Legendary Southern Rock band LYNYRD SKYNYRD are proud to unveil their new live video for “That Smell,” taken from their recently released live album, ‘Celebrating 50 Years – Live At The Ryman,’ out now via Frontiers Music Srl.
With over 28 million records sold in the U.S. and a sound as iconic as the American culture it celebrates, LYNYRD SKYNYRD continues to inspire fans of all ages while embodying the very soul of Southern rock. From their humble Jacksonville beginnings, through tragedy, reunion, and redemption, the band has earned its place on Rolling Stone’s list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time” – as well as a prominent spot in the hearts of generations.
LYNYRD SKYNYRD’s new live album and DVD celebrates their groundbreaking southern sound that changed rock forever. Spectacularly capturing the band’s historic 50th-anniversary concert at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, the project features the final performance of founding member Gary Rossington who passed away less than five months later.
The new album showcases the band’s unparalleled energy and their signature blend of blues rock and Southern hard rock swagger, putting a spotlight on LYNYRD SKYNYRD’s lasting legacy in music history, filled with iconic hits such as “Freebird,” “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Simple Man,” and so many more. ‘Celebrating 50 Years – Live at the Ryman’ also features guest appearances by Jelly Roll, Marcus King, John Osborne (The Brothers Osborne), Brent Smith (Shinedown), and Donnie Van Zant (Van Zant & .38 Special).
Order ‘Celebrating 50 Years – Live At The Ryman’ HERE
Are you still following or already stalking? A simple yet extremely important question that each and every one of us has probably asked oneself many times in a variety of possible forms. And that’s a good thing, because that brief pause to ask “Is this still okay?”, this little branch-off opportunity in our daily growing personal tree of actions, can determine the very color of our counterpart’s emotional world more quickly than we may realize.
Italian rockers VIOLET BLEND, who elegantly move between alternative metal and symphonic rock, want to set an example of enlightenment with their brand-new single “The Reign of Sadness.” Scientifically backed and without getting all too hung up on the rather counterproductive question of guilt as a single point of focus, the quartet led by exceptional singer Giada Celeste Chelli tackles the increasingly pressing issue of stalking with powerful emotions and a very special twist: Unlike in most cases, “The Reign of Sadness” is not intended to promote a new album by the band, but rather to draw attention to the often misunderstood mechanisms of complex human behavior patterns that collectively result in stalking – via a captivating music video that’s packed with both overt and covert psychological cues.
Above all, however, as the musical driver of a deeper awareness campaign, the song’s content focuses on the effects of stalking on the many victims of this unfortunately under-reported phenomenon. Giada herself comments as follows: “In the lyrics, which are based on a real-life experience, I describe the tangible feeling of being forced to live in a cage, the sense of guilt and helplessness, the psychological deterioration, the growing paranoia, and the unstable emotional oscillation of the trauma resulting from being stalked.”
Just as we as societies have not yet found a real solution to the already significant and yet far from being fully recognized imbalance between visibility and privacy, between presentation and withdrawal, between following and stalking, this new video single is only the tip of an iceberg: It sets the tone for “Talk or Stalk?”, a card game that takes players on an interactive journey toward true understanding.
“Talk or Stalk?” – the game is us
“Talk or Stalk?” is the very heart of VIOLET BLEND’s awareness campaign. This intriguing and remarkably effective game was developed by singer Giada herself, who wanted to leave nothing to chance and consequently sought support from academia and practice, finding it in psychologist Dr. Eva Cristofanelli and social worker Dr. Margherita Petti.
The result is an intense party game that – similar to the video game Among Us, which is so popular for good reason – awakens the psychological Sherlock Holmes in us: Through deduction, feints, analysis, and classification of fellow players’ behavior, we are not hunting a devious murderer, but rather a perpetrator who could be unexpectedly lurking within any of us. And indeed, the card game’s diverse range of possible actions has been taken straight from real life, for VIOLET BLEND conducted a thorough survey specifically for the purpose of creating the game mechanics, with the aim of identifying a whole range of behavioral patterns, from normal to caring to worrying, with which the participants in the role-playing game can confront each other.
