Finnish melodic death metal band Crowen have released a new music video ‘Veri on nimeni mun’. The track is taken from their ‘Where The Darkness Falls’ which was released last December by Inverse Records.
Esa Uusimaa comments: “Veri on nimeni mun is the final track on the Where The Darkness Falls EP. The song is in Finnish, melancholic, and atmospheric. I wanted to create a strong and emotional closing track, which is why clean vocal parts were incorporated. The music video was filmed, directed, and edited by Winter Notes Production. The video and the song complement each other beautifully in terms of atmosphere.”
The song Veri on nimeni mun takes the listener but also Uusimaa himself as a singer and songwriter to a completely new territory. “I’ve never enjoyed singing clean vocals, but just preferred screaming. After getting to know Jussi Aspivaara from the company Hiiden Nahka while filming the music video for the song Dark Forever, I immersed myself with interesting dark folk bands. The melodic atmosphere and lyrics for this song were inspired by that world,” Uusimaa says.
Where The Darkness Falls Track list:
Where The Darkness Falls
No Man’s Land
Dark Forever
Endless Pain
Self-Destruction
Veri on nimeni mun
Composed, lyrics, recordings and mixing by Esa Uusimaa.
Produced by Esa Uusimaa & Samuli Peltola
Mastered by Ville Hautaluoma
EP cover art by Elsa Wellamo
Line-up on EP: Esa Uusimaa – Vocals, guitars, synths & samples Tuomas Saukkonen – Bass Mikko Merilinna – Guitars Samuli Peltola – Guitar solo (No Man’s Land) Jouni Uusimaa – Clean vocals (Where The Darkness Falls) Jenni Niemi – Clean vocals (Self-Destruction)
American death metal legends MASSACRE will be touring Australia and Asia in support of their new studio album “Necrolution”, out now on Agonia Records. The tour is set to kick off on May 7th and run through key cities of New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, China and India; with final, extra dates located in United Arab Emirates and Turkey.
From Beyond Down Under / Death In Asia Tour 2025: 07/05 [NZL] AUCKLAND – “DOUBLE WHAMMY BAR” 08/05 [AUS] BRISBANE – “THE BRIGHTSIDE” 09/05 [AUS] MELBOURNE – “THE EVELYN” 10/05 [AUS] HOBART – “ALTAR” 11/05 [AUS] SYDNEY – “THE BRIDGE HOTEL” 13/05 [AUS] PERTH – “CIVIC HOTEL – MILK BAR” 15/05 [SGP] SINGAPORE – “RAVE BY PHIL STUDIO” 16/05 [THA] BANGKOK – “MR. FOX LIVEHOUSE” 17/05 [TWN] TAIPEI – “JACK’S STUDIO” 18/05 [KOR] SEOUL – “CLUB VICTIM” 22/05 [JPN] TOKYO – “HOLIDAY SHINJUKU” 23/05 [JPN] TOKYO – “HOLIDAY SHINJUKU” 24/05 [CHN] BEIJING – “TBA” 25/05 [CHN] SHANGHAI – “TBA” 30/05 [IND] BENGALURU – “FANDOM” 31/05 [ARE] DUBAI – “TBA” 01/06 [TUR] ISTANBUL – “DOROCK XL – KADIKOY”
Jason Banning has joined MASSACRE as their second live, rhythm guitarist. “Meet and welcome Massacre’s newest initiate addition,” Kam Lee (vocals) comments. “Jason has stepped in to add that extra heaviness and thick second guitar sound to our live performances. Friday night was his first performance with us and he will eventually be joining us onstage live on our up coming European tour in July. Unfortunately he won’t be able to join us in May for our Australian/ Asian run – as his ‘real job’ as a video game designer takes precedent over playing death metal – and truthfully the tour was already set prior to his joining. Some may also know him from being the manager/producer for the band Overthrust from Africa. So if you’re thinking he’s some unknown guy who isn’t familiar with death metal – you would be wrong!”
