deep into a trance, blanketed beneath one long, dark cloud of synth. Over the following years, Skei salvaged bits and pieces of old recordings while building new components from scratch using his curious collection of recording software and homemade plug-ins. Jolted awake, “Reoccurring Dreams” tosses and turns between trip-hop, black metal, electronic and industrial.
Skei’s approach to production is still hands-on, but he’s invited outside influences to take control over Holissstik. “After I finished the initial sketches for the songs on This Endless Solitude, I wanted to hear where other people would take with them without being given any rules, limitations or restrictions”, he says. On “Reoccurring Dreams”, familiar faces appear in current and former Manes members Eivind Fjøseide and Tor-Arne Helgesen. But the single also introduces two new collaborators. With just the lift of a finger, Norwegian experimental musician Kristoffer Oustad conjures a melody that will ring in your head for days on end. And though it may be hard to believe, the distorted voice speaking as if from another world is none other than Kamra vocalist Nik Košar.
“I see trees, but they look like men, standing”, recalls Košar, twisting a verse from the Bible on its head. “I do not see myself, but I look, searching”. It’s not an admission of defeat, but a call to become something greater than ourselves.
“From the start, Holissstik felt like a serene light tap from somewhere beyond”, Košar says. “While I typically come from black metal, I love experimenting with different vocal styles. “‘Reoccurring Dreams’ strayed from the usual. The focus moved away from the vocals and their color into the rhythm, the words and the flow. The lyrics are inspired by a quote from the Bible, which I inverted. They don’t carry any religious meaning but reflect the current state of a blind society that struggles within the self-inflicted solitude born out of our removal from nature”.
“The whole creative process and its conclusion felt seamless and genius”, Košar continues. “Working with Holissstik felt like a puzzle where all the pieces are already laid before you and you know exactly where you fit. It was a surreal experience that I am thankful to be a part of”.
“Holissstik is like an audio ecosystem, where the collective is the creative force, the gardener and the nutrient”, Oustad says. “This is where you are the flower and the bee at the same time, both knowing and unaware of your impact and importance in the holistic process. I am proud and deeply honored to have been asked to be a part of it”.
“With Hollissstik, we’ve built something that transcends traditional metal by focusing on the ‘holos’ – the beauty of the complete, interconnected whole”, says Helgesen, who contributes drums to “Reoccurring Dreams”.
Fjøseide, who contributes guitar to the song, agrees. “Skei and I have worked together on music for more than 30 years. Together, we have a special chemical musical reaction that makes things very exciting”.
From the tireless genius Tor-Helge Skei, a radically innovative new force, Holissstik, has emerged. The latest project from the Norwegian mainstay, multi-instrumentalist and producer is his most expansive yet. While it dwells deep within the darkness of our lives, Chapter I:This Endless Solitude, the first chapter in a trilogy of albums, finds salvation through the spirit of collaboration.
“The inspiration for Holissstik comes from the Greek word Hólos, which is the root for the English word ‘whole’”, Skei says. “Collaboration is the heart and soul of this project. The idea is that each part cannot exist or be understood when separated from the whole. The sum is greater than its parts”.
As the driving force behind Trondheim’s legendary Manes, Skei quickly established himself in the ’90s as one of black metal’s key pioneers. With the release of Manes’ classic album Vilosophe (2003), the powerhouse then metamorphosed into an equally magnificent genre-defying entity. Over the years, Skei has only continued to build upon his legacy as an unsurpassed sonic adventurer. He’s received acclaim for his achievements with various outfits, including Lethe, his duo with ex-Eluveitie and Cellar Darling’s beloved songstress Anna Murphy; the international supergroup Høstsol; the veterans Atrox; the brutal metallers Manii and Syning; the wildly experimental Kkoagulaa and more.
