Rising Los Angeles Alt Duo Evening Elephants released “A Digital Touch,” alongside an official music video – watch HERE.
Blending raw energy with emotional urgency, “A Digital Touch” marks the duo’s latest step forward as they continue to carve out their place in the alt landscape.
Alongside today’s release, Evening Elephants announce their debut album, Wholeheartedly, Terribly Sweet, arriving July 31. The band debuted songs from the forthcoming album including “A Digital Touch,” and “Simple Things,” for an intimate performance for Medium Sized Backyard. The band also took to Travis Mills’ podcast on Apple music for a world premiere of their previous single, “Simple Things.”
Comprised of Sam Boggs and Brandon “B” Leslie, Evening Elephants have built their momentum from the ground up transforming pop-up Los Angeles backyard shows into a nationwide following. Their high-energy, immersive performances have since scaled into sold-out dates across major markets, a viral New York City street takeover, and sold out-shows at iconic venues like Los Angeles’ The Troubador. They are set to take the stage for a run of festival appearances this summer including Lollapalooza, The Governors Ball, Frequency Festival, Openair Gampel, and more.
On the recorded side, the duo has amassed over 75 million streams to date, led by breakout single “Snow on The Bluff,” which has amassed over 40 million streams and earned co-signs from Shaun White, Nina Dobrev, and Ana de Armas. Their growing reach extends into sync, with placements on EA Sports’ NHL soundtrack and NFL Thursday Night Football.
The new music captures a defining shift for the band, exploring the tension between the raw, chaotic energy that built their audience and the realities of scaling something bigger. The track continues to showcase Evening Elephants’ signature blend of sharp pop songwriting and unfiltered emotional honesty.
About Evening Elephants: Evening Elephants, the alt-pop duo of Sam Boggs and Brandon “B” Leslie are turning grassroots chaos into national momentum. What began at pop-up Los Angeles backyard shows has evolved into sold-out dates, a viral New York City street takeover, and festival slots at Electric Forest and Governor’s Ball.
With over 75 million streams to date, their breakout single “Snow on The Bluff” has surpassed 40 million streams and earned co-signs from Shaun White, Nina Dobrev, and Ana de Armas, alongside major syncs with EA Sports and the NFL.
Their latest singles “A Digital Touch” and “Simple Things” marks a pivotal moment, capturing the tension between the raw energy that built their audience and the scale they’re rapidly growing into, as they gear up for their debut album Wholeheartedly, Terribly Sweet arriving July 31st.
Melancholost is a German occult rock & metal project founded by musician and producer Sven The Axe. Known for his long-standing work as the frontman of the heavy-metal band Solemnity, Sven launched Melancholost as a darker, more atmospheric outlet for his musical and lyrical ideas.
Emerging from the underground German rock and metal scene, Melancholost blends elements of occult rock, gothic atmosphere, and melancholic dark rock, creating a sound that stands apart from Sven’s earlier heavy-metal work. While Solemnity built its reputation on classic heavy metal themes of battle and dark fantasy, Melancholost explores more introspective territory – ritualistic symbolism, mysticism, existential melancholy, and the shadowy aesthetics of occult traditions.
To celebrate the album release day, MELANCHOLOST reveal their new video for the song “Abremalin“:
Sven The Axe comments: “All my life I had been deeply immersed in magic, telepathy and occult esoteric knowledge, so it was only natural that, in the course of this journey, I one day came across the works of Abraham von Worms, a 15th-century German master of magic. He possessed a profound knowledge of nature, medicine and chemistry. Had he been a woman and branded a witch, he would have ended up at the stake, but he gathered all his knowledge in secret books and published them under pseudonyms. It would be going too far to go into detail here, but the AI-generated video – which was simply perfect for the task – did an excellent job, for some images speak louder than a thousand words if one is open to understanding the message of the ethereal world. Some may wonder what the last part of the song is all about and why the voice keeps changing, reaching pure ecstasy at the end. Well, before recording, I summoned his spirit, his soul, and asked his ethereal body to join the session; after recording, strange noises suddenly appeared on some tracks, and I had no idea where they came from, but I liked them very much and left them in. I made some of the vocal recordings in rather unusual places to create a magical feeling. A small chapel, a cave in the Swabian Alps – places with a mythical and magical atmosphere where you can feel the sparks in the air. With portable laptops and Pro Tools at hand, so much is possible these days, and I’ve always really enjoyed experimenting with sounds and possibilities. So summon the powers and join Abramelin!”
Musically, Melancholost is characterized by haunting melodies, slow-burning guitar riffs, and a brooding vocal style that balances theatrical intensity with introspective melancholy. The project draws inspiration from the darker corners of rock and metal history, combining vintage occult rock moods with modern atmospheric production.
