Finland’s I, Cursed, who combine angry and furious death metal and grindcore, released their new Heretical Onslaught EP on September 11th 2025. The EP is released in cooperation with Finnish record labels Inverse Records & Meara Music which is also an agency and event producer based in Ulvila.
I, Cursed’s previous EP, Death Holograms, was a bleak and cold affair in terms of production. The new EP, Heretical Onslaught, is bleak like its predecessor, but a bit warmer, though still closer to a circulatory arrest and collapse. I, Cursed has also undergone some line up changes. Nico Brander, who played guitar on the new EP, has stepped aside. Bassist and the band’s main composer and lyricist Ville-Veikko Laaksonen has taken over on guitar. Joni Suodenjärvi, a familiar face from bands such as Cannibal Accident, Hateform, Mors Principium Est, and others, has been recruited as the band’s new bassist. I, Cursed will be touring Finland extensively throughout the fall with their new EP.
Track list:
Malignant
Impure
Nothing From The Ruins
Disfigurement
Funerary
Loss
Swarm
Death Pays It All
-Music & lyrics composed & written by Ville-Veikko Laaksonen -Produced & arranged by I, Cursed -Engineered by Ville-Veikko Laaksonen, Nico Brander & Jesse Simola -Recorded at Firefield Avenue & Soft Neon Audiovisual Studio Mixed & mastered by Jerkka Perälä -EP cover by Jerkka Perälä
Discography: I, Cursed / Blood Service S/T Split EP 2023 (Meara Music) Bloodsoaked / Storm Parade Double Single 2023 (Meara Music) Blades Single 2024 (Inverse Records / Meara Music) Sorrower Single 2024 (Inverse Records / Meara Music) Death Holograms Single & EP 2024 (Inverse Records / Meara Music) Disfigurement Single 2025 (Inverse Records / Meara Music) Death Pays It All Single 2025 (Inverse Records / Meara Music) Nothing From The Ruins Single 2025 (Inverse Records / Meara Music) Heretical Onslaught Album 2025 (Inverse Records / Meara Music)
Decibel Magazine is currently streaming I Watched You Burn, the new full-length from Australia’s NICOLAS CAGE FIGHTER, in its ravenous entirety. The premiere comes in advance of the record’s official release today, September 12th through Bleeding Art Collective and Blood Blast Distribution (Nuclear Blast Records/Believe).
Offers drummer Matt Davenport, “I Watched You Burn is the band taking its all-out assault to a new level, a confirmation of the sound and standing we have carved out over the years, and the demonstration of the new volatility that has been added to our sound through the influence of death and black metal. Still hardcore at its foundation, but through these influences, now broader in its brutality and far more incendiary. Like the central figure in the concept behind the album, it is unhinged and violent. Huge thanks to the team behind the album, and to everyone that has preordered or pre-saved the album and merch, thank you! See you on the road!”
Adds Decibel, “They bulldoze through ten ferocious tracks, balancing their death metal, hardcore and black metal influences adeptly. We’re trying our best to avoid any trite MMA references here, but I Watched You Burn will definitely (aurally) bruise and batter you.”
StreamNICOLAS CAGE FIGHTER’s I Watched You BurnHERE.
Watch NICOLAS CAGE FIGHTER’s previously released video for “I Watched You Burn” HERE and “The Executioner” 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 orders in the US HERE, in Australia/New Zealand/Asia HERE, and 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.
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.”
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.
