Torture Squad will supporting in the farewell tour of Brazil’s biggest metal band. Sepultura’s The “Celebrating Life Through Death tour will arrive in Europe in June and will also feature performances by Cro-Mags, Lionheart, Evil Invaders, and Gatecreeper.
Torture Squad’s shows are part of the ‘Devilish European Tour’ and will begin on June 9th in Milan, Italy, passing through Rome, the German cities of Würzburg, Heidelberg, Oberhausen, and Potsdam, and concluding on June 26th in Huskvarna, Sweden.
Regarding the shows with Sepultura, vocalist Mayara Puertas comments:
“This is definitely one of the best pieces of news we bring you this year. It’s a huge honor for us to always be able to share the stage with Sepultura; without a doubt, it will be a landmark tour in the band’s history. We have no words to express our gratitude; Sepultura inspired all of us to begin our journey in metal and never give up. Thank you, Sepultura family!”
Torture Squad continues to announce the dates of their European tour, which also includes opening shows for the British band Venom Inc. “We are VERY happy and excited to have the incredible Torture Squad as our special guests! The band proudly carries the Brazilian flag around the world, bringing their unique style and their brand of heavier extremes to the fans,” said Tony Dolan, leader of Venom Inc., in a press release.
Torture Squad continues with the final stage of the album ‘Devilish’, available on digital platforms and in physical version.
In parallel, the band is preparing for the release of their new album, scheduled for 2026 by the Italian label Time to Kill Records.
Torture Squad is seen by extreme music fans as one of the most visceral and powerful metal bands active today. With nearly three decades of experience, including excellent live performances at the most important metal festivals in the world, the Brazilian group has gathered legions of fans playing throughout the country, Latin America, and Europe – breaking the record after performing at Wacken Open Air 2025, becoming one of the only Brazilian bands to play four times at the festival.
In their second album with the new lineup, Mayara Puertas (Vocals), Rene Simionato (Guitar), Castor (Bass), and Amilcar Christófaro (Drums) maturely transcend the sound of extreme metal, incorporating progressive metal, influences from Brazilian music, and symphonic elements.
The album also pays homage to Brazilian heroes with the participation of Andreas Kisser (Sepultura) on the track “Buried Alive,” and a tribute to Rickson Gracie, the resilient Jiu-Jitsu fighter considered one of the sport’s greatest legends, the subject of the track “Warrior,” which also became a single featuring singer Leather Leone from Chastain, as well as Alex Nasser on Arabic percussion in “Hell is Coming.”
The band also mobilized several musicians linked to indigenous causes to collaborate on the song “Uatumã” – Suzane Hecate (Miasthenia), Victor Rodrigues (Tribal Scream), and João Luiz (Golpe de Estado) – making an appeal for the preservation of the Amazon in a song that flows powerfully with the words of indigenous leader Raoni Metuktire and tribal rhythms. The band released seven high-production music videos to promote the album: “Hell is Coming”, “Flukeman”, “Warrior”, “Sanctuary”, “Thoth”, “Mabus” e “Find My Way”“Magnum Chaos”and“Buried Alive”
As a first taste, the band released the first single, titled “Mabus,” accompanied by a lyric video made by Wanderley Perna. ‘Devilish’ was recorded and mixed by Diego Rocha at Bay Area Studios, and mastered by Martin Furia, guitarist of Destruction and famous for working with the bands The Damnnation, Invisible Control, and Eskrota.
With Divine Intervention, VILT delivers a debut album that is as uncompromising as it is focused. Blending melodic intensity with raw aggression, the record captures a band that has refined its sound through both studio precision and relentless live performances.
At its core, Divine Intervention is driven by tight, deliberate musicianship. The record leans on intricate riff work, dynamic transitions, and a rhythm section that shifts seamlessly between precision and force. Rather than overwhelming the listener, each element is carefully placed — giving space for both impact and detail, and allowing the arrangements to breathe without losing intensity.
