Japanese band ALPHOENIX was formed in 2015 and plays a melodic type of death metal. In their music, they combine aggression with sensational melodic guitar parts, clean vocals and growls. While influenced by the Nordic scene, they fuse it with a uniquely Japanese sensibility, pushing the boundaries of melodic death metal while staying true to their roots.
Revitalizing the global death metal scene is no small task, but ALPHOENIX is moving towards achieving it. So far, the band from Tokyo has released two studio albums: “Final Crusades” (2015) and “Evil Ways” (2022) and few singles.
Alphoenix draws inspiration from legendary bands like In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, and Soilwork, blending the melodic intricacies of the Gothenburg sound with powerful, evocative lyrics that resonate with listeners’ hearts. Their music feature are guitar harmonies that mix catchy melodies with heavy rhythms with fusion of clean vocals and growls to express a broad emotional range
Today, the Japanese band is releasing video to the brand new song titled “Tokyo Lunar” with guest vocal by Xavier from American melodic death metal band Upon Stone. Single was engineered by Thomas Johansson at The Panic Room (Blindead 23, Ereb Altor, Evergrey, Katatonia, Mayhem, Watain). The cover artwork was created by Shimpei – the vocalist and guitarist of the band.
Leader of the band about new song: “It’s our the heaviest track to date, fusing 90s Tokyo culture with a modern perspective, set during the dawn of melodic death metal. Celebrate the band’s 10th anniversary with us!“.
Italian thrash/death metallers IRREVERENCE have released a new video for ‘Black Hearts’, taken from the band’s “Forsaken” album, which was released in April 2024.
IRREVERENCE was founded in 1995 by Riccardo Paioro, which found in Davide Firinu the right person to start the project. The band took advantage of the difficult period due to the pandemic and the consequent scarcity of live shows to compose new music. This resulted in what is the combo’s eleventh official release: “FORSAKEN”. Recorded at ADSR Studios, the band’s new full-length consists of 9 tracks and can be described as a further compositional breakthrough for the Italian quartet. The new album saw the light of day on 1 April 2024 on all digital and streaming platforms, as well as in digipack version and was supported by a European tour on the second half of April 2024.
The Plague has announced his upcoming album The Divided States Of Hysteria is now available for pre-order from FiXT. The full album releases on February 28, 2025.
The Divided States Of Hysteriais a sonic manifesto diving into themes of addiction, identity, societal pressures, self-reflection, and the complex duality of human nature. Synths, guitars, bass, and drums collide to create an intense sonic palette that mirrors the album’s themes of internal and external chaos. The Plague combines raw and vulnerable lyrics, with complex soundscapes showcasing his unparalleled ability to blend emotive lyrics with powerful instrumentation. The album captures The Plague’s signature blend of rock, hard rock, and alternative influences, delivering tracks that are as energetic as they are thought-provoking. From powerful synths to driving guitars and thunderous drums, the instrumentation provides a dynamic backdrop for lyrics that tackle deeply personal and universal themes.
Featuring singles like “Man Machine or Beast” that challenges the impact of technology on our relationships, while “Predator” confronts humanity’s darker instincts. “Float Right On By” is a poignant reflection on selfishness and the search for redemption and “Clean Slate” is a heartfelt anthem of renewal and forgiveness. While “Right Back Down” is a firestorm featuring thrashing guitars, brutal vocals, as an intense exploration of a relationship that ends without warning. The Divided States Of Hysteria is a deep and honest exploration of the human condition.
Releasing with the pre-order announcement is the new single “Ugly on the Inside.” The track dives into the destructive nature of narcissism, self-reflection, and the world’s betrayal of God. Originally a pop-punk demo, it was reimagined as “modern dungeon pop-punk,” becoming one of The Plague’s creepiest and most impactful songs to date.
The Plague explains further, “This song I wrote about a famous narcissist I knew/know, and about how destructive his ego was to everyone around him. But after a bit I realized that I could see similar aspects in myself. I changed the song from pointing a finger at him to pointing a finger at myself and then eventually made it about the worlds betrayal of God. The demo was very pop punk and I wanted to make it newer. I looked at the lyrics and thought “I want to make this song modern dungeon pop punk!” After an overhaul, the song was way creepier and might be one of my favorite “The Plague” songs.”
The Plague is the brainchild of producer/engineer David Adam Monroe, a pioneer of Future Punk. The Plague’s post-apocalyptic themes portray the struggles of being human, encouraging people to break free of the superficial and to know they are not alone.
