Prepare to embark on a sonic journey into darkness and chaos as OPHIDIAN MEMORY, the rising force in Melodic Death Metal, unleashes the lyric video for “Hunger of Your Deceased Deity.” The track, taken from their forthcoming album Carrion Lord, offers a harrowing tale of desperation, destruction, and a dark pact forged in the shadows. Carrion Lord will be released on 21 March 2025 via Wormholedeath Records.
“Hunger of Your Deceased Deity” plunges listeners into a visceral and haunting narrative. A thousand wanderers trudge through a desolate valley under ominous skies, skeletal remains to mark their path. Starving and desperate, they fall prey to Yzanthu, “The Crow”, a rotting avian monstrosity feasting for the first time in centuries. Soldiers and clerics are powerless against its might, as chaos erupts with The Soulless joining the carnage. Amid the slaughter, the herd fractures—some fleeing under Mattendas’ lead, while others are driven north to Hedon, where The Stag awaits to claim their souls as part of Yzanthu’s dark design.
Yzanthu had long watched from afar, targeting a gem within the human settlement. Identifying Ghale, a skilled Luminary Ritualist, as the ideal pawn to control Lurkers and humans, it corners her with an ultimatum: surrender and lead its legion to Grocinia, or face annihilation. Ghale accepts, sparing the survivors and ending The Crow’s feast.
The track’s grim tale expands the rich fantasy lore Ophidian Memory has meticulously crafted, setting the stage for Carrion Lord’s broader themes of power, corruption, and survival in a brutal world.
Ophidian Memory’s upcoming album, Carrion Lord, represents a bold leap forward. It blends their signature melodic aggression with deep narrative immersion. Introducing new realms, characters, and factions, the album bridges the worlds of epic fantasy and melodic brutality. Fans of story-driven metal and dark, atmospheric soundscapes will find themselves captivated by this next chapter of the band’s saga.
Napalm Records is proud to announce the signing of guitar virtuoso RYOJI SHINOMOTO, best known for his work with Japanese Samurai Metal band RYUJIN. This marks the exciting lead-up to the release of his debut solo album and collection of Children of Bodom covers, Children of Bushido, out April 8, 2025. In tribute to late metal legend Alexi Laiho, the exclusively digital album will be released on what would have been his 46th birthday, and fulfills a lifelong musical dream for Shinomoto.
Hailing from Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island, which shares a strikingly similar climate to Finland, Shinomoto has always felt a deep connection to Children of Bodom. He first encountered their music as a teenager, and their sound has since been a lasting influence. Children of Bushido seamlessly blends the worlds of western metal and traditional Japanese instrumentation, two seemingly different worlds united in powerful and unmistakable harmony. Children of Bushido is a love letter to Alexi Laiho’s brand of death metal and Children of Bodom, reimagined through the lens of Samurai Metal.
With his first single, RYOJI SHINOMOTO reimagines Children of Bodom’s “Lake Bodom” with a fierce Samurai Metal twist, accompanied by an official playthrough video – out today. The fury of death metal is transformed into a frenzied yet almost joyous katana massacre, infused with a powerful symphonic edge.“Lake Bodom” is now available on all streaming services worldwide!
RYOJI SHINOMOTO on “Lake Bodom”: “This song is from Children of Bodom’s first album ‘Something Wild’ and is very popular in Japan. I remember back in high school, I saw Alexi teaching the intro in a Japanese guitar magazine, and I practiced it like crazy.
For my arrangement, I gave it a ‘Samurai Metal’ twist—blending shamisen, traditional Japanese flutes, and a heavier orchestral arrangement to create a more symphonic feel. I also adapted the guitar solos and obbligatos by replacing the original scales with hirajoshi and other traditional Japanese scales, making them more in line with the kind of solos I play in RYUJIN. There’s even a little homage to the traditional Japanese song ‘Sakura’ hidden in one part of the solo.”
Children of Bushido delivers a fiery fusion of Children of Bodom’s aggressive yet melodic approach with the majestic aesthetics of Samurai and zen music. Shown in tracks like “Downfall”, with its melancholic melodies and complex rhythms, the song evokes deep emotion, while SHINOMOTO breathes new life into Children of Bodom classics like “Living Dead Beat”. Blending Laiho’s raw energy with eastern mysticism, he reinvents these works with thundering wadaiko drum rhythms and lightning-fast riffs, creating a bold and electrifying reinterpretation. The rebellious lyrics, combined with this unique sonic fusion, serve as a fitting musical homage, crafting a breathtaking symphonic landscape.
RYOJI SHINOMOTO say about the album: “Alexi Laiho—an extraordinary rock star, guitar hero, and composer (Children Of Bodom, BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT)—passed away in 2020. His influence was immense, not just in the west but also in Japan. Anyone who sees me now as a lead guitarist and vocalist in a metal band can easily understand how much he impacted my musical journey.