Lyrically, the album explores themes of control, inherited belief systems, inner conflict, and the struggle to break free from imposed identity — delivered with a tone that is direct, confrontational, and unfiltered.
Several of the tracks have already proven their impact through successful single releases, collectively reaching hundreds of thousands of streams and building anticipation for the full record.
With Divine Intervention, VILT establishes a clear artistic identity and sets the tone for what’s to come — a debut that doesn’t ask for attention, but demands it.
The energetic and dynamic RHINO PROOF jockeys around singer Jukka Nummi are finally back with a new release. Their previous album got great reviews from all over Europe and it ended up in fourth place in 2018 Hard Rock Highlights-lists in Italy and Portugal.
After numerous line-up changes, the second album “Light, Dark, The End” is finally complete. And the first single dropped freshly —so stay tuned for these as passionate as endearing Finns! [ … learn more here » ]
The Band says about the song: “‘Deeper Form Of Love’ is first single from our upcoming album ‘Light, Dark, The End’. The album features a four-part story, and this is the third part. It’s a traditional, powerful Hard Rock song in which Jukka’s incredible voice tells the story of how deep and enduring love can be—a love that stays with you for a lifetime”
Artwork: V-V Markkanen
LINE-UP Jukka Nummi • Vocals Rane Riikonen • Guitars Erkko Joronen • Guitars Pasi Nousiainen • Bass Sami Ratilainen • Drums
DISCOGRAPHY 2018 Rhino Proof • Album 2021 • Strong Enough • Single 🆕 2026 • Deeper Form Of Love • Single 🆕 2026 • Light, Dark, The End • Album
ABYSMAL DAWN will make their return to European stages this September, joining co-headliners Allegaeon and Gorod across 20 dates on the Tech It Easy! UK/European Tour. The run covers France, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Italy, and marks the Los Angeles quartet’s most extensive European appearance since their 2022 support run with Atheist and Suicidal Angels.
Onstage, Abysmal Dawn are a band that earns its reputation the hard way—through sheer precision and relentless forward momentum. Founding member Charles Elliott anchors the band both as vocalist and guitarist, a combination that demands full commitment every night and consistently delivers it. Their sets draw from across two decades of material, moving between the melodic aggression of Phylogenesis, the muscular density of Obsolescence, and the driving brutality of earlier records, building a live experience that rewards long-time fans and converts new ones in equal measure.
The tour comes at a charged moment for the band. Abysmal Dawn entered the studio in autumn 2025 to begin recording their sixth full-length, following the October release of new single “Cradle of Affliction”—their first new music since the 2022 EP Nightmare Frontier. The forthcoming album remains their primary focus heading into the second half of 2026, and this European run will offer the first opportunity for many fans on this side of the Atlantic to hear where the band is headed. They are joined by Colorado’s Allegaeon, touring in support of their 2025 full-length The Ossuary Lens, and Bordeaux’s Gorod, one of France’s most accomplished technical death metal acts.
Tickets go on general sale Friday 3 April at 10am BST / 11am CEST.
TECH IT EASY! 2026 TOUR DATES:
4 September: Grenoble, FR @ L’Ampérage 5 September: Nantes, FR @ Le Ferrailleur 6 September: Paris, FR @ Petit Bain 8 September: Southampton, UK @ The 1865 9 September: Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms 10 September: Manchester, UK @ Rebellion 11 September: Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy3 12 September: Leeds, UK @ Boom 13 September: London, UK @ Underworld 15 September: Lille, FR @ Black Lab 16 September: Hannover, DE @ Lux 17 September: Nijmegen, NL @ Doornroosje 18 September: Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat 20 September: Warsaw, PL @ VooDoo 21 September: Krakow, PL @ Zaścianek 22 September: Prague, CZ @ Futurum 23 September: Munich, DE @ Backstage Club 24 September: Aarau, CH @ KIFF 25 September: Cologne, DE @ Euroblast Festival
American death metal masters Abysmal Dawn are back! After a six-year gap, the Los Angeles-based outfit and Season of Mist hereby present Phylogenesis. Not that Abysmal Dawn have laid low since the release of 2014’s lauded Obsolescence full-length. Far from it. They toured North America four times and hit Europe and South America for the first time. Meanwhile, founding member Charles Elliott opened his studio, Tastemaker Audio, to accelerate Abysmal Dawn’s own recording needs, as well to act as a bridge to other bands in need of a knowledgeable and relatable audio technician. But the road to Phylogenesis wasn’t an easy one. Besides work-horsing it throughout the U.S., Canada, Sweden, Germany, the UK, Brazil, Chile, and beyond in support of Obsolescence, Elliott and crew managed through some of the lowest points in Abysmal Dawn’s career. Internal strife, administrative burdens, musical differences, and motivation all had their various ways with the Californians. Yet, from the darkest depths, they prevailed, heralding a new chapter in the group’s storied history. Indeed, Phylogenesis is Abysmal Dawn’s rebirth!
