NAILED TO OBSCURITY have released a video for the stunning title track of their upcoming fifth studio album, Generation Of The Void, which will be out on September 5th, 2025 via Nuclear Blast Records. The song ‘Generation Of The Void‘ features an epic chorus unlike anything in the band’s previous works and it underlines the versatility of the new record along side a potent message about our connection and interaction with each other.
NAILED TO OBSCURITY commented: “‘Generation Of The Void’ is a mirror held up to a world that feels increasingly disconnected. We tried to capture the overwhelming sense of unease that defines our time, but also the inner battles we all face. It’s a song that grew out of chaos, but from a desire to understand and endure.“
With Generation Of The Void, NAILED TO OBSCURITY have crafted their most mature and expansive album to date. The album reflects the turmoil of the post-pandemic era, the shadows of war in Europe, and the relentless changes affecting all of humanity. Beyond its political and social commentary, the album also dives deep into personal struggles, confronting themes of dark emotions, depression, and fear. Every note, every lyric carries the weight of uncertainty and disillusionment, while no one knows what one will find within the void or beyond.
NAILED TO OBSCURITY will embark on their first extensive European headline tour in autumn 2025, with guests YOTH IRIA (GR) and OAK, ASH & THORN (US). This tour will be a celebration of the band’s 20th anniversary, which is due this year.
NAILED TO OBSCURITY – EUROPEAN TOUR 2025 W/ GUESTS: YOTH IRIA + OAK, ASH & THORN
11.09.2025 GR KYTTARO Athens * 12.09.2025 GR Eightball Club Thessaloniki * 14.09.2025 TR IF Performance Hall Beşiktaş ** 19.11.2025 DE Club Puschkin Dresden 20.11.2025 DE 7er Club Mannheim 21.11.2025 CH Werkk Kulturlokal Baden 22.11.2025 IT Alchemica Club Bologna 23.11.2025 IT Slaughter Club Milan 24.11.2025 DE Backstage Munich 25.11.2025 DE Schwarzer Keiler Stuttgart 26.11.2025 FR Backstage By The Mill Paris 27.11.2025 NL Muziekgieterij Maastricht 28.11.2025 DE Kubana Siegburg 29.11.2025 DE Kulturwerk Herford 30.11.2025 DE Urban Spree Berlin 01.12.2025 DK Stengade Copenhagen 02.12.2025 SE Kollektivet Livet Stockholm 03.12.2025 SE Fängelset Gothenburg 04.12.2025 DE Logo Hamburg 05.12.2025 DE Turock Essen 06.12.2025 DE Live Music Center Emden * Yoth Iria closing / without Oak, Ash & Thorn ** without Oak, Ash & Thorn
Melbourne blackened nu-metal force MÉLANCOLIA today reveal their new single ‘Picking Scabs‘, the latest taste of their anticipated sophomore album, ‘random.access.misery’, set for release Friday 29th August via Nuclear Blast and Greyscale Records.
Arriving hot off the back of a 17-date national tour supporting THY ART IS MURDER, ‘Picking Scabs‘ sees MÉLANCOLIA dive deeper into the world of nu-metal while continuing to blur the edges of metalcore and deathcore. With nods to SLIPKNOT, DJ scratches, ethereal vocal layers, and $UICIDEBOY$-inspired samples, this track stands as their most daring yet. Watch the video here.
‘Picking Scabs‘ follows recent singles ‘ALL_IS_RUST‘ and ‘SPIT!‘, featuring Chris Mackertich of DREGG, both of which signalled an evolution in the band’s sound, introducing new vocal textures and their first-ever guest collaboration. Their new music adds another layer to the dark atmosphere MÉLANCOLIA are becoming known for and were written to be played live, specifically to cater for sing alongs, mosh pits and stage dives.
‘Picking Scabs‘ is streaming everywhere now. random.access.misery will be out everywhere via Nuclear Blast and Greyscale Records on Friday August 29. Pre-order/pre-save ‘random.access.misery‘: https://geni.us/random-access-misery
Picked as one of four “brilliant new metal bands you need to hear” by Metal Hammer in April, the band are primed and ready and unleash their defining new album this August; “We are bringing a fresh sound to an otherwise stale scene, you will not hear what we are doing from anyone else. We are setting the trend as we set the bar for modern heavy music. Love us or hate us, you will fucking remember us.”
