Finnish Phoboian releases their second single “The Fall”. We return to the heavy beauty of operatic metal and grim themes. The apocalyptic disease of “The Plague” is followed by depictions of ecological catastrophe. The band is preparing for their upcoming album in addition to shows.
Guitar player Otso Turunen tells about the song: “”The Fall’ means the autumn of humanity. After releasing a billion years worth of carbon deposits as plastic and greenhouse gases it’s a good time to check out. Only time will tell how things actually turn out. Either way the message of the song is that future generations or evolutions will remember us at least from this monument the size of an asteroid impact.”
Singer Inka Laitinen continues: “The song has a beautiful melody that allows me to use a wider vocal range, making the singing interesting. I really like the atmosphere of the song, which is melancholic and hints at destruction, but in my opinion, the melody still carries a sense of hope.”
Phoboian is a melodic death metal orchestra from Turku, Finland. The band’s music incorporates classical female vocals into heavy nordic melancholy. Phoboian was established in 2017 during an after party to a metal gig, and since has gathered six musicians to its ranks: singers Inka Laitinen and Eeva Korhonen, drummer Kristo Rautavuori, bassist Jonathan Åkerman, and guitarists Olli Kuure and Otso Turunen.
Prepare for a sonic onslaught as Militia Vox and industrial collective FleischKrieg join forces for ‘Reach,’ a punishing new industrial metal single, out now via Golden Robot Records.
Featuring the legendary Logan Mader (Machine Head, Soulfly) on guitars, who has produced for metal heavyweights like Gojira, Five Finger Death Punch, and Fear Factory, ‘Reach‘ delivers a crushing mix of industrial soundscapes, cinematic chaos, and bone-rattling riffs.
Militia Vox and FleischKrieg’s collaboration was forged at Wasteland Weekend, the world’s largest post-apocalyptic festival held annually in the Mojave Desert. A staple of the APOC (apocalypse) scene, Militia Vox will return to perform at Wasteland this fall for the 15th anniversary of the Mad Max-inspired event. “This song is a testament to my love for the APOC scene and the community,” says Militia Vox. “We are some of the most die-hard, heavy music lovers on the planet. The commitment to the Wastelander lifestyle, the creativity, and the people are like no other. Wasteland is my happy place. It’s where my music and my fire show make the most sense, and they fully accept my artistry – uncensored.”
Known for her incendiary live performances, Militia Vox has a reputation for pushing boundaries – having been banned from multiple venues, colleges, and events for reasons, such as, “inspiring lewd behavior” and an unauthorized fire performance in a New York City landmark building.FleischKrieg, fresh off a tour supporting Mushroomhead, brings their signature “Neon Babylon” sound to ‘Reach.’ Co-songwriter Richard Cranor describes the track as “an out-of-body experience where you realize you are not at the top of the food chain.”
Militia Vox is also the powerhouse vocalist of the world’s only all-female Judas Priest tribute band, Judas Priestess. Her connection to the Metal God himself, Rob Halford, is solidified with a duet on “Push Comes to Shove” by Bad Penny – making her the only artist to have recorded a song with the legend she tributes. Both Militia Vox and Judas Priestess are signed to Golden Robot Records (Sony/The Orchard).
With its relentless energy, searing vocals, and apocalyptic industrial metal fury, ‘Reach‘ is set to leave a lasting mark on the heavy music landscape.
About Militia Vox: “One of the greatest rock vocalists” – Blabbermouth “A badass vocalist capable of commanding any stage” (- The Guardian)
New York City’s alt-metal multidisciplinary artist Militia Vox is a unique and rebellious blend of metal, rock, goth/industrial, prog and cinematic soundscapes. Known for her 4-octave range, raw presence and serious vocal power, this award-winning heavy music trailblazer has recorded / performed with: Cyndi Lauper, Twisted Sister, Living Colour, Nancy Sinatra, Candlebox, L7, dUg Pinnick (King’s X), John Petrucci (Dream Theater), Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme, Rihanna), Paul Schaffer and the CBS Orchestra and members of Guns ’n’ Roses, Bad Wolves, Kittie and more.
