Insidius unveils its second single, “Orgiastic,” taken from the upcoming third album Vulgus Illustrata. A brutal, high‑velocity death‑metal assault, the track fuses razor‑sharp riffs with uncompromising intensity.
The Polish band Insidius presents its third full-length album, Vulgus Illustrata, set for release on November 7th, 2025, CD/LP Digital via Swedish label Black Lion Records.
The album is the result of intense collaborative work, merging classic death metal with modern elements—drawing inspiration from genre pioneers while maintaining Insidius’s unique identity. Recorded in 2024 under the guidance of Filip Hałucha at Heinrich House Studio, the band spent countless hours rehearsing and tracking to ensure each of the eight compositions is both relentless and expansive. The songs balance furious, driving riffs with brooding, atmospheric passages, capturing the raw aggression of death metal while weaving in hypnotic depth.
The official video, was directed and produced by Robert Gasperowicz:
“Lyrically, “Orgiastic” is an ode to dialectical materialism, the inescapable law of eat or be eaten. Social norms relating to value are deconstructed and reassembled into a gory orgy to Mammon. Perhaps the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must, but one might as well have some fun in the process.”
Formed in 2012 in Olsztyn, Poland, Insidius has steadily established itself as a formidable force in the death-metal underground. Their previous releases include Shadows of Humanity (2016, self-released) and Infamia (2018, Ermland Production). The band has shared stages with luminaries such as Vader, Marduk, Azarath, Witchmaster, Nervosa, Trauma, Vesania, Grave, and Antigama.
Vulgus Illustrata will be released worldwide on November 7th, 2025. Further details on formats and availability will be revealed in the coming months.
Track list 1. The Perfect Slave 2. Orgiastic 3. A Darkness That Divides 4. Destroy the Priests 5. Censure 6. Doom Accelerator 7. Abyssful of Echoes 8. Forge of Our Hatred
Symphonic/Cinematic-Metal group VIVALDI METAL PROJECT is pleased to present the video for the single “Deep Core”, featuring an epic performance by singers Arianna Marciano and Gianluca Mastrangelo. A moving duet that will leave you breathless with its passion and beauty.
“Deep Core” is a standout track from Vivaldi Metal Project’s latest album, “EpiClassica.” With its haunting melodies, intense guitar riffs, and dynamic orchestral arrangements, the song is a true masterpiece that highlights the incredible talent and creativity of the project’s team.
The collaboration between Arianna Marciano and Gianluca Mastrangelo on “Deep Core” is truly something special. Their chemistry and vocal prowess shine through in every note, creating a powerful and moving performance that is not to be missed.
Don’t miss out on the magic of “Deep Core” – watch the official video today and let yourself be captivated by the spellbinding sounds of Vivaldi Metal Project.
With a fusion of classical influences and heavy metal elements, Vivaldi Metal Project offers a one-of-a-kind and enthralling sound to the music industry. Spearheaded by the visionary composer and producer Mistheria, the project is renowned for reinventing classic compositions by legendary Classical composers in a contemporary and innovative manner.
Witness the enchanting sounds of Vivaldi Metal Project by watching the official video now:
PREYRS, a visceral new force in alternative rock and metal, have unveiled their new single ‘Bring Ur Bruises’, taken from their mesmeric debut album, The Wounded Healer, out 14th November via Pelagic Records.
‘Bring Ur Bruises’ radiates resplendent, self-empowering positivity. Centred on the concept of the wounded healer, ‘Bring Ur Bruises’ implores the listener to welcome their trauma in, to own it and wear it as a paradoxical means of ultimately letting it go as triumphant, reverb-soaked guitars soar ever higher.
PREYRS are the brainchild of Belfast rock artist Amy Montgomery and drummer/producer Michael Mormecha. Fusing raw alternative rock energy with the weight of metal, the quartet’s music is an electrifying clash of aggression and euphoria, darkness and uplift, chaos and control. Elements of artists as disparate as Nine Inch Nails, Chelsea Wolfe, Sonic Youth, and Julie Christmas combine to delirious and heady effect.