After several test rounds, the band itself is enthusiastic about the combination of effectiveness for a good cause and the entertainment factor of the game: “The mechanism of bluffing, deduction, and collective argumentation becomes the engine that stimulates a real and necessary conversation here, highlighting how subtle – and often invisible – the line is between care and obsession, between interest and invasiveness, between psychological care and violence. In this way, the game is not just competition: It is an exercise in conscience. An emotional laboratory where one learns by recognising, discussing, listening, and putting oneself in another one’s shoes. But above all, when played with good friends, it is a truly exciting piece of entertainment that really makes time fly by!”
Refreshingly, the aim of the game is not primarily to condemn the perpetrator, but to prevent crimes from two different angles: firstly, through awareness-raising and external control, and secondly, through self-reflection and correction of one’s own behavior. “Talk or Stalk?” therefore starts where actions are at risk of slipping into a gray area, before stalking can even occur.
The interactive Card Game “Talk or Stalk?” is now available, here.
About VIOLET BLEND
VIOLET BLEND were formed in 2017 in Florence through the creative collaboration of Giada Celeste Chelli (vocals, piano, and orchestrations), MichelAgostini (drums and vocals), and FerruccioBaroni (bass and vocals), who from the very beginning shaped the artistic identity of the band. The lineup is now completed by guitarist GabrieleFabbri, enriching the configuration that defines their signature sound. With their debut album “White Mask” in 2018, VIOLET BLEND already demonstrated a flair for grand compositions that, with their timeless elegance, thumb the nose at the metal trends of their time. Early on, the band has proven to be just as inventive as they are persistent when it comes to generating a lot of buzz for a good cause. “White Mask,” for example, whose message is intended to encourage fans to think less about their digital masquerade on social media and instead simply spend more time directly with genuine people in real life, was accompanied by an unprecedented guerrilla campaign. For the album launch, the historic city center of Florence was abruptly invaded by 5,000 white masks (with a purple “V”), which quickly attracted the attention of residents as well as national print and radio media.
This wave eventually reached the US record label Eclipse Records, which consequently released VIOLET BLEND’s second album, “Demons” (2022). The exciting record explored various demons from cultures around the world and discussed how they correlated with phases of both gender equality and inequality. Here, too, part of the public attention was devoted to the purpose of education, in particular the song “La Donna Mobile – Campaign against Gender Discrimination and Violence,” which contributed to a larger-scale initiative by authorities, cultural creators, and cultural institutions.
With two strong studio albums, the live album “Live and True” (2023), and several successful singles under their belt, VIOLET BLEND have completed extensive tours and festival shows, performing with big names such as Radiohead, Garbage, Palaye Royale, Chris Slade (AC/DC), Vinnie Moore, and Hanabie, to name but a few.
VIOLET BLEND are also working on a new album, but no further details are known at this time – so stay tuned!
Post-rock trio Jagged City, featuring Jake Woodruff (Defeater) and Carlos Torres (former touring member of Explosions In The Sky) have unveiled their debut single ‘Imaginary Lines’. They have also announced their debut EP, There Are More of Us, Always, to be released on 30th January via Pelagic Records.
Jake commented on the single “‘Imaginary Lines’ is a meditation on how all lines are imaginary – all borders are fake, all classifications are arbitrary, all divisions aren’t real. We are all connected, and any line made by force and power is a denial of that. Musically, this is the first full song on the record, and Urian [drums] nailed the groove – it feels natural, even though it’s in 5. I love how the chime-like guitar and fuzzed-out bass tones came together with the drum groove to form a cohesive, intimate, natural-sounding song.”
There Are More of Us, Always is a bold collection that moves between spacious, melodic guitar passages and raucous, swelling climbs. With heartfelt, melodious songwriting, a diverse range of eclectic touches buried within, and eruptions of dense, layered sound, this record delivers wonderfully balanced compositions through raw and personal production.
The project began as a cross-continental art experiment between Jake Woodruff (Defeater) and Carlos Torres (former touring member of Explosions In The Sky). What started as a simple exchange of ideas quickly found real shape through collaborative composition and thoughtful arrangement. Early sessions with David Haik helped refine the songs’ structures and drum frameworks, setting the groundwork for what would become Jagged City’s striking debut.
“We wrote with pure instinct, just tried to add something new to a genre that we love. As we traded ideas, we took some left turns and incorporated elements that may be unexpected.“ commented Woodruff.
