“Obsession” is a high energy, melodic, instrumental metal song written by 17 year old musician and drummer Thomas Thunder. Featured musicians on this song include Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater), Ron Bumblefoot Thal (Guns N Roses) and Tony Franklin (The Firm). The single was produced by Derek Sherinian and mixed by Bumblefoot.
“I have had the pleasure of working with Thomas on his debut album. I was extremely impressed with his creativity, and use of advanced harmony for a kid his age. I think the future is bright for young Thomas Thunder!” -Derek Sherinian
“Ive had the pleasure of playing on the soon to be released album of Thomas Thunder. Thomas is a young up and coming musician and he’s a phenomenal drummer. He’s a very intricate songwriter that writes this amazing, crazy stuff that has been so tough to play. I’m on his album along with my Sons of Apollo bandmate Derek Sherinian, and bass player Tony Franklin. So, please check out this album. I hope you enjoy it!” -Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal
“I was thrilled to play on Thomas’s album, with such an esteemed group of musicians. Thomas is definitely advanced for his years as both a writer and a player. I look forward to seeing how he will evolve as he creates more and more.” -Tony Franklin
Thomas Thunder is a 17 year-old upcoming musician, songwriter and drummer from Fairhaven, Massachusetts. His prodigious songwriting has captured the attention of both fans as well as professional musicians.
Thomas began his journey as a musician when he started drum lessons at age five. He started playing in performance bands at age seven at School of Rock, and in addition to drums, he’s learned to play bass guitar, upright bass, guitar and keyboards. Thomas is currently in six School of Rock bands, is an assistant music teacher, and is putting together his own band to perform at some local gigs this summer.
In regards to songwriting, Thomas began at age ten when he released his first single and was awarded a prize in the New England Songwriting competition. In fact, Thomas grabbed the attention of the ‘King of Keyboards’ Derek Sherinian (Sons of Apollo; Dream Theater; Alice Cooper) with his songs. By the time Thomas reached the age 14, he released his debut album The Pharaoh’s Temple, and his team of session musicians included Derek, Ron Bumblefoot Thal and Tony Franklin.
Thomas also began his collegiate academic journey at age 14. He began taking Berklee College of Music Online courses, and has achieved a Berklee Professional Drum Certificate at 15 years-old, and a Professional Music Theory and Composition Certificate at age 16. In fact, Thomas graduated high school almost two years early in January 2024, and at age 16, he was accepted full time into Berklee College Online Bachelor’s of Arts in Composition for Film, TV and Games.
Belgian goregrind powerhouse BRUTAL SPHINCTER will release their new album “Sphinct-Earth Society” on May 23rd 2025 via Time To Kill Records.
With “Sphinct-Earth Society”, the band pushes the boundaries of the genre they inhabit. In other words, by incorporating numerous new influences, ranging from death metal to modern metal, they redefine what goregrind can be, all while maintaining that groovy signature sound that makes them so instantly recognizable.
For example, while the track “Beatdown Syndrome” integrates hardcore elements, the song “Name Three Songs” instrumentally pushes the limits of technicality. Meanwhile, a track like “Abolish Frontex” draws influences from death metal akin to Daath or Decapitated, and a juggernaut like “Unvaxxed Lives Matter” secures its place as a classic in BRUTAL SPHINCTER’s discography thanks to its unparalleled heaviness and ultra-groovy riffs.
Across the 10 tracks that make up this new opus, BRUTAL SPHINCTER tackles societal issues both dramatic (climate change, immigration, sexism, etc.) and conspiratorial (anti-vaxxers, flat-earthers, etc.). As usual, they use their particularly biting humor and embrace absurdity to approach these sensitive topics.
Moreover, the band’s two frontmen complement each other more than ever, delivering a particularly diverse vocal range. Whether you’re a fan of the pitched vocals typical of goregrind, the slimy inhales of slamming death metal, the caveman shouts of powerviolence, or the more traditional growls foundational to death metal, there’s something to enjoy in these 30 minutes of brutality.
With this new offering, BRUTAL SPHINCTER solidifies its position among the leaders of their genre and sets out to expand its reputation into scenes less niche than grindcore.
The first single “Unvaxxed Lives Matter” is now streaming HERE.
