Brooklyn-based noise rock/punk outsiders FOREIGN BODY will release their gnarled second LP, Libertine, through Brutal Panda Records on 11th September. Today they reveal their scathing new song, ‘Trophy’.
Libertine will be released on coloured vinyl LP, CS, CD, and digital format. Pre-orders are now live at the Brutal Panda webshop and Bandcamp, and digital presaves are available here.
The raucous new video for ‘Trophy’ was directed by FOREIGN BODY bassist Thomas Koenig.
FOREIGN BODY play raw, hideous, and vulgar music emblematic of the seedy underbelly of yesterday’s New York City – where sex workers walked the streets freely, rubble and decay were prevalent, drugs were readily available, and every businessman’s briefcase contained a loaded gun. The quartet spin jet-black yarns that polite society would rather have swept under the rug, soundtracking them with jaw-clenching and furious mid-tempo punk exploding with fresh ideas. And even though FOREIGN BODY drip with a loathsome mix of hatred for modern living and a desire for its immolation, they’re also one of music’s most promising faces.
FOREIGN BODY’s new album Libertine is a wholly relentless listen with unflinching portrayals of vice, perversions and glorified excesses. The album was recorded by Matt Russell (REZN, Oozing Wound, Big Laugh), mixed and mastered at STR in San Diego by Matt Ibarra of Rectal Hygienics, and completed with artwork by vocalist Hugh Potter. This is a must-hear record for fans of Brainbombs, Couch Slut, Rectal Hygenics, Unsane, Chat Pile, The Birthday Party, Flipper, Big Black, and labelmates Intercourse.
The band reveal, “The notion of Libertine is the idea of an individual, usually people with a lot of wealth that have the capacity to act upon their desires to the fullest extent. It’s an investigation of that idea to its farthest, impossible conclusion, within literature and a modern context.”
Libertine tracklisting: 1. Strung Out 2. White Lord of Hell 3. Passed Around 4. Hind Legs 5. Trophy 6. When Sex Is Not Enough 7. Man Was Meant To Take Advantage 8. Born For This 9. Libertines 10. Beauty is a Hammer
FOREIGN BODY will be touring USA in September. Expect additional live updates as the record’s release draws near.
Tour dates: 7/17 Love City Manayunk – Philadelphia, PA w/ PLQ MRX 09/18 McDuffs – Philadelphia, PA 09/19 Preserving Shows – Pittsburgh, PA 09/20 The Brass Rail – Ft. Wayne, IN 09/21 TBA – St. Louis, MO 09/22 Backline At Avondale Music Hall – Chicago, IL 09/23 TBA – Indianapolis, IN 09/24 Portal – Louisville, KY 09/25 TBA – Columbus, OH 09/26 Pie Shop – Washington, DC
FOREIGN BODY are: Hugh Potter – vocals, saxophone Nikolai Kapetan – guitar Collin Melazzo – drums Thomas Koenig – bass
Back in March, Kentucky sweethearts BLACK STONE CHERRY released their brand new 7-track EP Celebrate, via Mascot Records. The record spawned hard-rocking singles ‘Neon Eyes‘, ‘Celebrate‘, a cover of Simple Minds’ ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)‘ ft. Theory Of A Deadman’s Tyler Connolly, and the vulnerable focus track ‘DEEP‘, which saw BSC team up with Sands, the UK charity saving babies’ lives and supporting bereaved families.
Now that same track has been given an even more movingly haunting edge with the release of ‘DEEP (Acoustic)’, in the wake of fans’ reception and their support of guitarist Ben Wells’ and his wife’s fertility journey and experience with miscarriage. Last week, he shared a powerful spoken-word video with the charity to help raise awareness. You can watch the incredibly affecting video via their social media channels HERE and HERE.
Ben Wells expands: “We are so happy to release this intimate version of an already deeply personal song. I think stripping it back, and adding in the layers of mandolin, dobro, and slide guitar, add to its emotion and convey its message in a very unique way. We hope you enjoy this version as much as we did creating it.
He continues: “To be honest, I never imagined I would be writing something like this, but in an effort to be fully transparent, just like our song ‘DEEP’, here we are, and I’m truly thankful that an organisation like Sands exists to help heal and guide those of us who have experienced something tragic like this, and can assist in being a lighthouse in a storm and help direct our hearts to a healing place.”
