Rain Diary’s recording history dates to 2013 when the band’s first album – The Lights Are Violent Here – was released. The album was praised by critics, and it also registered some promising chart success [7th spot on Finnish Official Independent Record Store Sales Chart, 30th on The Official Finnish Album Chart (week 40, 2013)]. Rain Diary made its first international show in Tallinn 2014 followed by extensive German tour. Middle-Europe has always been one of the key areas for Rain Diary with six tours and counting.
A nice kick-off was followed by the second album – Black Weddings (2017) – that kept Rain Diary’s underground success crowing towards larger audiences. And then came the cursed Corona that caused first minor and later bigger “hiccups” that led to somewhat dramatic member changes. In 2021 Rain Diary was in the verge of break up: Band’s just-found exceptionally talented new singer had to quit due to severe health reasons. After short hiatus, the band found strength from fellow musicians and fans encouragements.
It’s one out of million kind of luck that struck Rain Diary: The band found an absolute gem from the legendary Bar Loose where Joonas Verho was playing with his previous band. It was a stellar performance Joni Bitter got to witness as his club manager role. The band finally found THE singer and managed to fulfil its honour to support Lord of The Lost in their 2022 ensemble tour. After LOTL mastermind Chris Harms stated that “Circles is one the best pop songs he has heard for years”, all doubt and regret was left behind: LET’S DO THIS!
And here we are with the Night Church. Let it do its own justice, let it shine the night light and pave the road for winterwave.
Next live show: LA 4.4. Maanalainen (Tampere, FIN) w/ Hateful Chains, Black Totem +tba
Rain Diary is a Finnish rock band that plays beautiful and twisted dark wave tunes. The band bears its roots in Finnish melancholy, the scenery of evergreen forests, nightless nights and snow-covered wilderness, though the band constantly breaks this easily labelled HIM/Nightwish-stereotype by breathing in something new. Rain Diary injects urban feel with the drumming electronics and clever pop elements making the band a must-see for the fans of Depeche Mode, Placebo and alike. Rain Diary’s music genre has been labelled as winterwave.
Two-time JUNO Nominee ‘Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar’ release their second single “The Shape I’m In” from their upcoming record A Beautiful Buzz. The single is available on Friday March 27 on all available platforms HERE. Stream the YouTube audio HERE.
Originally written and recorded by legendary Canadian rock outfit The Band, “The Shape I’m In” stands as one of this country’s most electrifying musical exports—though many listeners don’t realize the song’s deep Canadian roots. Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar reclaim the classic with a bold, full-bodied reinterpretation, transforming it into a fiery, soul-drenched revival powered by their explosive 10-piece line-up.
Featuring searing horn arrangements, gospel-charged backing vocals, and Samantha’s powerhouse, southern-revival delivery, the track surges with grit, swagger, and raw emotional release. Adding even more star power, JUNO Award-winning multi-instrumentalist Steve Marriner (MonkeyJunk) joins the band, bringing his unmistakable tone and roots authenticity to a performance that feels both reverent and radically alive.
The result is a triumphant celebration of a Canadian classic—reimagined with the sweat, soul, and unrelenting energy that has made Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar a must-see force on international stages.
Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar are set to release their new live album A Beautiful Buzz via Gypsy Soul Records on May 22, 2026. Captured during the band’s Love Is All Around Tour across Western Canada in 2022, the album documents the raw power, soul, and communal energy that have made Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar one of Canada’s most electrifying live acts.
The CD and limited edition gatefold double vinyl editions of the album are available via www.samanthamartinmusic.com/store with the digital edition available on all streaming platforms HERE.
Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar occupy a rare space in modern roots blues music: deeply reverent of soul and gospel tradition, yet unafraid to push those forms into something louder, sweatier, and fiercely alive. Led by Martin’s unmistakable, powerhouse vocal delivery, the band has earned a reputation as one of Canada’s most commanding live acts, equal parts grit, grace, and emotional force.
A two-time JUNO Award nominee and seven-time Canadian Blues Award nominee for Female Vocalist of the Year, Samantha Martin has long drawn comparisons to the great soul shouters of the past. As Rhythm & Booze put it, “Samantha Martin’s name can be talked of in the same sentence as Etta James, Tina Turner, and Aretha Franklin. It’s soul for the modern age with a turbocharger.” Paris Move (France) went further, calling her “indispensable, Samantha Martin, the new Southern soul tornado.”