David has been playing music from an early age, highly encouraged by his parents, he received an electric guitar at age ten and took off emulating his favorite bands at the time; Greenday, Smashing Pumpkins, and other 90’s rock bands. His career took off at age 16 when a promoter got his high school band on the Van’s Warped Tour.
As a producer/engineer, David has produced records with many artists including Glen Matlock from the Sex Pistols and multi-platinum engineer Earl Cohen. As a musician, he has toured internationally–including 4 years on Van’s Warped Tour— and has played with bands such as Tony Levin, My Chemical Romance, Story of the Year, NoFx, The Used, Yellow Card, Three Days Grace, and many more. ThePlague‘s debut album Hope For the F.U.T.U.R.E. was released independently in 2017.
In 2018 The Plague remixed Circle Of Dust’s “Embracing Entropy” (feat. Celldweller), through artist-owned record label FiXT. The Plague eventually signed to FiXT in 2022, and re-released the debut album with remastered tracks, new art as well as bonus tracks throughout the 2023, ahead of a new album slated for release in 2025.
“My goal with The Plague was to make futuristic Christian rock, when I was producing bands in Boston, my assistant showed me Celldweller and said, “This guy is dope and reminds me of you!” I chased Celldweller’s blend of synths and guitars, and that exploration process helped me discover my own sound. When I finished the record I emailed James (FiXT Manager) with the spirit of a little brother and said, “Hey James, look! I self-produced a futuristic rock record that I’m releasing on my label! You guys inspired this!” By some wonderful miracle he was excited too!” – The Plague
New York trio SANHEDRIN will release their long-awaited new full-length, Heat Lightning, on March 14th via Metal Blade Records.
SANHEDRIN has spent the last decade at the forefront of the American heavy metal scene blending traditional metal and hard rock sounds with a fresh modern energy and perspective. With 2022’s critically lauded Lights On full-length, the band had created their most complete work to date. With their follow-up, Heat Lightning, the band delivers a diverse collection of songs that wholly captures their wide array of influences with an elevated level of production.
“Sonically, there’s no comparison,” notes drummer Nathan Honor when asked how Heat Lightning compares to the band’s previous efforts. “Heat Lightning is the fullest representation of the power of this band. When you take three seasoned musicians with their favorite handpicked instruments, put them in front of two brilliant producer/engineers in a studio stacked with incredible equipment and no outside distractions, this is what you get.”
Unlike the previous three albums, which were all tracked and mixed by Colin Marston, for Heat LightningSANHEDRIN opted to work with a fresh set of ears in a new environment. In doing so, the band landed at the legendary Utopia Bearsville studio in Woodstock, New York. At the helm for recording and co-producing were Matt Brown (Life of Agony, A Pale Horse Named Death) and Jerry Farley (Sick Of It All, Madball).
Heat Lightning gets its title from the second track of the same name. “‘Heat lightning’ is a flash of lightning from very far away, sometimes seen in a clear sky,” says vocalist/bassist Erica Stoltz. “It is used as a metaphor for where we see ourselves at the moment in relation to climate change. Collectively we have moved further away from our direct relationship to nature and have adopted a paternal relationship with the natural world, as if we have control.” It was one of the first songs written for the album, and one of the most dynamic tracks the band has ever written. Elsewhere, “The Fight Of Your Life” is a tribute to those we call “lifers” in the music business. “It’s about the compulsion to play music no matter what. When you get the bug and you have it for life, it is your north star, your reason to be,” says Stoltz. “Franklin County Line” is the fastest song on the record, and inspired guitarist Jeremy Sosville’s hometown and surrounding area in northern New York state. Sosville recounts, “Erica and Nathan came up to visit me and work on new music. In the process, we wrote a song inspired by the local Amish population but with a naughty twist.”
The record commences with “Blind Wolf,” a hard-rocking, heavy metal stomper and the record’s lead single. Lyrically, the song is inspired by the band’s shared fascination with cults. According to Stoltz, “The blind wolf symbolizes losing your animal instincts as a result of adopting someone else’s belief system.” The song is straightforward, pounding, and delivered with ill intent. “We knew as soon as the song was complete that it should open the record,” says Sosville. “It really sets the tone for the journey the listener is about to take with this album.”
“This album is a symbol of persistence during hard times, friendship through music, and the unwavering desire to do our best work together,” says Sosville. “After a decade of being a band, we are proud that we continue to push ourselves to new places sonically and musically. We hope the listener can hear our sincerity and our dedication when listening to this new collection of songs.”
