Fresh off the heels of their acclaimed new full-length You Could Do It Tonight (2024, Brutal Panda Records), NYC’s Couch Slut have announced their triumphant return to Europe and the UK this summer. Following their blistering and unforgettable performance at Roadburn Festival last year, the band is set to bring their intense and visceral live show to new cities and fests, including stops at the prestigious Roskilde Festival and Rock in Bourlon.
Dates:
June 26 – London, UK – The Dome (Downstairs) June 27 – Bourlon, FR – Rock in Bourlon June 30 – Budapest, HU – A38 July 3 – Roskilde, DK – Roskilde Fest
Released in April 2024 via Brutal Panda Records, Couch Slut’s latest album, You Could Do It Tonight, has garnered massive critical praise, landing on numerous top 2024 album lists from Stereogum, Invisible Oranges, The Quietus, Flood Magazine, Beats Per Minute and more. This release captures Couch Slut’s signature grit and raw emotional power — a sound both unrelenting and deeply cathartic.
Fans can purchase You Could Do It Tonight on LP/CD/CS/Digital via Brutal Panda Records HERE and on Bandcamp HERE. Additionally, the 10-year anniversary reissue of their debut album My Life As A Woman is also available now HERE.
Couch Slut have played a veritable strain of drug-fuelled, incendiary, hardcore noise rock since 2013. Led by Megan Osztrosits‘ infernal roar and subversive, vitriolic lyrics, the quintet return with their fourth full-length opus You Could Do It Tonight (19th April, Brutal Panda Records).
Recorded amidst the filth of NYC with Uniform‘s Ben Greenberg (Drab Majesty, Portrayal of Guilt, Metz), and mastered by Matt Colton at Metropolis Studios in London (Blur, Nick Cave, Thom Yorke), Couch Slut subvert the paradigm and up the ante in every imaginable way across nine vignettes of perverse, true-to-life storytelling layered over the band’s singular, dragged-through-the-mud songcraft. This is a depraved style of noise rock that will scare the living sh*t out of you. Guest appearances from members of fellow NYC compatriots Imperial Triumphant and Pyrrhon scatter across the album, adding layers of cacophony.
With ten full years of pain and suffering under their proverbial belt, along with three prior full-length albums My Life As A Woman (2014), Contempt (2017), and Take A Chance On Rock ‘n’ Roll (2020),Couch Slut sound more urgent, threatening, nasty and despondent than ever with You Could Do It Tonight.
Couch Slut are: Dylan DiLella – guitar Kevin Hall – bass, shehnai, granular synthesizer Amy Mills – guitar, flute, trumpet Theo Nobel – drums and percussion, synthesizer, bells Megan Osztrosits – vocals
London-based Sardinian black-death metal band COGAS is set to return on April 24th, 2025, with their second full-length album, “Among the Dead: How to Become a Ghost”. True to their DIY ethos, the band has once again taken full control of the creative and production process, shaping a record that is as raw and honest as it is intense and intricate. This new release pushes their sound into more technical and structured territories while maintaining a striking melodic thread that enhances the album’s deeply tragic concept.
With a violent yet precise riff-oriented approach and an unmistakable emotional intensity, COGAS deliver their most complete work to date. The album masterfully balances cold, sorrowful black metal atmospheres with a relentlessly powerful death metal rhythmic backbone, creating a dynamic interplay between melancholic melodies and sheer sonic force. This fusion of aggression and melody results in a dark and immersive experience that sets a new milestone in their artistic evolution.
The first single “Autopsy of an Hollow” is now streaming HERE.
The band commented:
“With this album, we give voice and sound to the pain of those who have been lost in the postcard-perfect hell called Sardinia. Generational traumas—past, present, and future—are told through the wounds, both physical and spiritual, of an ordinary young man.
‘Among the Dead: How to Become a Ghost’ is our necessity and will to bring Sardinian extreme metal towards a bitter truth, setting aside the themes that have stagnantly plagued our musical world for too many years, in order to shed light on subjects we consider closer to reality.
Our album is the black shroud of suicidal death—mental and physical—of hundreds of young people from our island. An island we so proudly flaunt as a monument to our virtues, when in reality, the virtues we boast about are nothing more than words carried away by the September mistral.