Even for the absurdly ambitious Skei, Holissstik represents a Herculean feat. While Skei serves as Holissstik’s composer and captain, the project operates as a revolving door for top-notch talents from across the world. Holissstik’s art can only leave those fortunate enough to be touched by its unshakable audial spells in states of utter speechlessness. This vessel of change cannot be defined; for it rattles the foundations of all we think we know about music while also redefining itself, constantly venturing further out into unknown territories. Holissstik is more sinister than extreme metal and potentially more healing than any New Age practice; this is timeless music without any artistic limitations. As Skei’s longtime accomplice in Manes and award-winning filmmaker Torstein Parelius wrote, “Turn away from the boundaries you create”.
Holissstik truly came into being in 2024 when Skei resolutely decided to initiate the arduous alchemical process of producing order from chaos. Skei is an astoundingly prolific creator whose vast archive of used and unused recordings seems endless. Parelius has remarked that the material from Manes’ past tends to “haunt” the band insofar as it is frequently incorporated in the present. This applies to Skei’s other efforts as well, and, for Holissstik, the visionary meticulously labored on sketches dating a decade or more back, giving them new life, details and twists. Meanwhile, he crafted others from scratch. Eventually, Skei narrowed the selection for This Endless Solitude down to eight mostly instrumental compositions with samples and some old vocal fragments. These tracks already sounded complete and irreproachable in their own right. Each of these interconnected, maximally hypnotic, seamlessly flowing and sometimes mercurial gems emanated its own unique, indefinable brand of magic, far beyond comparison and yet stamped with Skei’s instantly recognizable trademark.
Then, Skei did the unthinkable. He took the leap of faith he had been planning on and invited a flood of collaborators — big names, rising stars and underground legends — to assert their creative freedom on This Endless Solitude by adding individualistic touches on vocals, lyrics and various instruments. “After sketching these songs, I asked my collaborators to do their own thing with them. The only hint that I gave was the music would use minor chords, be melancholic and introspective and that the lyrics would be concerned with the darker side of life and death. But I gave them no rules, no limitations or restrictions”.
The chances of such a risky move actually succeeding seemed minuscule. Yet, the broadest pool of characters rose to the challenge, sharing their pain, anxieties, raw passion, wisdom, strength, refinement, grace and communal will to create pure art through This Endless Solitude. The roughly twenty guests on the album generously gave the music just what they believed it called upon them to express without holding back, thereby exceeding expectations and precipitating drastic transformation. Although Skei had temporarily surrendered control, he took matters firmly into his hands again as the contributions began trickling his way over the months that followed.
“As the collaborators submitted their contributions, I worked on shaping This Endless Solitude into a coherent whole”, Skei says. “It was quite an intense process in itself. But the end result more than made up for the doubts that surfaced”.
Skei is nothing short of a sorcerer when it comes to producing, engineering and arranging. His approaches may be unconventional, but no one achieves mixes and overall outcomes that more powerfully tug at our heartstrings, though we must acknowledge that the aforementioned Anna Murphy has also provided mixes of the highest caliber for Manes. Bit by bit, Skei would sculpt Holissstik’s first chapter to perfection. Worlds open, worlds collide; the spectral voices began twining around each other, a wealth of musical ideas and the said samples with seemingly supernatural effect, clawing their way into a permanent position within listeners’ psyches. While remaining true to their essences, the compositions would evolve in the exact manner of a living organism, in unforeseen and thrilling ways until they reached the point at which further modification would prove folly; ultimately, the miraculously cohesive This Endless Solitude assumed the form that seemed destined. It was then entrusted to Skei’s go-to choice for mastering Knut Prytz (ex-Necrophagia).
The result of This Endless Solitude and that which lies ahead is phantasmagorical wonder, lethal beauty and boundless darkness. Holissstik’s delirium-inducing, absinthine potions threaten to profoundly transform, and perhaps even transfigure, listeners; Holissstik equates to an unfathomably rewarding drug, though it will emotionally overload sentient beings. There is no denying the dangerous spiritual intensity within Holissstik’s hallucinatory soundscapes — dreams that bring audiences to and from the abysmal realm of nightmares. Impregnated with cerebral and poetic qualities, Holissstik provides a cinematic journey, repeatedly invoking primal horror and forever hooking us with suspenseful energy. The mystery of what the music communicates often gives way to melancholic meditations. We never pierce the veil of enigma surrounding Holissstik, rather we drown in the layers of sound, dragging us down into the scandal-infested depths of our own heavy consciousnesses. Holissstik bears parallels to classical music in terms of its inward impact and transcendent nature.
