Feel the pulsating heart of AUTARKH‘s sonic universe as they unveil the official drum playthrough of Strife, the electrifying lead single from their avant-garde, 2023 masterpiece, Emergent. Witness drummer Jasper Barendregt’s technical prowess and intricate rhythmic alchemy in this enthralling in-studio recording.
In the deft hands of Barendregt, Strife becomes a tempest of triplets, polyrhythmic grooves, and invigorating half-time riffs. Here’s a glimpse into Jasper’s ecstatic state of rhythmic exploration:
“Strife’ has always been one of my favorite tracks off of ‘Emergent’. As a drummer, I have to mediate a balance between flow, layered coordination and a ‘mechanical push’ that drives this song.
This drum arrangement is full of triplets spaced in 4’s and 7’s within 4/4, that – along with the slower pacing and tempo – make for some heavy polyrhythmic half-time grooves. I wanted to capture this as representative as possible of how this sounds live, so what you see and hear is an unedited single one-shot take, recorded a few days before our January 2025 tour kicked off.
Lastly, I think that taking the added risk of closing out the song with a short drum improv makes for an exciting watch!“
Emergent, the follow-up to AUTARKH‘s critically acclaimed debut Form In Motion, marks an evolution in their sound—bridging sonic extremes and unearthing dynamic harmonies. AUTARKH‘s intricate compositions on Emergent weave the awe-inspiring characteristics of their debut while navigating through newfound landscapes of emotional resonance and intensity.
Michel Nienhuis and David Luiten’s compositions capture the capriciousness and unease of the band’s first album, now imbued with a diverse and radiant imprint. Explore the mesmerizing symphony of contrasts and embrace the inner self, illuminated through breathtaking vocal harmonies and bold sonic textures.
Polish guitarist ANDRZEJ CITOWICZ releases “Primal Instinct”, an electrifying new single that channels the raw energy of late 80s hard rock while introducing haunting wolf-inspired melodies. The track serves as the latest glimpse into his highly anticipated album “Living Room Rockstar”, presenting a perfect fusion of nostalgic hooks and primal energy. . “‘Primal Instinct’ explores the fundamental drives we all possess beneath our social masks,” Citowicz reveals. “As an autistic musician, I’ve always been fascinated by the parallel between wolf packs and human society – both complex systems of communication that many of us struggle to navigate. The wolf howls in this track represent that universal longing to be understood on the most basic level and the need to be protective of the pack”.
The single showcases Patryk Szymanski’s exceptional bass work, providing a thunderous foundation that propels the song forward with relentless momentum. “Patryk has this remarkable ability to tap into the rhythm of primal heartbeats,” Citowicz explains. “His bass lines don’t just complement the song – they become its circulatory system.”
“For an autistic adult, there’s profound meaning in embracing one’s primal instincts,” Citowicz shares. “Society often asks us to mask our authentic selves, but this song celebrates the power found in honoring your true nature. The wolf doesn’t apologize for its howl – it’s a declaration of existence that demands to be heard.”
The track represents Citowicz’s continued exploration of neurodivergent experience through music, transforming the complex interplay between instinct and intellect into accessible hard rock anthems. With its infectious hooks and late 80s sonic palette, “Primal Instinct” promises to resonate with rock fans across generations while delivering a deeper message about authentic self-expression.
Stream on all major platforms and watch the lyric video ‘Primal Instinct’ here:
More information:
As an autistic guitarist, Citowicz has leveraged his unique perspective to craft a distinctive sound that resonates with listeners from all walks of life. His music serves as a powerful tool for self-expression, allowing him to convey complex emotions and thoughts in a way that transcends verbal communication. By sharing his experiences and creative process, Citowicz aims to inspire and empower others on the autism spectrum, while also promoting greater understanding and acceptance of neurodiversity in the music industry.
