Rick Monroe and the Hitmen begin a powerful new chapter with the release of their hard-hitting single “.45,” taken from their upcoming album Southern Tea Bags. The track marks the first official release on their newly launched label, Asylum 1212 Records, created in partnership with TLG/Virgin Music Group and distributed through Virgin Music Group.
Produced by Brandon Britton and Rick Monroe and The Hitmen, “.45” delivers everything fans have come to expect—raw energy, grit, and groove—with an even sharper edge.
“.45” isn’t your polished pop-country fare—it’s a six-gun soul-stomper, kicking off with a snarling guitar hook that feels like revving a ‘72 Chevy under a blood-orange sunset. Monroe’s gravelly drawl cuts through like a switchblade. Backed by The Hitmen’s rhythm section—think thunderous drums and wailing solos—it’s got that addictive, foot-stomping groove that demands to be cranked.
The launch of Asylum 1212 Records marks a bold step forward for Rick Monroe and the Hitmen as they expand their creative control and global reach.
Monroe shares, “This new label, association and single are an exciting newmilestone for our band and ability to expand our music worldwide. We lookforward to this new energy and creativity bringing our unique sound to as manylisteners, viewers, streamers and music aficionados as will have us!”
The birth of the Hitmen. For years Rick Monroe has been a solo artist hiring players as needed and doing the Nashville shuffle of interchangeable bands, but during covid everything changed. In 2020, Rick and the band, with Bobby Perkins & Alan Beeler, were set to have an amazing year starting off with a West Coast tour when the world shut down. Instead of everyone going their own way, they all stuck together and started streaming live shows from their basements, garages and living rooms. At the same time Rick and Alan Beeler started a standing Tuesday writing meeting which eventually became the bulk of their current album. Through some mutual friends, Rick met Malcolm Springer and they decided to track a few songs and see how it went. Once in the studio it was obvious that this was quickly becoming more of a band situation and when Malcolm brought Jason Bohl in, the sound finally came together. Rick joked one night about how the band was killing it and bam- someone said “The Hitmen”- and that was that.
TRYLION was founded in 2013 in Poznań. Since then, the band has released: EP, album “Education for Freedom” and few singles: “Black Clay” (2023), “Human Shell” (2024), “Wandering Soul” (2025) and “Shattered Recall” (2025). Musically, Trylion combines rhythmic riffs with ambient sounds and heavy, alternating clean vocals. The significant contrast in their songs makes their overall sound diverse, fitting within the realm of progressive metal with a focus on modern playing. The band’s themes revolve around life and death, exploring human existence.
Polish prog metal band Trylion recorded the song “Point of View” at the Swarzędz Cultural Center (Poland). It was one of the first tracks available on their debut EP released 11 years ago. The new version is slightly rearranged – this is the version, which band currently plays alive.
The band emphasizes that recording live sessions is always an additional challenge and allows for even better refinement. Playing and listening together is the best thing a band can do to perfect their live performances.
“The song itself is quite powerful in its message. It mentions manipulation and a toxic relationship between two people” – Bartosz Stachowiak comments and added: “During the current 2025 we are working on brand new material which was introduced by two singles. We were playing at prestigious Prog Power Europe festival in the Netherlands and the Synaptic Festival in Poland. Follow us at social media \m/“
Video was recorded by Dawid Ignasiak and produced by Bartosz Stachowiak. Music was mixed and mastered by Adam Zelmański.
AS THE SUN FALLS announces their next full-length album, “Songs From The Veil“, set for release in 2026 via Theogonia Records.
Following the frostbitten melancholy of “Kaamos” and the emotional depth of “Pohjoisen Sydän“, the band now shifts its focus to the ancient spirit of Finland. “Songs From The Veil” draws heavily from Finnish mythology and age-old beliefs; exploring the Soulbird, primordial creation legends, the mysteries of the afterworld, and the legendary Fire Fox that paints the northern skies. These mythic themes intertwine with nature-driven reflections: the silent weight of nightfall across the land, the brilliance of winter stars, and even a deeply personal piece about the loss of a loved one.
Musically, the album continues AS THE SUN FALLS’ blend of atmospheric and melodic death metal, shaping these stories into sweeping, emotional soundscapes. With production underway, the band promises an album where folklore, nature, and human vulnerability collide.
More details on artwork, singles, and release dates will be revealed soon.
Hard rock force Fifteen Stitches is back with the brand-new music video for “Nemo Liber” (No One Is Free). The video brings their raw, heavy energy to life, tackling humanity’s self-destructive tendencies and cycles of violence. With scorching riffs and a chorus that hits hard—“This attraction to violent action is killing me”—Fifteen Stitches delivers a visual and sonic punch you won’t forget.