Thus, we dedicate this latest Opus to the souls who are losing themselves in our homeland, to those who have been lost, and to those who will be lost—guilty only of being too sensitive for a land cursed by its own allure.
Have the courage to break the chains you have fastened around your own wrists”.
Tracklist:
1. Dead Reflected 2. Among the Dead 3. Absorption of the Flesh through Self Abuse 4. Autopsy of an Hollow 5. On the Bank of the River Styx 6. Charon 7. The Noble Rot 8. La Fiamma che Respiro
COGAS was founded in 2015 by Piero Mura and Davide Ambu with the goal of bringing Sardinian extreme metal to the English scene. Initially a duo, the band expanded in 2018 and released their debut EP, “At the Gates of Pazuzu” (2019), after their first live performances in London. They quickly gained recognition in the local underground scene, followed by the EP “Fuck Your Black Metal Scene” (2020) and their first full-length album, “Unconscious Sons of the Reptile God” (2021), which was well received across Europe. Despite a few line-up changes, COGAS continued performing and evolving, with new musicians contributing to their sound. In 2024, they recorded their second full-length album, “Among the Dead: How to Become a Ghost”, set for release in 2025.
For fans of: Dark Funeral, Deicide, Mgla, Hour Of Penance
Line-up:
Davide Ambu – Guitar Piero Mura – Vocals Erick D Red – Bass Davide Marini – Session drums
Prepare to be mesmerized as CHANGELING, the audacious brainchild of musical maverick Tom “Fountainhead” Geldschläger, unveils the latest single “Falling in Circles” from Changeling’s highly anticipated self-titled album. With all rhythm guitar & bass parts recorded on fretless instruments, “Falling in Circles”pushes for innovation while staying rooted in the fierce technicality and aggression of the genre.
The track’s recurring arpeggio motif, a nod to the title track of Obscura’s Akroasis, seamlessly weaves nostalgia into its complex tapestry. Here, Changeling juxtaposes heroic fretted solos with the ethereal timbre of fretless guitars, creating a soundscape that is both rooted and revolutionary.
The video for “Falling in Circles” was created by Chris Hesse / Strangeworks_
Morean, Arran, and Mike’s contributions on “Falling in Circles” are nothing short of extraordinary. Each note they play, each rhythm they conjure, is imbued with their individual artistic touch, ensuring that the single stands as a unique entity within Changeling’s conceptual debut album. Their collective virtuosity elevates the track, making it a cornerstone of the album’s narrative & lyrical journey through the psychedelic experience.
While “Falling in Circles” sits comfortably between the aggression of death metal and the melodic sensibilities of modern progressive metal, the song’s middle section breaks away from genre-conventions altogether, introducing a string section that evokes the orchestral grandeur of Obscura’s “Weltseele”, which Tom also wrote. Ally Storch (Subyway To Sally) wields her violin, viola, and cello with a virtuosity that amplifies the song’s emotional depth and textural richness. Alex Kerski’s (Vianova) backing vocals add layers of harmonic brilliance to the composition.
Fountainhead, the musical alter-ego of Berlin-based musician Tom Geldschläger, is a celebrated figure across diverse music landscapes. Known for his expansive involvement in the music industry, Tom has contributed to over a hundred releases in capacities ranging from guitarist to orchestrator, producer to mixing/mastering engineer, and occasionally even as an oud-player. He has worked with globally recognized artists such as Obscura, Belphegor, Marco Minnemann, Defeated Sanity, Amogh Symphony, Hannes Grossmann, Voodoogods, Christian Münzner, Nader Sadek and more. Featured in numerous international music magazines, authored several books of non-fiction and musical notation, Tom has also been instrumental in integrating the fretless guitar into extreme metal genres.
Acclaimed as a “modern-day guitar legend,” Tom’s signature playing style and adventurous genre-defying compositions highlight his fearless approach to music. His endorsements include prestigious brands like Aristides Guitars, Elixir Strings, and Bare Knuckle Pickups. Additionally, Tom is a sought-after clinician and speaker, focusing on creativity, music production, and musician’s mental health, as well as being at the forefront of spatial audio and 360-degree audio production.
