Photo credit: Stephanie Carbal (except Dovas by Mia Demonz)
Bay area thrash metal legends TESTAMENT are very pleased to announce that they will return to Europe this autumn for a full-fledged co-headline tour with death metal trailblazers OBITUARY! After an extensive 2024 Summer festival run and a highly successful tour supporting their peers KREATOR and ANTHRAX at the end of last year, this October will see the mighty TESTAMENT lay waste to some of Europe’s most renowned venues. Rounding off this killer tour will be none other than German thrash metal pioneers DESTRUCTION and black/death metal juggernaut GOATWHORE from New Orleans.
TESTAMENT‘s Eric Peterson (guitars) commented: “Alright! We are super excited to announce the beginning of our Thrash of the Titans campaign event! Coming to Europe this October with co-headliners OBITUARY and very special guests DESTRUCTION & GOATWHORE! We will have a special deep cut set along with classics and of course some new songs! OBITUARY will be doing a special set as well doing their classic “cause of death” material and DESTRUCTION also will have new record out as well! Looking fwd to see you all again out there! Long live Thrash! Long live metal!“
TESTAMENT | OBITUARY w/ guests Destruction & Goatwhore 05-Oct-25 DE – Hannover @ Capitol 07-Oct-25 UK – Bristol @ Beacon 08-Oct-25 UK – Birmingham @ O2 Academy Birmingham 09-Oct-25 IE – Dublin @ Olympia Theatre 10-Oct-25 UK – Manchester @ Manchester Academy 11-Oct-25 UK – London @ O2 Forum Kentish Town 12-Oct-25 BE – Antwerp @ Trix 13-Oct-25 DE – Stuttgart @ LKA Longhorn 14-Oct-25 DE – Hamburg @ Große Freiheit 36 16-Oct-25 CH – Pratteln @ Z7 Konzertfabrik 17-Oct-25 DE – Wiesbaden @ Schlachthof 18-Oct-25 IT – Milan @ Live Club 19-Oct-25 DE – Saarbruecken @ Garage 21-Oct-25 SI – Ljubljana @ Media Center 22-Oct-25 AT – Vienna @ Arena 23-Oct-25 PL – Wroclaw @ A2 24-Oct-25 DE – Munich @ TonHalle 25-Oct-25 DE – Oberhausen @ Turbinenhalle 26-Oct-25 NL – Utrecht @ Tivoli Vredenburg – Ronda
Highly acclaimed dark-synth artist PERTURBATOR has released a video for his brand new single ‘The Art Of War‘.
James “Perturbator” Kent has never been one for half measures. From the moment he emerged, he embodied the raw, visceral spirit of a resurrected retro-electronic sound. But where others wallowed in the sugar-coated nostalgia of synthwave, Kent obliterated those clichés, leaving a scorched-earth legacy in his wake.
‘The Art Of War‘ is yet another example of PERTURBATOR‘s uncompromising, clear vision and his will to constantly evolve as an artist.
James Kent commented: “The Art of War” is the 6th track of the album and the most EBM sounding one. It’s about our propensity to make everything a spectacle and how we consume acts of violence as entertainment.“
PERTURBATOR’s genesis dates back to 2012, when releases like Night Driving Avenger, TERROR 404, and I Am the Night propelled him to the forefront of the retro-electronic scene. Critics eagerly likened him to giants such as John Carpenter, Tangerine Dream, and Goblin, but Kent already had a vision that went beyond easy comparisons. His restless ambition led to a pivotal moment in 2014 with Dangerous Days, a magnetic and shadow-drenched masterpiece. By 2016, The Uncanny Valley had cemented his status, climbing the Billboard charts while plunging into even darker sonic depths.
But for Kent, it still wasn’t enough. In 2017, New Model signaled a bold shift. Gone were the pop culture references and neon nostalgia. In their place, Kent channeled the icy austerity of Kraftwerk, the visceral intensity of Nine Inch Nails, and the claustrophobic textures of Lorn, determined to defy the expectations of a fanbase hungry for retro comfort.
With Lustful Sacraments (2021), PERTURBATOR further solidified his reputation as a visionary artist, unflinchingly exploring humanity’s inevitable decline. Musically, the album delved into the shadowy aesthetics of the 1980s and 1990s, blending gothic atmospheres with suffocating electronic textures and precision-cut production.