When it came time to record, scheduling issues led to an inspired change of plans. Urian Hackney joined the project both behind the kit and behind the board, engineering and performing the drum parts that propel the record. In two intense days at The Box studio in Burlington, VT, Jake and Urian captured the core of the album with an immediacy and urgency that remain audible in every take.
Carlos recorded bass in Los Angeles alongside longtime musical colleague Michael James (Explosions In The Sky), while Jake added further guitar textures from his home studio, creating layers that thread the compositions together.
This debut is both a statement of intent and an open invitation: Jagged City offer music that rewards close listening and communal experience—an instrumental journey shaped by collaboration and a fierce commitment to feeling. While still post-rock, There Are More of Us, Always utilises a diverse range of influence, giving a freshness to each uniquely realised track.
“This record is a product of collaboration and love and creativity – we hope it inspires people to be connected and think collaboratively and creatively together. That’s the only way forward.” concludes Woodruff.
There Are More of Us, Alwaystrack list:
1. (DON’T DREAM ITS OVER) 2. IMAGINARY LINES 3. RAIN AND SIRENS 4. OCEAN EAST, OCEAN WEST 5. HAIRSPRING 6. MINUS POWER 7. (DELUGE IN A PAPER CUP)
Jagged City are:
Jake Woodruff – guitar Carlos Torres – bass Urian Hackney drums & production Featuring Takaakira Goto as guest guitarist on ‘Deluge in a Paper Cup’.
Belgian black metal institution Enthroned are opening a new chapter in their storied career with their upcoming twelfth album. Conceived during six years of ritualistic creation, Ashspawn now emerges as the band’s most uncompromising statement. Written in collaboration with occult author Gilles de Laval, it descends into spiritual death, only to emerge reborn amongst the flames.
“Longtime leader Nornagest is one of black metal’s great immovable objects”, Blabbermouthwrites about Ashspawn, “and on his band’s 12th full-length he comes across as a flame-eyed zealot in thrall to the dark side’s nefarious might”.
“Enthroned has managed to deliver one of the best Black Metal albums of 2025 thanks to their incisive and ravaging sound”, praises Infernal Masquerade.
Ashspawn was released, Friday, December 5, 2025 on Season of Mist, and you can bask in the towering flames of all nine songs by listening to the full album stream on the Season of Mist YouTube channel.
Ashspawn represents a total unity of vision. Enthroned channel ferocious blast beats, oppressive mid-tempos and progressive structures into an album that moves between violent catharsis and crushing introspection. Solos oscillate from Morbid Angel frenzy to sharp, ascendant phrases that recall classic heavy metal’s virtuosity.
Lead single “Raviasamin” is a chant and a curse, invoking both negation and transformation with frostbitten riffs and serpentine rhythms. The title track embodies the band’s driving ethos, blazing into spiritual destruction as a path toward transcendence. Conceived as the album’s final rite of passage, “Ashen Advocacy” rises in a slow-burning psalm of judgement. With each crack of the judge’s gavel, the song divides the self between accuser and the accused.
Ashspawn now stands darker, heavier, and more personal than anything in Enthroned’s catalogue, crafted as a transformative weapon rather than an act of reiteration.
With the release of their twelfth full-length Ashspawn, ENTHRONED mark a new chapter in their three-decade reign of ritualistic black metal. Conceived across six years of deliberate creation, the album emerges as both an autopsy and a resurrection: a descent into spiritual death followed by the sublimation of rebirth. Written in close collaboration with occult author Gilles de Laval, Ashspawn channels arcane praxis, metaphysical calculus, and esoteric mapping into a work that is as much ritual invocation as it is music. It is the culmination of Enthroned’s uncompromising vision: a weapon of transformation forged in fire and darkness.
Formed in 1993 in Namur, Belgium, Enthroned arose from the ashes of the blackened underground, quickly asserting themselves as one of the most relentless voices of European black metal. Their debut, Prophecies of Pagan Fire (1995), established the band’s reputation for feral speed, occult imagery, and unflinching dedication to the Left Hand Path. Less than a year after their formation, they signed their first record deal, making an immediate impact on the international scene.