Andrzej Citowicz’s music career has been marked by a unique blend of hard rock, blues, and cinematic elements, which has garnered him a loyal following across the globe. His critically acclaimed trilogy of instrumental albums has been praised for its emotional depth, technical virtuosity, and innovative storytelling. Citowicz’s music has been described as “a cinematic soundscape that transports listeners to a world of raw emotion”.
Copenhagen, Denmark hardcore band EYES (feat. members of LLNN) has today announced they’ve signed to Prosthetic Records. Alongside the announcement EYES has revealed they’ll be releasing their third album, SPINNER, via the Los Angeles label on April 25. The band has share the lead single and accompanying music video, Better, with full details below.
Stream Better via Apple Music, TIDAL, Deezer, Bandcamp and Spotify
Speaking on the album announcement, EYES vocalist Victor Kaas comments: “SPINNER tells a loose story through the lens of a fictional early 80’s anime episode and introduces a cast of various characters throughout the 10-songs, all based on situations, states of mind and personality traits of myself.
“The album is heavily inspired by manga author Asano Inio and his works Goodnight Punpun and Dead Dead Demon’s De De De Destruction. SPINNER was written as a way to process traumas throughout youth and early adulthood and leave them behind in a world similar to what I used to escape to.”
Of Better, Kaas continues: “Better is in many ways a statement of intention for the album. It’s short and intense. The song is about wanting to improve as a musician, as a band, as a person. But no matter what your intentions are, there will always be someone who will put you down. Sometimes that person is yourself.”
Following on from their critically acclaimed sophomore album, Congratulations, and a slew of eviscerating live performances, EYES took to the studio to record the ten tracks of SPINNER in Autumn 2024. Featuring members of LLNN, EYES are very much a product of the burgeoning underground scene in their hometown, where they have already established themselves as a force to be reckoned with.
The cast of characters that Victor introduces us to across the course of SPINNER serve as a proxy for unravelling and processing traumas in youth and early adulthood as he scrutinises his past self. The SPINNER universe that EYES have built is a place to escape to, to shake off demons and start anew from a place of acceptance.
Each chapter of the story and each character is brought to life through both the meticulous attention to detail that EYES have applied to their storytelling, and the intensity of its delivery. The dependable Captain – introduced in track three – is a stoic Navy officer who is the very embodiment of responsibility and respectability. As he gets weighed down with the pressure of the duties placed upon him he starts to become fatigued; in this vignette his burden is depicted by an ever-growing backpack that grows larger and larger. The Captain eventually sinks.
Musically, SPINNER came together differently to its predecessors. A much more deliberate approach saw the band uniting to write in the studio with a greater focus on song structure and dynamics. The result is a punchier, groovier version of EYES, with a lesser emphasis on noise rock and as they leaned further towards hardcore and metal. A continually growing trust in each other led to greater creative freedom and a willingness to take risks with musical choices; even when ideas initially seemed too much, too dumb, they saw them through to fruition in service of the bigger picture. This rejuvenating trust combined with the sometimes suffocating surrounds of the warm, cramped, airless studio space, the resulting tracks capture the unhinged attitude of a band that dared to venture down every sonic avenue that felt alluring at the time.
The chaotic nature of the EYES live show is captured on SPINNER, with production duties handled by Jacob Bredahl at The Village and Provo studios in Copenhagen and mastering completed by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege. The aggressive cynicism of the band is enhanced by guest vocal appearances by Selma Bahner of Feral Nature and Tower (on The Captain) and Jesse Matthewson of KEN Mode (on Save Face on a Regular Basis).
As EYES approach a new chapter in their own story, they invite you to join them on the SPINNER adventure: embrace the immersive aesthetic as the tale unfolds and the characters come to life before your ears and eyes. SPINNER is an opportunity to explore our own demons, one turbo-charged, gutpunching song at a time.
Spinner tracklist: 1. OP1 2. Better 3. The Captain 4. Deflating Rooms 5. Beelzebub, the Hypocrite 6. Save Face on a Regular Basis 7. Moving Day for the Overton Window 8. Clown 9. Money Mouth 10. Spinner
EYES is: Victor Kaas – vocals Rasmus Furbo – guitar Søren Bomand – guitar/backing vocals Kenn Bendtsen – bass Simon Djurhuus – drums
TRICK OR TREAT has released a video for “Ghosted”, first single and title-track taken from the new album to be released on April 25 by Scarlet Records.