Momentum is at an all time high for the band, having toured Australia three times over off the back of HissThroughRottenTeeth‘ and breaking into Europe and the UK twice on tours with SUFFOCATION (US) and INGESTED (UK). The band will join THY ART IS MURDERon a regional lap of Australia this June and July and will debut some of their new music for the very first time.
Enigmatic synth rock duo, ZETRA, have stepped out from the shadows to announce a new 5-track EP, titled ‘Believe‘. It will be released digitally on August 22nd via Nuclear Blast Records.
They have also released an ethereal, crushingly beautiful new single ‘The Spider‘.
ZETRA commented: “The golden thread becomes a web. The silken strands entice you, but do not linger. Will you climb to brighter heights? Or descend into madness. And ever he waits. And ever he watches.”
‘Believe’ tracklisting: 01. The Angel Cries 02. So 03. The Spider 04. Find Me 05. Charlotte (Kittie Cover) feat. Justine Jones from Employed To Serve 06. i Shards Of Power * 07. ii A Queen Ascends * 08. iii The Order’s Decree * 09. iv The Final Rest *
*Bandcamp edition exclusive tracks
Shrouded in mystery, the UK duo blend elements of shoegaze, synth, and post-punk into a sound that is other-worldly and spellbinding. Emerging from the underground with a haunting visual aesthetic of cloaked figures and vintage analog synths, ZETRA have already begun to carve a devoted cult following.
ZETRA were recently awarded The Great Escape‘s Steve Strange Award for 2025, following their performance at the festival earlier this year. The award celebrates boundary-breaking new talent and the legacy of the iconic music agent Steve Strange.
The pair are set to support mysterious new act PRESIDENT in London at the end of July.
ZETRA LIVE 2025 30th July – London, UK – The Garage (supporting PRESIDENT)
The entire metal world bows to a true icon. The sad news of Ozzy’s passing was confirmed on July 22nd via his official Instagram account. Just three weeks ago, fans had one last chance to see Ozzy and Black Sabbath live during their farewell show, Back To The Beginning, on June 5, 2025, in Birmingham – a moment that now resonates even more deeply.
The outpouring of tributes has been overwhelming. Countless artists from the rock and metal world have honored Ozzy and his legacy.
Robb Flynn (Machine Head) wrote on X:
“I’m deeply devastated by Ozzy’s passing. Both Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne’s solo band have shaped my singing, my lyrics, my songwriting, and my guitar playing in ways that words can’t describe. I love you, Ozzy. Rest in peace with the greatest to ever do it.”
Matt Heafy (Trivium & Ibaraki) posted on Instagram:
“Rest in peace to the legend: Ozzy Osbourne Without Ozzy, I wouldn’t be doing what I do. I wouldn’t have gotten into Metallica. Which got me into Metal. Which made me trace the roots of where they got it from: the masters, Black Sabbath. Ozzfest 2005 changed our lives, download Ozzfest Day 2005 changed our lives again. Black Sabbath laid the foundation for all heavy music. For every heavy band anyone likes today. The world just lost a great one.”
“On a more personal note, the entire Osbourne family was instrumental in helping support and guide the early stages of Lamb of God’s career…they always believed in us. We are forever grateful….for the support and love they’ve shown us…and most of all for the music they’ve given to all of us.We love you Ozzy. ❤️”
“RIP @ozzyosbourne – like so many around the world, we are devastated by today’s news. Just over two weeks ago, the entire metal community gathered under Ozzy’s banner at Back To The Beginning to honor the legacy of Black Sabbath and their ultimate creation: heavy metal. For Anthrax, it was an honor to be part of it. Ozzy, thank you for everything. Simply put, none of us would be here without you. Our thoughts are with Sharon and the entire Osbourne family during this time.”
Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath have shaped the DNA of heavy metal like few others. Without their sound, the world of heavy music wouldn’t be what it is today. With classics like ‘War Pigs’,‘Paranoid’, and ‘Iron Man’, they’ve inspired generations of musicians and fans
We also want to bow our heads and say thank you – for all the timeless songs, for the courage to always be different, and for an era that defined heavy metal forever. Our deepest sympathies go out to Sharon and the entire Osbourne family.
With mere weeks to go before the August 8 release of the much-anticipated The Black Album, Toronto’s Vampire Beach Babes’ singular contribution to the collection, a dramatic reworking of David Bowie’s “Blackstar,” is released today as both a startling single and a captivating video.
