While Spotify has announced price increases in several regions, including Germany and other European countries, where prices will rise from €10.99 to €12.99 per month,ROKK is taking a different path.
According to our first performance reports, ROKK pays artists at least 5 to 6 times more per stream – while still keeping the monthly subscription at just €10.99, even as others increase their prices.
Alex Landenburg (Co-Founder, ROKK): “Streaming doesn’t need to be more expensive and unfair. We want to prove that fans can actually save money while bands earn significantly more. That’s exactly what ROKK is all about. Plus our app sounds a lot better.”
As a summer special, users can enter the code 666 and pay only €6.66 per month for the first three months (after the free trial, available only on https://welcome-to-rokk.com). ROKK covers the difference — so the artist still gets the full payout, just as if you were paying the regular price.
Photo: Founders Alex Landenburg and Peter Moog
About ROKK:
ROKK is a new music streaming platform dedicated to fairness, transparency, and support for real artists, with a special focus on Rock, Metal, and alternative music. With Direct Artist Support and a growing global library, ROKK is building a future where music stays real and more musicians can make a living from their music again.
ROKK is available now on iOS, Android, and on the web at rokk.app throughout Europe and the UK, with plans to expand to other territories soon.
“The Executioner” is the latest video/single from Australia’s NICOLAS CAGE FIGHTER. The scathing new hymn comes by way of the band’s I Watched You Burn full-length set for release on September 12th via Bleeding Art Collective and Blood Blast Distribution (Nuclear Blast Records/Believe).
Offers guitarist Justin Ellis of the track, “‘The Executioner’ is our hardest hitting and most pit inducing song yet from the upcoming album. It has massive grooves, throwdowns and blasts of mayhem; a song that just brings together everything that inspires and identifies NICOLAS CAGE FIGHTER. The video captures the violent unravelling of the conceptual character behind I Watched You Burn and picks up from where the end of the last music video [for the album’s title track] left off; it’s confronting and the most intense music video we have done to date. When we filmed the clip, we had actually just finished a national tour the night before, so we look as unhinged as the video itself.”
Watch NICOLAS CAGE FIGHTER’s previously released video for “I Watched You Burn” HERE. Stream “Garden Of The Grieving Mother” HERE.
I Watched You Burn was mixed and mastered by Christian Donaldson (Suffocation, Cryptopsy, The Agonist, Get The Shot) and will be released on CD, LP, and digital formats.
Find preorders in the US HERE, in Australia/New Zealand/Asia HERE, and in Europe/UK HERE.
NICOLAS CAGE FIGHTER is a four-piece metal-driven hardcore act from Ballarat, Victoria. The band’s critically acclaimed 2022-released debut full-length, The Bones That Grew From Pain, led to features in key music media outlets including Decibel Magazine and a front-page feature in HEAVY Mag while also featuring on a number of renowned Spotify Playlists. Wall Of Sound hailed, “a massive slab of chest-beating heaviness, tailor-made for the live stage,” while Angry Metal Guy wrote, “The album is an economical burner with 37 minutes of crushing riffs, blasting drums and screaming vocals. As the name suggests, NICOLAS CAGE FIGHTER never relent.” New Noise concurred, “If you’re looking to take a break from fancy, artsy heavy music and need something that’ll strictly tap into your aggression and resolve, The Bones That Grew From Pain is a viable option… relentless.”
This year’s follow-up, I Watched You Burn, continues the trajectory. “If this album was a Nic Cage film, it would be Mandy,” vocalist and lyricist Nick Moriarty notes. “It’s dark, savage, and has a righteous thirst for bloody vengeance; we are pushing our sound to new extremes.
“I Watched You Burn as a whole is a bit of a concept album lyrically,” he further elaborates, “one that continues exploring the themes which were covered in our earlier releases but builds on these concepts in more of a narrative and fantastical story-driven manner. Where [2021’s] Cast You Out EP was an introspective exploration of the self-struggling to overcome adversity in an unforgiving world, The Bones That Grew From Pain was a reflection of how the people around us handle the same burdens and project our misery outwards. I Watched You Burn is the culmination of a world which has unraveled and imploded under the weight of its occupants’ ignorance and malicious past, and a first person perspective into the extermination of all life on Earth. This is the tale of an immortal serial killer on a dying planet, coming to terms with life, death, and what it truly means to be human.”
Adds Ellis, “Working with [engineer] Dylan Volk on this album was a lot of fun. We did so much preproduction on this release and picked apart every track I wrote. We really wanted to make sure we picked the absolute best riffs and built on those ideas. After making sure every track was dialed in, we started tracking and knocked it out in a few weeks. This is our heaviest and most punishing release so far. It feels like the next level for NICOLAS CAGE FIGHTER and makes me excited to continue writing more music in the future.”