The band commented:
“The idea for this song came to us during one of our many frustrations over anti-vaxxers amid the Covid-19 restrictions. Previously, we only knew anti-vaxxers as odd figures from the world of conspiracy theorists who didn’t want to vaccinate their children against polio or measles. However, anti-vaxxers suddenly gained significant prominence in society and, to our absolute bewilderment, managed to spread their views to a larger portion of the population. We noticed that this movement repeatedly portrayed itself as victims, despite not being the group that suffered the most in the context of the pandemic. Shoutout to all the healthcare workers and those who had to be isolated due to their illness. This phenomenon seemed so ridiculous to us that the name ‘Unvaxxed Lives Matter’ came to mind, clearly referencing the Black Lives Matter movement. From this committed and absolutely necessary movement, other movements quickly emerged, slightly altering the name to portray themselves as victims. Examples include All Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter, or White Lives Matter, which tend to come from the far-right milieu (source: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/09579265221118016, p. 293). This, along with a flag with the slogan ‘Unvaxxed Lives Matter’ that was actually photographed at an anti-vaxxer demonstration, inspired us to create a song about this group”.
Tracklist:
1. The Prolapse Of Society 2. Tony Hawk Pro-Choice 2022 3. Crusta-Colada (Crack’n Kofola) 4. Unvaxxed Lives Matter 5. Beatdown Syndrome 6. Name Three Songs 7. Sphinct-Earth Society 8. The Juice Did It 9. Persona Non-Greta 10. Abolish Frontex
Offending everyone since April 1st, 2013, BRUTAL SPHINCTER have, over the years, established themselves as one of the leading acts in the current goregrind scene.
Bringing political themes into their music, they dub themselves “POOlitical” and, through offbeat and satirical humor, take a stand against all forms of extremism while championing freedom of speech.
Despite their extreme musical style, they are one of those rare acts that can seamlessly fit into any type of event or festival. They have proven this time and again, performing at some of the biggest metal gatherings in Europe, such as Hellfest, Summer Breeze Open Air, Alcatraz, Motocultor, Party San, Metaldays, and more, as well as at the most extreme metal events like Obscene Extreme, DeathFeast Open Air, Meh Suff, Kaltenbach Open Air and Netherlands Deathfest.
BEWARE! Party, dance, groove, and brutality are the elements they always bring with them to every show.
The legendary Robin Trower continues his prolific period with the release of a brand-new studio album, Come And Find Me. The record will be released on 25 April via Provogue and you can listen to the first taster on A Little Bit of Freedom. You can pre-order the album here.
Trower stands on the cusp of a whirlwind year that will see him put down heavy miles across America and the UK (“I’m chomping at the bit, because I had to cancel a US tour last year due to an operation”). You can pick up tickets HERE.
Come And Find Me was Tracked sporadically over a twelve-month period at Newbury’s Studio 91 (the setting for all Trower’s recent solo albums), the genesis of Come And Find Me speaks volumes about the guitarist’s late-period momentum and high standards.
New single A Little Bit of Freedom starts in combative style with a blast of wah guitar and a bold first line (‘I don’t need no-one to think for me’). “I had a strong sense that red tape and rules are really constricting things in the world,” says Trower. “Too much red tape, not enough freedom to think – it’s got to where you feel straitjacketed.”
As he reaches his eighth decade, with a lifetime of accolades and a seminal body of music behind him, Robin Trower is still chasing the biggest high he knows. It always starts the same way, with a road-scuffed Fender Stratocaster and a revved-up Marshall amplifier, those skilful fingers exploring the fretboard until a riff sticks and a new song ignites. And from the cultural flashpoint of Sixties London with Procol Harum, through 1974’s stadium-filling Bridge Of Sighs, right up to this year’s acclaimed Come And Find Me, it’s these addictive moments of creation that have kept the guitarist vital, relevant and contemporary while his peers trade on past glories.
Never one to let interviewers too deep into his headspace, Trower once explained that each new album is a snapshot of his situation and worldview at that moment. As such, Come And Find Me is the best way to know the guitarist better in 2025, and this new record is clearly not the work of a lofty rock star but an engaged participant in the real world, with relatable loves, hates, hopes and fears. “Musically, there’s a strong R&B flavour behind it, but it’s obviously rock ‘n’ roll,” he explains. “Lyrically, I think the world has become a lot darker in the last ten or twenty years. But there’s always hope. There’s more good people in the world than there are bad.”
Always a sociable musician and generous collaborator, Trower enlisted his trusted studio band for Come And Find Me. Drummer Chris Taggart once again drives these powerful songs, with returning US bassist Glenn Letsch providing low end on Tangled Love and I Fly Straight To You (Trower played the remainder).