The Grammy Award winning title track of Bowie’s final album, 2016’s Blackstar, “Blackstar” also made history as the longest song (at that time) to enter the Billboard Top 100 – just three seconds short of 10 minutes, it would retain that title for the next three years before being edged out by Tool’s “Fear Inoculum” (10.21).
Vampire Beach Babes all but halve the length of Bowie’s original, but lose nothing of its dark mystery and haunted vision, propelling the song’s innate surreality across effervescent electronic rhythms, and lashings of gothic atmospherics. – a magical mood that percolates through to the accompanying video, itself dramatically built around scenes from Cleopatra Entertainment’s forthcoming horror movie Fear Cabin – “to give us some teen-summertime-horror-thriller-chills,” as Vampire Beach Babes frontman Baron Marcus puts it. “A true diabolus-ex-machina for summer vacation indeed!”
Many of the original Bowie album’s reviews pinpointed “Blackstar” as the best track on the record… Pitchfork even described it as “”closer to the cocaine-fueled fantasias of 1976’s Station to Station than almost anything [Bowie’s] done since”. And Baron Marcus agrees.“So here I was with an epic quest – record a Vampire Beach Babes cover of David Bowie’s song ‘Blackstar’ for Cleopatra Records… THAT epic song for THAT epic record label – and here I am just a humble Vampire Beach Babe.
“Mind you, I’ve always seen the Vampire Beach Babes as a true vampire of pop music; 30 years on and ‘Gothic Surf-a-rama’ can still be heard haunting the finest of playlists. So, who else could risk facing the ‘thin white Duke’ other than myself, Baron Marcus.
“And this, his dying song.
“I needed to treat this song with the sacred respect it deserved (an almost overwhelming consideration), and at the same time make this into a gothic-surf dark-electronic club banger!
“Would this be sacrilege or homage?
“I knew the magic would lie in both taking this dead-seriously, and also having fun with it. And so I did.
“So what you are hearing is exactly that – Bowie’s concerned arched eyebrow, breaking to a gentle mirthful nod. I specifically produced the track to be open enough for remixes – a foundation of reflections to come. Enjoy.”
Vampire Beach Babes’ “Blackstar” could easily grasp the same “best in show” mantel on The Black Album, as Bowie’s did on his record. But the competition is certainly ferocious. From the haunted first wave goth of The Danse Society to the industrial punch of Aesthetic Perfection, PLUS new offerings from Rosetta Stone (“Devil Woman”) and Corpus Delicti (a mind-melting “Dancing In The Dark”), this compilation is cohesive yet varied, a love letter to darkness in its many forms!
All the classics are here: Los Bravos’ mid-1960s hit “Black Is Black,” as seen through the minimalistic eyes of The KVB; Black Sabbath’s “Black Sabbath” given a fresh lick of darkness by Belarusian post-punks Nürnberg; the Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black” redecorated by Darkways; Deep Purple’s “Black Night” taken home by Rotersand.
Other highlights include Priest’s thunderous take on Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun,” Then Comes Silence’s alchemical recasting of “I Put A Spell On You,” Buzz Kull’s shadow-shaping reimagining of the Human League’s “Darkness”; and there’s even room for some traditional Americana, as Kirlian Camera revisit “The House of the Rising Sun” and Bloody Dead and Sexy get to work on “Black Betty.”
Don’t you dare refer to it as an exercise in nostalgia, though, or even black-clad novelty. Drawing from more than a century’s worth of classic songwriting, The Black Album is a vital reawakening of the post-punk, deathrock sound that has lingered in the margins of the shadows for years, now rising to claim center stage!
Whether climbing to doomy peaks or bouldering through a radio-friendly banger, over the course of the past decade and a half, Stoned Jesus have left a mark on the world of rock as true trailblazers. “Five albums in, the band have grown well beyond their monolithic roots”, wrote Doom Charts, who named their last album one of the 2023’s best.
This year, following a successful showing at Hellfest and ahead of their long-awaited return to Latin America, Stoned Jesus are embarking on their most expansive journey yet. Songs to Sun is the first in an upcoming trilogy of albums that promises to take these heavy progressive rockers to the dark side of the moon and back. While well-marked by their mind-melting heaviness, the album’s lead single is haunted by shadows of doubt. But on “Shadowland”, frontman Igor Sydorenko and his new mates outrun their demons with fresh twists and the catchiest hooks of their career.
