Italian Heavy Metal project Ironwill has unleashed “Changing Myself“, the third and final glimpse into their upcoming studio album, “Reforged Within“, scheduled for global release on May 29th, 2026, via Art Gates Records.
Following the philosophical echoes of “Infinity” and the crushing weight of “Gravity“, Changing Myself arrives as an introspective song of transformation. Driven by soaring guitar work and an immersive atmosphere, the track delves into the delicate threshold between emotional suffering and the necessity of rebirth. Is an acknowledgment that every scar is a vital component of the soul’s evolution.
Accompanying the single is an official live streaming video, captured during a special session dedicated to the presentation of the new album. This raw and authentic performance allows fans to witness the project’s energy in its purest form.
The audio for this session was meticulously recorded and mixed at Black Hole Studio by the skilled Mr. Z, capturing the visceral essence of the song’s struggle and eventual triumph.
Ironwill continues to bridge the gap between heavy rock power and profound human storytelling, setting the ultimate stage for the arrival of “Reforged Within” later this month.
London-based alt-rock band Wildernesses continue their ascent with the release of their powerful new single / video, ‘[dread.]’. The track is taken from their acclaimed debut album Growth which is out now via Floodlit Recordings. Emerging as one of the UK underground’s most compelling new voices, Wildernesses have quickly earned praise for their emotionally devastating blend of post-rock scale, shoegaze haze and intimate storytelling, with recent reviews describing Growth as “one of the most wonderfully understated yet brilliant albums of 2026” and “a captivating listen as beautiful as it is heartbreaking.”
Featuring footage captured across the band’s recent UK album tour, the video for ‘[dread.]’ offers an unfiltered look into life on the road marked by long drives, endless DIY merch preparation, cramped backstage moments and the deep camaraderie formed between band members. As always with Wildernesses, the visuals mirror the song’s emotional core with anxiety hidden beneath every day humour, silence and routine.
Vocalist Phillip Morris comments on the track:“‘[dread.]’ is a song about ‘the dread’ – anxiety, doom, or whatever name you want to give that feeling. The lyrics portray a narrator telling themselves they’re alright and the title’s parentheses are supposed to signify self-minimisation. Self-reflection sits alongside a conversation between two friends remembering drinking tinnies by the River Humber during Hull’s 2007 floods. The narrator reflects that there are worse things happening in the world and that all humans are just getting by – holding aspirations and throwing them away like cans in the mud banks. The song uses flood imagery to mirror men ‘manning up’ and the impact that ignoring emotional responses has over time – the overspill. It’s about striving to accept the feeling, which is an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) technique that I’ve always been bad at utilising myself.”
Drummer Ryan Browne adds: “We put the video for ‘[dread.]’ together using footage collected over nine days on the road playing songs from Growth. Similar to the theme of the song, we all had some anxiety going into the tour – being away from home and living on top of each other naturally brings apprehension. But the reality ended up being something really positive. We genuinely looked after each other and it became a wholesome experience all round. Having a video that captures those moments – the shows, the travel, the work that goes into everything – feels really special.”
Since first emerging with breakthrough singles ‘Four Hour Drive’ and ‘English Darkness’, Wildernesses have steadily built a reputation for crafting expansive, emotionally resonant songs rooted in lived experience. ‘Four Hour Drive’ explored family lineage and inherited memory through the lens of a 1957 photograph of Morris’ father and grandfather, while ‘English Darkness’ confronted mental health with stark vulnerability in a striking visual directed by Stewart Baxter, known for his work with IDLES. Later singles ‘Maintenance’ and ‘Summertime, 1917’ further expanded the band’s cinematic worldbuilding, weaving together themes of ritual, hidden histories and fragile human connection.
Recorded with producer Joe Clayton at NO Studio in Manchester, Growth spans nine immersive tracks balancing shimmering post-rock crescendos, slow-burning alt-rock tension and intimate folk-inspired lyricism. Critics have praised the record’s “settled confidence”, “cinematic quality” and “gargantuan amount of feeling”, with comparisons drawn to acts such as Slowdive, Explosions in the Sky and The National.
