POKUTA came to life in Rzeszów (PL) in 2024 as a studio project. Three personalities, with inspirations that exceed far beyond typical black metal. Honest and without compromises exploring depths of own minds. POKUTA means atonement/expiation in English.
Debut album is titled “Metanoia” and is an attempt to respond to the transformations taking place in each of our value systems.
“Drawing from our own experiences, we share our reflections in these six pieces” – band comments.
Music for upcoming debut album titled “Metanoia” was composed by Mateusz Jakubski and recorded in 2025 at Warhouse and Lunar Studio. All was mixed and mastered by HW. Cover artwork and layout design was done by Mateusz Jakubski. Band photo by Sara Nowak.
Release date is set up on October 31, 2025 and will be released digitally and on CD by the Polish label Via Nocturna. CD could be purchased at official webstore (link here).
Today, few days before official release you can listen to the EP entirely.
TRACKLIST:
01. Mortal Coil 02. Eternal Illusion 03. Immoral 04. Metanoia 05. Desire 06. The Chosen One
Following her outstanding October 2025 UK tour, critically acclaimed British Blues phenom guitarist Joanne Shaw Taylor returns to the UK in January 2026 for five regional concerts. Planet Rock starts a 48-hour ticket pre-sale at 10am GMT on Wednesday October 29 via Planetrock.com.
The tour celebrates the recent release of Joanne’s critically acclaimed new studio album Black & Gold released by Journeyman Records, available on vinyl, CD and digitalHERE.
The tour kicks off at Edinburgh, The Queen’s Hall (Sunday 25 January) and continues at Buxton, Opera House (Monday 26 January), Blackpool, Opera House (Wednesday 28 January), Sunderland, The Fire Station (Thursday 29 January), and Southend, Palace Theatre (Friday 30 January).
Experience the magic of Joanne Shaw Taylor and her incredible band as they deliver a powerhouse performance featuring songs from her latest album, Black & Gold. Renowned for her electrifying guitar performances and soulful songwriting, Joanne’s vocals shine as she blends blues, rock, soul, and pop. The show also includes standout tracks from earlier albums and heartfelt tributes to classic blues legends. As one of today’s most dynamic performers, Joanne Shaw Taylor promises an unforgettable night of music.
The new album has received across-the-board rave reviews. Blues in Britain said, “JST is a great guitar player. On Black & Gold she’s on absolute top form,” while Bluestown Music professed, “Black & Gold is a true musical treat, wonderfully performed, immaculately produced.” Classic Rock’s 9/10 review said of the album, “Blues chanteuse strikes gold,” while Metal Planet Music declared, “Taylor’s songwriting ability is simply beyond reproach and continues to grow musically.”
Joanne will also perform songs from her rich back catalogue of albums including Heavy Soul, Nobody’s Fool, and The Blues Album which topped Billboard’s Official Blues Album Chart.
The Blues Album was voted #1 Most Played Blues Album of 2021 by the Independent Blues Broadcaster’s Association. Joanne will also perform select songs from her older album Reckless Heart, Wild, The Dirty Truth, Almost Always Never, Diamonds in the Dirt, and White Sugar.
One of the highlights from Joanne’s new Black & Gold album is “Look What I’ve Become”—a haunting reflection on addiction, isolation, and the moment of choosing whether to fight or let go. The gripping track blends minor-key blues intensity with the cinematic sweep of a Bond theme, anchoring some of Joanne’s most confessional songwriting and driving it home with her incredible signature guitar tone.
“This song’s about hitting that crossroads,” Joanne shares. “It’s about the moment where you either change everything or disappear. The lyrics came from a very honest place—and I wanted the music to match that intensity.” Watch the official music video HERE.
Always one to push boundaries, Joanne’s union with Joe Bonamassa’s Journeyman Records continues to flourish, ensuring that her music reaches her global fanbase. This relationship, alongside her innate creativity, guarantees a stream of sensational releases that cuts through the industry noise.
Discovered by Dave Stewart (the Eurythmics) as a mere 16-year-old, and subsequently invited to tour the world, Joanne’s rise to stardom, propelled by endorsements from music giants like Stevie Wonder and Annie Lennox, remains unmatched.