Those comparisons aren’t casual. Over the course of their catalogue, discerning listeners will hear echoes of Mavis Staples, Sharon Jones, Otis Redding, Booker T. & the MG’s, and the Memphis Horns, all filtered through a modern, road-hardened sensibility. It’s classic soul DNA delivered with contemporary urgency and volume. As Glide Magazine noted, “a jaw-dropping display of vocal prowess that highlights this band’s brand of supercharged blues. Comparisons of soul greats run rampant, but like Brittany Howard, Samantha Martin might be the next musical game changer.”
Mixed by Renan Yildizdogan and Ross Hayes Citrullo, the in-house team at Gypsy Soul Records, A Beautiful Buzz marks a first for the band: a long-overdue live album capturing the raw electricity that has defined Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar onstage for over a decade.
Recorded during the band’s Love Is All Around Tour across Western Canada in 2022, A Beautiful Buzz was born under extraordinary circumstances. Originally scheduled for January and repeatedly delayed by the final wave of COVID-era disruptions, the tour finally launched in November, with Martin six months pregnant. Undeterred, a 13-person touring party loaded into a sprinter and rental car and pushed west from the sub-zero cold of Saskatoon toward the West Coast.
Night after night, the shows carried a heightened emotional charge, but one final performance stood apart, crackling with urgency, joy, and the awareness that one chapter was closing just as another was about to begin. That moment became A Beautiful Buzz, a testament to resilience, love, and transformation, capturing a band at full throttle and an artist on the edge of profound personal change.
For many listeners, the album lands somewhere in the lineage of Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs & Englishmen, a communal, unrestrained live soul revue where horns, grit, gospel, and sweat collide. It’s not a polished live souvenir; it’s the sound of a band at peak intensity, feeding off the room and giving it everything back.
With a new studio album already in development for 2027, A Beautiful Buzz stands not as a detour or placeholder, but as a deliberate statement, finally committing to record the live force that made Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar essential in the first place.
“The Love Is All Around tour, initially set for January 2022, faced the trials of postponement until November 2022—marking the closing chapter of COVID-era delays. By the time the tour kicked off, I was six months pregnant with my son. I’ve never been one to be easily deterred. So, clad in a winter jacket that barely zipped, our 13-person touring party loaded into a sprinter and a rental car and embarked on a tour from the sub-zero temperatures of Saskatoon to the balmy West Coast of Canada. Each show was a whirlwind of energy and emotion, but one stood out above the rest. Perhaps it was the excitement of the final show, or maybe it was the realization that my life was about to change in a big way. Whatever the reason, the atmosphere was electric, filled with a beautiful buzz that I wanted to share with you. This album captures the magic I felt, and is a testament to resilience, love, and the power of music amidst life’s transformations.” – Samantha Martin
A BEAUTIFUL BUZZ – ALBUM TRACK LISTING
1- Love is All Around – 3:35 (S. Martin, J. Chisholm) 2- Don’t Have To Be – 3:02 (S. Martin, A. Beer-Colacino, A. Warner) 3- You’re The Love – 3:37 (S. Martin, C. Chaffey) 4- Good Trouble – 3:18 (S. Martin, S. Vinnick) 5- All Night Long – 4:39 (S. Martin, C. Chaffey, M. McCallum, D. Yates, D. Nash, S. Marriner) 6- The Shape I’m In (feat. Steve Marriner) – 3:58 (Robbie Robertson) 7- I’ve Got a Feeling – 6:58 (S. Martin, C. Chaffey) 8- My Crown – 5:53 (Rench) 9- Loving You Is Easy – 7:25 (S. Martin) 10- “Band Intro” – (1:48) (S. Martin) 11- Pass Me By – (3:31) (S. Martin, C. Chaffey) 12- Them Changes – 3:54 (George Buddy Miles) 13- Loving Cup – 6:25 (M. Jagger, K. Richards)
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Recorded November 26, 2022 @ A.C.T. Theatre in Maple Ridge, BC Mixed by Renan Yildizdogan and Ross Hayes Citrullo at RHC Music in Toronto, ON Mastered by Phil Demetro Mastering in Toronto, ON
Lead Vocals & Acoustic Guitar: Samantha Martin Background Vocalists: Tafari Anthony & Sherie Marshall Electric Guitar: Curtis Chaffey Bass: Ian McKeown Drums: Will Fisher Keys: Jeff Heisholt Trombone: Emily Ferrell Saxophone: Andrew Moljgun Trumpet: Brian Walters Special guest vocalist and acoustic guitar on “Shape I’m In” and 2nd electric on “Them Changes” and “Loving Cup”: Steve Marriner
BMG presents Breaking Out Of Heaven 2007–2009, a new collection focusing on the final chapter of Ronnie James Dio’s celebrated tenure with members of Black Sabbath. Reuniting with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Vinny Appice under the name Heaven & Hell, the band returned to the stage and studio decades after their original run for an unexpected third act. Available today as 7LP and 4CD/Blu-ray boxed sets. Both editions include an illustrated book with new liner notes by Hugh Gilmour, along with a replica tour book and poster, and they can be ordered HERE.