Her duet with heavy metal icon Rob Halford (Judas Priest – Rock n Roll Hall of Fame 2022 inductees), “PUSH COMES TO SHOVE” by Bad Penny, reached #23 on iTunes. She is also frontwoman of all-female heavy metal sensation, Judas Priestess – and the only artist to have a duet with the person they’ve tributed!
Militia made her Carnegie Hall debut in 2022 in “SuperYou! The Musical” and has performed Off-Broadway in “Sandra Bernhard: Everything Bad and Beautiful,” in the National Tours of Dee Snider’s horror orchestra “Van Helsing’s Curse” (Lead Vocalist), Black Women Rock / Daughters of Betty and “Rock of Ages” (Justice), “The Rocky Horror Show” (Magenta, Columbia) and the European Tour of “Jesus Christ Superstar.”
She is a songwriter/composer, filmmaker and AR/VR/XR/immersive creator. Militia hosted Fuse TV’s “Heavy Metal Makeover” and VJed on MTV2, Vh1 and MuchMusic USA. Militia is in books and films, including the documentary “Betty: They Say I’m Different” about the life of funk-rock legend, Betty Davis (Amazon Prime Video.) Her cover of Led Zeppelin’s “FRIENDS” by Patriarchs in Black (with Johnny Kelly of Type O Negative, Danzig and Quiet Riot) ft. Militia Vox was named #10 in the Top 10 Best of 2023 on Sirius XM’s Liquid Metal. Militia Vox has made her mark on the live music scene headlining festivals, such as Wasteland Weekend, apoXeast, Punk Island NYC, and Afropunk Festival.
STAR CIRCUS release their video for new single ‘One Hit Wonder’, out now on Renaissance Records, new album ‘From The Wreckage‘ will be released 13th June.
Following on from the release of their earlier singles ‘Chained To You‘ and ‘Turn The Tide‘ late in ’24, STAR CIRCUS continue their campaign this year with the release of their stunning new track ‘One Hit Wonder’. This uptempo rocker packs a real punch with riffs and hooks galore, a showcase of the sheer talent this band possesses.
“With everything happening on the news recently, you would be forgiven for thinking the lyrics to ‘One Hit Wonder’ are about any of the world’s most toxic and slimy politicians, or narcissistic celebrities who have been caught abusing their power. I think the aggressively sarcastic tone is relatable that way. In reality, it’s about someone I worked with in the music industry a few years ago.
One Hit Wonder tells a story from the perspective of a ‘hired gun’ who has been used and discarded. The song delves into themes of exploitation and manipulation from an ego-driven individual, hiding behind a saintly, heroic persona, a ‘man of the people’ mask. It’s sad, people turn to musicians, rock stars, popular culture figureheads as an alternative to the political figures who we find dishonest and often unrelatable. I still think there are beautiful artists out there making a difference, but the a**hole this song is about isn’t one of them.”
Star Circus are a London-based rock band led by Dave Winkler and Sophie Aurelia Young, influenced by classic rock artists including Queen, Thin Lizzy, Cheap Trick, Def Leppard and Alice Cooper.
The band was formed in 2019 by frontman Dave, who’s songwriting caught the attention of radio legend Tony Wilson. The pair worked together on creating the debut album ‘Separate Sides’ which Tony produced, and was released in December 2022 to an overwhelmingly positive critical response.
Following the album release and several UK tours supporting a host of international acts, the Star Circus lineup has now become a collaborative band-project, with other musicians contributing to the songwriting. As well as the added influences of other songwriters, the new album also features various accomplished guest guitarists including Tom Draper (ex Carcass, Spirit Adrift) and Ritchie Mohicano (Dobermann), and the notable addition of Sophie’s vocals (including lead vocals on Masquerade). The band also landed a global distribution deal with the Arizona-based record label Renaissance Records. Their sophomore album “From The Wreckage” is due for release on 13th June 2025, and will be available on all the popular streaming and download platforms, on CD and vinyl. “Possessing an eclectic range of influences stretching from classic hard rock, through AOR, 80s Glam Metal, 90s American power pop… these fuse faultlessly to form a sound that is stacked full of infectious melodies, grandiose vocal and instrumental harmonies plus colossally catchy choruses” – Sophie James, METALTALK
This year marks the 10th anniversary of “Lore”, the ground-breaking, third studio album released in 2015 on Stickman Records by progressive psych-rock spearheads ELDER. In support, the band is currently touring North America followed by Europe in May, including much-awaited festival appearances at such as Desertfest London, Berlin and Oslo, Sonic Whip and many more, playing the albumin its entirety!