With a discography boasting chart-toppers like Reckless Heart, The Blues Album, and 2024’s Heavy Soul, Joanne is unstoppable. As she celebrates her rapturously received new studio album Black & Gold, fans can experience a cocktail of her signature guitar riffs, emotive vocals, and inspired songwriting.
Neil O’Brien Entertainment in association with Journeyman Records and Planet Rock presents:
JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR 2026 BLACK & GOLD UK TOUR, WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
PLANET ROCK 48-HOUR TICKET PRE-SALE STARTS 10AM WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 29 VIA PLANETROCK.COM
Joanne Shaw Taylor was discovered by Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics at the age of 16, quickly earning a spot on tour with his supergroup, D.U.P., and launching a remarkable career. Celebrated for her extraordinary guitar skills, Joanne has garnered acclaim from notables like Jimmy Cliff, Joe Bonamassa, Stevie Wonder, and Annie Lennox. By her 30s, she became one of the most sought-after guitarists in rock.
Joanne released her debut album, White Sugar, in 2009 on Ruf Records, showcasing her distinct soulful voice and advanced songwriting. She followed with critically acclaimed albums like Diamonds in the Dirt (2010) and Almost Always Never (2012), which included the UK radio hit “Soul Station.” Her subsequent albums, The Dirty Truthand Wild, continued to build her reputation, leading to a performance on BBC’s “Later with Jools Holland.”
Her career milestone came with Reckless Heart (2019), which broke into the UK Top 20 Album Chart, followed by The Blues Album (2021), produced by Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Blues Charts. Her 2022 album, Blues from the Heart Live, also hit No. 1 on the Billboard Blues Album chart.
Her 2024 album, Heavy Soul, produced by Kevin Shirley, debuted at #2 on the Billboard Blues Album chart. It celebrates a fusion of contemporary soul-pop and traditional blues roots, praised for its powerful lyrics and soul-stirring melodies. This album marks a significant evolution in her career, highlighting her growth as an artist and solidifying her status as a dynamic force in the blues-rock world.
Joanne’s 10th studio album, Black & Gold, was released to great critical acclaim on June 6, 2025, via Joe Bonamassa’s Journeyman Records. Produced by Kevin Shirley, the album blends blues-rock with influences from Americana, indie rock, and retro ’80s pop, further redefining the boundaries of the genre and marking a bold new chapter in Joanne’s prolific career.
Joanne will appear on B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100 – a tribute album conceived and co-produced by Joe Bonamassa that celebrates the King’s 100th birthday. The album will be released by KTBA Records on February 6, 2026.
Transcending Obscurity issued: While most bands have a familiar sound, Death Obvious have an unconventional, cohesive blend of sounds that I found alluring and it kept drawing me back to it at the end of the day. Even though the album was self-released on Bandcamp earlier in the year, to support music of this kind would only encourage more of such music to be created, and so we’ve decided to give it a proper release along with an additional song integral to the flow of the album. The album also has a new cover in the form of a photo taken by Petri Kiviniemi and there’s a specially made different artwork for merch by CVSPE.
Tracklisting – 1. Mercury Off Axis 2. Santuario 3. The Great Gate Theory 4. Total Heavenly Desolation 5. The Third Eye Burning 6. Suffer The Spectacle 7. As Absence Expands Over Everything 8. Catechismus For The Plagued
Death Obvious came out of nowhere to release a debut album that coalesces elements of black, death, and even doom metal to create a harrowing albeit intriguing sound that’s strangely both alarming and comforting in parts. Without adhering to any particular style or school, they’re just going about crafting music as it suits their demented vision in a recklessly intuitive manner, a cacophony of hurtling sounds that somehow hits the mark. The songs sound like excursions into pitch-black darkness, not knowing what’s coming next, while the listener remains terrified, haunted by monstrous and spectral voices coming and going. Their sound might not be easily penetrable at first but it remains strongly alluring, imploring for more time and understanding, waiting for its mysteries to be unravelled with multiple visitations. The Finnish duo are onto something here, having created an exceptional and mature release right off the bat, one that deserves as much attention as it can possibly get before it gets lost in the annals of history. This release is not a rebirth but a necessary resuscitation.
For fans of – Thantifaxath, Dodecahedron, Veilburner, Lurk, Blut aus Nord, Hexrot, Deathspell Omega
Line up – Lea Lavey – Vocals Sima Sioux – Everything else
From the dark heart of Italy emerges OCTO CRURA, a modern metal force blending horror, poetry, and arachnid mythology into an inescapable sonic web.