Last year, when I released Raijin & Fujin with Matt from Trivium, I came across a comment on Napalm’s video calling it Children Of Bushido. That sparked an idea—what if I played COB’s music in RYUJIN’s signature Samurai Metal style?
I envisioned replacing the synthesizers with shamisen, koto, and traditional flutes, adding taiko drums to create an even more symphonic sound. I also thought about transforming the harmonic minor and pentatonic scales into unique Japanese scales, like Hira-choshi, which I often use in RYUJIN’s music. The songs I chose for this album are the very same ones I played on stage as a student, long before RYUJIN—back when my band was still called GYZE, and even before that, when we were known as Suicide Heaven, performing as a COB cover band.
Alexi’s music continues to live on, even in Japan, far from Finland. Children Of Bushido is a testament to that.”
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Children of Bushido is not only a tribute to Alexi Laiho and Children of Bodom—it represents a bold artistic evolution for RYOJI SHINOMOTO, a celebration of western metal traditions, and a fascinating glimpse into the rich musical heritage of Japan.
Children Of Bushido tracklisting: 1. Lake Bodom 2. Living Dead Beat 3. Mask of Sanity 4. Hate Me! 5. Silent Night Bodom Night 6. Follow The Reaper 7. Bodom After Midnight 8. Needled 24/7 9. Downfall
UK’s unstoppable rising stars, To Obey A Tyrant, return with their highly anticipated Frigore Inferni EP, out today via Seek and Strike. The band channels a dizzying array of non-stop intensity loaded with intricate musicianship backed upon a foundation of heavy metal brutality. The new EP see’s a natural evolution from their previous works, taking their sound to new, even darker extremes. With Frigore Inferni, To Obey A Tyrant bring their fans along on a harrowing journey to a frozen apocalypse, exploring a world consumed by torment and ruled by nefarious entities.
Following a successful UK tour with Osiah and Draconian Reign, Frigore Inferni marks a new chapter for the band as they prepare to bring their explosive sound to the global stage.
To Obey A Tyrant states: “Our new music video, ‘Frigore Inferni,’ is the manifestation of what the EP represents. It translates to the cold of hell or freezing hell. The video itself depicts a giant sigil made of branches which is our emblem as a band, if you look closely it spells out TOAT – To Obey A Tyrant. The Sigil is also the main focus on the EP cover. Think of its presence in the video as being positioned in the earth, the freezing hell has spread across the land and dominion has been achieved. Hell and earth becoming one and we’re playing in the midst of this new realm.”
The band will also be hitting the stage for two live dates. First, they’ll bring their explosive energy to the Embrace The Chaos all-day festival in Bristol on 22nd February, followed by an exclusive EP release show in their hometown of Bournemouth on 21st March. These shows are set to be monumental, with fans guaranteed an intense live experience that channels the chaos and power of Frigore Inferni.
The EP’s concept unfolds around two malevolent entities who awaken a frozen apocalypse, throwing the world into an unrelenting abyss. Each track paints a vivid picture of the grotesque horrors of this new hell, the sinister rulers behind it, and the dark origins of their reign. Fans can expect the band’s signature blend of blackened, orchestral deathcore: blistering blast beats, guttural vocals, crushing slams, and mind-bending breakdowns, all set to a chilling backdrop of eerie melodies.
Frigore Inferni is the follow-up to the band’s 2022 full-length, Omnimalevolent, and their 2019 debut, Conjuring Damnation. This latest EP sees To Obey A Tyrant push their sound to new heights, darker, fiercer and more relentless than ever before. It’s a must-listen for long-time fans and newcomers alike, as the band continues to carve out their place as one of the most exciting and innovative acts in the UK extreme music scene.
Since their formation, To Obey A Tyrant have racked up over 1 million streams across all digital platforms. Their rise has been meteoric, sharing the stage with extreme music legends such as Decapitated, Chelsea Grin, Aborted, Vulvodynia, Signs of the Swarm, Within Destruction, and Fit for an Autopsy, among others. They’ve also graced some of the UK’s largest metal festivals, including Bloodstock Open Air and UK Tech-Fest, further cementing their status as a leading rising force in deathcore.
With Frigore Inferni, To Obey A Tyrant are not just pushing the genre forward, they’re defining a new wave in extreme music, blending brutality with cinematic, orchestral chaos to create an unrelenting soundscape that will leave fans wanting more.
Pest Records proudly announces the signing of WURMIAN, a French one-man Melodic Death/Doom act, for the release of its debut album, “Immemorial Shrine“, scheduled for April 6th, 2025.