Stylistically, many will perceive elements of nearly every genre under the sun within This Endless Solitude: jazz, trip hop, rock, metal, ambient, avant-garde, pop. However, trying to attach labels to Holissstik would be foolishness. Electronics are superbly implemented within Holissstik, yet the music somehow always retains its organic charm. Skei doubles as a tech wizard, and he twists his expertise in the fields of programming and software development to his advantage for musical purposes. He always strikes the ideal balance between awakening a sense of unbearable loneliness partly by way of technology, frequently amplifying the robotic coldness it can engender, and the human component in all of its sometimes warmly reassuring, mood-driven nuances. Calculation and spontaneity are both accorded their proper place.
This EndlessSolitude proudly showcases artists who have worked with Skei in several other contexts and capacities as well as completely new collaborators. Anna Murphy, a household name within the music community, graces the album with her seductive, otherworldly vocals. Her fellow goddesses, the criminally gifted Marita Hellem and Rage of Light’s Martyna Halas, a masterful lyricist who offers her “heart of pure gold,” likewise deliver some of the most gorgeous vocals imaginable, deranging our senses with their oracular allure. Torstein Parelius, who has always played a crucial role in neo-Manes’ music and concepts, assists on bass and with lyrics.
Besides Hellem, Murphy and Parelius, the other members of Manes’ core and extended family who contribute to Holissstik include Atrox’s Eivind Fjøseide, ex-Atrox’s Tor-Arne Helgesen, The Third and the Mortal’s Rune Hoemsnes, Drontheim’s Tom Christian Engelsøy and Atrox’s Rune Folgerø. Holissstik also welcomed involvement from Kristoffer Oustad of Kristoffer Nyströms Orkester, Plague Machinery and formerly V:28; Christophe Denhez of Område and Ecr.Linf; rapper Pierre Ripka, or “K-rip”; Nik Košar of Kamra; Gabriel Trentini of Luce d’Inverno and Malaflame; rocker and engineering guru Stig Waltoft, a.k.a. “FluffyBunnyFeets”; and Trond Johansen. Not to mention, Buddhist monks were even persuaded to contribute chanting. While This Endless Solitude is mostly in English, it also features Pali, French, Polish and Italian.
Although the very nature of Holissstik demands that we expect the unexpected, the collective’s future certainly seems to guarantee obsidian horizons and torrential deluges of artistic truth. In other words, the project promises to persistently and ritualistically pummel us with devastating yet necessary, epic masterworks. Skei and his collaborators truly present the most immersive experiences possible and, in Manes language, offer a safe place in the unsafe; dive in with your hands bound, and be submerged within the imprisoning brilliance. Skei continues to participate in a range of outstanding groups, and yet Holissstik stands as the most unpredictable and, counterintuitive as it might sound, accessible undertaking in the history of his illustrious career.