In early 2025, it was revealed in The Guardian that the actor Nicolas Cage himself is a fan of the band, not only commenting that he thinks the band is terrific, but also quoting some of the band’s lyrics in an interview. With vicious go-for-the-throat sound and an incendiary live performance, NICOLAS CAGE FIGHTER have truly earned the reputation of their namesake.
NICOLAS CAGE FIGHTER: Nick Moriarty – vocals Justin Ellis – guitars Matt Davenport – drums Connor McMillan – bass
One of the most memorable genre defining hits of 1985, Autograph’s “Turn Up The Radio,” comes in for a thorough reworking and rerecording, as the title track and first single from founder and frontman Steve Plunkett’s new album – a dramatic sonic overhaul of the band’s gold selling debut LP.
Formed in Los Angeles in 1983, where they were discovered by famed producer Andy Johns, Autograph initially came to notice as they toured with Van Halen – in fact, the band only settled on a name on their way to Florida for the first show of the tour!
Their debut album, the epic Sign In Please, followed later in the year – a slow starter to begin with but, once it entered the Billboard chart in June 1985, it sometimes felt as though it would never leave.
“Turn Up The Radio” had a lot to do with that, dominating not only radio and MTV, but also an episode of Miami Vice– one of the key “must watch TV” shows of the day. Wryly, Steve Plunkett later revealed that the band’s label didn’t want the song to even appear on the album, “because they thought it had no commercial value.”
Instead it became a metal classic, making VH-1’s Top 100 Hard Rock Songs, the New York Times’ Top 15 Essential Hair Metal Videos and topping Guitar Player’s Guitar Solo of the Year poll. It is still being played today.
“1985 was a great year for me,” reflects Plunkett today. “Autograph released their first album and it was a hit! We toured constantly and lived the Rock’n’ Roll dream. That album made an impact at rock radio and with the fans.
“Now, for the 40 th anniversary, I wanted to Sign in Again with all new recordings and a 2025 sonic take. Not Autograph – because I could never improve on that record, but a Steve Plunkett ‘solo’ version focused on the songs. I hope these new versions will make you rock again like we did back in the day. Turn it up!”
All ten of the original album’s tracks are here, beginning – of course! – with that unforgettable opening triptych of “Send Her To Me” (the band’s second single, in early 1985), “Turn Up The Radio” and “Nineteen and Non Stop.”
Plunkett has tinkered a little with the running order – “Cloud 10” shifts from the first half of the album to the middle of the second, and “In The Night” replaces “All I’m Gonna Take” as the closing number.
But fresh arrangements and electrifying performances more than compensate for any unfamiliarity, Plunkett’s post-Autograph success scoring movies and TV invoking startling new dimensions and directions to the music.
A collective of fate on a journey through their own abyss
LORD OF THE LOST continue their journey: On December 12, 2025, the genre-fluid six-piece unveils the next chapter of their ongoing album trilogy with OPVS NOIR Vol. 2. This second part delves deeper into their melancholic take on unraveling their innermost selves and adds a hopeful new layer to the wonderfully dark panorama that was opened up by OPVS NOIR Vol. 1.
OPVS NOIR Vol. 2 adds another 11 songs to the trilogy and is released in several editions, among them strictly limited collectibles.
Get Your Copy Of OPVS NOIR Vol. 2 NOW – Available in Many Formats Including Strictly Limited Collector’s Editions!
OPVS NOIR Vol. 2 tracklisting:
The Fall From Grace
Would You Walk With Me Through Hell? (& Infected Rain)
One Of Us Will Be Next
Walls Of Eden
Raveyard (feat. Käärijä)
The Last Star
What Have We Become (feat. IAMX)
Winter’s Dying Heart
Scarlight
Please Break The Silence (feat. Anna Brunner)
Sharp Edges
Following their enchantingly colorful BLOOD & GLITTER, which earned them participation in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 and a #1 chart entry in their native Germany, LORD OF THE LOST reinvent themselves yet again. With OPVS NOIR Vol. 2, another 11 heartfelt songs join the three-part cycle, tying seamlessly into Vol. 1. Once again produced by frontman Chris Harms in the historic Chameleon Studios, it is yet another stirring example of the Hamburg-based band’s unparalleled versatility. Opening with dark yet catchy “The Fall From Grace”, LORD OF THE LOST immediately showcases their way with grand ballroom choruses weaved into grave melodies that will continue to sit enthroned on all the varied tracks until the last note of the ballad “Sharp Edges”.