“There was a brief period after doing two months of touring back-to-back in the U.S. and Europe in 2015 that I almost felt like calling it quits,” Abysmal Dawn’s Charles Elliott says. “It was our first time in Europe and I just had a hard time enjoying it. The band had grown, and I was a bit tired of having to handle most of the managerial aspects of what we do. The joy had been ripped from things and people weren’t getting along, and some people acted like they didn’t want to be there. But we went our separate ways with some of the members and all of a sudden, the band was fun again. They went on to other things and we’re probably all happier in the end. Sometimes, I feel it’s a miracle this album or band even still exists. I’ve avoided swearing on our records in the past, but the album’s opening line is actually, ‘Fuck you all!’ Maybe it’s primitive by our past lyrical standards but it’s genuine and it’s the most heartfelt, ‘Fuck you, we’re still here’ I could put on a record. I’m glad we stuck it out because I think this is our proudest moment so far.”
To say Phylogenesis is an extension or continuation of Obsolescence isn’t exactly as straightforward as it should be. On one hand, all the Abysmal Dawn trademarks—technicality, brutality, and melody—remain ingrained in the songwriting fabric. On the other, the band’s fifth full-length is more cohesive, rhythmically sophisticated, and far more adventurous. Elliott calls it “a major evolution.” Certainly, the six years of constant refinement, edge smoothing, and transition adjustments have paid off. What started as jam sessions between Elliott, bassist Eliseo Garcia, and drummer James Coppolino in 2016 eventually turned into one-offs. That there was no time limit to put Phylogenesis together ended up both a blessing and a curse. Total creative freedom at very little expense is a dream scenario, something a band of Abysmal Dawn’s stature took advantage of for their magnum opus. But without a ticking clock and dollars burning, the pressure to focus was far less severe, resulting in delays and feature creep.
“It was basically James, Eliseo and me meeting up at my place, jamming on ideas, seeing what worked and tweaking them from there,” says Elliott. “With the exception of ‘Hedonistic,’ James wrote all his drum parts. Obsolescence was demoed with me programming all the drums since our drummer at the time had moved up north. It was what it was, but it was pretty frustrating at the time. Having someone to bounce ideas off of in real-time, helped in maintaining the joy and momentum of making this album. Once it was time to record bass and leads, Eliseo and Vito [Petroni; guitars] would trickle in when they had ideas. We had no real deadline and seemingly infinite time to do things. Admittedly, I think it was hard for me to focus on the lyrics, not only because of things in my personal life but because I was focused on getting the guys in to complete their parts so I could focus.”
Finish Phylogenesis they did, in fact. Under significant duress, Abysmal Dawn had overcome their roadblocks. The results of the group’s undulating professional and personal schedules aren’t to be trifled with, however. Opening track “Mundane Existence” is a firestorm of labyrinthine yet savage riffs, enraged vocals, and machine-gun drumming. It’s death metal personified, enlightened, and perfected. Elsewhere, tracks such as “The Path of the Totalitarian,” “A Speck in the Fabric of Eternity,” and “Soul-Sick Nation” (feat. Fredrik Folkare of Unleashed, Firespawn, et al.) pose real threats to the status quo. In all three, Elliott’s passion for and dominance of death metal’s tenets are tangible. But there’s more to Abysmal Dawn on Phylogenesis than customary ritual. From the ruthless groove of “Hedonistic” and the staccato stabs of “Coerced Evolution” to the late album gem “The Lament Configuration” and the blistering cover of Death classic “Flattening of Emotion,” the songs are designed to slay in ways we’re just beginning to understand.