Lineup Tor-Helge Skei
Guest musicians Anna Murphy – Vocals on “Obsession Six” Christophe Denhez – Guitars on “The Rhythm of Silence”, Guitars, vocals and lyrics on “Behind Me” Eivind Fjøseide – Guitars on all songs except “Projections” Gabriel Trentini – Vocals and lyrics on “Obsession Six” Kristoffer Oustad – Synth on “The Rhythm of Silence”, “Projections”, “Reoccuring Dreams”, “This Endless Solitude” Tor-Arne Helgesen – Drums on all songs except “Behind Me” and “This Endless Solitude” Marita Hellem – Vocals on “The Rhythm of Silence” and “This Endless Solitude” Martyna Halas – Vocals and lyrics on “The Rhythm of Silence”, “My Salvation”, “Would You Take This Heart” and “This Endless Solitude” Nik Košar – Vocals and lyrics on “Projections” and “Reoccuring Dreams” Pierre Ripka – Vocals and lyrics on “The Rhythm of Silence” Paritta Monks – Chanting on “Would You Take This Heart” Rune Folgerø – Vocals on “This Endless Solitude” Rune Hoemsnes – Drums on “Behind Me” Stig Waltoft – Synth and sounds on “Would You Take This Heart” Tom Engelsøy – Vocals on “Obsession Six” Torstein Parelius – Bass on “Behind Me” and “This Endless Solitude”, lyrics on “This Endless Solitude” Trond Johansen – Guitars on “Would You Take This Heart”
Production credits Recorded, produced and mixed by Tor-Helge Skei Mastered by Knut V. Prytz
Songwriting credits All songwriting and arrangements by Tor-Helge Skei
Black death metal force BELPHEGOR has finished work on its 13th studio album, scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2027 via Reigning Phoenix Music.
The forthcoming record will mark the next chapter in BELPHEGOR’s uncompromising legacy, continuing the band’s relentless exploration of black death metal and its distinctive fusion of brutality, darkness and ceremonial intensity.
As work on the album progresses, BELPHEGOR reminds their supporters to revisit the first two singles from the upcoming release:
“Scarlet Beast – Leviathan”: Released February 2026
“Sanctus Diaboli Confidimus”: Released August 2025
Further details surrounding BELPHEGOR’s 13th studio album will be revealed in due course.
The new album will be released worldwide in the first quarter of 2027 via Reigning Phoenix Music.
BELPHEGOR will also unleash its magickal processions across Europe in autumn 2026 with the “Praise The Beast” European Tour 2026.
The trek kicks off September 29 at Turock in Essen, Germany, and will storm through Belgium, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Central Europe, Poland, and the UK before reaching its final ritual on October 18 at The Underworld in London.
Joining BELPHEGOR as special guests are Death Metal legends KRISIUN and Black Metal coven ASAGRAUM. A fourth band will be announced soon. Stay tuned.
BELPHEGOR “Praise The Beast” European Tour 2026:
29.09. – GER – Essen, Turock 30.09. – BEL – Kortrijk, DVG 01.10. – NLD – Dordrecht, Bibelot 02.10. – NLD – Hengelo, Metropool 03.10. – DEN- Copenhagen, Richter 04.10. – SWE – Gothenburg, Monument 06.10. – FIN – Helsinki, On The Rocks 07.10. – SWE – Stockholm, Kollektivet Livet 08.10. – SWE – Malmö, Plan B 09.10. – GER – Berlin, Musikbrauerei 10.10. – CZE – Uherske Hradiste, Klub Mir 11.10. – CZE – Plzen, Serikovka 13.10. – POL – Krakow, Hype Park 14.10. – POL – Gdańsk, Drizzly Grizzly 15.10. – GER – Osnabrück, Bastard Club 16.10. – UK – Sheffield, Corporation 17.10. – UK – Torquay, Arena 18.10. – UK – London, The Underworld
Tickets and additional information will be available through local venues and promoters.
About BELPHEGOR:
Since their formation in 1993 in Austria, BELPHEGOR have stood as one of the most brutal and transgressive forces in black death metal. Founded by vocalist and guitarist Helmuth Lehner, the band has spent over three decades refining a sound forged in fire and sacrilege, merging the violent precision of death metal with the ritualistic darkness of black metal.
Their musick is an invocation of infernal power, a soundwall of relentless blasphemy.
From the raw intensity of early releases like The Last Supper (1995), Blutsabbath (1997), and Necrodaemon Terrorsathan (2000), to the increasingly sophisticated compositions found on albums such as Lucifer Incestus, Bondage Goat Zombie, Pestapokalypse VI, and Totenritual, BELPHEGOR have continually pushed the boundaries of extreme musick. Each release marks a further descent into forbidden territory.