Rowena Pailing, Sands’ Director of Bereavement Support Services, Community and Volunteering, expands: “We’re so grateful to Ben for highlighting his experience of miscarriage in this song, and for being so open about his emotions, which we hope encourages others to do the same. Talking about pregnancy loss or the death of a baby can feel very difficult, both for bereaved parents and for those around them, but finding the right words at the right time can really help bereaved parents and families feel supported when they need it most.”
Sands is here to support everyone touched by pregnancy or baby loss and offer many types of support, including a free, confidential telephone helpline, email support, and online group sessions. For more information, visit www.sands.org.uk.
Over the past two decades,BLACK STONE CHERRY have grown into a true live powerhouse, winning over audiences worldwide. In the UK alone, they’ve shared stages with rock heavyweights including Def Leppard, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Shinedown, Halestorm, The Darkness, and Bad Company. Their festival credentials are equally impressive – headlining Ramblin’ Man Fair twice (2016 and 2019), topping the bill at Steelhouse in 2023, and delivering standout performances at Download. Alongside these milestones, they’ve undertaken multiple UK headline tours, from arenas to intimate theatres – even a castle – proving both their versatility and the remarkable bond they share with their fans. The extensive dates in 2026 are not to be missed.
No matter what shape his muse takes, Tor-Helge Skei remains both one of the most consistent and surprising talents in extreme music. As a founding member of the critically acclaimed Manes and Lethe, the Norwegian multi-instrumentalist and producer has pushed the boundaries of metal and electronic music. Now, with his latest experiment, he’s expanding his vision like never before. While it spans an impressive range of genres and features many celebrated collaborators, Holissstik achieves something even greater than its individual accomplishments.
“This Endless Solitude” equates to an unfathomably nuanced recurring lucid dream”, New Noise wrote upon the announcement of Holissstik’s debut album, which is also the first in a trilogy. “[…] haunting to the utmost degree by virtue of its funereal darkness, juxtaposed with tempting yet uncanny luminescence”.
Today, Holissstik are releasing the second advanced single from Chapter 1: This Endless Solitude. While scarred by past misgivings, by bearing its tortured soul, “Would You Take This Heart” reveals the collective spirit that makes Skei and his collaborators such a unified force.
“Collaboration is the heart and soul of Holissstik”, Skei says. “‘Would You Take This Heart’ was originally a simple, slow, ambient instrumental. But, as is often the case, the song evolved, unplanned and uncontrolled. As more and more collaborators added their parts, it became heavier and heavier, darker and darker”.
As one could reasonably expect, This Endless Solitude began in 2024 with Tor-Helge Skei alone at his studio in Norway, revisiting unfinished songs from previous projects. The album’s latest single opens with slow and ominous synths, like a ghost emerging from someone’s buried past. Over the following years, Skei salvaged bits and pieces of old recordings while building new components from scratch using his curious collection of recording software and homemade plug-ins. Though soft to its core, “Would You Take This Heart” pleads its case with hammering drums, industrial guitar and the hypnotic chant of Paritta monks.
Skei’s approach to production is still hands-on, but he’s invited outside influences to take control over Holissstik. “After I finished the initial sketches for these songs, I wanted to hear where other people would take with them without being given any rules, limitations or restrictions”, he says. “Would You Take This Heart” features his current and former Manes bandmates Eivind Fjøseide and Tor-Arne Helgesen, new collaborators in Stig Waltoft and Trond Johansen and a familiar face in Rage of Light’s Martyna Halas. “Hold it gently / In the palm of your hands”, Halas sings with a voice that’s as rich and pure as gold. It’s not a suggestion but an invitation to become something greater than ourselves.
“Holissstik became my sanctuary, a place where my deepest, darkest and most intimate emotions could finally find release”, Halas says. “It’s fascinating how creators from different parts of the world express the same feeling through their own perspectives. Each holds a piece of the puzzle, moving toward a shared sense of wholeness. I’m deeply grateful to contribute a piece of my heart and soul to this unique project”.
“With Hollissstik, we’ve built something that transcends traditional metal by focusing on the ‘holos’ – the beauty of the complete, interconnected whole”, says Helgesen, who contributes drums to “Would You Take This Heart”.