Busking on the streets of Belfast from the age of 15, Amy Montgomery met multi-instrumentalist Michael Mormecha a few years later and they’ve been working together ever since. Both songwriters in their own right, Michael fronted renowned Irish post-hardcore outfit Mojo Fury and worked as a producer for artists including The Bonnevilles, Mojo Fury and Joshua Burnside. They’re joined as PREYRS by longtime guitarist Nolan Donelly and new bass player Ciarán McGreevy.
Known for electrifying live performances, PREYRS made their UK festival debut at Bloodstock Open Air this August, as well as appearing at Stendhal Festival in Ireland. Nominated as ‘Best Live Act’ and ‘Best Artist’ at the Northern Ireland Music Prize, Amy’s undeniably fierce and captivating frontperson energy has been her secret weapon often described as ‘otherworldly’ or ‘a force of nature’. For those seeking the epic, the healing, the aggressive and the unrelenting pulse of alternative rock and metal, PREYRS are it.
1. Humble Eyes 2. Wave Of Wisdom 3. Into The Blue 4. Zeros, Ones & Lies 5. Bring Ur Bruises 6. Crucify 7. Change Change 8. Nova 9. W.D.I.F.L? 10. Life Is Kind
PREYRS will be supporting punk legends New Model Army across Europe this winter.
November 11 Legend Club, Milan IT (Supporting New Model Army) 12 Fri-Son, Fribourg CH (Supporting New Model Army) 13 Halle 02, Heidelberg DE (Supporting New Model Army) 14 Sudhaus, Tübingen DE (Supporting New Model Army) 15 Meet Factory, Prague CZ (Supporting New Model Army) 17 Werk2, Leipzig DE (Supporting New Model Army) 18 Capitol, Hannover DE (Supporting New Model Army) 19 Aladdin Music Hall, Bremen DE (Supporting New Model Army) 20 Jovel, Munster DE (Supporting New Model Army) 21 Venlo, Grenswerk NL (Supporting New Model Army) 28 Kyttaro, Athens GR (Supporting New Model Army) 29 Mylos Club, Thessaloniki GR(Supporting New Model Army)
December 20 Palladium, Cologne DE (Supporting New Model Army) 21 Melkweg, Amsterdam NL (Supporting New Model Army)
With their first new album since 2021, the mighty IV- Rx,now poised for release, and with Halloween only just around the corner as well, Outlaw Industrial Rockers Chmcl Str8jckt today unveil their latest single, a stunning cover of the old Steve Miller Band seasonal chestnut “Abracabra” – which rhymes of course, with “wanna reach out and grab ya.” Ah, they don’t write couplets like that, anymore.
It was, says keyboard player and frontman Kevin Snell, the final track that he and bandmates Mike C and John Bechdel (Ministry, Killing Joke) recorded for the album. Although he didn’t think it would so easy getting the band to do it.
“We thought it would be good to end the (occasionally grueling) sessions with a light cover of a popular song. I picked ‘Abracadabra’ because I always kinda liked the original…but also thought it was cheesy as hell.” In fact, when he recorded the demo, he was more or less convinced that the remainder of the band would hate it.
“It’s kinda poppy for an otherwise pretty heavy album that we had just created”
Instead… “Mike C loved it and tuned to a drop A on a 7 string guitar to give it some heavy guitar crunch. JB (Bechdel) actually loves a good digital dance groove (think early Ministry) and went to town on the synths and drum machines really taking my demo to the next level. Bam! It’s done and the sessions ended on a really fun note.”
So, in fact, does the album. “Our mastering engineer, Maor Appelbaum, picked the song order for the album….having it start very heavy [the band’s last single, “Anaesthesia”] and slowly lighten up by the end until you have “Abracadabra” and the truly outrageous “Buffalo” to close it out .”