After two years of relentless touring across the globe Perturbator is poised to make 2025 a year to remember.
PERTURBATORUK & EUROPEAN HEADLINE TOUR 2025 w/ support form KÆLAN MIKLA and GOST. 05.11 – FR, Nantes – Stereolux 06.11 – FR, Lille – Aeronef 07.11 – UK, London – O2 Forum Kentish Town 08.11 – UK, Manchester – Damnation Festival 11.11 – AT, Vienna – Arena 12.11 – HU, Budapest – Dürer Kert 13.11 – CZ, Prague – SaSaZu 14.11 – DE, Berlin – Huxleys 17.11 – LT, Vilnius – Loftas 19.11 – FI, Helsinki – Kulttuuritalo 21.11 – SE, Stockholm – Fallan 22.11 – DK, Copenhagen – The Grey Hall 23.11 – NO, Oslo – Rockefeller 25.11 – DE, Hamburg – Gruenspan 26.11 – NL, Nijmegen – Doornroosje 27.11 – BE, Brussels – Ancienne Belgique 28.11 – DE, Cologne – Live Music Hall 29.11 – FR, Meisenthal – La Boite Noire 01.12 – DE, Munich – Muffathalle 02.12 – SO, Ljubljana – Kino Šiška 03.12 – IT, Milan – Live Club 04.12 – CH, Lausanne – Les Docks 05.12 – FR, Paris – Le Bataclan 06.12 – FR, Paris – Le Bataclan
Watch the video: Jack Starr “Rise Up” Official Music Video from Out Of The Darkness Part II on BraveWords Records:
“Tremendously awesome record.” 9 out of 10. – Metal Command Podcast
“Out of the Darkness Part II” is a very good metal album with many timelessly beautiful songs. It’s fun to listen to it over and over again. – Keep On Rocking
“The music on this album is classic American 80s heavy metal of the powerful kind.” – Hard Rock Info
“Pounding drums and heavy guitars, it rips with anger and power.” – The Metal Mag
Track Listing:
Hand Of Doom Endless Night Into The Pit Rise Up Underneath The Velvet Sky Tonight We Ride The Night Has A Thousand Eyes Sahara Winds The Greater Good Soulkeeper Savage At The Gate (Bonus Track) The Lesson (Bonus Track)
Giles Lavery – Vocals (Warlord / Alcatrazz) Jack Starr – Lead Guitar Eric Juris – Lead Guitar (Warlord) Gene Cooper – Bass Rhino – Drums (Ex Manowar)
Guests Mark Zonder – Drums (Warlord ex Fates Warning) Jimmy Waldo – Keyboards (Alcatrazz / Warlord / New England)
Produced and mixed by Thomas Mergler Co-Produced by Giles Lavery & Jack Starr
About Jack Starr: Starr emerged on the rock and metal scene in 1981, forming, together with Joey Ayvazian, David DeFeis and Joe O’Rielly, the first incarnation of the heavy metal band Virgin Steele. The new band was selected in 1982 by Mike Varney of Shrapnel Records to appear on the label’s compilation album U.S. Metal Volume 2. After only two albums, Virgin Steele of 1981 and Guardians of the Flame of 1982, Starr left Virgin Steele in 1983.
In 1984, Starr started his solo recording career with the album Out of the Darkness, featuring former Riot vocalist Rhett Forrester, members of The Rods and former Rainbow drummer Gary Driscoll. It was released in Europe by Music for Nations and was picked as one of the best albums of the year by the music magazines Kerrang! and Metal Forces.
Starr changed the name of his band to Jack Starr’s Burning Starr and between 1984 and 1989 he produced albums, both solo and with the band. The music of those albums was classic American eighties heavy metal, a style between Poison and Metallica. In 1989 the band dissolved and Starr joined short-lived bands like Strider and Smoke Stack Lightning.
In the following years, Starr once again assembled a group of musicians for a new incarnation of Burning Starr, which performed at the Magic Circle Festival 2008 and released the album Defiance on Manowar’s label Magic Circle Music in 2009. In 2011 they released Land of the Dead with Limb Music. The albums includes ex-Manowar guest musicians Ross the Boss and David Shankle. The band played at the 2013 Keep It True festival and recorded a DVD.