The band’s thematic focus with ritual magick, religious inversion, and arcane symbolism is matched by their technical mastery, multilingual lyrics, and sonic experimentation.
With their twelfth studio album The Devils (2022), BELPHEGOR delivered one of their most punishing and ambitious records to date.
Recorded at Fascination Street Studios with producer Jens Bogren, the album features nine meticulously crafted compositions that shift seamlessly between feral aggression and solemn majesty.
Tracks such as Glorifizierung des Teufels and Virtus Asinaria – Prayer incorporate choral passages and ritualistic structure, while Damnation – Höllensturz unfolds with a dynamic complexity that further amplifies the band’s compositional vision.
Lyrically, the album weaves together German, Latin, and English to cast incantations of death, desecration, and rebellion against sacred order. Accompanied by visionary artwork from Seth Siro Anton, The Devils stands as a high point in Belphegor’s canon and underscores their continued relevance in the global extreme metal landscape.
Following the success of The Devils, BELPHEGOR were honored with the 2023 Amadeus Austrian Music Award in the Hard and Heavy category, a rare moment of formal recognition in Austria for a band that has long walked a path far removed from mainstream acceptance. This accolade acknowledges their artistic legacy and highlights the contrast between their recognition and the transgressive nature of their craft.
Renowned for their intense live rituals, BELPHEGOR have toured relentlessly across Europe, the Americas, Asia, Australia, and beyond. They have appeared at Wacken Open Air, Knotfest, Bloodstock, Hellfest, Tons Of Rock, Sweden Rock, and numerous other prestigious metal festivals. Their stage presence is more than a performance, it is a ceremony of magick and infernal theatre, where sound, smoke, blood, and fire converge in a communion with darkness.
Now, as the band approaches its thirteenth studio album, a deeper and more arcane force begins to stir. The number thirteen bears ancient meaning: endings, thresholds, and the passage into the unknown. Rooted in primordial doctrine, the thirteenth seal is said to bind the final veil between worlds, the last barrier between order and chaos.
With this upcoming release, BELPHEGOR prepares to break that seal, not to follow, but to lead. To summon what lies beyond even their own previous creations: something more primal, more ritualistic, more devastating.
Early glimpses of new material point to a continuation of the dark artistic path begun with The Devils, now delving even deeper. The upcoming album takes shape as a focused ritual: precise, uncompromising, and rooted in the band’s unmistakable vision, the glorification of the Devil.
TO THE GRAVE, the world’s preeminent vegan deathcore band, are proud to launch their new track, “TORTURE PORN,” the third single taken from their upcoming BLKIIBLK debut album, ‘LIBERATION FRONT,’ set for release on October 2nd. The new single arrives alongside an official lyric video, available to view below.
On the new single, vocalist Dane Evans shares:
“‘TORTURE PORN’ might be the biggest fight riff song we have. Lyrically, I wanted to state as bluntly as possible that we don’t care if you hate us, what we stand for or how we choose to stand for it; TTG hates you too. Enjoy the song. Everyone’s still a murderer.”
Since forming in 2010, TO THE GRAVE have become one of Australia’s most uncompromising heavy exports, earning acclaim for crushing releases including ‘Global Warning,’ ‘Epilogue,’ ‘Director’s Cuts,’ and 2024’s ‘Everyone’s a Murderer.’ Armed with a singular mission to confront animal cruelty and environmental destruction through some of modern metal’s most punishing deathcore, the Sydney outfit have forged a reputation for pairing unrelenting heaviness with fearless activism. Their live assault has taken them around the globe alongside Lorna Shore, Thy Art Is Murder, Shadow of Intent, Carnifex, Oceano, and more, with Revolver hailing them as “one of the country’s heaviest exports” and Distorted Sound calling them “one of the most intense, enthralling bands the genre can offer.”