Founded in Clermont-Ferrand, France, in 2024, Wurmian is a project deeply rooted in the old-school Melodic Death/Doom tradition, drawing inspiration from seminal ’90s acts such as Katatonia, October Tide, Amorphis, Horrified, and elements reminiscent of Edge of Sanity and early In Flames. Behind this new endeavor is Antoine Scholtes, known for his acclaimed solo project Inherits the Void, where he carved out a name in the Melodic/Atmospheric Black Metal scene. With Wurmian, he now channels his creativity into a different yet equally emotive sonic realm, blending melody and brutality to craft an immersive and introspective experience.
“Immemorial Shrine” presents seven haunting compositions that transport listeners into isolated, desolate landscapes, reflecting themes of solitude and existential fear. While deeply influenced by the melancholic and crushing essence of ’90s Death/Doom, the album also integrates a modern touch, offering a dynamic interplay between ethereal melodies and rhythmic intensity drawn from Death Metal. The result is a rich and layered listening experience that remains nostalgic yet forward-thinking, appealing to both long-time genre enthusiasts and newer audiences alike.
Prepare to embark on this melancholic and immersive journey when “Immemorial Shrine” is unleashed on April 6th, 2025, via Pest Records. More details, including pre-order links and track previews, will be revealed soon!
Taz Taylor Band are set to release their 8th studio album “The Other Side Of Midnight” this coming May 14th. New video for first single “Lonely I Ride” out now!
10 tracks of Melodic Hard Rock/AOR in the vein of everything from Michael Schenker Group, Rainbow, Van Halen and even Journey!
As usual and as you would expect, a lot of the action is centered around the guitar playing of Taz himself…but this time there is a difference.
Is that a female voice I hear at the microphone? Taz has notably collaborated with some pretty heavy weight vocalists in the past. Graham Bonnet, Mark Boals and Doogie White to name just three. This time however things have taken a different course.
Taz explains…”After we completed our last album (Nocturnal) with all of the guest vocalists, we needed to find a guy who could cover all of that material in the live setting. Well as it turns out, that wasn’t as easy as we thought. In fact we had to turn to a girl instead!”
So into the frame enters Laura K. Vreeland.
Taz continues…”The cool thing about this is that after working with so many guest vocalists whilst still doing a lot of fully instrumental shows in between, this is actually the very first time that we have made an album with a vocalist who is actually IN the band! By the release of the album we will have been playing together for almost three years and the musical chemistry is incredible.”
Laura states…”I was honored to be asked to sing for TTB, a little intimidated about covering the incredible talent from the Nocturnal album But,Taz reassured me that I had what it takes. Fast forward, I’m fronting an incredible, original Rock band and having the time of my life! Grateful Taz heard the power in my voice and decided I was the one for the job! The last 2 and a half years have been a wonderful experience opening for big name acts at iconic venues across southern California, what a dream! Grateful to be a part of this project “The Other Side Of Midnight” a Rock album of the ages!”
Heavy metal force MYSTYC BLADE is here to captivate audiences with a cinematic new visualizer for their track “Pyramids and Mystery” from the critically acclaimed album The Master Is Inside. Released under Wormholedeath Records, the album has been turning heads in the heavy metal scene, and now Mystyc Blade is set to take fans on a breathtaking journey through time with this new visual offering.
Pyramids and Mystery transports listeners to the land of the Pharaohs, where the tombs of ancient Egypt conceal secrets of power, peril, and ancient curses. Inspired by Howard Carter’s discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb and the infamous legend of the Pharaoh’s Curse, this track blends chiseled melodies, epic riffs, and a cinematic atmosphere that feels straight out of a mythic adventure.
Expect a dramatic and mysterious intro that immediately immerses you in the atmosphere of an ancient enigma, setting the stage for what’s to come. Thunderous, intricate guitar work shakes the ground like an earthquake, while dark and evocative storytelling grips you and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Throughout the track, superstition and history collide, guiding you on an unforgettable journey where the boundaries between legend and reality blur.
Christophe Danjon is the creative force behind Mystyc Blade. A self-taught musician, Christophe developed his distinctive style early on, focusing on instrumental music. His pursuit of excellence led him to the Music Academy International (MAI) in Nancy, where he honed his skills further. After graduating, Christophe seized notable opportunities, including opening for Angra and Calvin Russell.
Taking full control of his career, Christophe composes all the music for Mystyc Blade, blending power and finesse to create ambitious and memorable compositions. With a touch of DNA borrowed from bands such as Avenged Sevenfold, Dream Theater, Metallica, and Symphony X, Mystyc Blade stands out with a unique musical identity in the heavy metal landscape. His music delves into emotional and psychological depths.
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
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