An HD-upscaled video of “Children of the Sea” is out today.
Recorded during Dio’s final filmed concert in 2009, this performance of “Children Of The Sea” captures the legendary first song ever written by the Iommi-Dio partnership. Delivering a monumental transition from haunting melodies to a thunderous gallop, the track showcases Dio’s “astonishing” vocal power on the world’s biggest metal stage. It serves as a definitive live document of the band’s rejuvenation, proving that the iconic riff still makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, nearly thirty years later.
Tune into the official Heaven & Hell YouTube channel on March 30 at 8pm BST / 9pm CET for the full Heaven & Hell The Making Of The Devil You Know(HD Interview Video) Watch Party – click HERE. Now available in HD, the full interview was previously only available on the original The Devil You Know bonus DVD.
The collection marks the first time the complete Live From Radio City Music Hall performance appears on vinyl, and features eight tracks making their vinyl debut, including studio recordings from The Dio Years and select live performances. The Blu-ray expands the set with video from Live From Radio City Music Hall and Neon Nights: 30 Years Of Heaven & Hell – Live at Wacken, plus band interviews.
The set follows the band’s reunion run, beginning with their triumphant 2007 New York performance, Live From Radio City Music Hall, followed by the Top 10 studio album The Devil You Know in 2009, and the live album Neon Nights: 30 Years Of Heaven & Hell – Live at Wacken, recorded later that year on tour in Germany.
Breaking Out Of Heaven 2007–2009 4CD Track Listing
Disc One: The Devil You Know
“Atom and Evil”
“Fear”
“Bible Black”
“Double The Pain”
“Rock And Roll Angel”
“The Turn Of The Screw”
“Eating The Cannibals”
“Follow The Tears”
“Neverwhere”
“Breaking Into Heaven” Bonus Tracks from The Dio Years
“The Devil Cried”
“Shadow Of The Wind”
“Ear In The Wall”
Disc Two: Live from Radio City Music Hall
“E5150 / After All (The Dead)”
“The Mob Rules”
“Children Of The Sea”
“Lady Evil”
“I”
“The Sign Of The Southern Cross”
“Voodoo”
“The Devil Cried”
Disc Three: Live from Radio City Music Hall
“Computer God”
“Falling Off the Edge Of The World”
“Shadow Of The Wind”
“Die Young”
“Heaven And Hell”
“Lonely Is the Word”
“Neon Knights”
Disc Four: Neon Nights: 30 Years Of Heaven & Hell
“Mob Rules”
“Children Of The Sea”
“I”
“Bible Black”
“Time Machine”
“Fear”
“Falling Off The Edge Of The World”
“Follow The Tears”
“Die Young”
“Heaven And Hell”
“Neon Knights”
Breaking Out Of Heaven 2007–2009 7LP Track Listing
LP One: The Devil You Know
Side One
“Atom and Evil”
“Fear”
“Bible Black”
Side Two
“Double The Pain”
“Rock And Roll Angel”
“The Turn Of The Screw”
“Eating The Cannibals”
LP Two: The Devil You Know
Side One
“Follow The Tears”
“Neverwhere”
“Breaking Into Heaven”
Side Two: Bonus Tracks
“The Devil Cried” from The Dio Years
“Shadow Of The Wind” from The Dio Years
“Ear In The Wall” from The Dio Years
LP Three: Live from Radio City Music Hall
Side One
“E5150 / After All (The Dead)”
“The Mob Rules”
“Children Of The Sea”
Side Two
“Lady Evil”
“I”
“The Sign Of The Southern Cross”
LP Four: Live from Radio City Music Hall
Side One
“Voodoo”
“The Devil Cried”
Side Two
“Computer God”
“Falling Off the Edge Of The World”
“Shadow Of The Wind”
LP Five: Live from Radio City Music Hall
Side One
“Die Young”
“Heaven And Hell”
Side Two
“Lonely Is the Word”
“Neon Knights”
LP Six: Neon Nights: 30 Years Of Heaven & Hell
Side One
“Mob Rules”
“Children Of The Sea”
“I”
Side Two
“Bible Black”
“Time Machine”
“Fear”
LP Seven: Neon Nights: 30 Years Of Heaven & Hell
Side One
“Falling Off The Edge Of The World”
“Follow The Tears”
“Die Young”
Side Two
“Heaven And Hell”
“Neon Knights”
Blu-Ray Video Content Live from Radio City Music Hall Extras:
Heaven And Hell Road Movie
Hail The Gods Of Metal
Meet The Mob
Radio City
The Wisdom Of Dio
Neon Nights: 30 Years Of Heaven & Hell Extras: 30th Anniversary Interviews
California-based melodic punk rock band DARK RIDE celebrate the release of their new full-length album “Blade Manor”, out now via Fiend Force/Massacre Records.