Heat Lightning features the striking hand-painted cover art of band friend and fervent supporter Johan Prenger.
Heat Lightning Track Listing: 01. Blind Wolf 02. Heat Lightning 03. Above the Law 04. The Fight of Your Life 05. King of Tides 06. Franklin County Line 07. Let’s Spill Some Blood 08. High Threshold for Pain 09. When the Will Becomes the Chain
SANHEDRIN Live: US 20-22/03/25 US – Houston – Hell’s Heroes 30/03/25 US – Tulsa – Bangover Brunch 26/04/25 US – Pittsburgh – Mr. Small Funhouse EU 22/05/25 DE – Stuttgart – Schwarzer Keiler w/ SAVAGE MASTER 23/05/25 NL – Breda – Sonddog w/ SAVAGE MASTER 25/05/25 BE – Diest – Hell w/ SAVAGE MASTER 26/05/25 DE – Hamburg – Logo w/ SAVAGE MASTER 28/05/25 SE – Järfälla/Stockholm – Klubb Fredagsmangel w/ SAVAGE MASTER 30/05/25 SE – Gothenburg – Abyss w/ SAVAGE MASTER 31/05/25 SE – Alvesta – Muskelrock Festival 03/06/25 DE – Frankfurt – Nachtleben w/ SAVAGE MASTER 05/06/25 DE – Kassel – Goldgrube 06/06/25 DE – Gelsenkirchen – Rock Hard Festival 07/06/25 DE – Oldenburg – MTS Records 08/06/25 UK – London – Cart & Horses
Parisian alt-rockers Storm Orchestra are bursting out of 2025 with their brand new album ‘Get Better,’ which will be released on 11 April via Mascot Records. They have also revealed the video for the propulsive new single “Superplayer.” Watch HERE.
They will also join Sweden’s finest rock ‘n’ rollers, Royal Republic, on their ‘LoveCop’ European tour from 31 January to 16 February. You can get tickets from HERE.
Storm Orchestra operates paradoxically in a space that grapples with opposites to assimilate them into one glorious jewel. Light and dark, euphoria and heaviness, glamour and aggression are all fused with a tantalizing aura. It’s music that is built for stadiums but made to connect with people. It entwines the infectiousness of Nothing But Thieves, the captivating driving force of Royal Blood, and the melodic ambition of Muse
The three Paris natives have been winding their way through and illuminating the belly of the city’s underground over the last few years. The trio of Maxime Goudard (vocals, guitar), Adrien Richard (bass), and Loïc Fouquet (drums) has been the gem in the French alternative scene since the release of their self-titled debut EP in 2020.
New single “Superplayer” draws an ironic parallel between relationships and the theme of sports. To the sound of a resolutely energetic tune, a couple is sometimes seen as an indissociable, invincible team, sometimes as a competition to deliver the best version of yourself to the other half to maintain this couple-team spirit.
“I wrote the second verse of this one, and the funny story is that I am a football fan,” says Fouquet. “On the bridge, we tried something different because we felt we could use a sing-along, stadium vibe. I’m a big fan of Newcastle United. I’ve been to Newcastle and watched games in Paris and London. So, on the bridge, we had a famous chant. If you listen closely, you may recognize it.”
This month, the band was picked as part of Amazon’s Ones to Watch for the 2025 Series. The band delivered a version of Nelly Furtado’s “Maneater” with their own grandiosity sprinkled throughout the track. You can listen to it HERE.
They have previously released three singles that feature on ‘Get Better’. “Crush the Mirrors” harvests the heavier and darker side of their arsenal, and they are joined by Bertrand Poncet – who also produced the album – from French hardcore-pop-punk crossover heroes Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! who lends his guttural vocals to the anthemic track. “The tone, theme and overall vibe is darker; I’d even say there is an inner violence to it,” ponders Fouquet.
“Drummer” explores the clichés of rock drummers, portrayed as savage, party-going, unstoppable beings. Goudard’s point of view as a singer, whose fragile, sensitive personality contrasts that of his drummer. It expresses his desire to live life like a drummer, with all the drama that goes with it. Read between the lines and the song depicts a glorified wild life that hides deep emotional wounds. On the shimmering “Bright Soul,” Goudard opens up about his fear of letting his dark side take over the person he wants to be.
Driven by their high-intensity live shows, they’ve captured lightning in a bottle and are now selling out clubs across France. Goudard reflects, “We always come to a show with the biggest smile and a crazy load of energy. We want people to get energized, to let off steam, and leave wanting more. We are always exhausted right after the set; if not, it means something went wrong!”