With ‘[dread.]’, Wildernesses continue to carve out a space entirely their own, one where memory, grief, humour, anxiety and hope blur together inside towering yet deeply human soundscapes. As their audience continues to grow through word-of-mouth acclaim and emotionally charged live performances, the band are set to bring songs from Growth to audiences across the UK throughout the year, culminating in an appearance at ArcTanGent Festival this August alongside some of the most exciting names in alternative and experimental music. For a band whose music thrives on atmosphere and connection, Wildernesses’ live shows are fast becoming essential viewing. Live dates are listed below.
Catch Wildernesses live:
Jun 26 – The Black Heart, London (with Million Moons/Civil Service) Aug 21- Arctangent Festival Oct 3rd – Crowded Festival, Leicester
WILDERNESSES are:
Phillip Morris – vocals, guitar Sam Howe – guitar Mark Portnoi – bass Ryan Browne – drums
The funeral bell is tolling, the ravens have left the tower – the long-awaited fourth album from the UK’s lords of the riff is finally upon us. Necropolitan will be released on Friday September 11th 2026 by Nuclear Blast Records. A monumental portrait of the power of nature over the dreams and dominion of humankind, Necropolitan is also a grand celebration of the occult lore and heavy music scene of the band’s birthplace, the city of London.
With producer Tom Dalgety (Opeth, Ghost) at the helm, this time handling everything from recording to mixing, the band decamped to Rockfield Studios in January 2026, following in the muddy footprints of some of their key inspirations, from Black Sabbath to Queen to Judas Priest. Sonically, they were set on capturing their megalithic live sound more accurately than ever – stripping back their usual dense, multilayered arrangements to their rawest, leanest form and recording much of the album live to capture their Sabbathian heaviness, frenzied Hammonds and haunting Mellotrons as faithfully as possible.
The result is an album that combines the soaring hookiness of This Heathen Land with an uncompromising rawness and heaviness, and takes the band’s distinctive brand of sonic storytelling to macabre new heights.
If, a year after Black Sabbath’s Back to the Beginning show and the death of Ozzy Osbourne, you had any doubts about the future of traditional British metal, Necropolitan will lay them to rest. Here is a band taking the torch from the heavy metal godfathers and running with it, bursting with all the musicianship and storytelling flair that has kept the genre’s flame burning for a half-century, and using it to temper a lyrical and sonic world that is entirely their own.
Lead single ‘Evil in this House’ answers the question ‘what would it sound like if a stoner metal band carried out a paranormal investigation?’, complete with a monstrously Sabbathian riff and an ectoplasmic synth solo. An accompanying music video inspired by 70s haunted house movies premieres on YouTube today.
Necropolitan – tracklisting OUT: September 11th 2026
01. Open the Hellmouth 02. Dance to the Grave 03. Black Magick Radio 04. Necropolitan Line 05. Evil in this House 06. Together in Death 07. Ozymandias 08. Alostrael (Be My Babalon) 09. To the Gallows Born
This Saturday, Green Lung will be headlining the UK’s premier stoner rock, doom, sludge, and psychedelic metal festival Desertfest London. You can also catch them on June 25th at Manchester Academy, with Acid Bath and Conan.
A cult band in every sense of the word, Green Lung emerged from London’s heavy rock scene with self-released debut EP Free the Witch (2018).
Drawing on a host of peculiarly British musical influences, from doomy hard rock to pastoral prog and psych to the Hammer Horror theatrics of the NWOBHM, the band have swiftly risen to the forefront of the UK metal scene.
Lyrically celebrating the folklore, myths and legends of Britain, they conjure the wild and witchy spirit of their forebears for a new generation.
Green Lung have released three critically acclaimed albums, Woodland Rites (2019), Black Harvest (2021) and This Heathen Land (2023). They have toured internationally with Clutch, Opeth and Unto Others, and performed on festival stages from Roadburn to Download. Their latest album This Heathen Land landed at #1 on the UK’s Official Rock and Metal Album Chart.