Tragedy struck early in their journey when founding drummer Cernunnos took his own life in 1997, shortly after the recording of their sophomore album. Using his preserved rehearsal tracks, the band pressed forward with Towards the Skullthrone of Satan (1997), transforming grief into fury and ensuring Enthroned’s continuation as a vessel of uncompromising black metal. This resilience became a defining trait: through numerous line-up changes, the band’s spirit never wavered, anchored by a vision that was ritualistic rather than trend driven.
Over the following decades, Enthroned’s discography expanded into a formidable catalogue. Albums such as Armoured Bestial Hell (2001) and Carnage in Worlds Beyond (2003) pushed their sound into ever more violent and atmospheric territories. The mid-2000s witnessed a period of reinvention, with Tetra Karcist (2007) and Pentagrammaton (2010) deepening their exploration of occult philosophy and esoteric symbolism. Obsidium (2012) and Sovereigns (2014) continued this evolution, balancing ferocious aggression with ritual atmospheres. By the time of Cold Black Suns (2019), their debut for Season of Mist, Enthroned had crystallized a reputation as one of black metal’s most enduring institutions: a band that both honoured the origins of the genre and transcended them with an intellectual, ritualistic dimension.
Now, in 2025, Ashspawn stands as Enthroned’s most ambitious and personal statement to date. Musically, it embodies a total unity of vision: ferocious blast beats, oppressive mid-tempos, and progressive structures collapse into one another, laced with solos that veer from Morbid Angel-like madness to Judas Priest-inspired virtuosity. Lyrically, it operates as a metaphysical architecture, its verses designed not merely to be heard but to infect and transform. Tracks such as “Raviasamin,” “Ashspawn,” and “Ashen Advocacy” reveal its dual nature: violent catharsis intertwined with crushing introspection, a tribunal where the self is broken and reforged.
More than three decades after their inception, Enthroned remain steadfast in their purpose: not to replicate the past, but to realign with the forces that birthed them. Ashspawn is the testimony of this alignment, a ritual weapon that rejects nostalgia and compromise. It is a resurrection of spirit through suffering, a reaffirmation of Enthroned’s place among black metal’s most visionary entities.
Production Credits: Recorded at Ophiussa Studio, London, UK. Produced by Menthor. Mixed by Stefano Santi at SPVN Studio, Milan, Italy. Mastered by Phil Bashford at The Hive, London, UK
Think of Melanie and, once past “Brand New Key” and “Lay Down,” the most immediate image is probably a shy, nervous 22 year old stepping out alone onto the Woodstock stage, knowing that hardly anyone in that vast sea of humanity had even heard of her before.
A few had. The previous year, her debut album Born To Be caught some radio play around New York (and spawned a couple of hits in Europe); earlier in ’69, her sophomore set, Melanie, was built around songs she recorded on a much-acclaimed visit to the UK.
Still America regarded her as a total newcomer and, while she was happy to discuss her folk club past, she was equally willing to let people hold onto that preconception.
How wrong, however, it was. And if history had taken a slightly different turn around 1964, the whole world would already have known exactly who Melanie was.
Dropping on January 2, There Should Have Been A Rainbow is, effectively, Melanie’s true debut album and, as such, it readily stands alongside Bob Dylan’s recently released Bootleg Series examination of this same period, an unerring portrait of a young artist heading for fame. Indeed, while the CD includes 19 songs from throughout this period, the 11 song vinyl is a direct approximation of how that first LP might have lined up.
Recorded in a New York apartment across four sessions between 1963-1965, There Should Have Been A Rainbow captures the teenager already in full control of the voice and guitar style that would so single her out for attention (and adoration) at the end of the decade – only the songwriting has still to full develop, but even the handful of her own songs that are included here pack plenty of pointers for the future.
It is her grasp on the folk canon that most distinguishes the collection, however. 1963-1964 was the peak of the so-called Folk Revival, a movement that grew out of the Bohemian coffee houses of early ‘60s America, driven not only by its audience’s fascination with grassroots Americana, but also the growing awareness of social injustice that gave the era its other nickname – the Protest Boom.