Long-standing vocalist Richard Watts brilliantly interprets the guitarist’s highly personal lyric sheets, while guest singer Jess Hayes is a head-turning addition for Tangled Love’s tough, choppy soul. For the fairydust, Trower turned to Studio 91’s owner Sam Winfield for the engineering and final mix – but the guitarist was intimately involved with every element.
Trower’s ambivalent stance to the times is writ large on cuts like the tremolo shudder of The Future Starts Right Here (“We’re becoming so tribal and taking sides, like, ‘Oh, you’re not with me – I must hate you’”) and the stinging Without A Trace. “That song is about all the lies in politics, mostly, and on social media. You know, this absolute out-and-out lying, to try and influence people.”
Elsewhere, the guitarist’s famed musicianship takes centre stage. Try the glowering angst and molten solo of Take This Hurt Away (“That song actually started when I thought to myself one day, ‘I wonder what I would come up with if they asked me to write a song for a James Bond film…’”). Or spin the swampy One Go Round, which lived up to the ‘seize-the-day’ lyric with its rapid birth in the studio.
Fiery, thoughtful and fuelled by real human emotion in a time of machine-generated music, Come And Find Me is hardly the work of a rock icon resting on his laurels. On the contrary: keenly aware of passing time, Robin Trower has made it his late-period mission to capture as many shards of magic as possible. “In one way, I can’t believe it, that I’m still going at 80,” he says. “It’s kind of scary. You know that you’re way down the road, and you could hit a brick wall at any time. But I still love doing this. For me, there’s nothing more rewarding than working on a new song…”
Track Listing
1. A Little Bit of Freedom 2. One Go Round 3. I Would Lose My Mind 4. Come And Find Me 5. Take This Hurt Away 6. The Future Starts Right Here 7. Tangled Love 8. Capture The Life Begun 9. Without A Trace 10. I Fly Straight To You 11. Time Stood Still
Upcoming Tour Dates
24 Feb The Plaza Live, Orlando, FL – US 25 Feb Florida Theatre, Jacksonville, FL – US 27 Feb Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA – US 01 Mar Robert Kirk Walter Theatre, Chattanooga, TN – US 04 Mar Birchmere, Alexandria, VA – US – SOLD OUT 05 Mar Birchmere, Alexandria, VA – US – SOLD OUT 14 May Buxton Opera House, Buxton – UK 15 May Oran Mor, Glasgow – UK 17 May Picturedrome, Holmfirth – UK 18 May Town Hall, Birmingham – UK 20 May Cheese & Grain, Frome – UK 21 May O2 Shepherds Bush Empire, London – UK 11 Jun The National, Richmond, VA – US 13 Jun Penn’s Peak, Jim Thorpe, PA – US 15 Jun Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA – US 17 Jun Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre at Count Basie Center for the Arts, Red Bank, NJ – US 18 Jun The Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ – US 20 Jun The Paramount, Huntington, NY – US 21 Jun Bardavon, Poughkeepsie, NY – US 24 Jun Tupelo Music Hall, Derry, NH – US 25 Jun The Wilbur, Boston, MA – US 27 Jun Aura, Portland, ME – US 28 Jun Blue Ocean Music Hall, Salisbury, MA – US 01 Jul Center for the Arts of Homer, Homer, NY – US 02 Jul Babeville, Buffalo, NY – US 05 Jul MGM Northfield Park Center Stage, Northfield, OH – US 06 Jul Taft Theatre, Cincinnati, OH – US 08 Jul Royal Oak Music Theatre, Royal Oak, MI – US 10 Jul Brown County Music Center, Nashville, IN – US 11 Jul Copernicus Center, Chicago, IL – US 12 Jul Pabst Theater, Milwaukee, WI – US 14 Jul Hoyt Sherman Place, Des Moines, IA – US 16 Jul Upton Theater, Kansas City, MO – US 17 Jul Gillioz Theatre, Springfield, MO – US 19 Jul The Factory, Chesterfield, MO – US
International heavy metal force VEIL OF THE SERPENT is set to release the Digital Deluxe Edition of their acclaimed debut album Gallery Of Sin on March 21, 2025. This expanded edition will include the full album along with instrumental versions of all the tracks, offering fans an immersive new way to experience the band’s cinematic storytelling and thunderous soundscapes.