As a creative vehicle, Melancholost allows Sven to take on a broader role beyond performance—handling songwriting, conceptual themes, and artistic direction. The project reflects his long experience within the German underground metal scene while opening a new chapter focused on mood, symbolism, and emotional depth.
Though still relatively obscure, Melancholost represents an evolution of Sven’s artistic identity: a project dedicated to the intersection of dark rock, esoteric imagery, and melancholic atmosphere.
The album was recorded as a trio featuring two close friends on drums and additional keyboards that like to stay anonymous while Sven performed everything else.
It is planned to play several hand selected haunted stage shows if there is request so watch out for a ground breaking stage experience concept to be released.
Tracklist:
I: Alkahest I – The Primal Fire 4:27min II: If This World Would Be Eden 4:20 min III: Liber 777 4:56 min IV: Another Brick On The he Head 5:01 min V: Wolves By Midnight 4:03min VI: Abramelin 5:01 min VII: The Book Of Thoth 4:13 min VIII: The Swan 3:50 min IX: These Bleeding Kisses 4:17 min X: Red Wine & Black Roses 4:36 min XI: The Raven 4:09 min XII: Golden Dawn 5:07 min XIII: Graveyard Of Broken Dreams 3:58 min XIV: Alkahest II – The Hope 4:38 min XV: Frozen In Time 3:54 min
Discography: 2026 Tales From The Poisoned Apple
All songs and lyrics written by Sven The Axe
Band: Sven The Axe – vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards Richard The Sword – keyboards, backing vocals Alexander The Shield – drums, backing vocals
Time To Kill Records is proud to announce the signing of Norwegian progressive metallers MESSIER 16, marking a new chapter in the band’s steadily evolving artistic journey.
Hailing from Oslo, MESSIER 16 have established a distinct identity within contemporary progressive metal through a sound that is intricate, inventive and at times deliberately unconventional, yet always marked by a strong sense of elegance and compositional coherence. Drawing inspiration from artists such as Ihsahn, Enslaved and Devin Townsend, the band embraces a forward-thinking approach where extreme metal serves as the starting point for a broader and highly personal sonic exploration. Heavy rhythmic structures, layered guitar work and sharp dynamic contrasts coexist with atmospheric passages, orchestral textures and emotionally driven songwriting, resulting in a musical language that remains adventurous without ever losing sight of structure and songcraft.
The band consists of Jonas Eide (guitars, composer, lyricist), Sondre M. Svalastog (vocals), Aleksander Ilievski (guitars, producer), Nicolo Cavallaro (bass) and Jonathan Hamre (drums). Through their work, MESSIER 16 have developed a deeply narrative and expressive approach, exploring psychological and emotional themes through a form of portrait-like lyricism focused on the inner lives of individuals and the actions stemming from them.
Their previous albums, “Iota” and “Death Poems”, already showcased the band’s ambition and conceptual depth. While the former dealt with mental health struggles and emotional fragility, the latter drew inspiration from publicly available suicide notes, confronting themes of despair and human vulnerability with striking intensity and sensitivity.
Now preparing to unveil their third full-length album, MESSIER 16 further refine their sonic identity while venturing into new musical and lyrical territory. The upcoming record promises a more mature and expansive vision of the band’s progressive approach, balancing technical sophistication, atmospheric depth and emotional resonance within a highly cohesive framework.
Further details regarding the new album will be revealed soon.
After more than 40 eventful years of existence, Canada’s progressive sci-fi metal innovators VOÏVOD return with ‘Symphonique,’ a special live release together with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, set for release on June 5, 2026, worldwide via Century Media Records.
‘Symphonique,’ which functions like an epic piece of cinema, showcases VOÏVOD’s pioneering futuristic metal with the strains of a symphony orchestra, and features a carefully curated VOÏVOD best-of setlist composed of 12 songs across 73 minutes, recorded live on June 4th, 2025, at the Grand Théâtre in Québec City, Canada.
Today, the next appetizer for ‘Symphonique’ can now be heard online via DSP’s with the launch of the second single “The End Of Dormancy (Symphonique),” alongside an official visualizer curated by Cloud Motion Design, available to view below.
Previously, the song “Forgotten In Space (Symphonique)” was launched HERE.
VOÏVOD’s drummer and founding member Michel “Away” Langevin comments on ‘Symphonique’:
“This live album with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra is a longtime dream turned reality. Thankfully, we will experience it again in 2027 with the Orchestre Symphonique du Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, right in the region where VOÏVOD formed back in 1983. We wish to take this show across the globe with local orchestras one day, but in the meantime, I hope you will enjoy this epic release. It’s the closest we’ve ever come to sounding like a dystopian sci-fi movie soundtrack, another dream of ours!”