Fjøseide, who contributes guitar to the song, agrees. “Skei and I have worked together on music for more than 30 years. Together, we have a special chemical musical reaction that makes things very exciting”.
From the tireless genius Tor-Helge Skei, a radically innovative new force, Holissstik, has emerged. The latest project from the Norwegian mainstay, multi-instrumentalist and producer is his most expansive yet. While it dwells deep within the darkness of our lives, Chapter I:This Endless Solitude, the first chapter in a trilogy of albums, finds salvation through the spirit of collaboration.
“The inspiration for Holissstik comes from the Greek word Hólos, which is the root for the English word ‘whole’”, Skei says. “Collaboration is the heart and soul of this project. The idea is that each part cannot exist or be understood when separated from the whole. The sum is greater than its parts”.
As the driving force behind Trondheim’s legendary Manes, Skei quickly established himself in the ’90s as one of black metal’s key pioneers. With the release of Manes’ classic album Vilosophe (2003), the powerhouse then metamorphosed into an equally magnificent genre-defying entity. Over the years, Skei has only continued to build upon his legacy as an unsurpassed sonic adventurer. He’s received acclaim for his achievements with various outfits, including Lethe, his duo with ex-Eluveitie and Cellar Darling’s beloved songstress Anna Murphy; the international supergroup Høstsol; the veterans Atrox; the brutal metallers Manii and Syning; the wildly experimental Kkoagulaa and more.
Even for the absurdly ambitious Skei, Holissstik represents a Herculean feat. While Skei serves as Holissstik’s composer and captain, the project operates as a revolving door for top-notch talents from across the world. Holissstik’s art can only leave those fortunate enough to be touched by its unshakable audial spells in states of utter speechlessness. This vessel of change cannot be defined; for it rattles the foundations of all we think we know about music while also redefining itself, constantly venturing further out into unknown territories. Holissstik is more sinister than extreme metal and potentially more healing than any New Age practice; this is timeless music without any artistic limitations. As Skei’s longtime accomplice in Manes and award-winning filmmaker Torstein Parelius wrote, “Turn away from the boundaries you create”.
Holissstik truly came into being in 2024 when Skei resolutely decided to initiate the arduous alchemical process of producing order from chaos. Skei is an astoundingly prolific creator whose vast archive of used and unused recordings seems endless. Parelius has remarked that the material from Manes’ past tends to “haunt” the band insofar as it is frequently incorporated in the present. This applies to Skei’s other efforts as well, and, for Holissstik, the visionary meticulously labored on sketches dating a decade or more back, giving them new life, details and twists. Meanwhile, he crafted others from scratch. Eventually, Skei narrowed the selection for This Endless Solitude down to eight mostly instrumental compositions with samples and some old vocal fragments. These tracks already sounded complete and irreproachable in their own right. Each of these interconnected, maximally hypnotic, seamlessly flowing and sometimes mercurial gems emanated its own unique, indefinable brand of magic, far beyond comparison and yet stamped with Skei’s instantly recognizable trademark.
Then, Skei did the unthinkable. He took the leap of faith he had been planning on and invited a flood of collaborators — big names, rising stars and underground legends — to assert their creative freedom on This Endless Solitude by adding individualistic touches on vocals, lyrics and various instruments. “After sketching these songs, I asked my collaborators to do their own thing with them. The only hint that I gave was the music would use minor chords, be melancholic and introspective and that the lyrics would be concerned with the darker side of life and death. But I gave them no rules, no limitations or restrictions”.
The chances of such a risky move actually succeeding seemed minuscule. Yet, the broadest pool of characters rose to the challenge, sharing their pain, anxieties, raw passion, wisdom, strength, refinement, grace and communal will to create pure art through This Endless Solitude. The roughly twenty guests on the album generously gave the music just what they believed it called upon them to express without holding back, thereby exceeding expectations and precipitating drastic transformation. Although Skei had temporarily surrendered control, he took matters firmly into his hands again as the contributions began trickling his way over the months that followed.
“As the collaborators submitted their contributions, I worked on shaping This Endless Solitude into a coherent whole”, Skei says. “It was quite an intense process in itself. But the end result more than made up for the doubts that surfaced”.