“This is heavy metal how it should be done”The Guardian
Epictronic is pleased to announce the signing of Italian progressive metal band GanEden. The label will reissue the band’s debut album, Gan Eden, marking their first release under the Epictronic imprint.
GanEden was formed in Trento in 2023. The four-piece — Davide Battisti (drums), Andrea Gottoli (guitars), Morena Dallapiccola (vocals), and Carlo Mirabassi (bass), plays progressive metal built on structural complexity and a range of genre influences, spanning aggressive riffing to atmospheric, introspective passages.
“Gan Eden” is a concept album that revisits the Book of Genesis through a speculative lens: Adam and Eve not as divine creations, but as genetic experiments conducted by a higher intelligence. Expelled from the Garden of Eden, they encounter violence, moral failure, and the weight of human imperfection. The album follows both the subjects and their creators as each side confronts what went wrong: Adam and Eve attempting to reach their makers, the creators watching their experiment unravel. The record moves between dense, heavy arrangements and quieter, more ethereal sections, using the full range of progressive metal to map the emotional arc of the story.
“I feel the fire burn inside my veins…”: Hardcore heroes PRO-PAIN are releasing their new single “Stone Cold Anger”—the final single taken from their new album Stone Cold Anger. The album’s title track shoots ahead with melodic guitars and explodes into captivating vocals—just the right sort of thrilling song for PRO-PAIN and their first album in 11 years. “Stone Cold Anger” is enthralling and stirring, as if the New York juggernauts had never been gone! Don’t miss Stone Cold Anger—out this Friday, May 15, 2026, via Napalm Records! Additionally, the band is starting their European tour run today in Essen, Germany—find all dates below.
Gary Meskil about “Stone Cold Anger”: “‘Stone Cold Anger’ gives voice to the raw frustration millions feel right now. People are weary of prolonged conflicts, persistent corruption, and the gradual erosion of the rights they expect their elected officials to protect. The need for accountability is clear, and the question before us remains: If not now, then when?”
Legendary New York hardcore juggernauts PRO-PAIN make their debut on Napalm Records with their sixteenth studio album, Stone Cold Anger, out on May 15, 2026. Their first release in eleven years showcases the band’s explosive energy in its purest form: Stone Cold Anger unfolds heavy, angry, and ready as ever—proving PRO-PAIN haven’t lost even an ounce of strength. An exceptionally catchy offering, the new album fortifies its groovy melodies and stirring guitar riffs with furious and inciting, anthemic vocals, turning the ten new songs into worthy follow-ups to their 3.5M-stream hit “Voice Of Rebellion” (2015).
Stone Cold Anger is an enthralling, memorable, and triumphant milestone for PRO-PAIN, and an impressive demonstration of power. See you in the pit!
Gary Meskil about Stone Cold Anger: “Thank you to our fans worldwide for 35 years of unwavering support. After a decade away from the recording studio, we return with Stone Cold Anger—an album forged from global tension and the rising demand for accountability.”
The highly anticipated new album (which features the return of former guitarist Eric Klinger) opens up with the punishing “Oceans Of Blood”, an energetic and captivating track which confirms once again that the hardcore icons have not lost one bit of their relentless anger in the last 35 years. The title track abruptly commences with soaring melodic guitars acting as sirens around frontman and bassist Gary Meskil’s commanding barks. Aptly named “March Of The Giants” is just that, a show of brute force layered upon an ever-so-heavy groove-laden foundation. “Uncle Sam Wants You!” displays a more rock ’n’ roll attitude, complete with a driving bass line and distinct social commentary; the raw and honest vibe continues throughout “Demonic Intervention” and “Rinse & Repeat”. Meskil’s raspy shouts fill the melodies of “Hell Or High Water” before PRO-PAIN forge onward and into the anthemic “Scorched Earth”—fiercely belting “And so it begins…” The following track, “Jonestown Punch”, galvanizes with stirring, up-tempo two-steps before “Sky’s The Limit” rounds off the album with catchy sing-along choruses.
