JON ANDERSON AND THE BAND GEEKS announce their first ex-U.S tour, consisting of 7 UK shows and 2 shows in Sweden. The UK shows will be JON’s first performances in his home country since a one-show appearance with the Rock Academy in 2023. The tour is billed as “YES Epics, Classics, and More” and will feature songs recorded during JON’s 40 years as the lead vocalist of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees YES. The show will also include songs from his album with THE BAND GEEKS entitled ‘TRUE.’
JON ANDERSON says:
“To be back home in the UK performing YES music with the BAND GEEKS, who are dedicated YES fans, is a dream come true for me. So come and enjoy a great event, never to be forgotten! Blessings, Jon”
The New York-based BAND GEEKS came to JON’s attention in 2023 and has led to a partnership that has already completed 3 highly successful U.S. tours with a 4th starting this April. JON AND THE BAND GEEKS are currently in production for their 2nd album to be released by Frontiers Music Srl.
Tickets for all shows go on sale Friday, February 20th. All dates are below:
Dates for the UK/Sweden Tour:
Sep 15- Birmingham – Symphony Hall Sep 17- Bath- Forum Sep 20- London- Palladium Sep 22- Liverpool- Philharmonic Sep 26- Manchester- Opera House Sep 28- Glasgow- Royal Concert Hall Oct 1- Gateshead- Glasshouse
Oct 3- Stockholm- Cirkus Oct 5- Malmö- Slagthuset
For more information: Jon Anderson’s official website HERE Band Geek official website HERE Jon Anderson YES Epics and Classics: Website HERE Facebook HERE Twitter – @JonYesEpic Instagram – @jonandersonyesepicsandclassics TikTok – @JonAndersonYESEpic YouTube HERE
Today marks the release of Cream Of The Crap! Collected Non-Album Works • Volume 3, the newest, long-overdue entry in a series of rarities collections by Swedish high energy rockers THE HELLACOPTERS, combining rare and lesser-known material from a myriad of singles, EPs, and compilation songs. The 24 tracks featured in this set have originally been released between 1998 and 2005, most of them only on vinyl and out-of-print CDs, and include originals like ‘Disappointment Blues’, ‘Freeway To Hell’, ‘Doggone Your Bad-Luck Soul’, ‘Ferrytale‘ and ‘Long Gone Losers’ as well as cover versions of songs by Motörhead, Wilson Pickett, MC5, Smokey Robinson, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bob Seger, Alice Cooper, The Ramones, The Nomads, Adam West – whose singer Jake Starr penned liner notes for this release – and many, many more. Furthermore, a lot of these songs have never been released digitally. Meticulously compiled by Robert Eriksson, transferred from master tapes and vinyl by Henke Jonsson, and remastered for maximum audio fidelity by Magnus Lindberg, with Cream Of The Crap! Collected Non-Album Works • Volume 3 THE HELLACOPTERS present a stunning collection of incredible, high-octane rock’n’roll on this more than 75 minutes long double vinyl, CD and digital release. Scroll down for the full track list and release formats.
MASS INSANITY is a Polish death metal band working on the Polish metal scene since 2003. They released three studio albums: “The Hypochrist” (2011), “Antihuman” (2015) and “Maveth” (2019). Music group from Chojnice created their version of Cannibal Corpse song which is part of a special compiation.
This cover was recorded for the “Butchered By Death” compilation, a tribute to Cannibal Corpse. The compilation, conceived by Tortured Corpse and scheduled for release at the turn of spring and summer, will feature eighteen covers recorded by eighteen bands.
Song was recorded at Antihuman Studio, and the mix and mastering was done by Michał Grabowski from BlackTeamMedia (Christ Agony, Feto In Fetus, Vader).
COMPILATION TRACKLIST:
01. Avulsed – “Staring Through The Eyes Of The Dead” 02. Vephar – “Hammer Smashed Face” 03. Mastectomy – “Pulverised” 04. Mass Insanity – “An Experiment In Homicide” 05. Uborn Suffer – “Put Them To Death 06. Chainsword – “Death Walking Terror” 07. Kontagion – “Sentenced To Burn”/”Evisceration Plague” 08. Cemetery Rotteness – “Necropedophile” 09. Tortured Corpse – “Butchered By Death” 10. Corpse Throne – “I Cum Blood” 11. Mortis Dei – “A Skull Full Of Maggots” 12. Trauma – “Stripped,Raped and Strangled” 13. Bestial Disgogerment – “Innards Decay” 14. 10 Plagues – “Devoured By Vermin” 15. MorLord – “Gutted” 16. Łukasz “Shadock” Radecki – “Scalding Hails” 17. Funus – “Bloodlands” 18. Putrid Evil – “Fucked With A Knife”
MASS INSANITY LINE-UP:
Wiesław “Viehu” Gruna – guitars Waldemar “Hektor” Połom – drums Maciej “Metal” Matejuk – bas Marcin “Mały” Brzeźnicki – vocal
On Valentine’s Day, symphonic noir project Belle Morte invited listeners into a world of obsessive devotion with the release of their live acoustic cover of “Kiss Me You Animal,” originally performed by Burn the Ballroom. The acoustic version offers a playful, intimate, and deeply romantic interpretation of the original track.
The band chose the track out of genuine love and admiration for the Burn the Ballroom band. The song echoes the narrative world of Belle Morte’s “Willow”, but seen from the opposite side of the story.
The cover embraces love in its most gothic form: obsessive, intoxicating, and eternal.