“We’re a pretty brutal death metal band, but what I feel like sets us apart is that no matter what we do there’s always some underlying sense of melody and hooks,” Elliott says. “There are lots of bands that are ridiculously brutal. There are lots of bands that are over-the-top technically or are blatantly melodic. We combine all that but we try to write something that sticks with you over time; that you’ll keep coming back to, and that works well in the live environment. We love all types of music, whether it’s fusion or industrial music, and it shines through here and there. But in the end, though, we’re a pure death metal band at heart trying to retain that old-school feel with an updated take for a new generation.”
Conceptually, Phylogenesis deals with the breakdown of social constructs humans have built over time. The album title is defined by the evolution of (or diversification) a species. So, Phylogenesis is an ironic take on Elliott’s observations, particularly how social media has accelerated and exacerbated the de-evolution of humanity’s interactive abilities. The cover art, again by Swedish artist Pär Olofsson, isn’t directly correlated to the lyrical narrative, but it does continue where Obsolescence left off. The Olofsson cover art has envisioned what it’s like on the inside of the Obsolescence tower, and that it’s humans that are being fed back to humans. The cover art continuity is akin to Richard Fleischer’s famed Soylent Green film but ripped through Elliott’s demented death metal lens.
“I think the lyrics deal a lot with things we encounter in our modern society and the effect it has on the individual,” says Elliott. “The dehumanization effect and divisiveness caused by bickering on social media (‘The Path of the Totalitarian’), the decay of legitimate journalism (‘True to the Blind’), struggling to find purpose in the pursuit of happiness (‘Hedonistic’), wishing something was greater than yourself (‘Mundane Existence’), the mental illness epidemic (‘Soul-Sick Nation’), embracing pain over numbness to feel alive (‘The Lament Configuration’), having our consciousnesses uploaded to a grid in order to make life sustainable on Earth (‘Coerced Evolution’), and the common theme throughout the band of wishing life on Earth would just start over (‘A Speck in the Fabric of Eternity’). I had started off wanting it to be a concept record but later scrapped that idea because I didn’t like how it was going. In the end though, it just naturally all tied together in some way. Even the Death cover seemed to fit lyrically in hindsight. ‘Coerced Evolution’ is really the only song that in the sci-fi vein this time around. As for Pär, yes, he did the cover art once again. We love working with him and we’ve been creating great covers with him since 2006.”
Abysmal Dawn recorded Phylogenesis over a multi-year timeframe. In fact, Coppolino’s drums were tracked as far back as 2017 with long-time collaborator John Haddad at Trench Studios. The rhythm guitars and vocals, as produced by Mike Bear and Elliott, were also done at Tastemaker Audio the same year. So, some of Phylogenesis goes back, but the parts are no less lethal. Slowly but surely, the group’s newest and greatest materialized, with Elliott finishing the lead guitars, bass, additional vocals, reamping, and mixing sessions in 2019, again at Tastemaker Audio. Abysmal Dawn then packaged up their fifth for mastering ace Tony Lindgren (Rotting Christ) to handle at Fascination Street Studios in Sweden. Contemporary yet absolutely remorseless, Abysmal Dawn’s Phylogenesis is death metal for a new age.
“We took our time and went to few studios this time around, so it’s a bit of a laundry list,” Elliott says. “John Haddad engineered the drums at Trench Studios. John has been involved with all our records in some form since From Ashes. Mike Bear helped track and produce the vast majority of my vocals and rhythm guitars out of my studio. Mike produced both Leveling the Plane of Existence (2010) and Obsolescence. I tracked and produced all the leads, bass parts, and other odds and ends and mixed the album as well. Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios mastered the record in the end.”