Now, the band returns with ‘LIBERATION FRONT,’ their fifth album and BLKIIBLK debut, a statement of pure intent. Brutal and uncompromising in both sound and message, TO THE GRAVE transform their death metal-infused assault into a vehicle for activism, raging against animal cruelty and environmental destruction while delivering their most direct and fully realized work to date. From the breakdown-laden opener “MEAT THE HUMANS,” ‘Liberation Front’ marks a ferocious return to the band’s deathcore roots. While recent releases leaned further into hardcore, the new album embraces deathcore at its most savage and relentless.
Evans comments about the album:
“‘LIBERATION FRONT’ was born as a concept on tour last year in Australia after we decided we wanted to make the sequel to ‘Director’s Cuts.’ What came out was something between that and a more pissed off brother to ‘Everyone’s A Murderer.’ It’s got so many things I love about the band and a bit of everything pushed to 100 with a really bleak kind of aggression that’s just reaching for your throat the entire time. Very keen to play some of these songs live and it’s an exciting chapter to add.”
1. MEAT THE HUMANS 2. NAIL MARY 3. TORTURE PORN 4. EYESTALK ABLATIONS 5. LIFE AMONG THE SEPTICS 6. CALF SLICER 7. LIMB FROM LAMB 8. YOU KNOW THE DRILL 9. TERRORFIRE 10. THE WORLD IS A SLAUGHTERHOUSE
TO THE GRAVE will be kicking off “The Sawed Off Suffering Tour” with co-headlinerCrown Magnetar on September 17th in Chicago. The entire run will be supported by Face Yourself and on select dates by the likes of I Declare War, Tracheotomy, Backbiter, Squelching and Ameonna (the new band featuring former Chelsea Grinmembers Alex Koehler, Jake Harmond and Pablo Viveros, making their live debut). For a full list of dates, please see below.
Bassist Matt Clarke exclaims:
“These are the heaviest lineups we’ve ever put together, and we can’t wait for these shows across North America and at home in Aus. For North America, all these bands have a different approach, but the one thing that brings it all together is intensity! We’re stoked to be teaming up with Crown Magnetar for this run, and having Face Yourself on the package just makes it more crushing. We’re very excited that we get to play with OG Chelsea Grin members back on-stage for the first time in Ameonna, and I Declare Warhopping on for some shows is awesome! Backbiter, Tracheotomy, and Squelching will all bring their own brands of brutality to the tour. No matter what show you’re hitting, you’re in for a treat.”
TO THE GRAVE Live:
Australia w/ No Cure, Algor Mortis, Bloodmouth
Sept 2 – Perth, AU @ Amplifier Bar * Sept 3 – Adelaide, AU @ Lion Arts Factory * Sept 4 – Frankston, AU @ Singing Bird Sept 5 – Melbourne, AU @ Max Watts Sept 6 – Canberra, AU @ The Baso ^ Sept 10 – Sydney, AU @ Crowbar Sept 11 – Newcastle, AU @ Hamilton Station Sept 12 – Brisbane, AU @ The Triffid
* no Bloodmouth ^ no Algor Mortis
North America w/ Crown Magnetar, Face Yourself
Sept 17 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean * Sept 18 – Detroit, MI @ Catacombs at The Sanctuary * Sept 19 – Cleveland, OH @ Mahall’s * Sept 20 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Preserving Underground * Sept 22 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace * Sept 23 – Montreal, QC @ Foufounes Électriques * Sept 24 – Hartford, CT @ Webster Underground * Sept 25 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Meadows * Sept 26 – Harrisburg, PA @ Capital City Music Hall * Sept 27 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium * Sept 28 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery ^ Sept 30 – Asheville, NC @ Revival ^ Oct 1 – Nashville, TN @ The End ^ Oct 2 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade (Purgatory) ^ Oct 3 – Jacksonville, FL @ The Albatross ^ Oct 4 – West Palm Beach, FL @ The Banyan Live ^ Oct 6 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada $ Oct 7 – Austin, TX @ Come and Take It Live $ Oct 9 – Mesa, AZ @ Rosetta Room Oct 10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex + Oct 11 – Roseville, CA @ Goldfield Trading Post + Oct 13 – Portland, OR @ The Hawthorne Theatre + Oct 14 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon + Oct 16 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Soundwell ~ Oct 17 – Denver, CO @ HQ ~
*w/ Backbiter ^w/ Tracheotomy $w/ Squelching +w/ I Declare War ~w/ Ameonna
More Dates TBA!