” A fight song if there ever was one.” – Metal Injection on “Garden Of The Grieving Mother”
“It’s dense and unfriendly… I Watched You Burn is on the right trajectory pushing past the raw brutality of their debut and showcasing an ability to control their songwriting to cause the utmost destruction.” – Wall Of Sound
“Some songs hit like a brick wall. Others hit like the brick wall’s angry cousin who’s just found out humanity’s on fire – and he’s holding the match. That’s what I Watched You Burn sounds like…” – Crannk
“…engaging and dynamic…I Watched You Burn leaves little doubt that these guys are the next big thing in Australian deathcore, if not on the global stage.” – Heavy Blog Is Heavy
“With no stone left unturned, not one note missed, the overabundance of talent in this band shows no signs of slowing down. If the man himself, Nic Cage, endorses this band, then it can’t be a wrong move in diving deep into this album and their entire back catalogue… You cannot sleep on this album or this band, for that matter. NICOLAS CAGE FIGHTER came to set the world ablaze, and this album will be the soundtrack to the pyrotechnic demise they intend to bestow upon us.” – Heavy Mag
Epictronic is proud to announce the launch of its brand-new digital platform, developed in partnership with California-based GoldLeaf Media. The platform has been built to offer fans, artists, and industry partners a fresh, intuitive, and immersive experience.
From the latest news and releases to music videos and exclusive content, visitors can now explore everything Epictronic has to offer in one place—while discovering the growing roster of international talent shaping the label’s vision.
This launch marks a significant step in Epictronic’s mission to amplify creativity, innovation, and authenticity across the global indie rock scene.
A special thanks goes to Emma Coleman for her outstanding contribution and support in bringing this project to life.
Portuguese gothic metal veterans INHUMAN have officially announced their highly anticipated new album, “GLORIÆ”. The band’s fourth studio album is slated for a November 7 release via Alma Mater Records and marks a powerful return in 2025. Along with the debut single “Conspiratio”, INHUMAN has also released a brand new music video, offering an intense first glimpse of what to expect.
Commenting on “Conspiratio”, the band offers: “Conspiratio navigates the twilight of deceit and despair, where anguish blooms like fire over shattered hopes. Dense, piercing riffs weave with haunting echoes, crafting a soundscape of an imminent, crumbling apocalypse.“
Tracklist:
Absent Glory
Conspiratio
Seed of Ancient Hate
To Reign In Captivity
Illuminate the Pain
Semblance of Reality
Overgone
The Dreariest One
Do Fim dos Dias
Visionary State
Formed in December 1992 in Silves, a historic city in Portugal’s Algarve region, INHUMAN has been a cornerstone of the country’s gothic metal scene for over three decades. From their 1996 debut “Strange Desire” to the seminal 1998 follow-up “Foreshadow”, the band has consistently blended classic influences with a unique musical identity.
Their 2020 album, “CONTRA”, produced by Daniel Cardoso (Anathema, Moonspell, Angelus Apatrida) and released on the label led by Moonspell’s Fernando Ribeiro, marked a significant comeback. The album earned widespread acclaim, re-establishing the band’s status and paving the way for their latest effort.
Inspired by the Latin phrase for “of glory,” “GLORIÆ” is INHUMAN‘s most mature and daring album to date. Written during a challenging period for the band and once again produced by Daniel Cardoso, the new work delves deeply into themes of personal growth, overcoming obstacles, and self-discovery.
Lyrically, the album uses the concept of glory – and its absence – as a metaphor for personal struggles and triumphs. The band has also embraced a minimalist visual aesthetic, focusing on the interplay of presence and absence to invite listeners to interpret the subjective nature of glory.
As INHUMAN explains: “At this stage of our career, we feel the need to strip away unnecessary layers, both visually and conceptually. The focus is clear: the music must speak louder than any image. Our approach with ‘GLORIÆ’ is simple yet bold – let the music be at the heart of our existence.”
“GLORIÆ” is not just an album; it is an artistic manifesto from a band that has stood the test of time, continues to push boundaries, and leaves an indelible mark on the Portuguese metal scene.
SLYTHER return with their brand new single, “Flask N’ Bone”, offering another fierce taste of their upcoming debut album “Chronicles of Despair”, due out October 10th via Time To Kill Records. The track sees the Italian thrashers firing on all cylinders, delivering a whirlwind of cutting riffs, hardcore-fueled aggression and infectious groove.