Joining in are guests ranging from scene favorites to top-tier musicians outside the metal genre. First up is INFECTED RAIN’s Lena Scissorhands, who refines the pitch-black “Would You Walk With Me Through Hell?” with the full range of her fierce, yet fragile vocals. Similarly, Anna Brunner of rising melodic metal stars LEAGUE OF DISTORTION and symphonic metal band EXIT EDEN lends her energetic voice to “Please Break The Silence”, inducing goosebumps – every talent is an important scene in OPVS NOIR’s grimly colorful movie for the ears. Unexpectedly, yet fittingly, Finnish rap artist KÄÄRIJÄ, runner-up at Eurovision 2023, turns “Raveyard” into a dancefloor with a mix of industrial, gothic, and Finnish rap—as if heralding the dawn of a new genre. The most moving collaboration is the opulent “What Have We Become”, in which experimental artist IAMX meets Chris Harms for a cathartic duet.
Completely fearless, LORD OF THE LOST have long since playfully risen above genre conventions and expectations. OPVS NOIR Vol. 2 mercilessly opens new doors in the band’s musical palace, yet still feels 100% at home for fans from the very beginning!
OPVS NOIR Vol. 2: To be continued…
LORD OF THE LOST Live 2025
LORDS OF FYRE CO-HEADLINE TOUR LORD OF THE LOST & FEUERSCHWANZ w/ The Dark Side Of The Moon 02.10.25 DE – Berlin / Columbiahalle 03.10.25 DE – Leipzig / Haus Auensee 04.10.25 DE – Offenbach / Stadthalle 10.10.25 DE – Hanover / Swiss Life Hall 11.10.25 DE – Fürth / Stadthalle 17.10.25 DE – Munich / Zenith 18.10.25 DE – Düsseldorf / Mitsubishi Halle
UK + IRELAND TOUR 30.10.25 UK – Wolverhampton 31.10.25 UK – Manchester 01.11.25 UK – Whitby / Tomorrows Ghosts Festival 02.11.25 UK – Glasgow 04.11.25 UK – Belfast 05.11.25 IE – Dublin 07.11.25 UK – Bristol 08.11.25 UK – London 09.11.25 UK – Southampton
DARK WINTER TOUR – USA & CANADA 2026 Co-Headliner Tour w/ The Birthday Massacre Special Guest Wednesday 13 19.01.26 US – Baltimore, MD / Baltimore Soundstage 20.01.26 US – Philadelphia, PA / Theatre of Living Arts 21.01.26 US – New Haven, CT / Toad’s Place 23.01.26 US – New York, NY / Webster Hall 24.01.26 US – Worcester, MA / The Palladium 25.01.26 CA – Montreal, QC / Beanfield Theatre 26.01.26 CA – Toronto, ON / Phoenix Concert Theatre 28.01.26 US – Cleveland, OH / House of Blues 29.01.26 US – Cincinnati, OH / Bongart’s 30.01.26 US – Detroit, MI / St. Andrews Hall 31.01.26 US – Chicago, IL / Concord Music Hall 02.02.26 US – Minneapolis, MN / First Avenue 04.02.26 US – Denver, CO / Summit Music Hall 05.02.26 US – Salt Lake City, UT / The Complex 07.02.26 US – Los Angeles, CA / The Fonda 08.02.26 US – San Francisco, CA / UC Theatre
Australia 2026 19.02.26 AU – Brisbane / Crowbar 20.02.26 AU – Melbourne / Max Watts 21.02.26 AU – Sydney / Crowbar 22.02.26 AU – Adelaide / Lion Arts
LORD OF THE LOST are: Chris Harms – Vocals, Guitar Pi Stoffers – Guitar Benjamin “Benji“ Mundigler – Guitar, Synths Klaas Helmecke – Bass Gerrit Heinemann – Piano, Synths, Percussion Niklas Kahl – Drums
This Friday, August 22, Swiss heavy metal frontrunners BURNING WITCHES will celebrate the release of their much-awaited new studio album, entitled Inquisition, out via Napalm Records!
Now, the band drops their third single from Inquisition, “Soul Eater”. The all-woman act combines classic heavy metal elements with the energy and drive of ’80s thrash metal, as “Soul Eater” pounds the listener with unrelenting heavy metal power! Thrashing drums, aggressive riffs, and screeching vocals complement the memorable chorus within the track.
“This is the sound of Burning Witches, which represents our soul, mood and ravenous character in the love of Heavy Metal,”the band comments.“Fast, heavy, screamy – just how we like it! So play it as loud as you can, metalheads!”
On their sixth studio offering, Inquisition, the band returns with a darker, more thunderous brew — diving headfirst into the themes of medieval persecution, religious oppression, and the unbreakable spirit of resistance. Featuring 12 brand-new tracks, the album marks a bold new era: forged in the flames of power/heavy metal, and sharpened by anthemic songwriting and epic instrumentation.