About BraveWords Records: BraveWords Records has released albums by Paul Di’Anno’s Warhorse, The Chris Slade Timeline, Rhett Forrester and Rob Robbins, Prophets of Addiction and future releases from Lillian Axe, Crimson Glory and ASKA.
There is a serious void which desperately needs to be filled, hard-working and creative bands that have yet to find a partnership and a mutual vision with a professional team. The music-fuelled minds behind BraveWords Records, Brian Adams, Giles Lavery, Tim Henderson and Michael Brandvold, have built the ultimate home for an artist that will take you where you want to be. Collectively, with nearly 100 years of music industry experience under our belts, the BraveWords Records team will take care of all the crucial aspects of your project from global distribution (digital and physical), publicity and media coverage (web, radio, visual), social media blanketing and streaming opportunities (such as Streaming For Vengeance). Where most labels have forgotten the concept of actually marketing a release sensibly, BraveWords Records will construct a viable and comprehensive marketing plan, including visibility at BraveWords.com, which attracts a million visitors monthly. BraveWords Records has all senses on high alert as the music industry continues its never-ending transitioning, so the artist will always be aware of new opportunities to build their brand and strive for world domination. BraveWords will also have a focus on licensing film and TV content, both contemporary and retrospective across many genres. As artists and labels transition to the many new mediums available today for their work, BraveWords intends to stay ahead of the curve in providing and actively seeking opportunities for our roster of clients.
With the rapid spread of the world wide web, BraveWords.com was born in 2000 and quickly became the CNN of heavy metal. With its team of global writers and photographers, the site flourished with 24/7 updated news, features, reviews, audio and video steams.
For nearly 30 years, BraveWords wears their metal heart loudly on their sleeve, as they celebrate the greatest genre of music with the most dedicated and passionate fans on the planet!
Time To Kill Records is thrilled to announce the release of “Overtime”, the brand-new EP from Italian hardcore outfit RESPECT FOR ZERO, set to drop on June 30th, 2025.
Following the announcement of their signing, “Overtime” marks a bold return for the band—an explosive statement of intent that sharpens their identity with renewed precision. The EP delivers crushing grooves and relentless intensity, staying true to the band’s hardcore foundation while embracing a tighter, more dynamic production. RESPECT FOR ZERO prove once again that aggression and authenticity can evolve without compromise.
“‘Born Again’ explores the experience of existential stagnation—a loss of strength and emotion—but ultimately urges a reaction, a personal awakening in the face of despair. The lyrics capture a moment of profound inner struggle and emotional paralysis, where hope seems to vanish. Yet, they deliver a powerful message of perseverance, framing every obstacle as an opportunity for renewal. The song underscores the importance of taking action and refusing to let life slip away, reminding us that every hardship holds the potential for a comeback. At its heart, ‘Born Again’ is a testament to resilience and the transformative power of starting anew”.
Tracklist:
1. Reaching Death 2. Mirrors 3. Sagnol 4. Born Again
RESPECT FOR ZERO is a hardcore band from Sant’Elpidio a Mare, on Italy’s east coast, active since 2013. Their name doesn’t stand for “respect for nothing” but rather for respect for those who are treated like zero compared to corrupt politicians and the authorities who exploit us.
The band channels the rage of a generation raised in the suburbs, without comfort, and under the repression of the global underground culture—constantly stifled by the church and a bigoted mindset. The band stands firmly against fascism.
RESPECT FOR ZERO has shared the stage with bands such as Terror, Ratos de Porão, Expire, No Turning Back, WarCry, Bent Life, Trash Talk, Comeback Kid, H2O, Impact, Bull Brigade, Meet the Storm, Strength Approach, Slander, Straight Opposition, Face Your Enemy, Mud, Chains, and many more!
Nasciturus is a post/sludge metal band founded in 2011, reactivated in 2020 as a result of the fascination with black metal, traditional polish music and local folk fairy tales. Maintained in the convention of a power trio, the band is trying to introduce its own form to the black metal tradition – dressed in lyrics based on an old local stories and legends. In 2021, Nasciturus recorded the first live demo “Faber ferrarius“, in 2023 two songs from the demo were included in the compilation “Outsider Metal Kompilace (Scény Slezských Jurodivců)“.