Stone Cold Anger tracklisting:
Oceans Of Blood
Stone Cold Anger
March Of The Giants
Uncle Sam Wants You!
Demonic Intervention
Rinse & Repeat
Hell or High Water
Scorched Earth
Jonestown Punch
Sky’s the Limit
PRO-PAIN LIVE 2026 13.05.2026 DE – Essen / Turock 14.05.2026 DE – Osnabrück / Bastard Club 15.05.2026 NL – Alkmaar / HAL25 Herrie Festival 16.05.2026 BE – Halle / Skallyfest 22.05.2026 DE – Loburg / Wir Leben Laut Festival 23.05.2026 BE – Malle / Kemphe Onderstroom 05.06.2026 NL – Emmen / Pitfest 06.06.2026 NL – Tilburg / Little Devil 12.06.2026 DE – Leipzig / Red Bull Arena 13.06.2026 DE – Leipzig / Red Bull Arena 14.06.2026 DE – Kassel / Goldgrube 19.06.2026 DE – Fehrbellin / Protzen Open Air Festival 20.06.2026 DE – Lubeck /Riders Cafe 26.06.2026 PL – Szczecin / Hells Bells Festival 27.06.2026 SE – Avesta / Krylbomangel Festival 02.07.2026 CZ – Trutnov / Obscene Extreme Festival 03.07.2026 DE – Frankfurt / Deutsche Bank Park 04.07.2026 DE – Frankfurt / Deutsche Bank Park 10.07.2026 DE – Cologne / MTC-Club 11.07.2026 DE – Gelsenkirchen / Veltins Arena Adenauer Allee 16.07.2026 DE – Nottertal-Heilinger Hohen / G.O.N.D. Festival 17.07.2026 DE – Marienberg / Rock Auf Dem Berg Festival 18.07.2026 DE – Marburg / KFZ Marburg 24.07.2026 DE – Munich / Free & Easy Festival 25.07.2026 CZ – Olomouc / Pod Parou Festival 21.08.2026 DE – Schmelz / Heartcore Island Open Air Festival 22.08.2026 DE – Freiburg / Crash 29.08.2026 DE – Wallesau / Wallesau Ist Blau Festival 14.11.2026 NL – Eindhoven / Helldorado Festival 21.11.2026 NL – Eindhoven / Revolution Calling Festival
PRO-PAINis: Gary Meskil – Bass, Vocals Jonas Sanders – Drums Greg Discenza – Lead Guitar Eric Klinger – Rhythm Guitar
Finnish symphonic metal band VOV returns with “Longing”, a fast, driving single built on groove, double-kick power and an anthemic chorus. The song keeps moving direct, physical and uplifting, while carrying a sharp emotional charge.
“Longing” captures the pull of a connection just out of reach. Desire and distance collide; hope stays alive, but it doesn’t come easy. The result is metal with momentum: melody and force pushing in the same direction.
Vocalist Karoliina McLoud delivers a focused, expressive performance that creates the core of the song. Teemu Harjunen’s guitar work drives the forward motion, Sami Halinen supports the impact with bass and keys, and Juha-Tapio Anttonen keeps the engine running with relentless, groove-first drumming.
Commenting on the release, Karoliina McLoud states:
“Longing is about a connection that feels destined yet painfully out of reach. The kind that consumes you and makes you question what’s real and what’s imagined.”
Listen to the single on music services (Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal, YouTube Music etc.): https://push.fm/fl/vov-longing
–ISRC: FI3FC2699502 –Composition & lyrics by Karoliina McLoud, Teemu Harjunen, Sami Halinen, Juha-Tapio Anttonen
VOV is a Finnish symphonic metal band founded in 2023. They are combining melodic metal, classical elements and narrative-driven songwriting.
Line-up: Vocals: Karoliina McLoud Guitar: Teemu Harjunen Bass, Keyboards & Backing vocals: Sami Halinen Drums: Juha-Tapio Anttonen
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 ) 