Shadow of the Talisman are an Alternative Metal band striving to unite all facets of the metal scene through heart-wrenching lyrics, and complex musical passages, where every metalhead can find something perfect for themselves. The band just premiered a new music video for their emotional new single entitled “What Is Real?“; the second single & music video taken from their upcoming full-length album As Above, So Below which will be released on February 21, 2025 via Eclipse Records.
The music video was directed by Mike Smith, and the album was produced, recorded and mixed by the band alongside Mark Stewart at Raydon Studio.
“Out of all our songs, this really is one of the most powerful we have, with its thought-provoking lyrics, themes, and musical prowess that we want to show off” says drummer Kyle Williams,“From the decaying building to the defeated performance from our main character, we really feel this video has captured the essence of the song and its tone. With a limited budget, small timeframe and a challenging environment to record in, we are proud of what our video turned out to be. We know that people are going to connect with the visuals in the video.” Vocalist & Director Mike Smith adds “This song is about the negative thoughts that run through someone’s mind who is struggling to cope with life’s difficulties and trials. Eventually you either become numb or delusional to what is going on in your life. Our main character The Outlaw (who was portrayed by Brandon Stutzman) is meant to be your guide through these negative emotions. What makes this music video special to us is that it was written, produced, and edited by the members in the band. Everyone had a part to play to bring this production to life. We cannot wait to show this music video and song off to the world, and it will leave you asking, What is Real?”
The band’s debut studio album As Above, So Below, is a bold concept album introducing us to The Dark One, who chooses to recruit and resurrect a broken man to transform him into a killing machine soon known as The Outlaw. This tragic devil’s plaything loses his reality like a dollar bill in a hurricane and goes straight to a fiery hell where a deal is made and the remains of his soul, shattered. The album is a gorgeous tornado of genres and mediums swirled into one of the greatest horror stories ever told through funky, break-oriented alternative metal featuring powerful vocals and intricate, raucous instrumentals. Lyrically, the global theme here is “we reap what we sow,” yet musically, the soul of this band is defined by “dynamics,” never linear, always striking and astonishing. Focus tracks include “The Outlaw,” a riff-oriented thrill ride filled with savage syncopation and an epic climax, as well as “What Is Real?,” featuring a heartrending traditional vocal and ultimately satisfying breaks and full-stops. The climax of the album is an experience in itself, constructed of four parts culminating with “So Below,” as hard-driving a metal song as one would find with an ending better than Seven or Us. As Above, So Below is a masterpiece in terms of its content, concept, and musical execution. It is a glorious smorgasbord, made for everyone with a taste for the flavor of rock, brazen and bold, inclusive and eclectic, drawing all of us into the fold. As Above, So Below is scheduled to be released via Eclipse Records on February 21, 2025.
Pre-Save or Pre-Order As Above, So Below at this location.
As Above, So Below track listing 01. Arise 02. What Is Real? 03. Fiery Descent 04. Dead with the Devil 05. The Outlaw 06. Cursed 07. As Above 08. So Below
Shadow of the Talisman tour dates (get tickets) Jan 25 Detroit, MI @ Lager House w/ Fit for Treason Feb 28 Hamtramck, MI @ The Sanctuary w/ The Eighth Passenger
Even among the accursed crypts of death metal, true legends never stay buried.
Back in 2017, Spawn of Possession were lowered into the grave, leaving behind a swarm of influence. Many fellow demons have followed in their inexplicable wake. But after festering underground for much of the past decade, just last year, SoP respawned as Retromorphosis. In the process, they’ve unlocked the missing link in tech-death’s evolutionary chain.
Today, Retromorphosis are ringing in 2025 with the second single off their upcoming debut album Psalmus Mortis. On “The Tree”, this new band of proven killers turn an age-old tale into fresh cosmic horror thanks to some old-school tricks of the trade.
The visualizer for “The Tree” was created by Titanforged Productions.