With “Flask N’ Bone”, SLYTHER sharpen the contrast between razor-edged thrash precision and the wild, unhinged energy of crossover. The single channels the ferocity of Overkill while injecting the irreverent spirit of Municipal Waste, capturing the band’s ability to honor thrash tradition while pushing it forward with a raw, youthful intensity.
“’Flask N’ Bone’ – Remorse, self-destruction, and the emptiness left by a corrupted conscience . Opening the concept album Chronicles of Despair, Flask N’ Bone tells the downward spiral of a corrupt lawyer, a symbol of power wielded without justice or ethics. The turning point comes with the suicide of a mother to whom he denied custody of her child and any means of support, marking the beginning of an emotional collapse where guilt becomes overwhelming. Crushed by the weight of his actions, the protagonist seeks refuge in alcohol and addiction, spiraling into a self-destructive cycle that leads to depression and ultimately suicide. Yet even this final act offers no redemption: he realizes that nothing will erase the harm he has caused. Within the album’s broader narrative, Flask N’ Bone introduces a deeply personal reflection on the abuse of power and the failure to leave behind anything meaningful. The very title “Flask and Bone” becomes a symbol of the emptiness he leaves behind: no values, no legacy, just the physical remains of a life marked by moral decay”.
“Chronicles of Despair” is a powerful and visceral concept album that explores, track by track, the darkest tensions of the human soul and contemporary society. In a world marked by war, corruption, media manipulation, and existential crisis, the album unfolds a journey that moves from despair to inner awakening, tackling pressing themes with raw, direct, and emotionally charged language.
The journey begins with “Flask N’ Bone”, an intense narrative of self-destruction and remorse, portraying a corrupt lawyer haunted by guilt—a symbol of a conscience that finds no peace. From there, the album expands into a collective dimension with “Madness”, a denunciation of nuclear war insanity, and “Shut The Fuck Up”, a rebellious track targeting disinformation and the dominance of media power.
“Violent Fist” gives voice to the blind rage that fuels conflict, while “Visions” pulls the listener into the haunting realm of sleep paralysis—a metaphor for the unconscious fears triggered by global tension. The inner journey turns more intimate with “Memories”, a melancholic instrumental that evokes childhood recollections and lost innocence.
“Awake-4” marks a turning point: a painful awakening from nostalgia, necessary to confront harsh reality. The final chapter, “The Sleepwalker”, closes the album with a powerful allegory of insecurity and illusion, culminating in a clear and resonant message:
“Awake from the lies, pursue the good, and never surrender.”
“Chronicles of Despair” is a scream, a reflection, and a call for awareness. An emotional chronicle of the afflictions of our time, but also an invitation to inner resistance.
Tracklist:
1. Flask N’ Bone 2. Madness 3. Shut The Fuck Up 4. Violent Fist 5. Visions 6. Memories 7. Awake-4 8. The Sleepwalker
SLYTHER is a young thrash/crossover band hailing from Pescara, Italy, and active since 2020. Formed by musicians born between 2005 and 2007, the group delivers a direct, high-energy sound rooted in modern thrash with strong crossover influences.
Since 2022, SLYTHER has been active on the live circuit, performing at major events such as the Day 0 of Frantic Fest 2023 and sharing the stage with well-known names in the Italian underground like Game Over and Fingernails. Among their first releases is the single “Shut The Fuck Up” (July 2023), which has surpassed 10,000 streams and offers a taste of the debut album currently in the works.
Line-up:
Marco Aquino – Vocals, rhythm guitar Federico Pavese – Drums Federico Pistilli – Lead guitar Giovanni De Bonis – Bass
Steve Morse Band have announced details of their brand-new album, Triangulation, which will be released on 14 November via Music Theories Recordings (Yngwie Malmsteen, Ayreon, Paul Gilbert, Vandenberg). To celebrate, they have unveiled the official video for their new track, Break Through.