In a significant development in early 2024, Fountainhead, now branded under the name CHANGELING for his new project and album, signed with the label Season of Mist. This venture marks a new chapter in Tom’s career, amplifying his visionary approach to music. Accompanied by an all-star band featuring members from Fear Factory, Alkaloid, and Virvum, the project CHANGELING showcases a 60-minute concept album that takes all aspects of Tom’s artistry to new heights.
The album, sharing its name with the project, blends progressive metal, death metal, jazz/fusion, and world music, enriched with complex orchestrations by a 50-piece ensemble of guest musicians. It includes the eagerly anticipated “Part 2” to his renowned composition “Weltseele,” an orchestral metal epic from Obscura’s billboard-chart-entering “Akroasis” album, which broadly introduced Fountainhead to the metal community in 2016.
Core Lineup: Tom Fountainhead (ex-Obscura, Amogh Symphony, Belphegor, Defeated Sanity) – Fretted & fretless electric & acoustic guitars, oud, keyboards, composition and arrangements. Mike Heller (Fear Factory, Malignancy, Raven) – Drums. Arran McSporran (Vipassi, Virvum) – Fretless bass. Morean (Alkaloid, Dark Fortress) – Lead vocals & lyrics.
Guest Musicians: Bill Hudson (Trans-siberian Orchestra, Doro, I am Morbid) – Guest guitar solo Jason Gobel (ex-Cynic, ex-Monstrosity)- Guest guitar solo Andy Laroque (ex-Death, King Diamond) – Guest guitar solo Yatziv Caspi (ex-Orphaned Land) – Tabla, hangdrum, dabouka, riq & shakers Ally Storch (Subway To Sally)- Violins, viola & cello James Dorton (The Faceless, NeObliviscaris, Black Crown Initate) – Spoken words Alexander Kerski (Vianova)- Backing & harmony vocals Matthias Alexander Preisinger – Piano and glockenspiel, violins & viola Martin Matiasovic – Horns & Wagnerian Tube Jan Ferdinand – Vibraphone & marimba Chris Rützel – Flutes Ivar Ludvig Nitzler – Cello Shiho Murano – Tuba Juliane Erding – Wagnerian tube & horn Eduard Cortez – Wagnerian tube & horn Tillmann Schulz – Wagnerian tube & horn Ava Bonam – Female vocals Moran Magal – Piano Cydney McQuillan-Grace, Lauren Gill, Shannon Bedford, Sara Robalo; Tenor and Bari – Ben Francis, John Schaffer, Alice Williams, Cyd McQuillan-Grace; Alto – Lauren Gill, Sara Robalo; Tenor and Bass – James Schouten & John Schaffer – Choir vocals Krassimir Jossifov – Trumpet Brandt Attema – Trombones & bass trombones Kristian Petkov – Bassoon Stefan Prost – Church organ Seonghyeon Park – Clarinet Arnfried Falk – Oboe Rouven Haliti – Upright bass Dalai Cellai – Cello
Production Credits: Produced & Engineered by Tom Fountainhead. Mixed by Tom Fountainhead at FountainheadHQ. Mastered by Leon Schmidt at his home studio & FountainheadHQ.
Lead singer Nathan James commented about the new single: “Testify” is one of those songs that, when Colin played me his original demo, I started humming a chorus straight away. It starts with Colin’s awesome bass sound that the fans will notice from the early Inglorious albums. It was a lot of fun to record and is a great introduction to the talents of Richard Shaw (guitar) and Henry Rogers (drums)”.
Inglorious returns with frontman Nathan James and original bassist Colin Parkinson. Nathan James, who founded the band in 2014, has been singing professionally for 20 years. He has performed/recorded with artists such as Ginger Baker, Uli Jon Roth and The Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
More recently, he has appeared in Jeff Wayne’s musical version of The War Of The Worlds, Steve Steinman’s Vampires Rock Symphonic, 80’s Classical and Zeppelin Symphonic. Nathan also fronts Supergroup Iconic, under the Frontiers roster featuring Michael Sweet, Joel Hoekstra, Marco Mendoza and Tommy Aldridge.
In 2022, after a lengthy UK tour, Inglorious announced a hiatus. After seven years of non-stop touring with bands such as The Winery Dogs, Steel Panther, The Dead Daisies, Last In Line, as well as their own international tours and festival appearances, recording four original albums, a live album and a covers album, everyone felt it was the right time to take a break.