The band states:“Lore is turning 10 years old. This album marked a point of departure for Elder upon a path which the band is still walking now. For us, this is the record where the band came into its own as a unique voice in the heavy rock underground. As we approach our second decade as a band, we feel it’s appropriate to look back on this landmark for us and acknowledge it properly, which is why we’re doing a tour performing the entire album along with some other tracks from our earlier catalog; we’ll give this era of the band a proper celebration before turning our attention once again toward the future and the next album, currently being written.”
Furthermore, ELDER have just announced to join neo-psychedelic blues rock masters ALL THEM WITCHES on their House of Mirrors Tour in Europe this October, with many more headlining dates around the tour to be revealed soon! Visit https://beholdtheelder.com/tour/ for tickets & more concert info.
“Lore” 10th Anniversary Tour 2025:
11.04.2025 Columbus (OH), Ace Of Cups 12.04.2025 Chicago (IL), Reggies 13.04.2025 Detroit (MI), Sanctuary 14.04.2025 Buffalo (NY), Rec Room 15.04.2025 Toronto (ON), Axis 17.04.2025 Montreal (QC), Theatre Fairmount 18.04.2025 Hamden (CT), Space Ballroom 19.04.2025 Boston (MA), Middle East 08.05.2025 Hamburg (DE), Bahnhof Pauli 09.05.2025 Copenhagen (DK), A Colossal Weekend 10.05.2025 Oslo (NO), Desertfest Oslo 11.05.2025 Stockholm (SE), Hus 7 13.05.2025 Esch-Alzette (LU), Kulturfabrik 14.05.2025 Tourcoing (FR), Le Grand Mix 15.05.2025 Brussels (BE), Le Botanique 16.05.2025 London (UK), Desertfest London 17.05.2025 Nijmegen (NL), Sonic Whip Festival 18.05.2025 Savigny-Le-Temple (FR), Grand Sludge Fest 20.05.2025 Wiesbaden (DE), Schlachthof – Kesselhaus 21.05.2025 Lyon (FR), L’Epicerie Moderne 22.05.2025 Lucerne (CH), Sedel 23.05.2025 Munich (DE), Feierwerk 24.05.2025 Jena (DE), Kuba 25.05.2025 Berlin (DE), Desertfest Berlin 05.06.2025 Gdańsk (PL), Mystic Festival
With ALL THEM WITCHES:
Oct 6: Glasgow, UK – The Garage Oct 7: Manchester, UK – Manchester Academy 2 Oct 8: Leeds, UK – Leeds Beckett Students’ Union Oct 9: London, UK – O2 Forum Kentish Town Oct 11: Paris, FR – Le Bataclan Oct 12: Brussels, BE – Ancienne Belgique Oct 14: Utrecht, NL – Tivoli/Vredenburg Oct 15: Tilburg, NL – 013 Poppodium Oct 17: Copenhagen, DK – Amager Bio Oct 19: Berlin, DE – Tempodrom Oct 20: Warsaw, PL – Progresja Oct 21: Prague, CZ – Roxy Oct 22: Vienna, AT – Gasometer Oct 23: Milan, IT – Alcatraz Oct 24: Berne, CH – Bierhübeli Oct 26: Barcelona, ES – Razzmatazz Oct 27: Madrid, ES – La Riviera
Australia’s Symphonic Folk Metal frontrunners VALHALORE celebrate the release of their hotly-anticipated, sophomore studio album “Beyond The Stars” via ROAR. In addition, the band also reissues their notable debut, “Voyage Into Eternity” (self-released in 2017), on vinyl and CD digipak. Both epic records, that belong into every well-sorted folk, symphonic and metal record collection, are out now on ROAR and available via the following links:
01 – Life 02 – Edge Of Forever 03 – The Storm 04 – Within The Fire 05 – Dusk 06 – Wayfinder 07 – Dawn 08 – Horizon 09 – The World Between 10 – Aether 11 – Heart Of The Sea (feat. Anna Murphy) 12 – A Walk Among The Stars
Founded by guitarist Anthony Willis and vocalist Lachlan Neate, VALHALORE swiftly became an unstoppable force in the Australian metal scene. Since their inaugural live performance in late 2015, the band’s unique blend of Melodic Death, Power, and Symphonic Metal, infused with folk influences, has resonated with audiences both domestically and abroad.