“Nemo Liber” is taken from Fifteen Stitches’ EP Beyond The Wall, out via Wormholedeath. The record dives deep into humanity’s struggles, inner demons, and the search for a better future, delivering a crushing fusion of hard rock, prog, glam, and grunge.
Hailing from the South Sound of Washington, Fifteen Stitches is a sonic powerhouse featuring Tim Perdue (vocals), Chris Pasinetti (guitar), Rob Field (bass), and James Ortega (drums). With roots in bands like Cries of Tammuz, Painted Window, and The Ventures, the band channels the raw spirit of the Pacific Northwest’s legendary music scene.
Following the release of their critically acclaimed 2022 full-length “Statement On Death” on Metal Blade Records, Barcelona’s instrumental post-metal quartet SYBERIA returns with their new album “Quan tot s’apagui”, set for release on January 30, 2026 via Moment of Collapse Records.
Today, the band presents “llampecs d’oblit d’uns records en vida,” the first single from the album, with an accompanying video by Ciclops Films, that offers a first glimpse into their most immersive and emotionally charged work to date.
The song captures the sensation of fading away: memories breaking apart, moments slipping into oblivion, and the final spark before silence. Musically, it merges the weight and atmosphere of post-metal with black-metal-inspired textures, all while preserving the melodic depth that characterizes the band’s sound.
Tracklist:
En la foscor una llum que brilla,
llampecs d’oblit d’uns records en vida,
naixença d’una mort tranquil·la.
Dins la meva ànima la sang em bull…
quan me’n vagi no em tanqueu els ulls.
For over a decade, SYBERIA have carved out a sound that speaks loudly without ever uttering a word. Their music is a collision of cinematic atmospheres, explosive dynamics and guitar- driven emotional heft, the kind that pulls you in slowly before overwhelming you with sheer, deliberate force. What makes SYBERIA compelling is their ability to balance patience with intensity. Tracks often begin with fragile, shimmering lines – clean guitars stretched over spacious reverb – before gradually stacking tension until everything erupts into a wall of distortion. Yet the payoff never feels gratuitous. Their climaxes are earned, sculpted with a careful sense of pacing that reflects a band deeply in tune with the architecture of instrumental storytelling.
After the overwhelming debut album “Drawing A Future” (2013) and the successor “Resiliency” (2016), the band signed to Metal Blade Records and released “Seeds Of Change” (2019) and “Statement On Death” (2022).
Now, with “Quan tot s’apagui”, SYBERIA take a bold step forward in their artistic and emotional trajectory. For the first time, the group delivers an album conceived fully in Catalan, a step that reinforces their identity and brings a new expressive depth to their sound. “Quan tot s’apagui” stands as their darkest and most introspective album to date. It offers a symbolic exploration of the world’s end and the passage into nothingness – a sonic narrative where beauty and devastation coexist.
Leaning more heavily into post-metal and black metal influences, the album expands the band’s signature sound into more intense, atmospheric, and ferocious territory, without sacrificing the melodic sensitivity that has long defined them. It is a work of both devastation and clarity, a powerful statement from a band continuously pushing the boundaries of what instrumental music can convey.
“Quan tot s’apagui” will be coming out on January 30 via Moment of Collapse Records and is now available for pre-order HERE
While already Chilean Grammy winners, this year, Mawiza continued their rise as a guiding force for indigenous metal. Behind their critically-acclaimed new album ÜL, the modern day Mapuche warriors appeared on magazine covers, took the stage at major summer festivals and brought home a LIT Music Award.
Today, Mawiza are capping off 2025 by releasing a special performance from Gojira frontman Joe Duplantier’s Silver Cord Studio. Introduced by ceremonial Mapuche chanting, this session features the thunderous stomp of “Wingkawnoam”, the towering “Mamüll Reke”, earthshaking lament “Ti Inan Paw-Pawkan” and other defiant anthems from ÜL. Fittingly, the band closed their Silver Cord session with a rousing cover of Gojira’s “Amazonia”.
Photo by A.F. Cortes
“I love Mawiza! For their music, for who they are as individuals and for what they stand for”, Joe Duplantier says. “They represent and honor their powerful Mapuche heritage, amplifying its relevant message of connection with our roots and the universe as a whole. And they do so with determination and in the most modern way, with heavy riffs and an openness to new ideas and to the world. A conversation between past, present and future. Don’t give up the fight!”