Skei is nothing short of a sorcerer when it comes to producing, engineering and arranging. His approaches may be unconventional, but no one achieves mixes and overall outcomes that more powerfully tug at our heartstrings, though we must acknowledge that the aforementioned Anna Murphy has also provided mixes of the highest caliber for Manes. Bit by bit, Skei would sculpt Holissstik’s first chapter to perfection. Worlds open, worlds collide; the spectral voices began twining around each other, a wealth of musical ideas and the said samples with seemingly supernatural effect, clawing their way into a permanent position within listeners’ psyches. While remaining true to their essences, the compositions would evolve in the exact manner of a living organism, in unforeseen and thrilling ways until they reached the point at which further modification would prove folly; ultimately, the miraculously cohesive This Endless Solitude assumed the form that seemed destined. It was then entrusted to Skei’s go-to choice for mastering Knut Prytz (ex-Necrophagia).
The result of This Endless Solitude and that which lies ahead is phantasmagorical wonder, lethal beauty and boundless darkness. Holissstik’s delirium-inducing, absinthine potions threaten to profoundly transform, and perhaps even transfigure, listeners; Holissstik equates to an unfathomably rewarding drug, though it will emotionally overload sentient beings. There is no denying the dangerous spiritual intensity within Holissstik’s hallucinatory soundscapes — dreams that bring audiences to and from the abysmal realm of nightmares. Impregnated with cerebral and poetic qualities, Holissstik provides a cinematic journey, repeatedly invoking primal horror and forever hooking us with suspenseful energy. The mystery of what the music communicates often gives way to melancholic meditations. We never pierce the veil of enigma surrounding Holissstik, rather we drown in the layers of sound, dragging us down into the scandal-infested depths of our own heavy consciousnesses. Holissstik bears parallels to classical music in terms of its inward impact and transcendent nature.
Stylistically, many will perceive elements of nearly every genre under the sun within This Endless Solitude: jazz, trip hop, rock, metal, ambient, avant-garde, pop. However, trying to attach labels to Holissstik would be foolishness. Electronics are superbly implemented within Holissstik, yet the music somehow always retains its organic charm. Skei doubles as a tech wizard, and he twists his expertise in the fields of programming and software development to his advantage for musical purposes. He always strikes the ideal balance between awakening a sense of unbearable loneliness partly by way of technology, frequently amplifying the robotic coldness it can engender, and the human component in all of its sometimes warmly reassuring, mood-driven nuances. Calculation and spontaneity are both accorded their proper place.
This EndlessSolitude proudly showcases artists who have worked with Skei in several other contexts and capacities as well as completely new collaborators. Anna Murphy, a household name within the music community, graces the album with her seductive, otherworldly vocals. Her fellow goddesses, the criminally gifted Marita Hellem and Rage of Light’s Martyna Halas, a masterful lyricist who offers her “heart of pure gold,” likewise deliver some of the most gorgeous vocals imaginable, deranging our senses with their oracular allure. Torstein Parelius, who has always played a crucial role in neo-Manes’ music and concepts, assists on bass and with lyrics.
Besides Hellem, Murphy and Parelius, the other members of Manes’ core and extended family who contribute to Holissstik include Atrox’s Eivind Fjøseide, ex-Atrox’s Tor-Arne Helgesen, The Third and the Mortal’s Rune Hoemsnes, Drontheim’s Tom Christian Engelsøy and Atrox’s Rune Folgerø. Holissstik also welcomed involvement from Kristoffer Oustad of Kristoffer Nyströms Orkester, Plague Machinery and formerly V:28; Christophe Denhez of Område and Ecr.Linf; rapper Pierre Ripka, or “K-rip”; Nik Košar of Kamra; Gabriel Trentini of Luce d’Inverno and Malaflame; rocker and engineering guru Stig Waltoft, a.k.a. “FluffyBunnyFeets”; and Trond Johansen. Not to mention, Buddhist monks were even persuaded to contribute chanting. While This Endless Solitude is mostly in English, it also features Pali, French, Polish and Italian.
Although the very nature of Holissstik demands that we expect the unexpected, the collective’s future certainly seems to guarantee obsidian horizons and torrential deluges of artistic truth. In other words, the project promises to persistently and ritualistically pummel us with devastating yet necessary, epic masterworks. Skei and his collaborators truly present the most immersive experiences possible and, in Manes language, offer a safe place in the unsafe; dive in with your hands bound, and be submerged within the imprisoning brilliance. Skei continues to participate in a range of outstanding groups, and yet Holissstik stands as the most unpredictable and, counterintuitive as it might sound, accessible undertaking in the history of his illustrious career.