Photo credit: Javier Perez
Formed in 1984, MASSACRE started out as a heavy/power metal band, but changed its style to death metal with the joining of Allen West and Kam Lee; the latter is often credited for inventing the “death growl” – first heard on the band’s 1986 demo “Aggressive Tyrant” – and is considered an influential pioneer as far as the death metal genre is concerned. The group went through several personnel shifts and disbandments over the years – with its early line-up toggling between MASSACRE, Mantas (early Death) and Death. MASSACRE‘s last record, “Necrolution”, was released in November 2024 and marks the band’s fifth studio album to date. It’s a retrospective, nostalgic album, that turns back time to the late 80s and early 90s era of death metal, recapturing its essence, style and original formula.
Recording line-up: Kam Lee – vocals Mike Borders – bass Jonny Pettersson – guitars Rogga Johansson – guitars Jon Rudin – drums
Live line-up: Kam Lee – vocals Carlos Gonzalez – guitars Jason Banning – guitars Elden Santos – drums Tim Wilson – bass
No less than SEVEN of Cleopatra’s best-loved vintage goth albums are included in the British publication’s recently issued Ultimate Record Collection: 200 Greatest Goth Albums bookazine.
Cleopatra Records is widely regarded as America’s premier goth label, an accolade that dates back to the first days after its 1992 founding. With a well-honed eye for both new talent and established veterans, Cleopatra’s goth catalog includes both critical favorites (see below) and forgotten classics, plus a string of acclaimed compilations, tribute albums and live recordings.
#177: Corpus Delecti – Sylphes
Corpus Delecti’s second album from 1994, reissued in 2023 on purple-gold-white haze and purple/black splatter vinyl.
“Less nice in Nice, French gloom-mongers CD cut their teeth on the classic goth rock of Bauhaus and Christian Death over a trio of 90s’ albums… Sylphes was a stand-out, gathering synthetic omens overhead, dramatic post-punk mania below.”
#175: Rosetta Stone – An Eye For The Main Chance
Originally released in 1991, Rosetta Stone’s debut was reissued in 2024 on both white and clear vinyl.
“Built upon the serrated beats of a drum machine named Madame Razor, the first album, from the Liverpool goth-pop duo fed from ther jugular of the city’s noir-rock heritage while also nodding to the Mission, who gave them their big touring breakthrough.”
#166: Switchblade Symphony – Bread and Jam for Frances
Available for the first time on vinyl (pink and silver), Switchblade’s second album was originally released in 1997.
“The San Francisco group’s darkwave marriage of ethereal vocals, gothic rock and classical music was given a trip-hop twist…. ‘Soldiers,’ ‘Dirty Dog’ and ‘Harpsichord’ had a distinctly Bristolian swagger and sway beneath their black lace.”
#116: James Ray’s Gangwar – Dio Está de Nuestro Lado
First released via the Sisters of Mercy’s Merciful; Release label in 1992, Gangwar’s debut album is celebrated on the Cleopatra compilation Merciful Releases 1989-1992, available on CD and silver vinyl.
“A debut album… in electro-noir lockstep with the Sisters. Southern textures are set to dank electronic beats and devilish things are done to Alvin Stardust’s ‘My Coo Ca Choo.’”
#101: Nico – Drama of Exile
A pioneering Cleopatra reissue back in 1993 marked this remarkable album’s first ever US release.
“It needed Nico to make explicit the link between Bowie, Reed and the new dark wave. To show how a scarifying vocal might be done. To nail those Middle Eastern influences just so.”
#81: The Wake – Masked
Another from Cleopatra’s earliest days, Masked is available as both a limited edition 2CD set and on purple/white splatter vinyl.
“Thundering bass lines and gruff Anglophile vocalizations. Audacious and not without merit.”
#41: Sex Gang Children – Song and Legend
The 1983 classic reissued on limited edition gold vinyl.
“…Steeped in post-punk rhythms but has a chaotic and unrelenting heart, with producer Tony James unwilling to tame Andi Sexgang’s screeching vocals amid the Babylonian mayhem.”
Plus honorable mentions for Iggy Pop (The Idiot – #10/hear the alternate versions on Iggy Pop – Rare Trax); The Cure (Pornography – #8; the entire album reworked in 2025 by Leæther Strip); David J (Cleopatra stalwart whose Bauhaus days are scattered throughout the list) and Christian Death… seriously, only one album (Only Theater of Pain) in the entire Top 200? We’d have added a whole bunch more.