The year 2017 marked a pivotal moment for VALHALORE with the release of their debut album “Voyage Into Eternity”. The band celebrated this opus with a sold-out launch show in Brisbane and two successful national tours, “Voyage Across Australia” and “Viktoberfest”. Breaking international ground in 2018, VALHALORE toured Japan alongside world-renowned acts Ensiferum, Trollfest, and Wind Rose. Upon their return, the band showcased their versatility with the release of the acoustic EP “Solace & Solitude”, and their 2019 single “Legacy”. Between releases, VALHALORE continued to conquer Australian stages, touring with Kamelot and Trollfest in 2018, and Kalmah in 2019. Two European tours, including an eagerly-anticipated appearance at “Wacken Open Air” 2020, were regrettably cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, undeterred by the global turmoil and prevailing uncertainties, VALHALORE spent the end of 2020 and beginning of 2021 recording their second studio album. In November 2022 VALHALORE took their live show to new heights, performing sold-out shows across Australia with UK’s Alestorm and with Arch Enemy later in February 2023. In February 2024, the band hit the road with Germany’s Blind Guardian and in support of HammerFall in early 2025 in Australia, while they were gearing up for the release of “Beyond The Stars”, out now via the band’s new label partner ROAR!
In support of “Beyond The Stars”, VALHALORE will embark on an Australian headlining tour, kicking off on May 16th in Sydney! Known for their electrifying live performances, VALHALORE has firmly established themselves as a rising force in the Australian and global metal scenes. Prepare for a night of soaring melodies, crushing metal chaos, and an atmosphere of pure magic. Find all upcoming live dates listed below, tickets are now on sale at https://www.valhalore.com/!
With each performance and release, VALHALORE continues to carve a unique path through the metal landscape, leaving an indelible mark on fans worldwide. The saga unfolds, and VALHALORE’s journey is poised to reach even greater heights in the years to come…
VALHALORE is: Anthony Willis – Guitars Lachlan Neate – Vocals, Cello, Mandolin Sophie Willis – Wind instruments Morgan Cox – Drums Lucas Fisher – Guitars, Vocals Joseph Dipisa-Fiorenza – Bass
Germany’s boundary-defying black metal collective DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT is set to return to stages across Europe this fall, offering fans a rare opportunity to experience their spellbinding sonic rituals in the flesh. Known for their visceral intensity and emotional depth, the band has carved out a singular space in extreme music—one where melody and chaos coexist, and every note feels like a revelation. This newly announced headline tour spans 15 cities and promises an immersive journey into the shadows of the self, where silence is as important as sound, and meaning hides between the blasts.
Following a period of introspective creation and evolution, the band emerges now not with answers—but with more potent questions. Their upcoming body of work, already hailed as one of their most nuanced and emotionally charged to date, serves as the heartbeat of this tour. Though yet unnamed, its essence permeates every moment of the performance—a meditation on pain, resilience, and the quiet revolt of inner transformation. With compositions that shift from blistering aggression to haunting fragility in a single breath, DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT will guide audiences into uncharted emotional territory, one devastating crescendo at a time.
DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT – FALL EU 2025 TOUR: 18 September: Dresden, DE @ Chemiefabrik 20 September: Prague, CZ @ Rock Café 21 September: Munich, DE @ Backstage 22 September: Leipzig, DE @ Werk 2 23 September: Salzburg, AT @ Rockhouse 24 September: Vienna, AT @ Szene 25 September: Zurich, CH @ Dynamo 26 September: Geneva, CH @ PTR/L’Usine 27 September: Grenoble, FR @ Ampérage 28 September: Paris, FR @ Le Petit Bain 29 September: Ludwigsburg, DE @ Scala 30 September: Wiesbaden, DE @ Schlachthof 2 October: Tilburg, NL @ 013 3 October: Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat 4 October: Bochum, DE @ Christuskirche
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 ) 