VOÏVOD’s guitarist Daniel “Chewy” Mongrain shares the following about the second single “The End Of Dormancy (Symphonique)”:
“This one is very special to me. I wrote the riffs imagining Roman naval battles with a full orchestra, like the movies from the 50’s and 60’s. It has a very dramatic vibe. Little did I know that what we synthesized for a four-piece band would eventually explode into its primary, original imagined form. It’s one of the most orchestral pieces on the album, and I remember vividly the crowd’s reaction after the grand finale, it was one of these rare life’s perfect moments. I’m very grateful for that incredible experience.”
‘Symphonique’ follows the release of VOÏVOD’s latest Juno Award-winning studio album, ‘Synchro Anarchy’ (2022), which reached #7 on the official album sales charts in Germany, #64 in Switzerland, #67 in Austria, and #88 in the Netherlands upon release. It also arrives after the band’s special 40th anniversary release, ‘Morgöth Tales’ (2023), from which a selection of videos can be found below.
‘Symphonique’ will be available in the following formats: => CD Jewelcase in O-Card => Gatefold 2LP (On either unlimited Black 180g double vinyl, 300x copies limited Yellow 180g double vinyl from Sony Music Canada Shop and EMP, or 300x copies limited Orange 180g double vinyl from VOÏVOD) => Digital Album
Artwork: Michel “Away” Langevin
VOÏVOD will next embark on comprehensive European touring runs at a suitable time for the upcoming live release starting in June. Don’t miss the following dates:
June Europe Tour
Thu 04.06 – Stykkishólmur (Iceland) @ Satan Fest Sat 06.06 – Emmen (The Netherlands) @ Pitfest
SOLEMNITY is a German heavy metal band from the area of Ulm, founded in 1998 by vocalist Sven “The Axe”. The band quickly established a distinctive identity within the underground metal scene by combining traditional heavy metal with dark, horror-inspired themes and theatrical stage performances. Describing their music as “Heavy Horror Metal”, SOLEMNITY’s music draws heavily from classic heavy metal traditions while incorporating themes of horror, mythology, and dark fantasy. Their sound has often been compared to epic metal acts while maintaining a unique identity through theatrical imagery and concept-driven songwriting. With a discography spanning over a decade and a reputation for powerful live performances, SOLEMNITY remains a cult name within the European heavy metal underground and among fans of horror-themed metal and 2026 will see the Return of the Hairführer!
In the mid-2020s, SOLEMNITY unexpectedly re-emerged with new material and plans for a new album titled Opus Barbaricum, scheduled for release on May 15th, 2026. The revival marks the return of the band’s signature “Heavy Horror Metal” style and continues the dark, epic storytelling that defined their earlier work.
With album release SOLEMNITY reveal a new video clip for the track “Drums Of War“:
Sven The Axe comments: “I really love Skyclad’s version of the Thin Lizzy classic ‘Emerald’, and one day, whilst I was jamming to it, this lovely melody suddenly popped into my head – and that’s the moment when you think: Hey, this is the birth of a great song! Of course, it has that same Irish touch, and I always strive to play music in a way I haven’t done before. When you listen to our music, you always notice that nothing really sounds the same. As for the lyrics, I have to admit that I still believe that dark forces in the underground – call them the global elite, Big Pharma, Big Money, secret societies or whoever – certainly the WEF or the WHO – have orchestrated the whole thing. Instead of parroting what they hear all day on TV or the radio, people shouldn’t believe anything, but should question everything and form their own opinions. You should always bear in mind who benefits from a situation, how bad it could be, and where the money is going – that’s where you’ll find the root of all evil in the world. We are all just pawns on this chessboard of the devil, but that will be the continuation of this story. Some may call me a conspiracy theorist; I would say I always know the news five years in advance.”
SOLEMNITY was formed in the winter of 1998 and began gaining recognition through energetic live shows and a strong visual aesthetic influenced by classic horror imagery. Their early recordings helped them build a dedicated following within the European heavy metal underground. A first demo release in 1999 introduced the band’s dark and epic sound, combining powerful vocals, traditional heavy metal riffing, and dramatic lyrical themes inspired by horror literature, mythology, and fantasy.
Rise in the Metal Underground
The band’s debut album Reign in Hell (2001) marked the beginning of a series of concept-driven releases that solidified SOLEMNITY’s reputation as one of Germany’s more theatrical heavy metal acts. This was followed by King of Dreams (2003), which further expanded their horror-themed lyrical universe and showcased a more refined epic metal sound. SOLEMNITY headlined the first ever Keep It True cult Festival in 2003.
Throughout the mid-2000s, the band continued to develop musically and visually with albums such as Shockwave of Steel (2005) and the EP Another Bloody Sabbath (2006). In 2007, SOLEMNITY also collaborated with members of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, recording a classical interpretation of the Bathory song “One Rode to Asa Bay,” demonstrating their interest in combining metal with orchestral elements.