Signed to Darktune Label, they made their debut in 2022 with Tagmata, earning international recognition for their brutal sound and theatrical, nightmarish live shows.
Now they return with their second album, Aracno Clan (2024) — expanding their twisted universe where beauty and decay coexist, and every melody hides a fang.
We’re proud to announce that Hellfire Agency is now working with Octo Crura to spread their darkness across the globe.
The underground is rising. WormHoleDeath Fest Australia is set to ignite Darling Nikki’s in St Peter’s, NSW, with a brutal night showcasing some of the heaviest acts from the WormHoleDeath roster.
Prepare for raw, relentless, and uncompromising Australian metal. Headlining are KÜNTSQUÄD from Melbourne, delivering crust-infused death metal chaos that leaves no room for the faint-hearted. EVOCATUS follow with a lethal mix of melodic death and thrash, sharp hooks, and crushing intensity. DISTORTA bring their modern metalcore energy with rapid-fire riffs and earth-shaking breakdowns. Finally, DECIMATOR delivers old-school thrash precision and ferocious speed that demands attention.
During the day, DISTORTA will be filming their latest music video with the one and only John Jarratt — and you are invited to be part of it.
Arrive early, be in the crowd, and become part of the footage before staying for a night of pure, uncompromising metal.
Doors open 7 pm — grab your merch, stake your spot in the pit, and experience the intensity of the Australian underground, brought to you by WormHoleDeath Records and Black Roos.
Icelandic/US Black Metal entity MARTRÖÐ – surrounding core members A.P. (SKÁPHE) and H.V. (WORMLUST) – proudly announce their debut album will be released on December 12th. Following up sole previous release, 2016’s lauded “Transmutation of Wounds” EP, the band’s inaugural full-length “Draumsýnir eldsins” (“Dream Visions of the Fire“) blazes through four transcendent, maniacal tracks that revel in organised chaos and infernal surrealism, as swarming Black Metal bludgeon meets avant-Classical and psychotropic noise.
Tracklist:
01. Sköpunin 02. Likaminn 03. Timinn 04. Daudinn
“Draumsýnir eldsins” was written and recorded between 2022 and 2025 at MSK01/02. Simón Da Silva (AVERSIO HUMANITATIS) took care of mixing and mastering at The Empty Hall Studio. The cover artwork was designed by Kristína Þrá.
As an induction into the fevered maelstrom of “Draumsýnir eldsins“, MARTRÖÐ unveil the album’s opening track, ‘Sköpunin‘, as its first and only single. This maniacal piece perfectly captures the record’s essence via ominous, unrelenting and densely-composed avant Black Metal with a hallucinogenic edge.
MARTRÖÐ comment:
“‘Sköpunin‘ speaks from within the noosphere, the dream of all minds entwined. In that shared sleep, worlds are shaped and unmade, and the breath of God becomes an echo in the dark. What is dreamt here does not awaken; it devours the dreamer.“
“Draumsýnir eldsins” will be released on CD, vinyl – including an exclusive DMP variant – and digital on December 12th. A special t-shirt design will accompany the launch. Pre-orders are possible via DMP’s EU, US, and Bandcamp.
MARTRÖÐ began in 2015 not as a band, but as an experiment in convergence. It was never about the individual, but about what emerges when singular wills dissolve into a shared vision. In this sense, MARTRÖÐ functions as both seed and symptom: the impulse that later unfolded into Mystískaos, but also a form of collective dreaming in its own right.
The first articulation of this came with the “Transmutation of Wounds” EP in 2016, a work that did not seek catharsis but rather confrontation, a descent into layered sound as a mirror of existential fracture. After this, MARTRÖÐ entered a long period of gestation. What now emerges years later is not a continuation but a transformation: the full-length “Draumsýnir eldsins“, a cycle of dream-visions where humanity dreams its own apocalypse, angels are stitched from remnants, divinity is suspended in endless death, and creation collapses as the dreamer stirs awake.
MARTRÖÐ has remained intentionally outside the categories of stage, permanence, or identity. It exists in the unwaking hours, in the liminal space where visions take form. Its essence is the alignment of forces that briefly converge to give voice to dissolution, not performance, but invocation; not continuity, but the persistence of a nightmare that survives only through its recording.
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 )