As for Abysmal Dawn’s next steps, the quartet await the release of Phylogenesis. With past support coming from the Village Voice, Decibel, PopMatters, and Pandora, as well as the group’s rabidly-devoted fanbase, the future of death metal is in good hands.
Line-up: Charles Elliott — Guitar, Vocals Eliseo Garcia — Bass, Additional Vocals James Coppolino — Drums Vito Petroni — Guitars
GODZILLA WAS TOO DRUNK TO DESTROY TOKYO are back with a brand new video for King Bong, taken from their latest album Sideral Voivod.
With King Bong, the band unleashes one of their wildest and most unhinged tracks to date, a crushing and kaleidoscopic journey through cosmic sludge, fuzzy psychedelia and stoner driven grooves. Channeling the primal grit of L7, the sludge soaked weight of Melvins and the irreverent energy of Die Spitz, the band continues to push their sound into heavier and more unpredictable territories.
The release of the new video marks a further step in the band’s ongoing promotion of their critically acclaimed album Sideral Voivod, released a few months ago via Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records, which has already garnered strong attention within the heavy underground scene.
The video perfectly captures the chaotic and hypnotic essence of the track, delivering a visual trip that matches the band’s raw and explosive sonic identity.
As part of their intense and steadily ongoing live activity, Godzilla Was Too Drunk To Destroy Tokyo will hit the road for a mini tour in Greece this May:
May 15 Kalamata (Bandapart) with Okwaho May 16 Athens (N.A.O.S.) with Okwaho and Ayur May 17 Larisa (Skyland) with Okwaho and Birthday Kicks
Expect high volume, fuzz drenched riffs and a relentless live energy that fully embodies the spirit of Sideral Voivod.
Great news from the Finnish fuzz rock underground: HEEZER are back. The band makes a strong return to the scene with their brand-new single “Horse,” out today alongside an official music video. The track also serves as the first glimpse into Heezer’s forthcoming second album.
With “Horse,” Heezer’s direction is clear — the quartet delivers a gritty and infectious blend of desert rock and stoner energy, driven by shamelessly catchy classic rock melodies and a no-nonsense groove.
According to the band, the song came together fast and with ease.
“‘Horse’ was an exceptional song to write, because the parts and vocal melodies were basically finished in about five minutes,” says vocalist/guitarist Sami Kääriäinen. “Of course we refined it together in pre-production, but the core idea stayed the same. At the time I had a hectic project going on at work and long days, so the song is kind of a reminder to myself of what actually matters.”
However, the track’s place on the album was far from guaranteed.
“This is one those songs, where getting the groove and tempo just right is crucial — otherwise the song just doesn’t work,” drummer Ville Häsä recalls. “We had to rehearse it a lot and were already ready to shelve it completely. But once we got to the studio, we decided to give it a chance, and it turned out so well that we had no choice but to choose it as the album’s first single.”
The accompanying music video underlines the song’s theme of raw, hard work. True to the band’s twisted sense of humor, the visuals feel like a strange collision between Finnish cult comedy Kummeli and the eerie atmosphere of Twin Peaks.
“I don’t know where the idea of sawing wood and messing around in the forest work came to mind, but for some reason Kimmo Koskinen, who shot, directed and edited the video, agreed to do it! We wrote the script together and went off to buy a sled. The shoot itself went smoothly, but after weeks of freezing temperatures, it suddenly got above zero, and after spending the whole day soaked in wet snow, I ended up being sick for three weeks. Well, everything has its price”, Kääriäinen recalls.
Heezer is a band that strongly supports a professional DIY approach. They also feel they’ve taken a major leap forward in their evolution — with stronger songwriting, higher production quality, and a sharper, more confident identity shining through. Still, the core principle remains the same: making music has to stay fun, now and in the future.
Heezer line-up: Sami Kääriäinen – vocals, guitar Ville Räsänen – guitar Antti Vesikko – bass Ville Häsä – 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 ) 