IV-Rx, Snell goes on, “continues our evolution of Outlaw Industrial Rock.” Stuffed full with pulsing synthesizers, coruscating riffery, the darkest themes and the mightiest of crowd-crunching hooks, it is also Chmcl Str8jckt’s third Cleopatra release, the latest highlight in a relationship that confirms both the band’s status in the modern industrial firmament, and Cleopatra’s long, long-standing role at the forefront of the original industrial revolution – the label has championed the genre almost since its inception in the early 1990s, and overseen many of its most influential convolutions.
Outlaw Industrial Rock, however, is one of the most thrilling of them all. So whip out your magic wand and a long black cloak, utter the magic word… and IV-Rx will be here before you know it.
For more than two decades, Hooded Menace have stood as the pillar between two realms of underground metal. The Finnish band are still transfixed by classic horror on their monumental new album. But Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration only goes to show that these stewards of death-doom remain far from stuck in their ways.
“…if Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration doesn’t match Tritonus [Bell], it reiterates the trio’s true north”, writes Decibel in an 8/10 review. “Four seven-minute tracks comprise the heart and guts of the album, keening boom/gloom workouts of hammer-and-anvil classicism”.
“Lasse Pyykkö has once again infused the new album with a blend of their signature crushing heaviness and a daring sense of innovation”, hails New Noise.
Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration was released yesterday, Friday, October 3, and you can hear all seven earthshaking tracks by listening to the full album stream on the Season of Mist YouTube channel:
The undead spirit that’s guided Hooded Menace since its 2007 conception still stands watch over Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration. Cover artist Wes Benscoter recreates the Blind Dead in all their glowingly ghoulish glory. “Pale Masquerade” summons film director Amando de Ossorio’s flesh-eating muse with a fresh heap of founding member Lasse Pyykkö’s bone-crunching chugs. But while the lasting influence of Candlemass and Paradise Lost hasn’t vanished without a ghostly trace, the band continue to break the mold that they set for death-doom. Neon keys beam through opener “Twilight Passages” as if firing up a time machine.
Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration hammers home the classic ‘80s heavy metal influence that Hooded Menace rung in on their last long-player The Tritonus Bell. As if from a trance, drums snap into a gallop amidst blistering leads dripped with neon. “Lugubrious Dance” twists between the hallucinogenic spires of Cathedral in conspiracy with King Diamond before cranking into a chorus that’s classic Hooded Menace. Even traditional death-doomers will scream with delight upon hearing the band cover Duran Duran’s “Save a Prayer” with their blood-soaked signature.
MicroPitching and other effects aren’t the only tricks pulled out from under Hooded Menace’s cloak on Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration. What should appear from beneath Pekka Koskelo’s swirling double bass on lead single “Portrait Without a Face” but the deeply haunting moan of a cello. Like an echo from beyond the grave, the cry of strings reappears during the album’s grand finale. Former live bassist Antti Poutanen sorrowfully saws as the band marches, gallops then sinks back “Into Haunted Oblivion”.
“Resonate in utter darkness“, Harri Kuokkanen beckons with growls that reek of the crypt.
With Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration, Hooded Menace cast death-doom in a ghoulish new light.
Tracklist 1. Twilight Passages (1:04) 2. Pale Masquerade (7:50) [LISTEN] 3. Portrait Without a Face (7:15) [WATCH] 4. Daughters of Lingering Pain (7:25) 5. Lugubrious Dance (7:20) 6. Save a Prayer (6:12) [WATCH] 7. Into Haunted Oblivion (9:47)
For closing in on two decades, Hooded Menace have stood not as a bridge but the pillar between two underground realms. The band’s upcoming seventh album still paves the way for metal legions who prefer headbanging to more creepily, crushing tempos. However, while Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration is still rooted in a cultish obsession with the classics, these stewards of death-doom remain far from stuck in their ways.
Starting as a teenager in the late ’80s, founding member Lasse Pyykkö got his start in Joensuu, Finland with the band Phlegethon. But the undead spirit that’s guided Hooded Menace since its 2007 conception first appeared back when he was just a young hesher. Dracula, Poltergeist, A Nightmare on Elm Street and other horrors piqued his morbid curiosity. Though later on, it was feasting on the cult classic Tombs of the Blind Dead that spawned the band’s accursed two-track demo.