Watch Mawiza’s session on the Silver Chord Studio YouTube channel:
“In the winter season of 2024, Mawiza arrived at Silver Chord Studio in New York, right in the middle of the Northern summer. We came answering an invitation from Joe Duplantier”, recalls Mawiza’s vocalist and guitarist Awka. “We traveled light, almost with nothing, the way bands from the bottom usually move. By trusting more in our newen than in any objects, we knew that if the path was true, the music would find its own tools. And that’s exactly what happened. Joe welcomed us with a generosity that still moves us, a kind of care for guests that feels very close to what we are taught since childhood in our nation. He didn’t hesitate to lend us his own instruments so we could shape the noise we carry inside”.
“Silvercord felt like a crack in reality for us”, Awka continues, “metal breathing from the walls, the city howling outside, and us walking with the shadow of our ancestors over a faraway land. The north of Abya Yala has ancient guardians; we felt them watching, testing us, opening the way only because we arrived with respect and memory.
“We thank Joe for his honest and powerful hospitality, along with his family for receiving us with warmth from their hearts. We also thank Jamie for his impeccable work and all the people at Silver Cord. Finally, we thank the spirits of that distant mapu for letting us create without losing the pulse of who were are. We returned to our territory marked by a dark echo, a spiritual weight that is born only when the energy of nature and the brotherhood of metal meet in distant lands”.
Don’t miss Mawiza when they headline next year’s Pumapu Rock Fest XVII and perform at Midgardsblot.
Mawiza 2026 Tour Dates January 10 – Santa Juana, Chile @ Pumapu Rock Fest XVII [TICKETS] 12- 15 August – Borre, Norway @ Midgardsblot [TICKETS]
Tracklist(English Translation) 1. To Decolonize (3:38) [WATCH] 2. Hummingbird Dream (4:29) 3. Western Storm (3:50) 4. Become a Cougar (5:06) 5. Just Like The Tree (4:24) [WATCH] 6. The War of the Sky (6:13) 7. Dead of the Sun (4:08) 8. Let It Die (3:58) 9. The Last Harp Call (featuring Joe Duplantier from Gojira) (4:42) [WATCH]
ÜL means “chant” in Mapuzugun. The album represents the voice of the land, the origin of feeling, the first call to connect with emotions. It is the materialization of a part of the spirit that, for a few seconds, becomes one with the wind—a force we can hear, resonate, communicate with, and return to. ÜL is Mawiza’s indigenous chant, and like smoke, it rises as a message to the skies.
Like their Mapuche ancestors, Mawiza always look back. ÜL chants to awaken the energies that have fallen asleep in the land, using the power of the great cities to resist the noise of imbalance. In this way, the album becomes another element of nature, a force defending itself, speaking in its own language to keep fighting and condemning those who continue to futilely subjugate their own strength.
With ÜL, Mawiza present themself to the world with a decolonizing and empowering mission. The album proclaims that nature possesses consciousness and spirit. Opening song “Wingkawnoam” emphasizes the importance of indigenous Mapuche thought by following dreams as precise guides for one’s path in life.
“Pinhza ñi pewma” is a dream that Mawiza’s vocalist Awka had during a time when hummingbirds were nowhere to be seen. Their chant was absent and the chilco plant was disappearing. In Awka’s dream, four hummingbirds came to feed on the blood from his fingertips, as if it were nectar flowing from the flowers of the chilco.
ÜL pays tribute to nature and Mawiza’s ancestors. “Ngulutu” recalls ancient battles between the Mapuche and the Spanish in Santiago, Chile. “Mamüll Reke”, “Wenu Weychan”, “Lhan Antü”, and “Kalli Lhayay” are filled with rhythms and sounds reminiscent of the most hermetic rituals of the Mapuche people. They were used by shamans to induce trance and heal the sick, to communicate with and greet the spirits of the mountains.
Closing song “Ti Inan Paw-pawkan” features chants from members of Mawiza’s indigenous community, as well as Gojira frontman Joe Duplantier. It is here, during the album’s finale, that the band stake their claim as both indigenous and urban. The song acknowledges the mission entrusted to Mawiza by Mapuche authorities and by the land itself: to raise awareness about balance on Earth in an empowered way and to call for greater attentiveness to Mapuche territory. Otherwise, the consequences will be dire.
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s ASA unveil the long-overdue release of "Collective Failure" + first music video for title-track! Check it out and stay tuned for more news! Click image to watch the video
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
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Visionary artist KIMMO KUUSNIEMI's ANCIENT STREAMING ASSEMBLY (ASA) have released “Aurora Nuclearis”, a powerful 12-minute audiovisual experience, dedicated to the Late Keyboardist Esa Kotilainen. - Click image to watch the video
Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 