Last year, Jonas Bryssling and his old Spawn of Possession bandmates returned from the shadows on their screamer of a lead single “Vanished”. But Retromorphosis are no apparition. True to its name, the second single from Psalmus Mortis towers above the field.
“The Tree” springs to life with the familiar crunch of Bryssling’s filthy riffs. But the song quickly branches out into freshly rotted rhythmic offshoots. New transplant KC Howard (ex Decrepit Birth) shakes his drum kit with the shattering force of an earthquake. “I prefer my death metal to sound ugly and mean”, Bryssling says with a satisfied grin.
For Psalmus Mortis, Retromorphosis reunited with fellow Swede Magnus Sedenberg, who’s been their preferred engineer of death since Spawn of Possession’s first two demos. But for their new album, they opted for more of the raw production that defined the scene during the early ’90s. Though knotted with mind-bending leads and a splintering, white-hot solo that’ll make you wonder if the band’s dueling axemen have grown an extra ten fingers, “The Tree” is cold and unmoving thanks to Erlend Caspersen’s bludgeoning bass grooves.
“There was no hesitation”, Bryssling says about respawning with his old bandmates as Retromorphosis. “I don’t have to tell them much. They know how it’s done”.
While less techy, Retromorphosis still delight in concocting freakish experiments. Just below the topsoil of the mix, a glowing bed of organ shrouds “The Tree” in an alien chill. “That’s something old-school bands had”, Bryssling says about the song’s foreboding atmosphere. “I really like that. The organ is my favorite instrument. I just kept adding it to every song”.
All of the tales within Psalmus Mortis are grim, but “The Tree” stems from a truly evil fantasy. “There’s a theory that all human consciousness is connected like the nodes on a tree”, Bryssling says. “This song is about a greedy man who tries to harvest that tree, only to ruin it”. Everyone’s heard the story of the Garden of Eden, but Retromorphosis have no mercy when it comes to enforcing eternal punishment. It ends with a sinister twist, but fans won’t be surprised to learn that things turn out badly for the song’s anti-hero. “Everything around him was dead“, our gruesome narrator Dennis Röndum growls with maniacal laughter.
“We had rules in Spawn of Possession”, Bryssling explains when asked what separates Retromorphosis from his earlier offspring. “Everything had to always be so intense. Retromorphosis is more free. Psalmus Mortis can be eerie, doomy or even quite simple”.
Tracklist: 1. Obscure Exordium (1:50) 2. Vanished (4:48) [WATCH] 3. Aunt Christie’s Will (5:46) 4. Never to Awake (4:34) 5. The Tree (5:24) [WATCH] 6. Retromorphosis (5:12) 7. Machine (9:05) 8. Exalted Splendour (5:30) Full runtime: 42:11
Lineup Jonas Bryssling (Spawn of Possession) – Guitars Dennis Röndum (Spawn of Possession) – Vocals Christian Muenzner (Spawn of Possession, ex-Obscura and Necrophagist) – Guitars Erlend Caspersen (Spawn of Possession, The Allseeing I, Abhorrent) – Bass KC Howard (Odius Mortem, ex-Decrepit Birth)- Drums
Even a lawless field like death metal has exceptions that prove the rule. Retromorphosis spawned from a unique leader of the genre, but their unholy union on Psalmus Mortis is a living testament that you can’t bury what was already undead.
Spawn of Possession remains one of modern metal’s most accursed influencers. During the early to mid-2000s, the noctambulant Swedes toured both sides of the Atlantic alongside Cannibal Corpse and Hypocrisy. Having scaled the accursed summit to reach death metal nirvana on what was only their third album, after three decades, the band was put to rest. But like an especially pungent spore, the seeds of SoP have been festering in its hallowed crypt, waiting to come alive and haunt the earth once more.