Lineup Tor-Helge Skei
Guest musicians Anna Murphy – Vocals on “Obsession Six” Christophe Denhez – Guitars on “The Rhythm of Silence”, Guitars, vocals and lyrics on “Behind Me” Eivind Fjøseide – Guitars on all songs except “Projections” Gabriel Trentini – Vocals and lyrics on “Obsession Six” Kristoffer Oustad – Synth on “The Rhythm of Silence”, “Projections”, “Reoccuring Dreams”, “This Endless Solitude” Tor-Arne Helgesen – Drums on all songs except “Behind Me” and “This Endless Solitude” Marita Hellem – Vocals on “The Rhythm of Silence” and “This Endless Solitude” Martyna Halas – Vocals and lyrics on “The Rhythm of Silence”, “My Salvation”, “Would You Take This Heart” and “This Endless Solitude” Nik Košar – Vocals and lyrics on “Projections” and “Reoccuring Dreams” Pierre Ripka – Vocals and lyrics on “The Rhythm of Silence” Paritta Monks – Chanting on “Would You Take This Heart” Rune Folgerø – Vocals on “This Endless Solitude” Rune Hoemsnes – Drums on “Behind Me” Stig Waltoft – Synth and sounds on “Would You Take This Heart” Tom Engelsøy – Vocals on “Obsession Six” Torstein Parelius – Bass on “Behind Me” and “This Endless Solitude”, lyrics on “This Endless Solitude” Trond Johansen – Guitars on “Would You Take This Heart”
Production credits Recorded, produced and mixed by Tor-Helge Skei Mastered by Knut V. Prytz
Songwriting credits All songwriting and arrangements by Tor-Helge Skei
Ride The Rainbow – The Ultimate Tribute To Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow is already with us. But that did not stop Candice Night and Marcus Nand from shooting a video for what has already become one of the most critically acclaimed tracks on the album, as well as the most delicate.
Long time followers of Ritchie’s post-Rainbow Blackmore’s Night will already know that Candice is no stranger to the Rainbow catalog – “Man On The Silver Mountain, “ Difficult To Cure” and “Temple Of The King” have all found a place in Blackmore’s Night’s live show over the years. And no matter who voiced Rainbow’s original, still Night made the song her own.
She’s done it again on Ride The Rainbow. “I Surrender” was first heard on Difficult To Cure, Rainbow’s fifth album (from 1981) and their first to feature vocalist Joe Lynn Turner – who also appears on Ride The Rainbow, alongside both his predecessor in the band, Graham Bonnet, and his successor, Doogie White.
Night and co-conspirator Nand, however, have a very different vision of Rainbow to those others.
Night’s vocals, as mystic and magnificent as they ever are with Blackmore’s Night, offer the song an entire new lease of life – even those among of us who can sing along with every Rainbow song have probably never truly acknowledged the depths of emotion and tenderness that hallmark “I Surrender.”
Seemingly effortlessly, however, Night and Nand bring them sparkling into full view, and the video – which is launched today – only amplifies those qualities.
“It’s always fun shooting videos for a song you love and a project you believe in,” says Candice. “Reinterpreting such a classic song takes some imagination, so with the acoustic guitar of Marcus Nand and the softer approach, it lends perfectly to nature elements.
“Surrounding myself with sun, sand, water and forest elements brings the visuals to the magical elements of the new interpretation for a perfect meeting of audio and visual elements.”
Today, TO THE GRAVE, the world’s preeminent vegan deathcore band, are proud to announce their BLKIIBLK debut album, ‘LIBERATION FRONT,’ set for release on October 2nd. The announcement arrives alongside the band’s ferocious new single, “NAIL MARY,” and its official video, offering another glimpse into the album following the recent release of lead single “EYESTALK ABLATIONS.”
On the new single “NAIL MARY,” vocalist Dane Evans shares: “‘NAIL MARY’ is about how people use religion and god to justify all kinds of atrocities and proclaim dominion over animals. We’re holding a torch (or chainsaw) to any kind of god or follower that demands ritual slaughter with this one and nailing them to the walls.”