Following the previously released singles and videos “Rewind” and “Coffin”, which introduced the album’s blend of high-energy punk, horror aesthetics and cinematic storytelling, “Blade Manor” is now fully available, marking a bold new chapter for the band.
In addition, the band are currently working on a new official video for the track “Life At The End Of October”, which will be released soon.
Blending infectious melodies, dark humor and atmospheric elements, the album draws inspiration from classic horror films, ‘80s and ‘90s pop culture, and West Coast punk rock, while incorporating subtle metal influences into its dynamic sound.
Created by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Emilio Menze, “Blade Manor” showcases DARK RIDE at their most focused and ambitious, combining cinematic vision with sharp songwriting and a distinctive identity within the modern punk scene.
Produced by Randy Moore and Olav Tabatabai, with mixing by Olav Tabatabai and mastering by Zack Ohren (Castle Ultimate Productions), the album delivers a powerful and cohesive sonic experience that bridges underground attitude with broader appeal.
On April 24th, Indonesian Black Metal band PURE WRATH will unleash their fourth album “Bleak Days Ahead“. Building wonderfully upon the panoramic and poignant melodies of 2022’s wounded “Hymn to the Woeful Hearts“, mastermind Ryo and drummer Yurii Ciel (CAILLEACH CALLING, ex-WHITE WARD) have dialled back the cinematics and upped the dynamics – allowing a varied sound palette including organ, mellotron, throat singing, piano and saxophone to express the sadness in high-functioning depression and the suffocating routines of modern life.
To underscore this, PURE WRATH now unveil the album’s second single, ‘Haven of Echoes‘, accompanied by a haunting video:
Forewords sung by Dany Tee (LOS MALES DEL MUNDO, THE LEAVING, ACATHEXIS). Moving images by Jaka Sadewo, Yurii Ciel, Dimas Tirta Arwana, and Januaryo Hardy. Assembled by Dimas Tirta Arwana.
Ryo comments on the song and video:
“I try portray the daily routine in a highly industrialized world, where humans become instruments of production, detached from their own earthly existence. Machine, human, and polluted nature intertwine, forming a symbolic chaos where life slowly dissolves. Even in moments of rest, surrounded by comfort and familiar sounds, there is no true pause, only the quiet weight of a system that consumes you and turns you into part of its output. To visualize this, Yurii and I recorded footage in an unusual way. Jaka captured my face as the message bearer, and everything was later manipulated and seamlessly combined with found footage by Dimas.
This particular song also has an unusual composition for PURE WRATH. I wrote the riffs differently, changed the way I approach certain chords, manufactured noises by scratching guitar strings, and it is probably the slowest song in our catalogue. Crafted during those flawless witching hours, when I ignored my body’s craving for rest. It serves as a perfect opening for the B-side of the album, where the forewords are violently delivered by Dany Tee over the calming ghost notes performed by Yurii. The song then builds into its main character and concludes with a heavy, low, down-below, sludge-like passage.“
For deeper immersion into the spellbinding sonics of PURE WRATH, check out first single ‘Spectral Insomnia‘ – also with an accompanying video – here:
Find all album details for “Bleak Days Ahead” here and follow PURE WRATH on Facebook and Instagram for updates!
“Bleak Days Ahead” will be released on CD and vinyl – including an exclusive DMP vinyl version – alongside an exclusive t-shirt, on April 24th. Pre-orders are possible via DMP’s EU, US and Bandcamp shops.