Such is the sordid backstory of Retromorphosis and their debut Psalmus Mortis. In 2020, amidst the pandemic’s endless lull, one of Spawn of Possession’s founding members was again bitten by death metal’s radioactive songwriting bug. “I wanted to make an album that wasn’t tied to anything we’d done before”, says Jonas Bryssling. While this new batch of malevolent creations still stemmed from his punishingly technical fretwork, the riffs were splitting off into even more twisted headbanging directions. But to bring these relentless mutations to life, first, he needed a familiar spark.
“There was no hesitation”, Bryssling says when asked about resurrecting the creative energies with his former Spawn of Possession bandmates. Pairing back up with rock-solid vocalist Dennis Röndum and elastic bassist Erlend Casperson once again yielded promising results during the early phases of Psalmus Mortis. To further test the equation, they added another familiar but no less fearsome shredder. Before joining them for Incurso, Christian Muenzner lent his flaming left hand to two other stone-cold classics: Necrophagist’s Epitath and Cosmogenesis by Obscura. “I don’t have to tell them much”, Bryssling continues. “They know how it’s done”.
Indeed, time has only fermented this group’s mutant chemistry. After spending the summer of 2023 recording Psalmus Mortis in their underground laboratory, Retromorphosis emerged with the missing link in technical death metal’s evolutionary chain. “Vanished” officially cracks open its beaker with the satisfying crunch of the old school, steamrolling out a rugged red carpet for Röndum’s imposing growl. It was the first song Bryssling wrote during the album’s initial trial period, but the band continued to tinker with the album’s eventual lead single after the other eight tracks were hammered into gruesome shape. Muenzner’s solos scream like a poor unsuspecting soul who’s being dragged into the shadows. All the while, Casperson flogs his bass as if hiding a mischievous grin, its ghoulish bounce bringing the lyrics’ cosmic body horror into frightening focus.
“We had rules in Spawn of Possession”, Bryssling explains, as a matter of fact. “Everything always had to be so intense. Psalmus Mortis is intense, too, but it can also be eerie or even quite simple”.
Simplicity might not be Retromorphosis’ dominant chromosome. Even though it’s fueled by straight-forward, down-picked chugging, the album’s nine-minute monolith “Machine” churns through multiple tempo changes, cranking up the tension with every accelerated blast beat. But the band did opt for a leaner chemical base. Psalmus Mortis was produced by Magnus Sedenberg, who’s been the band’s Swedish engineer du jour dating back to Spawn of Possession’s first two demos. “Reuniting with Magnus felt like the natural thing to do”, says Bryssling, “but for this album, we scraped away some of the studio polish”. With its sludgy distortion and hallucinating speed, “Never to Awake” certainly summons the ’90s untamed spirit. “I prefer my death metal to sound ugly and mean”.
While roughly a decade in the making, Retromorphosis still grip it and rip it on Psalmus Mortis. Heck, chunks of the band’s first album were hung up to dry like butchered livestock after just one crack in the studio, much to their own amusement. “I don’t think there’s a single first take on the SoP albums”, Bryssling laughs. Röndum doesn’t mince words, either. He chews through syllables with all the careful consideration of a meat grinder. And while each tale descends into its own sweaty night terror, they all escalate from bad to worse. Despite its seemingly pedestrian title, “Aunt Christie’s Will” unpacks a maze-like mystery that ends with an especially morbid twist.
Of course, given this crew’s technical chops, Retromorphosis were bound to birth more head-spinning experiments. Psalmus Mortis injects fresh blood into their chilling cosmic horrors by fleshing out their technical arsenal with some unusual instruments of torture. The album opens with doomed power chords, pounding drum fills, then…spooky organ glows, tense strings and a ghostly gothic choir. “That was a new experience”, Bryssling says about adding more synthetic textures to the mix, though his inspiration came from a life-long obsession. “That sense of atmosphere was something old-school bands used to have”. The special effects aren’t just saved for its ominous opening instrumental oeuvre, either. “The Tree” puts a dystopian twist on the age-old tale of human greed with synths that glow like alien guts.