The album Lords of the Damned (2008) became one of the band’s most recognized releases, featuring dramatic compositions and a darker, more atmospheric production. The band’s concerts during this period became known for elaborate stage shows and pyrotechnics, reinforcing their horror-themed identity.
Final Album and Hiatus
In 2012, SOLEMNITY released Circle of Power, which was initially announced as the band’s final studio album. Around the same time, the group performed what was intended to be their farewell show at the Headbangers Open Air festival in Germany before entering a long hiatus.
After several years of inactivity, the band was officially declared disbanded in 2018. However, unreleased material from previous recording sessions continued to circulate among fans, keeping interest in the band alive within the heavy metal community.
SOLEMNITY Opus Barbaricum Release: May 15th, 2026 Solemnity Music / Hofa
Nightmares From The Neighbourhood 3:50 min
The Last Ghostrider 5:19 min
Meat Evil Steal (A Barbecue Symphony in B minor) 3:42min
Empire In The Underground 4:04 min
Escape From The Matrix 3:46 min
Freya 6:47 min
Cheesecake Commando 4:22 min
The Sleeper 5:56 min
Bitch With The Bow 3:52 min
We Willl Shine 3:21 min
Storm Of Steel 4:43min
The Dragon 4:37 min
Drums of War (Resistance) 4:24 min
Idiocracy 3:58 min
Gladiator 4:25 min
The Way To A Fortunate Wedding (by Henry VIII) 3:56 min
Frozen In Time 4:23 min
All songs and lyrics written and performed by Sven The Axe „The Sleeper“ is an original poem by Edgar Allen Poe, musically performed by Solemnity
Discography (full CD´s only) 2001 Reign In Hell 2003 King Of Dreams 2005 Shockwave Of Steel 2007 Lords Of The Damned 2012 Circle Of Power 2026 Opus Barbaricum
Since the early 1980’s, lead by vocalist Sammy DeJohn, RUTHLESS has stayed true to its style of metal, from the classic first EP “Metal Without Mercy” (1984) and the debut cult album “Discipline Of Steel” (1986), to the later albums “They Rise” (2015)” and “Evil Within” (2019). Their previous album “The Fallen” was released in January 2024 on their new label Fireflash Records (WOLF, HOLY MOSES, MEZZROW a.o.), followed by a European tour as support act for their fellow believers JAG PANZER, cementing their reputation as a magnificent live band.
RUTHLESS upcoming new album “Curse Of The Beast” will be released on July 17th.
Today, RUTHLESS are proud to release the second single, along with a lyric video for the track “Berserker“.
Sammy DeJohn adds: “A berserker was a Viking warrior who prepared for battle by putting himself into a trance-like state. Some say they took hallucinogenic substances such as mushrooms, then went into battle ready to tear their enemies to pieces without feeling any pain, ready to die and go to Valhalla.”
The new album “Curse Of The Beast” is now ready for pre-order. It is released on a CD Jewelcase, as well as on bestial red colored Vinyl, which is limited to 500 copies. Also check out our bundles with a new shirt on Bandcamp.
The band has created an album full of power and passion, combined with the classic 80s metal sound, ready to become a future classic and a must-have for anyone who loves traditional heavy metal like METAL CHURCH,JUDAS PRIEST,ACCEPT,EXCITER, and others.
“Curse Of The Beast” was recorded along with producer Ron Sandoval (KERRY KING a.o.), who also did the final mix and mastering. “We can’t wait for you all to hear it. We have a couple of surprises on this one and it’s going to destroy,” reveals vocalist Sammy. Immediately afterwards, the band will play selected shows in Europe, along with MINDWARS as well as THE TROOPS OF DOOM, including the legendary “Headbangers Open Air.”
RUTHLESS Live 18.07.2026 BE – Diest, Club Hell (w/ Mindwars) 19.07.2026 NL – Breda, Sound Dog (w/ Mindwars) 22.07.2026 DE – H.O.A. (Warm-Up Show) Hamburg 23.07.2026 LU – Esch Belval, MK Bar 24.07.2026 DE – Dresden, Chemiefabrik (w/ The Troops Of Doom) 25.07.2026 DE – Burglengenfeld – VAZ (w/ The Troops Of Doom) 26.07.2026 DE – Oberhausen, Kulttempel (w/ The Troops Of Doom) 27.07.2026 BE – Deinze, Elpee (w/ The Troops Of Doom)
RUTHLESS is: Sammy DeJohn – Vocals Glen Paul – Guitar David Servantez – Guitar Sandy K. Vasquez – Bass Joseph Aghassi – 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 ) 