Indonesian band PURE WRATH began in mid-2014 as the solo primitive Black Metal project of multi-instrumentalist Ryo. In 2016, Ryo began to shift the lyrical and thematic content of PURE WRATH towards his own life and family history. This paradigm-shift resulted in 2017 debut record, “Ascetic Eventide”, released via Indonesian label Hitam Kelam Records andselling out within four months.
Following the debut’s success, Ryo was contacted by Mexican label Throats Productions for the vinyl re-release of “Ascetic Eventide”. Soon after, “Endless Journey”, a split release between PURE WRATH and French symphonic black metal project ONIRISM was issued at the end of 2017.
In mid-2018, Ryo began writing what would become the second PURE WRATH album, “Sempiternal Wisdom”. It was released in October 2018 through Pest Productions in China and Hitam Kelam Records in Indonesia.
In 2019, Ryo readied PURE WRATH for live performances and created new EP “The Forlorn Soldier”. Released in 2020 via new label Debemur Morti Productions, the EP featured Yurii Ciiel (ex-WHITE WARD) as a session drummer and served as a bridge to the next PURE WRATH full-length. “Hymn To The Woeful Hearts”, the band’s critically acclaimed, next-level third album, was unleashed by DMP in February 2022.
After an intense period composing new material and performing select live shows across Asia, PURE WRATH entered the studio in September 2025 to record new album “Bleak Days Ahead”. For the first time, mastermind Ryo and drummer Yurii were able to record together in person in Bekasi, Indonesia. Further heightening anticipation for this new work, in January 2025 PURE WRATH unveiled a standalone digital composition ‘Flowers And Walls’ – a compelling rendition of Wiji Thukul’s poem “Bunga dan Tembok”. “Bleak Days Ahead” will be released on April 24th, 2026.
True Norwegian Stoner Rock trio DRAKEN is ready to release their 3rd album, “Here Be Draken”, on April the 17th.
While we await the upcoming hard hitting masterpiece, we can enjoy the 4th single today which is the song “It Serves You Right”, which can be heard here: https://orcd.co/itservesyouright
Draken’s bassist and vocalist Hallvard Gaardløs has this to say about “It Serves You Right”: It Serves You Right is the fourth and final single from “Here Be Draken”. It is quite short, to-the-point, catchy, and a bit in your face! I wrote the lyrics after a long string of political scandals in Norway. Turns out politicians are just as greedy, corrupt and unscrupulous as everyone else – or maybe just a little bit more. Years of taking advantage of the system, abuse of power, shady connections and flat out corruption suddenly gushed up into the limelight. And all I could think was; “Karma finally catches up to you… it serves you right!”
Formed in 2019 by Even Hermansen (guitar/vocals), Hallvard Gaardløs (bass/vocals) and André Drage (drums), Draken has carved out a fierce sonic identity at the crossroads of heavy rock and metal. Drawing inspiration from bands like High on Fire, Motörhead and Entombed, their sound is defined by down-tuned guitars, massive riffs and raw energy.
Hallvard Gaardløs has this to say about the upcoming album: For a long time, the main theme of “Here Be Draken” alluded me. But the more I think about it, this album is about new beginnings in so many ways. Sonically, it’s a new beginning. After two albums with Vegard Liverød (a true gentleman and legend!), the time was right for a change of scenery. We went for Amper Tone, which, quite conveniently, is just a stone’s throw from where I live. I talked to Kim Lillestøl about engineering, we knew each other from music studies, and we all have heard great things about him the last couple of years. The result… well, hear for yourself!
As mentioned, the upcoming album “Here Be Draken” was recorded at Amper Tone in Oslo and produced by the band together with engineer Kim Lillestøl. With artwork by Per Spjøtvold, the track listing is as follows:
1. The Great Deceiver 2. Jólablót 3. Saturday Night Head Removal Extravaganza 4. Here Be Dragons 5. Crimson Sun 6. It Serves You Right 7. Wrath 8. Shirts of Black (F.O.A.D.) 9. Of Demise and Men 10. Endtyme 11. Shitshow
Their first two albums – Draken (2021) and Book of Black (2023) – were released on Swedish label Majestic Mountain Records and received strong reviews across Norwegian and European press. The upcoming album Here Be Dragons was recorded at Amper Tone in Oslo and produced by the band together with engineer Kim Lillestøl.
Draken has performed across Norway and Sweden and toured central Europe with Spidergawd. With a new label and a new album on the horizon, the band is ready to take things to the next level.
Set for a release on Dark Essence Records on April the 17th, “Here Be Draken” will be available on CD, Limited Edition Cream White Vinyl and digital formats, and can be pre-ordered from:
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 ) 