Freakier ambience isn’t the only new life form on Psalmus Mortis. “Everyone knows KC Howard is an insane talent”, Bryssling says. Howard left his brutally precise mark on the scene when he was behind the kit for Decrepit Birth, though Retromorphosis were formally introduced to their new drummer through Röndum, as the two had crossed paths during an episode of the Cali Death Podcast. Howard’s nuclear barrage of double bass kicks feeds the band’s cellular engine like jet fuel, driving high-flying album closer “Exalted Splendour” toward its blinding conclusion.
Ask Bryssling to identify what separates this new baby from their first born and the answer is, in fact, quite simple.”Retromorphosis is more free”. Put the song that bears their name under the microscope and feast your eyes on everything this band are capable of: non-stop blasting, brain-bursting bass fills, solos that would fry a supercomputer and pure unholiness. “I’m the one / chosen son / gifted and reborn”.
With Psalmus Mortis, technical death metal’s chosen ones rise from the grave.
Recording Studio: Pama Records AB, Kristianopel, Sweden Sharkbite Studios, Oakland, CA, United States
Production Credits: Produced, Mixed & Mastered by Magnus Sedenberg at Pama Records AB, Kristianopel, Sweden
The year is off to a great start for thrash metal fans. On February 7th, KLAW will be releasing their upcoming album “Gods And Creators”. The brand new work, produced by V.O. Pulver and the band themselves in Little Creek Studios, will be released on February 7th, 2025 by El Puerto Records. Now it’s time to hold on tight to the red-hot carousel. Because today the Swiss band is presenting a second song from “Gods And Creators”. “Carousel Of Flames” is now available on all streaming portals, the video was produced by Pityhole.
Guitarist Pat on the music: “Carousel of Flames” was written just before the studio recordings and it is the only song that had never been played together within the band before. My basic idea was to write a catchy, simply structured track alongside the otherwise rather complex songs. A good melody in the chorus, a pumping straight forward verse riff, held together by a Swedish metal riff. The formula “less is sometimes more” worked and the song quickly developed into one of the most popular tracks within the band.
Singer Jonas on the lyrics: The soul of a child… So pure, so naive, so fragile…The song addresses the impressionability of children and the danger that arises from this.
Technically sophisticated, melodic, with groove, tempo, fat riffs and aggressive vocals – that’s what KLAW stands for with their new album “Gods And Creators”.
Guitarist Chasper says about the track: For me, “Press Start” was like creating a “melodic Slayer track.” My songwriting typically features switches between double-time and half-time, various key changes, and twin lead sections between the solos.
Singer Jonas comments on the lyrics:”Press Start” tells a story about a young boy left by his father… He grows up scared by the fact that his father never wanted to know him… In the end as an adult he becomes just like his father, leaving his sick wife and his child behind. It‘s about the question if children are meant to grow up becoming their parents and the fact, that children who are raised by a parent that has suffered from trauma have a much higher chance to also suffer from trauma often even directly because of this parent.
“Gods And Creators” tracklist: 1. Intro 2. Press Start 3. Gods And Creators 4. Carousel Of Flames 5. Swell 6. Pictures Of My Past 7. Senseless 8. Walk The Line 9. Fearbreeder 10. Curse Of The Blessed 11. Stay Sit Roll Fetch 12. Alcoholic
The band says about the new album: “Gods And Creators” is the result of many years of collaboration between the new line-up of KLAW. With the line-up changes on vocals and guitar, 11 songs have materialized in a forge of various influences from the five members… a new chapter in the history of KLAW: “Gods and Creators!”
Bay Area meets Alpenland – The Swiss KLAW have sharpened their claws and deliver a whole dozen timeless hymns on their second album, which were forged in the Little Creek Studio and which have what it takes to absolutely enrich the new generation of thrash metal albums.