“This song is about finding solid ground amidst the instability of the past few years”, Sydorenko says. “The opening hook screams Alice In Chains, while the pulsating verses evoke Mastodon at their poppiest. And the climax is something else entirely!”
The video for “Shadowland” was produced by Pirate Shot (@pirateshotcreation)
Additional video credits Directed and edited by Olivier Terrade Camera work by Olivier Terrade and Onur Cinar Special effects by Nicolas Stenger Actor – Philip P. Coffey
ans of Stoned Jesus will catch nods to Seven Thunders Roar and The Harvest along the heavy path paved by Songs to Sun. Though the video opens with the band only coming into frame, “Shadowland” is clearly their vision. A grungy riff slithers over a mountainous bass line scooped out by newest member Andrew Rodin. Fellow newcomer Yurii Ciel snaps into a hi-hat strut, greasing the way for Sydorenko to slide into the band’s catchiest guitar lick since “Here Come The Robots”.
“Each album in our upcoming trilogy highlights a different phase to Stoned Jesus”, Sydorenko says. “Songs to Sun shows off our heavier, more aggressive side”.
Stoned Jesus’ new single does ride to a mean, road-burning groove. But “Shadowland” has some new tricks tucked between its blinding hooks. “We love to take influences from other musical genres”, says Sydorenko. “I like prog rock, while Andrew and Yurii like everything from black metal to hip-hop and folk”. As the band wind their way back to the song’s shout-aloud chorus, first, they must sift through a glowing mist cast by a gothic spell of keys.
An existential shadow hangs over Songs to Sun. The album reflects on the unstable ground that Sydorenko navigated after the band’s previous lineup dissolved. Like the mysterious figures that creep and crawl around every corner of the video, insecurity looms over “Shadowland”. “Ground under my feet is / Turning to quicksand“, Sydorenko sings right before the compressed bridge cuts out. But even when shrouded by depression, Stoned Jesus are guided by the spirit of innovation. Right as their new lineup comes fully into focus at the end of the video, the song’s closing sprint breaks toward the light with a high-powered fusion of pop melodies and headbanging prog.
“There’s a constant sense of instability that seeps through the lyrics of Songs to Sun“, Sydorenko says, “but experimenting with the music is what helps give our lives a solid foundation”.
Tracklist 1. New Dawn (8:53) 2. Shadowland (4:38) [WATCH] 3. Lost in the Rain (7:49) 4. Low (4:09) 5. See You on the Road (5:45) 6. Quicksand (9:52)
Hear Stoned Jesus perform “Shadowland” and other new songs off Songs to Sun when they return to Latin America this fall following their European summer tour with Cult of Luna and Australian debut.
2025 European Festivals August 3 – Gyongyos, HU @ Fekete Zaj Festival September 13 – Crest, FR @ Bridge To Hell September 20 – Bilbao, ES @ Kristonfest November 8 – Bochum, DE @ Tombstoned Fest November 14 – Magny-Les-Hameaux, FR @ Foud Rock November 15 – Eindhoven, NL @ Helldorado
2025 European Dates with Cult of Luna August 11 – Osnabruck, DE @ Botschaft August 12 – Bremen, DE @ Modernes August 13 – Utrecht, NL @ Tivolivredenburg
2025 XV & Debut Australian Tour September 28 – Perth @ The Rosemount October 1 – Canberra @ The Baso October 2 – Sydney @ The Underground October 3 – Brisbane @ Soapbox Beer October 4 – Melbourne @ The Leadbeater October 5 – Adelaide @ The Crown & Anchor
2025 Latin American Tour October 21 – Rio De Janeiro, Brazil @ Rock Experience October 22 – Porto Alegre, Brazil @ Gravador October 23 – Florianopolis, Brazil @ Desgosto October 24 – Curitiba, Brazil @ Beveldere October 25 – Sao Paulo, Brazil @ Jai Club October 26 – Belo Horizonte, Brazil @ Caverna October 28 – Buenos Aires, Argentina @ Uniclub October 29 – Santiago, Chile @ Club Ambar October 31 – Mexico City @ Sangriento [FIRST-EVER SHOW IN MEXICO]
Since 2009, Stoned Jesus has served as one of Europe’s leading forces in heavy rock. Igor Sydorenko, a veteran of the Ukrainian underground music scene, started it as a solo project after stumbling upon some heavy and angry riffs that would become the song “Occult.” He fed off his Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin influences and was soon turned onto Electric Wizard and Sleep, two bands who mastered the art of bold, lurching heaviness, thus creating a sonic template to abide by.