The phenomenon of ghosting, emphasized in the era of social media, annihilates its victims by throwing them into a sense of loneliness and inadequacy. The main character of the track is lost in a parallel dimension where he’s a real ghost invisible to society.
video by Domenico Guidetti
“Ghosted” album:
brand new studio album for the Italian happy metal champions of the world;
eleven compelling fun songs infused with smart references to the horror, video game and comics culture;
featuring the special guests vocalists Chris Bowes (Alestorm) & Adrienne Cowan (Avantasia, Seven Spires);
produced by Simone Mularoni at Domination Studio;
cover artwork by Alessandro “Alle” Conti (Trick Or Treat & Twilight Force singer; former Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody singer);
Trick Or Treat is officially part of the Rock The Nation booking roster;
1 Lost In The Haunted House (intro) 2 Craven Road 3 Bloodmoon (feat. Adrienne Cowan) 4 Ghosted 5 Dance With The Dancing Clown 6 Polybius 7 Evil Dead Never Sleeps 8 Return To Monkey Island (feat. Chris Bowes) 9 Make A Difference 10 The 13th 11 Bitter Dreams
Total running time – 46:00
artwork by Alle Conti
Trick On Treat on tour with Dynazty and Nanowar Of Steel:
08.03 – HU, Budapest, Barba Negra 09.03 – PL, Krakow, Kwadrat 10.03 – DE, Berlin, Columbia Theater 12.03 – BE, Antwerp, Zappa Club 13.03 – DE, Bochum, Matrix 14.03 – NL, Drachten, Iduna 15.03 – FR, Strasbourg, Le Molodoi 16.03 – DE, Munich, Backstage 6
“Ghosted” is the album that definitely marks the new Trick Or Treat course, where the classic power happy metal mixes with terrifying and yet funny horror atmospheres.
The Italian band put in music some of the most famous horror movie franchise such as “Evil Dead Never Sleeps” (“Army Of Darkness”), “Bitter Dreams” (“A Nightmare On Elm Street”) or “The 13th” (“Friday The 13th”), and paid heartfelt homage to the world of comics (“Craven Road”, Dylan Dog) and video game (“Return To Monkey Island”) that shaped their imaginary too.
With a little help from a couple of famous international friends, Trick Or Treat delivered just another irresistible collection of wicked, catchy and energetic metal tunes!
Forewarning: the new CAPTAIN BLACK BEARD song/video might get stuck in your head for a while.
“AI Lover” is a great AOR rocker that showcases guitar player Daniel Krakowski’s songwriting abilities and singer Fredrik Vahgren’s creativity with lyrics. You can hear how much fun Vinnie & Robert have grooving along to this one. Another ripper hard rock/AOR song from Captain Black Beard’s upcoming album, “Chasing Danger”.
Join the premiering here:
Captain Black Beard is back with their new AOR masterpiece “Chasing Danger”! The new album features a ten-song energetic joyride of melodic rock with that special Swedish touch. This is the perfect blend of sounds like their contemporaries/friends The Night Flight Orchestra and H.E.A.T.
In late 2023 the band found themselves at a crossroad. Their lead singer Martin Holsner decided to quit the band to spend more time with his family. The Captain had been through a number of personnel changes over the years and the thought of just quitting certainly existed. However, it seemed fate would intervene. Singer Fredrik Vahlgren caught the attention of bass player/founding member Robert Majd. When hearing his voice, Robert knew that if Fredrik were to join the band, then they had to continue and they had a chance to top their earlier albums. Fredrik joined the guys who were 100% focused on making the best Captain Black Beard album to date.