Nathan is now back, looking forward to unleashing his powerful voice and he joined forces once again with original Inglorious bass player and main co-writer Colin Parkinson, who co-wrote and released the first three albums with the band: “Inglorious”, “II” and “Ride To Nowhere”.
Joining them is renowned guitarist Richard Shaw, best known for his work with English extreme metal band Cradle Of Filth, as well as NG26, Emperor Chung, and Plague Of Angels. Richard brings exceptional musicality and a fresh energy to the band’s sound.
On drums, longtime friend of Nathan, Henry Rogers, completes the line up. A celebrated musician, Henry has played with Touchstone, Mostly Autumn, Mia Klose, and Mark Kelly’s Marathon and has earned accolades such as “Drummer Of The Year” in Classic Rock Prog Magazine and Rhythm Magazine’s list of influential progressive drummers.
Line Up: Nathan James – Vocals, backing vocals Colin Parkinson – Bass guitar, /acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keys, percussion Richard Shaw – Electric guitars Henry Rogers – Drums, percussion Tony Draper – Keys
Renowned singer-songwriter Jaime Kyle is set to release her electrifying new cover of the iconic classic “I Hear You Knockin’.” The track, originally made famous by Dave Edmunds, has been reimagined with Jaime’s signature style, blending a powerful, soulful performance with a modern, fresh sound.
Kyle, known for her soulful voice and ability to connect with listeners, brings new life to the rock’n’roll anthem, offering a blend of raw emotion and polished artistry. Her rendition features a dynamic bluesy arrangement that highlights her unique vocal range, paired with an infectious rhythm that will have listeners tapping their feet and singing along.
“I’ve always loved this song,” says Jaime Kyle. “There’s something timeless about it. It speaks to the emotion of love, loss, and the lingering feeling that someone left behind. I wanted to capture that feeling while putting my own stamp on it, giving it a sound that feels current and intimate.”
Jaime Kyle’s cover of “I Hear You Knockin‘” is set to release March 26 on all streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. The song is expected to gain attention from both longtime fans and newcomers to her music, showcasing her ability to breathe new life into beloved classics while staying true to her artistic roots.
Jaime’s artistry spans a variety of genres, from pop and rock to blues and Americana, and has earned her a devoted fanbase over the years. She’s built a reputation as a versatile and skilled performer, captivating audiences with her emotional depth and impeccable vocal delivery.
Fans can also expect an accompanying music video, which promises to bring the song’s passionate and poignant narrative to life with stunning visuals.
Jaime Kyle will be playing the In The Round with Dave Jenkins, Vince Gill and Corrina at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville on 12th March. Get tickets here.
OCEANS ON ORION bring a fresh take on Breaking the Habit by Linkin Park, infused with scorching djent-style riffs, Nu-Metal energy, and a cyberpunk touch.
The video, set in a dystopian war zone, gives Breaking the Habit a cinematic and intense twist, launching this Linkin Park classic straight into the chaos of 2025!
Lev Kerzhner (frontman) says:
“Let’s start with a confession. As a kid, I didn’t like Nu-Metal.
For me, Linkin Park was one of those bands that “ruined the fun of the ‘80s”—too heavy, too weird, and what was up with all the rap thing?! But everything changed when, right before finishing my military service, I gave Meteora another listen.
Needless to say, I fell in love. And ever since, I’ve carried this little dream of doing my own version of one of its tracks.
I chose Breaking the Habit after hearing it during a previous Linkin Park tribute. That’s when I realized this song—with its minimalistic arrangement and flawless writing—was the perfect canvas to experiment with. So, I put together a demo! And then I got called up for reserve duty. Because that’s just how this year has been.
Luckily, I had Aviram Ze’evi on drums, my buddy Yadin Moyal laying down some killer session guitars, and the cyberpunk-inspired keys of Tal Galefsky (formerly of Moonskin). On top of that, an incredible guest appearance by my soul sister from the distant north, Danny Ly Ziser. All wrapped up in an Oceans On Orion-style production, mixed by the one and only Yonatan Kossov.
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
Ads
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 )