Since forming in 2010, TO THE GRAVE have become one of Australia’s most uncompromising heavy exports, earning acclaim for crushing releases including ‘Global Warning,’ ‘Epilogue,’ ‘Director’s Cuts,’ and 2024’s ‘Everyone’s a Murderer.’ Armed with a singular mission to confront animal cruelty and environmental destruction through some of modern metal’s most punishing deathcore, the Sydney outfit have forged a reputation for pairing unrelenting heaviness with fearless activism. Their live assault has taken them around the globe alongside Lorna Shore, Thy Art Is Murder, Shadow of Intent, Carnifex, Oceano, and more, with Revolver hailing them as “one of the country’s heaviest exports” and Distorted Sound calling them “one of the most intense, enthralling bands the genre can offer.”
Now, the band returns with ‘LIBERATION FRONT,’ their fifth album and BLKIIBLK debut, a statement of pure intent. Brutal and uncompromising in both sound and message, TO THE GRAVE transform their death metal-infused assault into a vehicle for activism, raging against animal cruelty and environmental destruction while delivering their most direct and fully realized work to date. From the breakdown-laden opener “MEAT THE HUMANS,” ‘Liberation Front’ marks a ferocious return to the band’s deathcore roots. While recent releases leaned further into hardcore, the new album embraces deathcore at its most savage and relentless.
Evans comments about the album:
“‘LIBERATION FRONT’ was born as a concept on tour last year in Australia after we decided we wanted to make the sequel to ‘Director’s Cuts.’ What came out was something between that and a more pissed off brother to ‘Everyone’s A Murderer.’ It’s got so many things I love about the band and a bit of everything pushed to 100 with a really bleak kind of aggression that’s just reaching for your throat the entire time. Very keen to play some of these songs live and it’s an exciting chapter to add.”
1. MEAT THE HUMANS 2. NAIL MARY 3. TORTURE PORN 4. EYESTALK ABLATIONS 5. LIFE AMONG THE SEPTICS 6. CALF SLICER 7. LIMB FROM LAMB 8. YOU KNOW THE DRILL 9. TERRORFIRE 10. THE WORLD IS A SLAUGHTERHOUSE
TO THE GRAVE will be kicking off “The Sawed Off Suffering Tour” with co-headlinerCrown Magnetar on September 17th in Chicago. The entire run will be supported by Face Yourself and on select dates by the likes of I Declare War, Tracheotomy, Backbiter, Squelching and Ameonna (the new band featuring former Chelsea Grinmembers Alex Koehler, Jake Harmond and Pablo Viveros, making their live debut). For a full list of dates, please see below.
Bassist Matt Clarke exclaims:
“These are the heaviest lineups we’ve ever put together, and we can’t wait for these shows across North America and at home in Aus. For North America, all these bands have a different approach, but the one thing that brings it all together is intensity! We’re stoked to be teaming up with Crown Magnetar for this run, and having Face Yourself on the package just makes it more crushing. We’re very excited that we get to play with OG Chelsea Grin members back on-stage for the first time in Ameonna, and I Declare Warhopping on for some shows is awesome! Backbiter, Tracheotomy, and Squelching will all bring their own brands of brutality to the tour. No matter what show you’re hitting, you’re in for a treat.”