2024 became the first time in the band’s 15-year history without a live show. No distractions were going to get in the way. The Captain spent most of the year perfecting what would become “Chasing Danger” in Wing Studios in Stockholm, under the careful supervision of producer Sverker Widgren with Robert Majd & guitarist Daniel Krakowski co-producing. This album also features over-the-top drumming from Vinnie Stromberg and additional awesomeness contributed by Oscar Bromwall (guitar) & John Lönnmyr (keyboard), the lead single “When It’s Over” (co-written by Wildness’ Erik Modin), a modern AOR statement in “A.I.Lover”, their trademark Disco-AOR is evident in the track “Shine”, a piano-driven ballad called “Piece Of Paradise (co-written with The Night Flight Orchestra’s John Lönnmyr) and the epic ending to the album “In Your Arms”.
“We’ve never been prouder of an album. To come back once again after a bunch of setbacks and doing it this strong feels great!” says Robert Majd. Guitarist Daniel Krakowski concurs: “This is without doubt our best album”.
“Chasing Danger” will be released on LP (transparent blue vinyl, limited to 300 copies), CD and digital on April 4th, 2025 via Mighty Music.
Lineup: Robert Majd – bass Fredrik Vahlgren – vocals Daniel Krakowski – guitar Vinnie Strömberg – drums
GRAMMY Award-nominated extreme metal institution CRADLE OF FILTH recently announced their upcoming 14th studio album, The Screaming Of The Valkyries, out March 21, 2025 via Napalm Records. The band reigns supreme as one of the most revered, formative and notorious names in music – from the depths of the extreme metal underground to the peaks of mainstream pop culture itself, and are responsible for breaking ground for many of today’s top metal artists with their trademark mixture of blackened heaviness, macabre theatricality and scintillating gothic style.
Today, following the release of their acclaimed new single “To Live Deliciously”, the track’s music video has been released in all of its gory glory. Experience the ride of your life (or death, rather) and watch the video now!
CRADLE OF FILTH master of ceremonies Dani Filthsays about the new video: “An observation on religious restraint as well as being a window to tout a bit of blasphemous filth, the video for ‘To Live Deliciously’ (our second from the new album) is a pleasant social engagement betwixt a pious young nun and her mentor priest.
Just with a smattering of demonic possession and sexual misconduct added for good stock.”
Following the release of 2021’s Existence Is Futile (#20 Billboard 200 with Hard Rock Genre), CRADLE OF FILTH emerge again with a legacy-cementing opus. On The Screaming Of The Valkyries, Dani Filth’s recognizable scream and equally identifiable growl stand mightily alongside twin guitar attacks, symphonic flourishes and explosive rhythm section, implemented by drummer Martin “Marthus” Skaroupka, bassist Daniel Firth, guitarists Marek “Ashok” Smerda and Donny Burbage, and keyboardist/vocalist Zoe Federoff.
After album opener “To Live Deliciously” hits immediately, second track “Demagoguery” blends dark beauty, blast beats and slaytanic groove as only Cradle can combine. Across the album’s blunt and unforgiving yet inviting expanse, Cradle summons the succulent flavors of classic albums like Dusk And Her Embrace and Cruelty And The Beast with the galloping (but no less fierce) thunder of recent entries Hammer Of The Witches and Existence Is Futile. Flashes of early metal influences coalesce with carnivorous glee into unapologetic death ‘n’ roll. “White Hellebore” is CRADLE OF FILTH at its most devilishly straightforward, juxtaposing traditional heavy metal with blasts of thrashing fury, spinning back to operatic goth without sounding disjointed. Anchored by arguably the most mournful melody in their catalog, “Non Omnis Moriar” (“I shall not wholly die”) could be a cousin to Paradise Lost or Anathema, inverted through Cradle’s thorny prism. “You Are My Nautilus” is the darkest song Iron Maiden never wrote, spinning an epic tale with dueling guitars, while “Ex Sanguine Draculae” conjures Dusk-era atmosphere with imaginative new colors.
Produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Scott Atkins at Grindstone Studios in Suffolk, England, The Screaming of the Valkyries beckons the brave into a new era of CRADLE OF FILTH misadventure, celebrating massive melancholic melody, blackened thrash, and apocalyptic existential dread with a grinning smattering of unbridled revelry. The Screaming of the Valkyries is a bloody dark love letter to the longtime legion of CRADLE OF FILTH faithful and a stunning entryway for fresh lambs to the sonic slaughter.
The Screaming Of The Valkyries track listing: 1. To Live Deliciously 2. Demagoguery 3. The Trinity Of Shadows 4. Non Omnis Moriar 5. White Hellebore 6. You Are My Nautilus 7. Malignant Perfection 8. Ex Sanguine Draculae 9. When Misery Was A Stranger
CRADLE OF FILTH will co-headline the 2025 edition of the North American Chaos & Carnage tour, featuring fellow co-headliners Dying Fetus, as well as Fleshgod Apocalypse, Ne Obliviscaris, Undeath, Vomit Forth and Corpse Pile. See below for all confirmed performance dates.
CHAOS & CARNAGE TOUR DATES: 17.04.25 US – Berkeley, CA / UC Theatre 19.04.25 US – Los Angeles, CA / The Wiltern 20.04.25 US – Phoenix, AZ / The Van Buren 22.04.25 US – Albuquerque, NM / El Rey Theater 24.04.25 US – Dallas, TX / Granada Theater 26.04.25 US – San Antonio, TX / Vibes Event Center 27.04.25 US – Houston, TX / House of Blues 29.04.25 US – Nashville, TN / Brooklyn Bowl 01.05.25 US – New York, NY / Palladium Times Square 02.05.25 US – Richmond, VA / The National 03.05.25 US – Reading, PA / Reverb 04.05.25 US – Worcester, MA / The Palladium 06.05.25 CAN – Montreal, QC / L’Olympia 07.05.25 CAN – Toronto, ON / Rebel 08.05.25 US – Pontiac, MI / The Crofoot 09.05.25 US – Chicago, IL / Radius 10.05.25 US – Des Moines, IA / Val Air Ballroom 12.05.25 US – Wichita, KS / TempleLive 14.05.25 US – Denver, CO / Fillmore Auditorium
SUMMONED IN SUMMER TOUR DATES: Support: Nervosa (*on selected dates) 07.06.25 CZ – Ostrava / Barrack 09.06.25 SV – Kosice / Colosseum* 10.06.25 HU – Budapest / Barba Negra* 11.06.25 AT – Salzburg / Rockhouse* 12.06.25 DE – Stuttgart / LKA* 05.07.25 BE – Leffinge / De Zwerver 06.07.25 UK – Norwich / Epic Studios 08.07.25 UK – Margate / Dreamland* 09.07.25 UK – Torquay / The Foundry* 11.07.25 UK – Southampton / 1865* 13.07.25 NL – Maastricht / Muziekgieterij* 15.07.25 DE – Dortmund / Junkyard* 16.07.25 DE – Bremen / Modernes* 18.07.25 DE – Aschaffenburg / Colosaal* 19.07.25 DE – Munich / Backstage* 21.07.25 AT – Dornbirn / Conrad Sohm* 23.07.25 SV – Bratislava / MMC*
FESTIVAL DATES 2025: 06.06.25 PL – Gdańsk / Mystic Festival 13.-15.06.25 UK – Donington / Download Festival 27.06.25 FI – Helsinki / Tuska Festival 04.07.25 DE – Ballenstedt / Rockhaz Festival 12.07.25 NL – Emmen / Pitfest 20.07.25 IT – Cremona / Luppolo In Rock Festival 23.-27.07.25 SI – Tolmin / Tolminator Metal Fest
CRADLE OF FILTH is: Dani Filth – Vocals Marek ‘Ashok’ Smerda – Guitars Martin ‘Marthus’ Skaroupka – Drums Daniel Firth – Bass Donny Burbage – Guitars Zoe Federoff – Vocals, Keys
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 )