‘LIBERATION FRONT’ is more than an album; it is a musical and lyrical call to arms, designed not only to rage against the machine but to educate, provoke, and challenge listeners on every level. Combining their most savage deathcore material to date with an unwavering commitment to animal liberation and environmental activism, ‘LIBERATION FRONT’ stands as TO THE GRAVE’s definitive statement: fierce, unapologetic, and impossible to ignore.
As Evans puts it, “this is our way of establishing order. The band is built around our way of doing things and to me this title is just waving that flag. These songs are about direct action, open rescue, abolition and liberation by any means necessary.”
TO THE GRAVE are: Dane Evans – Vocals Jack Simioni – Guitar Nic Webb – Guitar Matt Clarke – Bass Connor Kingdom – Drums
The Zac Schulze Gang’s latest single, a cover of the late blues guitarist Tony Dowler’s fiery reimagining of Robert Johnson’s classic “Hellhounds On My Trail,” has won Classic Rock’s Tracks of the Week.
Says Classic Rock – “In an age when rock bands have largely forgotten how to swing, along comes Hellhounds On My Trail by Gillingham rockers the Zac Schulze Gang, and it swings hard, pounding and pummelling and puffing its chest out.”
The single is available to stream on Spotify. The music video is available on YouTube.
“Hellhounds On My Trail” is the first new music from the British trio’s forthcoming sophomore album slated for release by Ruf Records in February 2027. It’s also the first new music since the band’s critically acclaimed 2025 debut album Straight To It.
Recorded live with long-time producer Ian Sadler, “Hellhounds On My Trail” detonates with blistering guitars, breakneck momentum, and the raw chemistry that has made the Zac Schulze Gang one of Britain’s most talked-about rock ’n’ roll bands.
Led by guitarist and vocalist Zac Schulze, whose fearless playing fuses punk bite, blues fire, and classic rock swagger, with drummer Ben Schulze and bassist Ant Greenwell driving the charge, the trio delivers a hook-driven, hard-hitting rush that hits with the force of their live show.
“Hellhounds On My Trail” tore into the Zac Schulze Gang’s world when they were invited to unleash it at the Rory Gallagher Festival in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands.
“We were first introduced to the song when our friend Petra Burns asked us to perform it at the Rory Gallagher Festival in Holland,” says Zac Schulze. “Every time we perform it, it evolves—we improvise and discover something new. The recorded version is our best attempt to capture that live energy while paying tribute to Tony Dowler, who wrote such a brilliant song. It really sums up where we are as a band right now.”
Hailing from Gillingham, Kent, the Zac Schulze Gang cut their teeth on the UK’s DIY circuit before breaking through with a standout appearance at the Rory Gallagher Tribute Festival in 2022. Since then, they’ve become one of Europe’s hardest-working young bands, playing more than 250 shows a year, appearing at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival, and earning Best Emerging Blues Band honours at the UK Blues Awards in 2024, followed by Young Artist of the Year in 2025.
Their single, “I Won’t Do This Anymore,” broke through on the UK’s leading classic rock radio station, Planet Rock, where it powered onto the coveted A-List for eight weeks. Previous singles “Woman” and “The Rocker” started the momentum surging with extensive airplay, as the band’s rising radio profile was matched by a growing wave of enthusiastic critical acclaim.
Classic Rock praised their “upbeat, ’70s-ified blues rock with a few enticing twists and a roughened Rory Gallagher-esque edge.” Rock and Blues Muse said, “the trio doesn’t mess around with niceties, preferring to play the kind of blues-infused rock’n’roll that grabs your throat and doesn’t let go,” while Blues Matters declared them “destined for blues rock glory.”