As a first taste of what’s to come, the band has released the instrumental version of the album’s title track, available today on all major streaming platforms. This powerful rendition strips away the vocals, bringing the haunting melodies and intricate instrumentation to the forefront.
With its blend of crushing riffs, eerie melodies and dark storytelling, Gallery Of Sin has resonated with fans worldwide. The Digital Deluxe Edition expands on this experience, inviting listeners to explore the intricate layers of each track in a new and unique way.
“Gallery Of Sin (Digital Deluxe Edition)” tracklist:
01 The Wolves Among Us 02 Prelude To Dread 03 Profiling A Demon 04 Gallery Of Sin 05 The End And The Beginning 06 Acquiesce And Ignore 07 Absolution 08 Becoming Ascendant 09 Grease The Wheels 10 The Rolling And The Thunder 11 Deliverance 12 Schadenfreude 13 Megalomania 14 Sleep Tight 15 Prelude To Dread (Instrumental) 16 Profiling A Demon (Instrumental) 17 Gallery Of Sin (Instrumental) 18 The End And The Beginning (Instrumental) 19 Acquiesce And Ignore (Instrumental) 20 Absolution (Instrumental) 21 Becoming Ascendant (Instrumental) 22 The Rolling And The Thunder (Instrumental) 23 Deliverance (Instrumental) 24 Schadenfreude (Instrumental) 25 Megalomania (Instrumental)
The band’s original debut album was released in November 2024. A very few copies of the limited edition CD, featuring an exclusive 6-panel digisleeve packaging and a 24-page illustrated booklet with in-depth lore and lyrics, are still available in the band’s official shop: veiloftheserpent.bigcartel.com.
About the band: VEIL OF THE SERPENT was forged in 2021 by guitarist Gene and his son Felix. United by blood and their obsession for heavy metal, the duo began plotting their thundering assault in 2020. What began as a vision quickly evolved into a full-scale sonic onslaught with the arrival of powerhouse vocalist JD, completing their unholy trinity. Together, they channel the raw, unyielding spirit of metal, delivering a sound that’s both brutal and haunting, destined to leave a lasting scar on the heavy music landscape.
VEIL OF THE SERPENT is: JD – Vocals Gene – Guitars Felix – Drums
Sonne describes the new single by saying: “Route 65 captures a state of mind of being young and free of worries, reflecting on the freedom, love, and joy of a time when life felt easier. The sound and intensity of the song captures a modern approach to an old-school classic rock vibe”.
Nicklas Sonne is a Danish musician, vocalist, guitarist, and producer known for his powerful presence in progressive and heavy metal. He began his musical experience as a drummer before moving onto the guitar and ultimately becoming a singer songwriter in an array of metal and hard rock projects, starting with Defecto, one of Denmark’s leading metal bands – created in 2010.
In addition to Defecto, Nicklas is part of Aries Descendant along with Jonah Weingarten (Pyramaze, Catalyst Crime). The dynamic duo released their debut album on Frontiers Music Srl on October 18th, 2024. It is a groundbreaking project that seamlessly fuses the evocative allure of film music with the raw power of heavy metal, creating an auditory experience that is nothing short of extraordinary.
A multi-instrumentalist from an early age, Nicklas honed his skills by playing along to Metallica and Dream Theater, later diving into songwriting and production. His talent quickly gained industry attention, leading to collaborations with renowned producers Jan Langhoff (Aqua) and Flemming Rasmussen (Metallica). This pivotal moment shaped his signature sound – progressive metal infused with orchestral and choral elements.
Other bands include Evil Masquerade, Theory, Hank Shermann, One Machine, Waving Memories, Section A, Metallica Jam, Wasted, Omvendt Korstog. His long career has included international tours in places such as Japan, and opening for Metal heavyweights including Metallica and Rammstein.
With a relentless work ethic and a passion for musical innovation, Nicklas Sonne continues to push the boundaries of modern metal, cementing his reputation as one of the most dynamic artists in the genre today.
The transformation has begun. SMASH INTO PIECES‘ new single “Man or Machine” is here – a high-powered anthem that questions the cost of progress. “In wires and ash, I shed my past – am I man or machine at last?” This track takes you on a journey where steel replaces flesh, and emotions fade into the cold mechanics of evolution.
The future is now. “Man or Machine” is available on all streaming platforms. Stream ‘Man or Machine’ here!
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 ) 