AOR/Melodic rockers Streetlight are pleased to share their new single and accompanying visualizer “Learn To Love Again”, taken from their new studio album “Night Vision”, out on March 14th, 2025, via Frontiers Music Srl.
Vocalist Johannes Häger comments on the new album, by saying: “It’s been such a joy for us to record our sophomore album “Night Vision”. One could say that the stakes are higher now compared to the debut “Ignition”, but we felt there are still many untrodden paths for Streetlight, both musically but of course also career wise. We’re still looking back at the AOR heydays, but we’re not going back.”
About the new single, he adds: “We decided to take it a little slower on our third single, Learn To Love Again. It is a more mid-tempo track, with an intimate verse that leads into a powerful chorus. We cannot wait for the album release in March!”
Streetlight is an AOR/melodic rock band from Jonkoping, Sweden. The band is staying true to the genre, delivering distinctive melodies, punchy choruses and strong hooks, all in the likeness of bands like Journey, Toto and Kansas.
The debut album “Ignition” was released in 2023 by Frontiers Music, digitally and on CD. The music video of their single “Hit The Ground” has got over 140k views on YouTube. Since the release of “Ignition”, Streetlight have gained fans from over the world, and the album reviews have been stellar.
Streetlight is meant to be experienced live, and the band is taking their music on the road, playing both in clubs and on festivals, among others the Swedish AOR festival Malmö Melodic.
The music of Streetlight is melodic and guitar driven, with a sound that reminds you of the times when AOR was at its peak. And Streetlight wants to mediate music that is fun to listen to, as well as fun to play.
The debut album showed the world that Streetlight is a band to reckon with, and with “Night Vision” they continue with their distinctive melodies and punchy choruses. The sound still has elements of the melodic rock heydays, wrapped in their own 2025 twist.
“Night Vision” Tracklist:
1. Long-Distance Runner 2. Captured In The Night 3. Sleep Walk 4. Learn To Love Again 5. Late Night Hollywood 6. Leanna 7. Straight To Video 8. Fly With Eagles 9. Where Did Love Go 10. End Game
Line Up: Johannes Häger – lead vocals and guitars Filip Stenlund – guitars, backing vocals John Svensson – keys, backing vocals Erik Nilsson – drums, backing vocals Johan Tjernström – bass, backing vocals
“The dawn of The Auto Exultants, the creators of the Motorsteeple. This song recalls the founding of their great citadel and their treacherous journey to the foot of the mountain where the citadel lies. Combining cloud, shadow, earth and flesh the great castle and the netherforge was created. The inception of the Motorsteeple hath begun. In the dungeons and factories of their great fortress the petrol church is born.
“This is a little taster for what is to come. A prequel to the last album The Rise and Demise of the Motorsteeple.”
In 2024, Battlesnake‘s momentum exploded internationally across the UK and Europe where their unique sound resonated with fans and critics alike. Their album The Rise and Demise of the Motorsteeple (2024) marked a significant milestone in their career, blending high-octane metal with intricate storytelling. The album’s success propelled Battlesnake into the global spotlight, securing their place as one of the most anticipated bands in the scene.
Now, as 2025 dawns, Battlesnake are poised to embark on their biggest year yet. New single ‘Fathers of the Iron Flesh’, a track that promises to be an anthem for fans worldwide. As the band’s sound continues to evolve, this new single reflects their darker, more refined edge, showcasing the band’s mastery of both melody and aggression.
This year will also see Battlesnake embark on an ambitious UK and EU tour, bringing their hard-hitting sound to some of the biggest music festivals in the world, including Download Festival (UK), Copenhell (Denmark), Rock for People (Czech Republic), Mad Cool (Spain), and more. With each performance, Battlesnake will prove their reputation as one of the most dynamic live acts in modern rock.