KLAW is a metal machine from Switzerland that plays modern thrash at a high level. Technically sophisticated, melodic, with groove, tempo, fat riffs and aggressive vocals. The band consists of five experienced and first-class musicians who show the world a new dimension of thrash metal! Aggressive, complex and yet catchy, dark and profound and at the same time full of adrenaline – KLAW inspires with energetic live performances and gets the mosh pit boiling and everyone headbanging!
Finnish melodic metal band UNÉN are excited to share their new visualizer video, “Sky”, out now via Frontiers Music Srl.
Lead singer Stina Girs comments on the track: “A dream of a secret door leading to a world where no one judges, there is no concept of time, you can be everything you want and fantasies are real. You dare to let go of reality. This is all what Sky is about.”
Hailing from Helsinki, Finland, Unén are a modern melodic metal band, whose music also incorporates elements ranging from progressive to pop, blending intensity with sensitivity in its sound.
Unén was originally founded in late 2021, laying the foundation for the band’s musical style. In 2022, Unén focused on composing and refining production independently, resulting in the release of two self-published tracks. However, after a rollercoaster year, there was a need to change the lineup to accelerate production.
The word “Unén” was derived from the band’s original idea that lyrics would be based on the world of dreams. However, due to lineup changes, this concept took a different direction, but the name remained.
In the beginning of 2023, there was a shift in Unén’s lineup due to the change of lead singer, which notably accelerated all activities. The band members coming together was a series of fortunate coincidences and determined searches, including encounters with old acquaintances. The right people had found each other.
Unén released their first single “Made of Stone (cover)” in May 2023 with the new lead singer, Stina Girs. She became known during the IDOLS competition in 2011 and subsequently released two albums as a solo artist. The original song by Evanescence inspired this evolved lineup of Unén to showcase their unique sound and overall direction. Following this, the band focused solely on creating their own songs.
All members of Unén bring their own expertise and input to the band. Every song created is a sum of its creators, and there is no specific leader. The band members are united by their passion for making music, even though their day jobs are completely different.
Unén signed with Frontiers Music in February 2024, thus enabling the band to achieve the channel they sought to release their music to the world.
Line Up: Stina Girs – vocals Kimmo Pitkänen – guitars Petteri Sinervä – keyboards Harri Moilanen – guitars Tomi Kallava – bass Saska Ketonen – drums
Twins Crew has released a video for “Living In A Dream”, first single taken from the new album “Chapter IV” to be released on February 21st by Scarlet Records. PRE-SAVE/PRE-ORDER
“Living In A Dream” is your call to conquer fears, embrace your strength, and soar above the clouds. With its driving rhythm and evocative lyrics, you’ll find yourself propelled into a world where dreams become reality and every challenge is a stepping stone to greatness. Live in the moment, live in the dream, and let music lead you to triumph!
“Chapter IV”:
comeback album for the long-running Swedish defenders of the faith;
mixed and mastered by Fredrik Nordström at Studio Fredman (In Flames, Hammerfall, Dream Evil);
cover artwork by Blekkmark Design Studio (TNT, Seven Witches, Bloodbound);
FFO: Helloween, Manowar, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Accept;
Twins Crew has signed again for Scarlet Records, which released their sophomore record “The Northern Crusade” in 2013, in order to unleash their new effort.
“Chapter IV” is nothing less than a pure heavy metal album – an alive and kickin’ one, indeed! Twins Crew are back with their sane dose of melodic power metal characterized by powerful guitar riffs and soaring vocals, and a record written in the age of pandemic, inflation, global warming and war.
In times like these it’s very important to stand up and choose your side: the Swedish band believes in keeping it real and simple when it comes to music, while also showcasing evolution and resilience – you can feel it both in the dynamic high-energy performances & thoughtful lyrics.