Break Through is the first new music since the release of 2009’s Out Standing In Their Field. Talking about the track, Steve says, “This may start with a guitar riff, but the bass carries the melody. It’s just a great feel to play over, and a positive vibe to start the album.”
Whenever we think of the greatest guitar players of all time, Steve Morse is a name that’s always in the conversation. This album sees Morse teaming up once again with Dixie Dregs, Steve Morse Band, and Flying Colors bassist Dave LaRue, with Van Romaine [Steve Morse Band/Enrique Iglesias] joining on drums.
Steve beams, “Dave and Van have been the bedrock of this trio, and this recording shows why. These guys are unique and incredible musicians on their own, and together, our chemistry is magical. While making the album, we played together, working through parts, riffing off each other, and collaborating on arrangements. I’d bring an idea, and hear it instantly — and then hear it improved. We made this album together, and you can hear it.”
There are also some stellar guest features, from Eric Johnson’s majestic contributions to TexUS and John Petrucci bringing his inimitable progressive metal thunder and, of course, Kevin Morse joining his father on “Taken by an Angel.”.
Executive producer Bill Evans noted, “The compositions are among Steve’s best. And audiences can finally hear every detail of Van and Dave’s performance…the band’s collaborative musicality.” Steve added, “Brian captured me brilliantly, and Carl Roa created more sonic and performance clarity than we’ve ever had.”
Morse started his career in the mid-1970s, playing mind-melting jazz-rock with The Dixie Dregs, which earned him multiple Grammy nominations in the process. The following decade, he formed the Steve Morse Band, grabbing an additional Grammy nod, and joined arena heavyweights Kansas, before being recruited by rock and roll originals Deep Purple in 1994. And despite being in one of the world’s biggest bands, he continued to innovate in other projects like Living Loud, Angelfire, and Flying Colors – as well as guitar supergroup G3 – showing the world just how much versatility there was in those magic fingers. He announced his departure from Deep Purple in 2022, choosing to care for his wife, who passed away in 2024, by that point having become their longest-serving guitarist.
Naturally, the last few years have been the most personally traumatic of his life, which is perhaps why this year’s creative comeback with the new Steve Morse Band album Triangulation embodies the spirit of a master returning to do what he does best. Its nine tracks are a thrilling ride through the mind of a musician who seemingly knows no bounds, crossing over into a cornucopia of sounds and styles from funk and blues to classical and metal.
“The album title Triangulation comes from the concept of aviators, navigators, and sailors looking at two points to pinpoint their exact location at a specific moment in time,” says Steve. It’s a geographical concept that also applies to human life on a broader level, and given the journey Morse has been on in recent years, it’s only natural that he’s been on a path of self-discovery and reflection.
Perhaps the most poignant of the nine tracks is “Taken By An Angel” – a tribute to Steve’s beloved wife Janine. Steve left the music world behind to care for her, remaining by her side until her final days.. “That song is new territory for me,” explains Morse. “It was put together for my late wife’s memorial service, with my son Kevin playing along. It brought tears to many folks’ eyes because Janine was a huge part of my life and career. People knew her from the Steve Morse Band tours. She was the smiling face opening CDs for me to sign, selling t-shirts, listening to people’s stories in the crowd, and taking photos for VIP visits.”
After all the heartache and anguish of the last few years, you can’t help but feel grateful Morse is once again ready to share his creative genius with the world around him. Given his stature among the guitar community – often lauded as ‘your hero’s hero’ in the same way people spoke about Jeff Beck – his creative return marks a new phase of inspiration and brilliance. In that sense, you can tell the release of this record means a lot to him.
Track listing 1. Break Through 2. Off the Cuff 3. TexUS (ft. Eric Johnson) 4. The Unexpected 5. March of the Nomads 6. Ice Breaker 7. Tumeni Partz 8. Triangulation (ft. John Petrucci) 9. Taken by an Angel (ft. Kevin Morse)
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 )