The Kyiv-based project was initially dubbed “Stoned Jesus from the Outer Space” but shortened to the much crisper Stoned Jesus. The name was trimmed down out of necessity — Sydorenko wanted to legitimize the band immediately. “I realized that this may cause some problems,” he told Psychedelic Baby in 2010. “Some people wouldn’t take our music seriously, then. I don’t mind jokes and having fun, but music is always the most serious thing for me.”
Two demos ensued before Stoned Jesus’s debut LP, 2010’s First Communion. Recorded with the first line-up in two hours, First Communion was a promising offering that dove headlong into the world of heavy stoner rock, with three songs going over the 10-minute mark for hypnotic effect. The album eventually saw a proper reissue in 2020, introducing it to a new group of fans. The first change of rhythm section brought Seven Thunders Roar in 2012, which included “I’m the Mountain,” a 13-minute epic that has since become a live staple. The album also introduced a bevy of acoustic guitar and softer vocal approaches from Sydorenko.
The Harvest came next in 2015 with a new drummer, deftly transitioning Stoned Jesus into the new terrain, with more alternative and progressive rock leanings. This is a credit to Sydorenko’s evolving songwriting style and desire to never allow Stoned Jesus to repeat itself. “It works brilliantly for the likes of Motörhead or AC/DC, but we’re not that legendary yet,” he told Outlaws of the Sun in 2015. “So, let’s experiment, shall we? Let’s play with the genres, the sound, the song structures, the melodies, the time signatures — yes, my favorite trick!”
With another change of the drummer, the fourth LP, Pilgrims, arrived in 2018. A bold and experimental record, it showed the growing maturity of both musical and lyrical sides of Igor’s ever-progressing songwriting. After a year-long The Pilgrimage Tour and yet another year on the road celebrating the band’s 10th anniversary with the greatest hits setlist, Stoned Jesus’ original plans were to record its follow-up in 2020. That, of course, was sidelined by the pandemic. The band then entered Spivaki Records in Kharkiv in July 2021 to record nine songs at 75 minutes. Two-thirds of the material was mixed and mastered before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, leaving the final run-time of six songs at 43 minutes.
The result was Father Light, the band’s first for Season of Mist, which caught Stoned Jesus in full bloom. The foundational elements of Stoned Jesus’s sound remained (fuzzed-out rock, driving bass lines and maximum groove), once again augmented by the combination of Sydorenko’s gentle clean vocals and hook-laden chorus choices, along with an array of ornamental guitar melodies. And, in true Stoned Jesus fashion, the journey is often the reward. The cuts on Father Light expand and shift — all the while, the band’s trademark heaviness serves as the guide.
Mother Dark, the gloomier introspective twin of Father Light, while partially recorded was shelved due to Igor’s dissatisfaction with the working dynamics of the latest Stoned Jesus line-up. Dissolving said line-up was a difficult decision to make, but Igor’s relocation to Europe brought a surprising reunion with his old friend Yurii, a talented drummer Igor had known even before writing the first Stoned Jesus song. Adding bassist-vocalist Andrew Rodin to this new line-up solidified its reliability, and now, after the whole year of relentless 25th Anniversary Tour schedule, the reinvigorated Stoned Jesus is more than ready for their next chapter.
Songs to Sun is the first album in a forthcoming trilogy that once complete, will stand as the pinnacle of what’s been a decades-long trip for Stoned Jesus. While picking up where Father Light left off, Sydorenko and his new mates still nod to Seven Thunders Roar and The Harvest along the way. But by merging metal’s fiery intensity with mind-melting grooves, vintage prog and their catchiest choruses yet, they bring the many distinct phases of Stoned Jesus to a bright, burning head.
Lineup Igor Sydorenko – Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keyboards Andrew Rodin – Bass, Backing Vocals Yurii Ciel – Drums, Backing Vocals
Production Credits Produced by Igor Sydorenko Recorded by Ignancy Gruzecki Mixed and Mastered by Karl Daniel Lidén at Studio Tri-Lamb, Sweden
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 ) 