Dates:
13 – 15 June Download Festival, UK 14 June Rock For People, CZ 17 June Speicher-Husum, DE* 18 – 21 June Copenhell, DK 20 June Freak Valley, DE
With DZ Deathrays 7 July Bodega, Nottingham, UK (co-headline) 8 July Chalk, Brighton, UK (co-headline) 9 July Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, UK (co-headline)
10 July 2000trees, UK 10 -12 July MadCool, ES 15 July DB’s, Utrecht, NL 16 July Altstadt, Eindhoven, NL* 17 – 20 July Zwarte Cross, NL 18 – 20 July Rockland Festival, ES 18 – 20 July Ilosaarirock, FIN 29 July Free & Easy, Munich, DE* 1 August Open Air Graenichen, CH 6 August Underworld, London, UK* 9 August Rebellion, Manchester, UK* 12 August Hug & Pint, Glasgow, UK* 13 August Lending Room, Leeds, UK* 14 August ArcTanGent, UK 15 August Hoflärm Festival, DE
*Headline shows
The rising titans of Australian hard rock and pure heavy metal, Battlesnake have quickly ascended from the underground, captivating audiences worldwide with their unique blend of powerful riffs and dynamic songwriting. Channelling the likes of Queen, Judas Priest and Black Sabbath into something familiar yet ground breaking at the same time. Renowned for their high-octane live performances, epic theatrical compositions, and relentless energy, they have firmly established themselves as one of the most exciting acts in contemporary metal.
Formed in 2019, Battlesnake quickly captured attention with their debut EP, Myths and Legends from Gorbag’s Domain (2020), followed by their self-titled full-length album in 2023. With each release, their sound has evolved into a mighty force, blending heavy riffs, soaring vocals, and intricate melodies, while keeping the raw, unrelenting energy that defines their live shows.
The band’s explosive rise in Europe and the UK was complemented by their collaboration with renowned acts like KISS (on their “End of the World Tour”), The Smashing Pumpkins, and Jane’s Addiction (on the “World Is a Vampire Tour”). The Australian outfit’s electrifying live performances were met with widespread acclaim, leading to sold-out shows and a rapidly growing fan base in these territories.
As they prepare to unleash their next chapter, Battlesnake remains steadfast in their pursuit of musical excellence. With a rapidly expanding fan base, critical acclaim, and an unyielding commitment to their craft, they are on track to conquer new territories and continue captivating audiences across the globe.
All hail Battlesnake!
Battlesnake are:
Nick Zammit (drums) Sam Frank (vocals) Ben Frank (guitar) Daniel Willington (guitar) Billy O’Key (keytar) Elliot Hitchcock (bass)
Ahead of its release this Friday on the twisted Time To Kill Records roster, today No Clean Singing presents an exclusive stream of “Invisible Threads”, the merciless new LP from Italian death metal crew ACROSS THE SWARM.
“Invisible Threads” is due out February 21st 2025 through Time To Kill Records.
This new record follows their acclaimed 2020 album “Projections” and marks a powerful return that delves deeper into the raw, unfiltered aggression that has earned the band a dedicated following in the Italian metal scene.
Tracklist:
01 – Intravenous 02 – Vertebrae 03 – Every Day Is Like A Stab In The Chest 04 – Nothing Left 05 – Red Waters 06 – Scava Veloce 07 – Dry Eyes 08 – Liquefy 09 – Until You Bleed 10 – Invisible Threads
“Invisible Threads” is a sonic assault that penetrates the darkest depths of existence. This album explores themes of human degradation, unspoken fears, and wars that ravage not only bodies but also minds. A fierce manifestation of death metal, “Invisible Threads” overwhelms the listener with a crescendo of sonic brutality and raw emotions—an unrelenting frontal impact from the first to the last track, destined to leave a lasting mark.
“We wanted to capture the essence of the shadows that dwell within each of us,” explains frontman Francesco. “The composition of ‘Invisible Thread’s was a brutal and visceral process. Every note, every word is an invisible thread connecting these shadows to the reality around us. Additionally, renowned Italian street artist SNEM was fully involved in the creative process, visually translating the album’s concept into artwork that amplifies and reflects both the music and the lyrics. This album is an invitation to confront your innermost self and dive deep, all the way to the bottom”.
For fans of: Aborted, Cattle Decapitation, Misery Index
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 )