Melanie was touched by both. Long before she heard the music of Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Bob Dylan et al, she was being teased at school for her “beatnik” tendencies. Her first exposure to traditional song, then, merely let her know that was not alone, and both Malvina Reynolds’ “Look What They’ve Done To The Rain” (included here) and Dylan’s “Blowing In The Wind” were constants in her repertoire.
But so, too, were past rock and country hits “La Bamba” and “Long Black Veil”; and so was a wild tranche of traditional songs – one of which, “Barbara Allen,” steps out today as the first single and video from this remarkable album.
It’s a gorgeous performance, and an important song for Melanie, too. She recalled in 2021, “‘Barbara Allen’ was in an esoteric play called Dark of the Moon that I was in,” which led directly to her meeting future husband Peter Schekeryk; and when Melanie’s second daughter was born, “I named her after the ballad, ‘Geordie’ [also included here]… spelled with a ‘J’ because it looks more feminine to me.”
Elsewhere on the album, her version of “I Never Will Marry,” with its extemporized spoken word passage, meanwhile, illustrates the humor that was already essential to her performing style; and it is illuminating, too, to compare Melanie’s version of “All My Trials” to Baez’s own, possibly definitive reading. Even at 16, Melanie had no intention of being labeled a copyist.
The most powerful takeaway from this collection, however, is the realization that a full three, even four years before Melanie was finally permitted to record her debut album, she was already in a position to do so. And while history long ago confirmed that Melanie was destined to be ranked among the most visionary songwriters and performers of her era, this album proves that history was late to the party.
Today, cinematic rock visionaries Earthside unleash Let The Truth Speak – Deluxe Edition, marking two years since their triumphant return. They have also announced their first live shows in Latin America with an appearance at CL Prog Festival in Santiago, Chile on 14-15 March 2026.
To celebrate, the band reveal ‘earthsink,’ an explosive new collaboration with U.S. experimental metal artist Daedric, featured as an exclusive bonus track. The song rises with celestial beauty before crashing down with Earthside’s trademark, world-shaking intensity. Watch the visualizer HERE.
Keyboardist Frank Sacramone reflects on the milestone: “Let The Truth Speak challenged everything—our writing, our production, our entire creative identity. It defined what ‘cinematic rock’ truly means for us. Now, we’re forging a future that can sustain our grandest visions.”
‘earthsink’ was born when Daedric shared a reel of an original vocal idea over the band’s song Watching the Earth Sink. Earthside were so struck by it that they invited her onstage during their U.S. tour—one of only two times a guest vocalist has performed with them. Inspired, guitarist Jamie van Dyck rebuilt the track around her soaring vocal motif, ultimately flying to Texas to complete the collaboration in person.
Talking about the song, Jamie says, “Kristyn creates worlds. Working with her expanded the mythos and depth of the piece. We hope this won’t be our last collaboration.”
Kristyn Hope from Daedric adds; “When I first heard “Let the Truth Speak” I was blown away by the cinematic impact of the sound paired with each vocalist’s unique quality. I noticed that “Watching the Earth Sink” was purely instrumental so I thought it would be cool to add a short vocal duet over the middle section. When Earthside decided to create an entirely new version to include me on the deluxe release of the album, I was deeply honored. It was quite daunting to approach the full track as I consider their work highly technical, but working with Jamie proved to be rewarding as we finalized the vocals together.”
The anniversary follows a breakthrough year that included their first North American headline tour and the powerful single ‘frozen heart ~ burning world’ building on their enthralling 2024 performances on tour with Soen and Leprous.
Since its release, Let The Truth Speak has delivered a series of standout singles, including the haunting “We Who Lament,” and the award-winning video for All We Knew And Ever Loved featuring Baard Kolstad (Leprous), which earned Best Music Video at the United Artist International Film Festival and screened at festivals worldwide.
A decade after their seismic debut A Dream in Static, Earthside continue to push themselves to the brink. “This album nearly tore our lives apart,” Sacramone admits. “It’s madness—but it’s beautiful.” Jamie adds: “If our debut was about the individual, Let The Truth Speak is about humanity. The world changed, and so did we.”
With new live shows on the horizon, Earthside are continuing to build on their cinematic, world-building sound.
Earthside live shows 2026:
4-8 March – Cruise to the Edge – Miami 14th March – CL Prog Festival – Chile 5th June – Ankea Festival – Finland
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 )