‘Get Better’ touches on societal issues, relationships, and the inner struggles that we all have, along with the dark side of your personality. “For me, it’s all connected,” explains the singer. “Society makes us vulnerable, so we need love to keep us sane. So everything is just a piece of a big puzzle.”
1. Bright Soul 2. Drummer 3. Crush the Mirrors(feat. Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!) 4. Superplayer 5. Cut Loose, Somehow 6. Désolé (feat. JJ Wilde) 7. We Will Be The Last 8. Tear Myself Down 9. This Game 10. Get Back In Time 11. Our Victory 12. Trash The Room
Storm Orchestra inhabits that place between our ‘mask’ and the complex emotions cascading through our brains. “The album represents the inner struggle,” ponders Goudard. He expands, “In the morning, you are angry with society, but you tell yourself, ‘I’ve got to have a good day, so I’m going to listen to a party song to make myself smile,’ and it’s that struggle inside of us. It’s an internal combat.”
They’ve shone on the festival circuit, captivated crowds on a tour of Germany in September with Lonely Spring, and announced themselves on the big stage when they opened for Black Stone Cherry at L’Olympia, Paris, earlier in November 2024.
Rarely has the complexities of our struggles that they tackle on “Bright Soul,” “Drummer,” “Crush the Mirrors,” “Tear Myself Down,” and “Get Back in Time”, along with the societal weight of the likes of “We Will Be The Last,” “Our Victory,” and “Cut Loose, Somehow,” been packaged with such a visceral and luscious effect—Storm Orchestra is here to be your new favourite band.
31 Jan – Poznan, Tama – POLAND (Sold Out) 01 Feb – Warsaw, Prxima – POLAND – TICKETS 02 Feb – Krakow, Kwadrat – POLAND – TICKETS 04 Feb – Prague, Sasazu – CZECH REPUBLIC – TICKETS 05 Feb – Graz, Oepheum – AUSTRIA – TICKETS 07 Feb – Salzburg, Rockhouse – AUSTRIA (Sold Out) 08 Feb – Vienna, Arena – AUSTRIA (Sold Out) 09 Feb – Vienna, Arena – AUSTRIA – TICKETS 11 Feb – Budapest, Barba Negra – HUNGARY – TICKETS 12 Feb – Linz, Posthof – AUSTRIA – TICKETS 13 Feb – Milan, Santeria Toscana 31 – ITALY – TICKETS 15 Feb – Bern, Bierhübeli – SWITZERLAND – TICKETS 16 Feb – Eindhoven, Effenaar – THE NETHERLANDS – TICKETS
One of modern metal’s most talked-about artists, Ukrainian progressive groove metal icons JINJER, are gearing up to unleash their highly anticipated new full-length album,Duél, next Friday, February 7, 2025 via Napalm Records. Composed of offerings already being dubbed as “punishing” and “empowering” (Revolver) and continuing to prove themselves as “heavy music practitioners in their prime” (Knotfest), the album is poised to achieve top marks – clinching new successes beyond its lauded predecessors.
After ensnaring the eyes and ears of fans worldwide with recent singles like the powerful “Someone’s Daughter”, eviscerating “Rogue” and introspective “Green Serpent”, JINJER have unleashed a refreshing storm of technical proficiency with fifth single and title track “Duél”. The bewildering track puts JINJER’s unparalleled brand of artistic mastery on full display, expanding on the already over six million cross-platform streams logged on their aforementioned singles. Listen below and pre-order Duél now!
After unleashing their most recently released chart-topping studio album, Wallflowers (#1 US Top New Artist Albums, #1 Canada Hard Music Albums, #5 UK Rock & Metal Albums, #7 Official German Album Charts) – hailed as “… one of the finest – and most important – metal releases of 2021” by KERRANG! and “a progressive masterpiece” by New Noise Magazine – and their following cycle on Europe’s biggest festivals (Wacken, Download, Rock am Ring and more), the band went into seclusion to conjure their most jaw-dropping collection of technical genius to date, Duél. The band once again collaborated with accomplished producer Max Morton, who co-produced, mixed and mastered the album. This new masterwork lives up to JINJER’s reputation as metal visionaries, proving that they wear no influences on their sleeves while charging a path entirely of their own making. This is proven by songs like “Rogue”, “Green Serpent” and “Dark Bile”, conjuring astonishing heaviness unlike ever before. Followers of world-class screamer and multifaceted singer Tatiana Shmayluk will revel in her display of unrelenting power and grippiing emotional delivery as early as album opener “Tantrum” , while cruel stunners like “Fast Draw” and “Duél“ showcase the acclaimed technical craftwork of drummer Vlad Ulasevich, guiatrist Roman Ibramkhalilov and bassist Eugene Abdukhanov.