TO THE GRAVE Live:
Australia w/ No Cure, Algor Mortis, Bloodmouth
Sept 2 – Perth, AU @ Amplifier Bar * Sept 3 – Adelaide, AU @ Lion Arts Factory * Sept 4 – Frankston, AU @ Singing Bird Sept 5 – Melbourne, AU @ Max Watts Sept 6 – Canberra, AU @ The Baso ^ Sept 10 – Sydney, AU @ Crowbar Sept 11 – Newcastle, AU @ Hamilton Station Sept 12 – Brisbane, AU @ The Triffid
* no Bloodmouth ^ no Algor Mortis
North America w/ Crown Magnetar, Face Yourself
Sept 17 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean * Sept 18 – Detroit, MI @ Catacombs at The Sanctuary * Sept 19 – Cleveland, OH @ Mahall’s * Sept 20 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Preserving Underground * Sept 22 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace * Sept 23 – Montreal, QC @ Foufounes Électriques * Sept 24 – Hartford, CT @ Webster Underground * Sept 25 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Meadows * Sept 26 – Harrisburg, PA @ Capital City Music Hall * Sept 27 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium * Sept 28 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery ^ Sept 30 – Asheville, NC @ Revival ^ Oct 1 – Nashville, TN @ The End ^ Oct 2 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade (Purgatory) ^ Oct 3 – Jacksonville, FL @ The Albatross ^ Oct 4 – West Palm Beach, FL @ The Banyan Live ^ Oct 6 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada $ Oct 7 – Austin, TX @ Come and Take It Live $ Oct 9 – Mesa, AZ @ Rosetta Room Oct 10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex + Oct 11 – Roseville, CA @ Goldfield Trading Post + Oct 13 – Portland, OR @ The Hawthorne Theatre + Oct 14 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon + Oct 16 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Soundwell ~ Oct 17 – Denver, CO @ HQ ~
*w/ Backbiter ^w/ Tracheotomy $w/ Squelching +w/ I Declare War ~w/ Ameonna
More Dates TBA!
‘LIBERATION FRONT’ is more than an album; it is a musical and lyrical call to arms, designed not only to rage against the machine but to educate, provoke, and challenge listeners on every level. Combining their most savage deathcore material to date with an unwavering commitment to animal liberation and environmental activism, ‘LIBERATION FRONT’ stands as TO THE GRAVE’s definitive statement: fierce, unapologetic, and impossible to ignore.
As Evans puts it, “this is our way of establishing order. The band is built around our way of doing things and to me this title is just waving that flag. These songs are about direct action, open rescue, abolition and liberation by any means necessary.”
TO THE GRAVE are: Dane Evans – Vocals Jack Simioni – Guitar Nic Webb – Guitar Matt Clarke – Bass Connor Kingdom – Drums
Helsinki-based BRYMIR make a strong case for melodic death metal with What We Leave Behind, coming October 2, 2026 via Napalm Records! In a darkening world full of existential dread, the Finnish band—singer Viktor Storm Gullichsen, guitarist Joona Björkroth, bassist Jarkko Niemi, and drummer Patrik Fält—takes a stand with their most sinister album yet. Again heavily influenced by their singer’s main job as a movie sound designer, BRYMIR create vast cinematic soundscapes around their sometimes bleak, sometimes hopeful, but always honest messages.
Along with the album announcement, BRYMIR share the title track as the first single. The keys-driven “What We Leave Behind” reveals the theme of the Finnish melodic death metal band’s darkest album to date: between an ever-so-catchy chorus and aggressive high-speed verses, BRYMIR make a strong case against war and for humanity. Painting the world in flames, the four-piece takes a leap into outer space as a result in the accompanying music video while diving into existentialism on their way.
BRYMIR about “What We Leave Behind”: “There are defining moments in our lives when we need to choose if we keep walking along the same trajectory or take a leap into the unknown. These choices, sometimes life-changing, often need to be made in an eyeblink, and the consequences can only be cherished or despised when viewed in retrospect. This is a song about our regrets—may these haunting melodies help you reflect on yours and hopefully show some solace in the beauty of the journey. For this music video, we wanted to boldly go into the sci-fi aesthetic we’ve been hinting at for a while now. It may seem drastic to some of our fans, but the undercurrents have definitely been there for a long while already, and this video and lead single we feel is the final ripping off of the proverbial band-aid. We’re bending and breaking our boundaries and definitely any preconceptions of BRYMIR as just a ‘folk metal’ band. Thematically and musically, the title track, of course, is the summation of the whole of the very diverse upcoming album, stretching through epochs of time and the very core existential drive of humanity. What do we leave behind? What is the legacy we wish to leave for those who come after? Or is our obsession over legacy the poison pill for our present? Our blindness to make the progress that truly matters in the end, so very near us… We boldly engage the warp-drives, but maybe we leave the truly important things back home after all.”
Strongly tied to current societal developments, BRYMIR deliver an equally raw and fantastical album. Their darkest output yet, the band’s fifth album hits especially hard—and leaves absolutely no open questions behind. As introspective as it is outspoken, What We Leave Behind is an epic plea for humanity.