When BURNING WITCHES takes the stage, the world trembles beneath their firestorm of heavy metal might! Following the classic heavy metal tones of their previous record, The Dark Tower (2023), Inquisition delivers tight production and an unrelenting onslaught of burning riffs, crushing drums, and vocal sorcery, driven by producers Damir Eskic (Destruction) and V.O. Pulver (Little Creek Studio, Pro-Pain, Destruction), and shaped by the songwriting of founding guitarist Romana Kalkuhl.
With Inquisition, BURNING WITCHES unleashes their most focused and ferocious album yet, honoring classic heavy metal roots while diving into darker, more powerful territory. From mystical ballads to breakneck shred-fests, the album channels both the sacred and profane, the melodic and the menacing—a testament to a band unafraid to evolve, fight, and enchant!
Romana Kalkuhl recently said:“As we celebrate our 10 Year Anniversary in 2025, I am very happy to also announce our sixth album with pride and satisfaction. I am extremely happy to start the next chapter of our metal journey with my girls. The album Inquisition is for those of you who are into legends like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Slayer. Full of power, melodies, double bass drums, heavy riffs and speedy guitar solos, Inquisition is not only our style and lifestyle, it’s our life! From the beginning to the end, it’s the best of us!”
Europe: Witches And Kings Tour Support: Hammer King
09.01.26 Milano – Legend Club IT 10.01.26 Obertraubling – Airport DE 11.01.26 Zlin – Masters Of Rock Cafe CZ 13.01.26 Rubigen – Mühle Hunziken CH 14.01.26 Brugg – Salzhaus CH 15.01.26 Basel – Sudhaus CH 16.01.26 Langenthal – Old Capitol CH 17.01.26 Zug – Galvanik CH 18.01.26 St.Gallen – Grabenhalle CH 19.01.26 Glarus – Kulturzentrum Hölastei CH 20.01.26 Monthey – Pont Rouge CH 21.01.26 Wetzikon – Kulturfabrik CH 23.01.26 London – The Dome UK 24.01.26 Birmingham – The Asylum UK 25.01.26 Manchester – Academy 3 UK 27.01.26 Kortrijk – DVG Club BE 28.01.26 Paris – Backstage By The Mill FR 29.01.26 Essen – Turock DE 30.01.26 Kaiserslautern – Kammgarn DE 31.01.26 Aschaffenburg – Colos Saal DE 01.02.26 München – Backstage Halle DE 03.02.26 Nürnberg – Hirsch DE 04.02.26 Leipzig – Hellraiser DE 05.02.26 Hannover – Musikzentrum DE 06.02.26 Hamburg – Logo DE 07.02.26 Uden – De Pul NL 08.02.26 Heerlen – Nieuwe Nor NL 10.02.26 Lyon – Rock N Eat FR 11.02.26 Barcelona – Salamandra ESP 12.02.26 Murcia – Garaje ESP 13.02.26 Madrid – Revi Live ESP 14.02.26 Vitoria – Urban Rock ESP
25.04.26 Reinhardshagen – Wezer Metal Meeting DE 03.05.26 Diest – Hell Open Air BEL 09.05.26 Rautheim DE Rock In Rautheim DE 26.06.26 Oschersleben – Rock & Metal Dayz DE
US Dates:
03/14/26 Pompano Beach, FL @ Piper’s Pub 03/15/26 Clearwater, FL @ OCC Road House 03/20/26 Westland, MI @ Token Lounge 03/22/26 Cleveland, OH @Beachland Ballroom 03/24/26 Pittsburgh, PA @ Crafthouse Stage and Grill 03/27/26 Teaneck, NJ @ The Debonair Music Hall 03/28/26 New Bedford, MA @ The Vault Performing Arts Center 03/29/26 Hampton Beach, NH @ Wally’s 04/01/26 Annapolis, MD @ Ram’s Head On Stage 04/02/26 Virginia Beach, VA @ Elevation 27 04/04/26 Sanford, FL @ West End Trading Co
BURNING WITCHES are: Romana Kalkuhl – Guitar Laura Guldemond – Vocals Courtney Cox – Guitar Jay Grob – Bass Lala Frischknecht – Drums
Just in time for their Summer Breeze Open Air show, KANONENFIEBER release the single “Z-Vor!” with a striking lyric video. The song opens the upcoming compilation “Soldatenschicksale” (“Soldiers’ Fates”), out 30 January 2026 via Century Media Records, which revisits battles of the First World War through the eyes of individual soldiers.
KANONENFIEBER, created by Noise in 2020, draws inspiration from his great-grandfather’s war diary, turning historical accounts into authentic, intense music. The band keeps members anonymous, paying tribute to all fallen soldiers.
In March 2026, KANONENFIEBER embark on the Soldatenschicksale Tour, featuring exhibitions and immersive historical experiences at shows.
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 ) 