“It’s the dark element”, Lasse recalls when asked what Hooded Menace draws from its source material five albums removed from the band’s terrifying breakthrough Never Cross the Dead.
The blind dead still stand watch over Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration. Returning cover artist Wes Benscoter recreates the Knights Templar in all their glowingly ghoulish glory. “Pale Masquerade” paints a familiar scene, summoning Amando de Ossorio’s flesh-eating muse with a fresh heap of Lasse’s bone-crunching chugs. “The dead army grows“, Harri Kuokkanen commands with growls that reek of the crypt. Lifelong converts will quickly fall in line behind steadfast drummer Pekka Koskelo, who dips “Daughters of Lingering Pain” into the same dripping vat of wax as the band’s 2010s effigies for Relapse Records. The lasting influence of Candlemass and Paradise Lost hasn’t vanished without a trace. But Hooded Menace continue to break the mold they helped set for death-doom right from the album’s opening jump scare. Neon keys beam through “Twilight Passages” as if firing up a time machine.
Reinvention isn’t new to Hooded Menace. While a menacing vocalist in his own right, Lasse passed the proverbial mic torch to Kuokkanen for the gloomier melodies that haunted the band’s initial offering after signing with Season of Mist late in 2016. Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed was also pulled more from the shadows of their imagination as opposed to the silver screen. Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration trends further in that direction; the lyric sheet unfurls like a house of psychological horrors, where the hallways are hung with shattered mirrors and faceless portraits. Only this time around, the trio really hammered home the influence of ’80s heavy metal that was rung in by previous long-player The Tritonus Bell. “Lugubrious Dance” twists between the hallucinogenic spires of Cathedral in conspiracy with King Diamond before cranking into a chorus that’s classic Hooded Menace.
MicroPitching and other effects aren’t the only tricks of the trade that are pulled out from under Hooded Menace’s cloak. Traditional death-doomers might have been pleasantly surprised by the band covering W.A.S.P., so imagine the delighted screams upon hearing a Top of the Pops’ gem like “Save a Prayer” splattered in their signature blood-soaked dread. Lasse’s riffs still cement the rock-solid foundation beneath Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration, but even he was surprised when sculpting its lead single. What should appear from the double bass swirling amidst “Portrait Without a Face” but the moan of a cello. Like an echo from beyond the grave, the cry of strings reappears during the album’s grand finale. Former live bassist Antti Poutanen sorrowfully saws as the band marches, gallops then sinks back “Into Haunted Oblivion”.
On Lachyrmose Monuments of Obscuration, Hooded Menace cast death-doom in a ghostly new light.
Line-up Harri Kuokkanen — Vocals Lasse Pyykkö — Guitar, Bass, Keyboards Pekka Koskelo — Drums
Guest Musicians Antti Poutanen — Cello John McNulty — Spoken Word
Production Credits Recorded by Heikki Marttila at Guru Studio, Joensuu, Finland. Mixed by Heikki Marttila. Mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano at Orgone Studios, Portugal.
Norwegian Rock outfit LEPROUS are launching a second single/video outtake from their upcoming live release entitled “An Evening Of Atonement”, which is being released October 24th, 2025 worldwide via InsideOutMusic.
While “Atonement (Live In Tilburg 2025)” can now be streamed via the DSP of your choice, you can also check out the track as video medley “Atonement / The Sky Is Red (Outro) (Live In Tilburg 2025)” here:
Having just recently performed at several high-profile European festivals across the Summer, LEPROUS will next embark on comprehensive headlining tour across Europe next month with supports Gåte & Royal Sorrow, followed by a freshly announced Pt. 2 of the European tour covering many additional territories.
Don’t miss the following upcoming live-dates by LEPROUS and get your tickets now: www.leprous.net/tours
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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
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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
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