BRYMIR about What We Leave Behind: “Since our previous album, the world certainly hasn’t gotten any lighter—and as art reflects life, our fifth album, What We Leave Behind, is the darkest creation we’ve made so far. Both musically as well as thematically… ‘What We Leave Behind?’ is the core question explored from many perspectives: from personal hopes, dreams, and fears to societal developments to dark sci-fi and existential despair. Join us on this dark emotional journey, at times violent, at times beautiful, and always honest in baring the soul of what is BRYMIR – no compromise, everything raw and real.”
The atmospheric instrumental intro, “Slaying Star”, moves right into its faster counterpart, “Sleipnir”, opening up the album with the speed and fury of the eight-hooved horse companion to Allfather Odin it is named after. Keyboards and choirs carry BRYMIR’s epic death metal to new heights. Following “Tempestbound” shifts the focus to speedy guitar work while unveiling the overarching theme of What We Leave Behind. Wrapped in the cloak of mythology, BRYMIR deliver a message clearly translatable into our society: No matter the belief system, the Gods are all the same—and none of them is worth dying for at the hands of moribund mankind. The keys-driven title track, “What We Leave Behind”, hammers in the pacifist message: “Midgard lies in flames”, the four-piece exclaims regretfully about the realm of people, the reason following right behind in the ever-so-catchy chorus, whose calmness serves as a stark contrast to the high-speed verses: “Vanity paves the road to Hel”, the meaning of which is clear even without knowledge of the Edda. “True Darkness” moves down a gloomier path, taking a particularly creative approach to BRYMIR’s signature orchestral sound: following the stages of grief, it offers its chorus only in melody to keep up with the progression of the lyrics. After dismal passages, it closes with hopeful clean vocals and a bittersweet spoken word outro—truly cinematic. Aptly named instrumental breather “Moment Of Silence” beautifully prepares for “Buried Legion”, a contrastingly sweeping song powered by choirs that paint a martial image. Inspired by German composer Johann Sebastian Bach, “Thy Self The Highest Love” serves as a liturgical prelude to “The Roaring King”, in which BRYMIR turn down the speed while losing none of their vigor. The lengthy epic “Broken Dawn” picks up right where the preceding track left off: a waltz, this track closes the album majestically, showcasing the band’s knack for film-like build-ups. For everyone wanting to end on a lighter note, the band adds an out-of-the-box bonus cover to What We Leave Behind. Scooter’s eurodance classic “How Much Is The Fish” is reworked into a rousing melodeath track—an additional nod to BRYMIR’s stance against ocean pollution, “Herald of Aegir”, from the previous album, Voices In The Sky (2022), live performances of which regularly see salmon plushies in the audience.
What We Leave Behind tracklisting:
Slaying Star
Sleipnir
Tempestbound
What We Leave Behind
True Darkness
Moment Of Silence
Buried Legion
Thy Self The Highest Love
The Roaring King
Broken Dawn
How Much Is The Fish
BRYMIR Live 2026
Festivals 07.08.26 FI – Helsinki / Hellsinki Metal Festival 12.08.26 DE – Dinkelsbühl / Summer Breeze Open Air 04.09.26 CH – Hüttikon / Meh Suff! 06.11.26 FI – Kempele / ZRock Winter Fest
What We Leave Behind Tour 2026 Special Guests: Horizon Ignited + Omnivortex 18.09.26 FI – Vantaa / Skenesali 25.09.26 FI – Seinäjoki / Rytmikorjaamo 26.09.26 FI – Oulu / 45 Special 02.10.26 FI – Tampere / Olympia 03.10.26 FI – Lahti / VNUE 08.10.26 FI – Jyväskylä / Lutakko 09.10.26 FI – Turku / Apollo 16.10.26 FI – Kouvola / House of Rock 17.10.26 FI – Kuopio / Circus 24.10.26 FI – Vaasa / Fanny 30.10.26 FI – Hämeenlinna / Suisto 31.10.26 FI – Helsinki / Korjaamo
BRYMIR are: Viktor Storm Gullichsen – Vocals Joona Björkroth – Guitars Jarkko Niemi – Bass Patrik Fält – Drums
THE ROCK ALCHEMIST – Italian Rock Band from Turin with a strong sonic identity that blends modern rock with progressive, hard, alternative, and pop elements!
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 