Eugene Abdukhanov, JINJER bassist on the new album: “First of all, it‘s hard to believe that we’re about to release our fifth full length album! After all the releases we’ve made, finally having Duél in our hands and ready to be shared with the world, makes us very proud that our band still hasn’t run out of creativity and inspiration. The fact that we still challenge ourselves to release the best music we have ever made with each new release, is what keeps JINJER moving forward. This upcoming album was the longest songwriting process we’ve ever had and it took almost two years to complete. We worked very hard with every free minute we weren’t on tour, recording demos over and over again and always searching for the perfect sound for guitars, bass and drums. It was also the first time that Tatiana did vocal pre-productions, so it’s safe to say that none of our releases were so well thought out and calculated as this one. It pulverizes the boundaries of the modern progressive metal genre but still remains sophisticated, exciting and extreme all at the same time. We took up the challenge to expand our musical horizons even wider than before in order to cement Duél to be the next step in JINJER‘s musical growth and hopefully the evolution of metal music in general.”
Save Your Copy of DUÉL NOW – only a few formats left!
DUÉL tracklisting: 1. Tantrum 2. Hedonist 3. Rogue 4. Tumbleweed 5. Green Serpent 6. Kafka 7. Dark Bile 8. Fast Draw 9. Someone’s Daughter 10. A Tongue So Sly 11. Duél
JINJER LIVE 2025 06.02.2025 AE – Dubai / P7 Arena 08.02.2025 IN – Bangalore / Bangalore Open Air 10.02.2025 TH – Bangkok / The Street Hall 12.02.2025 JP – Tokyo / ReNY Alpha 13.02.2025 JP – Osaka / Meta Valley 14.02.2025 JP – Aichi / ReNY Limited 15.02.2025 KR – Seoul / Musinsa Garage 16.02.2025 TW – Taipei / Legacy 18.02.2025 PH – Manila / SM Sky Dome 21.02.2025 AU – Brisbane / Fortitude Music Hall ** 23.02.2025 AU – Sydney / Hordern Pavilion ** 25.02.2025 AU – Melbourne / Festival Hall ** 26.02.2025 AU – Adelaide / Hindley St Music Hall ** 28.02.2025 AU – Fremantle / Metropolis Fremantle ** 02.03.2025 NZ – Wellington / Meow Nut 03.03.2025 NZ – Auckland / Powerstation 06.03.2025 CN – Guangzhou / Mao Live House 07.03.2025 CN – Beijing / Omni Space 08.03.2025 CN – Shanghai / Modern Sky Lab ** plus support: KITTIE
08.05.2025 US – Columbus, OH / Sonic Temple 16.05.2025 US – Daytona Beach, FL / Welcome To Rockville
01.06.2025 LV – Riga / Palladium 02.06.2025 EE – Tallinn / Noblessner Foundry 03.06.2025 LT – Vilnius / Compesa Hall 05.06.2025 SE – Sölvesborg / Sweden Rock 06.06.2025 PL – Gdańsk / Mystic Festival 07.06.2025 DE – Nurburg / Rock am Ring 08.06.2025 DE – Nuremberg / Rock im Park 10.06.2025 SI – Ljubljana / Mediacenter 12.06.2025 AT – Vienna / Nova Rock Festival 13.06.2025 FI – Hyvinkää / Rock Fest 14.06.2025 CH – Interlaken / Greenfield Festival 15.06.2025 UK – Donington Park / Download Festival 17.06.2025 BG – Sofia / Maimunarnika 19.06.2025 FR – Clisson / Hellfest 20.06.2025 BE – Dessel / Graspop Metal Meeting 22.06.2025 IT – Milan / Dissonance Fest 25.06.2025 ES – Viveiro / Resurrection Fest 26.06.2025 NL – Ysselsteyn / Jera On Air 28.06.2025 NO – Oslo / Tons Of Rock 29.06.2025 PT – Lisbon / Evil Live Festival 02.07.2025 DK – Roskilde / Roskilde Festival … to be continued …
JINJER is: Tatiana Shmayluk – Vocals Roman Ibramkhalilov – Guitars Eugene Abdukhanov – Bass Vlad Ulasevich – Drums
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 )