Previous videos from “Crime of Passion”: “Lace” Acoustic version: Watch Stream “Crime of Passion”: orcd.co/crimeofpassion
Previous videos from Pearl Hunting: “Jorōgumo” Ft. Hisashi, Reigen Fujii, Souzan Kato: Watch “Willow” Ft. Ruben Monteiro, Emma Spinelli: Watch “Exorcism” Acoustic Version: Watch Pearl Hunting: Watch “Exorcism” Ft. Ulziisaikhan Khoroldamba: Watch “September” Ft. Ruben Monteiro: Watch “Black Waters” Ft. Maulana Malik Ibrahim: Watch “Blame me” Ft. Lernik Khachatrian: Watch
About Belle Morte
Formed in Minsk, BELLE MORTE combines dark symphonic metal with gothic, progressive, and melancholic elements. After their 2018 EP Game On, the band signed with Wormholedeath in 2021 to release Crime of Passion, a conceptual album inspired by John Fowles’s The Collector. Their second album continues this global approach, delivering unique symphonic metal experiences for fans seeking something different.
Over the past few years, the name CONTORTED has been seen on many concert posters around the city of Bergen, both supporting bigger bands or doing their own gigs. With the quality of the digital EPs they’ve done, it was now time to welcome them to the Dark Essence Records roster.
Contorted is a death metal band from Bergen. The band draws from the old school of the genre, delivering riffs that are equally intense and brutal, raw self-production, grotesque melodies, and a violent soundscape. The band aims to explore multiple branches of music, marked by a dynamic sonic palette shaped by black metal’s dark mysticism and atmosphere, death metal’s uncompromising brutality, and the experimental nature of prog rock. This has led Contorted to become an interesting addition to the extreme metal underground.
Formed in 2022, Contorted quickly became a new favourite in the Bergen metal scene. The current lineup consists of Johannes Andreassen (guitars), Kristian Brynjulfsen (vocals, guitar), Mats Hovden (drums) and Vegard Kanestrøm (bass).
Contorted has this to say about signing to Dark Essence Records: We are thrilled to be a part of the roster of Dark Essence Records, and we can’t wait to release our first full length album under their banner. We are very excited to see what this collaboration has in store.
The band is currently working on their debut album, and more info will follow.
California-based melodic punk rock band DARK RIDE unleashed their new single and official video “Coffin”, on February 14th, on Valentine’s Day.
Released on the day traditionally dedicated to love, “Coffin” embraces romance in its most obsessive, eternal and melancholic form. The track is a punk rock anthem about undying love and a passionate yet fading memory, capturing the feeling of devotion that survives time, distance and decay.
“Coffin” was co-written and produced by Randy Moore (Ghost Nameless Ghoul, Bones Shredder), who also performed all guitar and bass duties on the song. His contribution adds a darker, heavier edge to Dark Ride’s melodic punk sound, amplifying both its emotional intensity and cinematic atmosphere.
Inspired by classic Universal Monster films such as “Dracula” and “Bride of Frankenstein”, “Coffin” blends gothic romance and horror imagery with driving punk energy, turning Valentine’s Day into a celebration of love beyond death – intense, nostalgic and unapologetically dark.
The accompanying official video captures the raw energy and intensity of DARK RIDE’s live performances, translating the song’s urgency and emotional drive into a fast-paced, no-frills visual statement.
“Coffin” is taken from DARK RIDE’s upcoming full-length album “Blade Manor”, set for release on March 27th, 2026, on CD Digipak, vinyl LP and digital formats via Massacre Records.
“Blade Manor” represents a bold new chapter for DARK RIDE, blending high-energy melodic punk with horror, fantasy and cinematic storytelling. Across 12 tracks, the album delivers infectious anthems, dark humor and atmospheric elements, drawing inspiration from classic horror films, ‘80s and ‘90s pop culture, and West Coast punk rock, while incorporating subtle metal influences.
Created by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Emilio Menze, DARK RIDE have steadily carved out a distinctive identity within the modern punk scene. Beyond his work with Dark Ride, Emilio is widely regarded as one of the most visible and respected figures in the global horror punk community – a scene-builder who has spent years setting up shows, supporting other bands, and helping keep the culture alive both in the U.S. and abroad.
Before forming Dark Ride, Emilio toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe with his previous bands, appearing on bills alongside major genre acts and bringing horror punk to new audiences. His work with Stellar Corpses was particularly influential, earning international attention and positioning him as a recognizable presence within the scene. Emilio also fronted Plan 9, considered the world’s most renowned Misfits tribute act – further cementing his reputation as a charismatic and theatrical performer with deep roots in the genre’s legacy.
For fans outside the horror punk niche, Emilio functions as a rare bridge between underground subculture and broader alternative music, combining a cinematic sensibility with melodic songwriting and an unmistakable visual identity. Comparisons to artists such as AFI, Misfits and Alkaline Trio only touch the surface – his creative voice stands firmly on its own.
Produced by Randy Moore and Olav Tabatabai, with mixing by Olav Tabatabai and mastering by Zack Ohren (Castle Ultimate Productions), “Blade Manor” showcases DARK RIDE at their most focused and ambitious to date. The album also features a range of guest musicians from across the punk, horror-punk and metal scenes, further enriching its dynamic and collaborative spirit.
Following acclaimed performances across the US and Europe, including a debut appearance at Germany’s legendary Wave-Gotik-Treffen festival, DARK RIDE continue to build momentum as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary melodic punk.
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
Ads
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 ) 