The time has come to show raw and dinginess of black metal!
“Fabulae” is an album created out of devotion to local stories, in particular the legends and tales of the Beskid Mountains. Musically, it circulates between genres, staying in none for long, but always fitting the definition of black metal. The texts are inspired by more or less fantastic events – they are mainly based on stories collected and edited by Andrzej Potocki. Three instruments, three voices, seven poems, seven songs – recorded and produced as organically as possible, so that the atmosphere of uniqueness accompanies each listening session.
Debut album was recorded, mixed and mastered by Dominik Cynar at Dirty Sound Studio. The album features two guests: Michał Barszcz (solo in “Pomirki“) and Łukasz Sarkowicz (solo in “Pokuta“). Cover artwork and inside graphics was done by Rafał „Czarnuch” Chruścicki. Graphic design by Jakub Dyrkacz. “Fabulae” will be released April 30, 2025 in digital format (pre-save) and jewelcase CD by Polish label Via Nocturna (pre-order here)
TRACKLIST:
1. Pomirki 2. Ogniem uzdrowion 3. Potrójnie przez ziemię wypluty 4. O Czudca powstaniu 5. Pieklisko we Wróblowej 6. Silva Populo 7. Pokuta
Dublin’s BRAKE LOOSE are set to unleash their dirty, mischievous, fearless rock ‘n’ roll sound with the release of their debut EP, ‘Frenetic’, dropping 30th May 2025.
Blending classic raw Rock ‘n’ Roll with contemporary sonics, Brake Loose’s sound is fierce and incredibly addictive. ‘Frenetic’ is an unapologetic sonic blast, a potent fusion of red hot riffs, groove-heavy rhythms, and swagger-drenched melodies standing on the shoulders of great songs that raise the bar!
From the adrenaline-charged ‘Dancing on the Red Line’, through the emotional turbulence of ‘Treat Her Like A Rose’ and ‘Love On Fire’, this debut EP explores themes of freedom, consequence, and transformation with an unrelenting pulse. Closing track ‘REBEL REBEL (Evil Like the Devil)’ delivers a bold statement of individuality, urging listeners to reject conformity and embrace authenticity.
Brake Loose is fronted by Venezuelan singer and poet Alex Murillo, alongside guitarist David O’Grady, bassist Juanjo Pulpeiro, and drummer Nando Alonso, their explosive live shows grab audiences by the collar and don’t let go.
“Some say we’re energetic rock pop, others say we’re proper live Rock ‘n’ Roll. We say we’re four unique mad cats with a lust for life—and in fairness, you’ve got to be a bit mad to do what we do!”, says Murillo.
Following a radical rebirth during the pandemic, (transitioning from their 2019 origins as Live Wire), Brake Loose quickly made their mark, selling out The Workman’s Club three times, storming major festivals, and earning a spot among Hot Press Magazine’s ‘Hot Irish Acts for 2022’.
Their breakout single, “REBEL REBEL (Evil Like the Devil)”, amassed over 200K streams, leading to sold-out UK and Ireland tours through 2023 and 2024, supported by fan-favourite singles like “Love on Fire” and “Treat Her Like a Rose.” A powerful appearance at Maid of Stone Festival further cemented their reputation as a must-see live act.
Brake Loose are poised to level up with ‘Frenetic’, recorded, mixed, mastered, and produced by acclaimed Bulgarian producer Yanko Genov at Oblivion Studios, Co. Meath, Ireland.
Brake Loose deliver exactly what their debut EP promises — wild, fast, untamed — and dare listeners to keep up.
‘Frenetic’ is released via Symphonic Distribution 30th May 2025.
EP Tracklist:
1. Dancing on the Red Line 2. Treat Her Like a Rose 3. Love on Fire 4. Kiss Me Bye Bye 5. REBEL REBEL (Evil Like the Devil)
Brake Loose is:
Alex Murillo – Vocals & Songwriter David O’Grady – Guitars & Songwriter Juanjo Pulpeiro – Bass Guitar Nando Alonso – 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