With “Hellhounds On My Trail,” the Zac Schulze Gang take another thrilling leap forward, pushing their momentum onto a bigger international stage. This fall, the band will ignite North America with their electrifying live show, joining Samantha Fish and Tab Benoit on tour and introducing U.S. audiences to one of the UK’s most compelling new rock exports.
ZSG also tour the UK in November 2026, followed by another UK tour in February and March 2027, where they will perform their biggest London show at Islington Assembly Hall on February 27th.
*** supporting Tab Benoit ++ supporting Samantha Fish
Aug 21 Fox Theatre – Tucson, AZ *** Aug 22-23 MIM – Phoenix, AZ *** Aug 25 Pappy & Harriet’s – Pioneertown, CA *** Aug 27 Belly Up – Solana Beach, CA *** Aug 28 Coach House- San Juan Capistrano, CA *** Aug 29 World Records – Bakersfield, CA *** Aug 30 Venice West – Venice, CA *** Sept 2 Golden State Theatre – Monterey, CA *** Sept 3 Cornerstone Berkeley – Berkeley, CA *** Sept 4 Rocklin Concert Series / Quarry Park- Sacramento, CA *** Sept 5 Uptown Theatre – Napa, CA *** Sept 6 The Hangar – Lake Tahoe, CA *** Sept 12-13 Big Blues Bender – Las Vegas, NV Sept 16 Phil Long Music Hall – Colorado Springs, CO ++ Sept 17 Gothic Theatre- Englewood,CO *** Sept 18 Boulder Theater – Boulder. CO ++ Sept 19-20 Telluride Blues & Brews – Telluride, CO Sept 23 Golden State Theatre – Monterey, CA ++ Sept 24 Uptown Theatre – Napa, CA ++ Sept 26 Center for the Arts – Grass Valley, CA ++ Sept 27 Guild Hall – Menlo Park, CA ++ Sept 29 Rev Hall – Portland, OR ++ Sept 30 Music Millennium – Portland, OR Oct 3 Kings Hall at APEX – Everett, WA ++ Oct 4 Panida Theater – Sandpoint. ID ++ Oct 10 Crescent City Blues Fest – New Orleans, LA Oct 22 De Spot – Groningen (NL) Oct 23 De Neushoorn – Leeuwarden (NL) Oct 24 Outbaix 2.0 – Ubach-Palenburg (DE) Oct 29 Kammgarn – Kaiserlautern (DE) Nov 4 Museumkeller – Erfurt (DE) Nov 6 KL17 Klub – Dobeln (DE) Nov 10 The Key Club – Leeds (UK) Nov 11 Night & Day – Manchester (UK) Nov 12 The Crescent – York (UK) Nov 13 The Adrian Flux Waterfront – Norwich (UK) Nov 14 The Hope & Ruin – Brighton (UK) Nov 15 Rescue Rooms – Nottingham (UK) Nov 19 Het Podium – Hoogeveen (NL) Nov 20 Paard – Den Haag (NL) Nov 22 Poppodium Hedon – Zwolle (NL) Nov 23 La Boite a Musique – Wattrelos (FR) Nov 24 New Morning – Paris (FR) Nov 28 Maiwaldhalle – Achern (DE) Nov 29 Podium Fluor – Amersfoort (NL) Nov 30 Spirit Of 66 – Verviers (BE) Dec 11 Music Club N9 – Eeklo (BE) Dec 12 MOMfest – Veghel (NL)
2027
Feb 23 The Cluny 1 – Newcastle (UK) Feb 24 Voodoo Rooms – Edinburgh (UK) Feb 25 Stereo – Glasgow (UK) Feb 27 Islington Assembly Hall – London (UK) Feb 28 Thekla – Bristol (UK) Mar 2 The Globe – Cardiff (UK) Mar 3 The Joiners – Southampton (UK) Mar 4 Hare & Hounds – Birmingham (UK)
THE ROCK ALCHEMIST – Italian Rock Band from Turin with a strong sonic identity that blends modern rock with progressive, hard, alternative, and pop elements!
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 