With unwavering dedication to their crafts and fans, Twins Crew continues to be a formidable force in the present power metal scene.
artwork by Blekkmark Design Studio
“Chapter IV” tracklist:
Choose Your God
Never Stop Believing
Living In A Dream
Warrior Of North
Fire
Without You
Order 69
Fighting For The World
Total running time – 39:51
Twins Crew: Andreas Larsson – vocals Dennis Janglöv – guitar David Janglöv – guitar Fredik Hammar – bass Fredrik Nörgaard Graff – drums
LO-PAN release the first advance single ‘The Good Fight‘ taken from the American hard rockers’ new full length “Get Well Soon“. The new album from the long-running Columbus, Ohio foursome has been scheduled to hit the stores on April 4, 2025 via Magnetic Eye Records.
“We rewrote ‘The Good Fight’ about 10 times over four years before recording the tracks and my drums were captured on the second take“, drummer Jesse Bartz explains to which guitaristChris Thompson adds: “This is one of my favorite songs to play off the new album as it has a Lo-Panthem type quality to it, which is a phrase that Andrew Schneider coined during mixing”. Vocalist Jeff Martin has the final word: “Lyrically, the theme of ‘Get Well Soon’ is more of a ‘stuff is very much broken beyond repair now’ sort of message.“
Tracklist 1. The Good Fight 2. Northern Eyes 3. Wormwood 4. Ozymandias 5. Rogue Wave 6. Harpers Ferry 7. Stay with the Boat 8. God’s Favorite Victim 9. Six Bells
Up for a catchy tune? LO-PAN deliver them in droves! The four-piece from Columbus, Ohio in the United States have long been known for their powerful blend of driving rhythms, melodic vocals, and immersive sonic landscapes, and with “Get Well Soon”, they add captivating songwriting to the list.
Since 2005, LO-PAN have laboured hard to earn a reputation as one of the most consistent and compelling acts in the modern heavy scene with their blue-collar ethic and singular artistic vision, which is strongly felt on “Get Well Soon”.
On this album, LO-PAN further define their brand of American Hard Rock, a wicked stylistic mix of deep fried heaviness sprinkled with metal and grunge, all fused through captivating songwriting into an irresistible fifth album.
LO-PAN came together in the vibrant underground Columbus scene out of a shared love of vintage rock, stoner metal, and modern heaviness. The four musicians were united by a passion for pushing boundaries. It was no accident that they took their name from the sorcerous villain in the cult film “Big Trouble in Little China” as the band set out to blend cinematic drama with larger-than-life energy.
From their earliest days, LO-PAN distinguished themselves with an intense live presence and a sound that combined classic rock grit with the crushing weight of stoner and doom influences. LO-PAN‘s 2009 debut album “Sasquanaut” was an immediate breakout, earning praise for its infectious hooks and monumental grooves, and established the band as a force to be reckoned with in the heavy underground.
The sophomore full-length “Salvador” (2011) solidified their reputation, showcasing a more refined sound and greater musical maturity. 2014’s “Colossus” represented a significant leap forward, pushing into new territories with tighter arrangements and more expansive production by Andrew Schneider (PELICAN, UNSANE et al.).
In 2019, LO-PAN released “Subtle”, which marked another evolution of their sound. The band dared to take risks by exploring new emotional depths through a more introspective and atmospheric approach, which paid off with critics and fans alike.
LO-PAN have toured and shared stages with such heavyweights as HIGH ON FIRE, TORCHE, and RED FANG, among many others, and have taken their high-energy performances to audiences across the United States and Europe.
“Get Well Soon” heralds another great leap forward for LO-PAN. Heavy, cool, catchy, and with a marked emotional resonance developed through experience and maturity, “Get Well Soon” will take the Americans to new places around the globe.
Line-up Jeff Martin – vocals Chris Thompson – guitar Scott Thompson – bass Jesse Bartz – drums
Recording by Joe Viers at Sonic Lounge, Grove City, Columbus OH (US) Mix by Andrew Schneider at ACRE Audio, New York City, NY (US) Mastering by Carl Saff at Saff Mastering, Chicago, IL (US)
Cover photography by Heidi Shapiro Layout & Art Direction by Chris Smith (Grey Aria Design)
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
