Metal Shock Finland (World Assault )

I.F.A Release Final Single + Music Video ‘Tiimalasi’ from Eponymous Album

Posted by tarjavirmakari on July 18, 2025

Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: I.F.A. Leave a comment

Photo by Erkko Einiö, edited by JT Mediatory

Finnish heavy rock band I.F.A released the fourth and last single ‘Tiimalasi’ from their forthcoming eponymous second studio album which is set to be released on August 8th 2025 via Inverse Records. A music video has also been made for the track, which can be viewed below.

The band comments:
“The composition of the album’s title track has been a long-standing idea of a versatile slower piece, the different sections of which have found different chord progressions for the guitar strings while meditating. When the composition was completed, it began to sound suitable for lyrics like this.

People have often heard talk about the passing of the sands of life, and the theme of the song reflects this. It feels like in today’s world, perhaps even more people are trying to fight aging and gain more years of life at any cost, but the grim reaper will find even the best escapees.”

LISTEN to ‘Tiimalasi’ single on streaming services: https://push.fm/fl/ifa-tiimalasi-single

Music by Tom Heskell, Herra Koivuniemi
Lyrics by Herra Koivuniemi
ISRC: FI3FC2547610
Single pic by Erkko Einiö, edited by JT Mediatory

I.F.A was founded in 1985 in Vihti. Aapo McMillan and Timo Supperi were the founding members, and Jouni Kaunisto was brought in as a singer. The band’s name was derived from the East German Industriverband Fahrzeugbau (IFA) car brand, whose cars were manufactured between 1948 and 1956.

The music of the early days of I.F.A was punk-influenced. Over the years, the sound took shape into the current heavier form without forgetting the band’s roots. The band’s activities took a break in 1989, until it was reactivated in 1999. The current line-up took shape when guitarist Tom Heskell joined in 2019 and drummer Herra Koivuniemi in 2023.

The band released their first album of their long career, which was named Ifandia, self-published for streaming in 2021. Albums 17 songs have been collected over the band’s long career.

Kumarra, Panssarimorsian, Pimeää and Taiteilija singles released in 2023 – 2024 gathered promising streaming numbers as a self-published artist and received airtime on Radio Rock, among others. In 2024, the band signed a recording contract with Inverse Records. The new album is scheduled to be released in 2025.

Track list:

Oravanpyörä
Kalervo
Intiaani
Kuumaa
Älä seuraa minua
Eilispäivän profeetta
Lahtisen kuolema
Pedon kieli
Tuonelan kellot
Tiimalasi

Album cover by Erkko Einiö

WATCH music video of

first single Kalervo: https://youtu.be/PyXkYnMAxr8
second single Intiaani: https://youtu.be/Qf0tErQa06M
third single Pedon kieli: https://youtu.be/sal7cPWXY6c

Line-up:
Aapo McMillan – Vocals & bass
Tom HeskELL – Guitars
Herra Koivuniemi – Drums

https://www.facebook.com/rockifa
https://www.instagram.com/rockifa
https://www.tiktok.com/@rockifa
https://rockifa.bandcamp.com

ARION Ignite the World with New Lyric Video ‘From An Empire To A Fall’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on July 18, 2025

Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: ARION. Leave a comment

Finnish melodic metal force ARION have released a brand new lyric video for ‘From An Empire To A Fall,’the original third single from their acclaimed new album “The Light That Burns The Sky” (out now via Reigning Phoenix Music). Set against a cinematic, post-apocalyptic backdrop, the video captures the song’s explosive energy and themes of defiance, struggle, and rebirth.

Guitarist and songwriter Iivo Kaipainen shares: “‘From An Empire To A Fall’ is finally getting a video of its own! This song is about former underdogs feeling empowered and showing their big bad opponent what they’re made of. Fire with fire!”

Fuelled by thunderous drumming, searing riffs and a soaring chorus, ‘From An Empire To A Fall’ is one of the standout tracks on “The Light That Burns The Sky,” a record hailed for its modern melodic metal mastery. Critics have praised the album as “an engaging exploration of the possibilities of contemporary metal” (Chaoszine, FI) and “a next step in the band’s career” (Markus’ Heavy Music Blog, DE). The album features production by Matias Kupiainen (STRATOVARIUS) and mastering by Ermin Hamidovic(ARCHITECTS, PERIPHERY).

Order “The Light That Burns The Sky” as coloured vinyl or digipak-CD and stream it on your favourite platform: https://arion.rpm.link/tltbtsPR

More from “TLTBTS”: https://arion.rpm.link/videosPR

ARION live:
19.07.2025 FI Laukaa – John Smith Rock Festival
16.08.2025 FI Ikaalinen – Heviranta
23.08.2025 FI Joensuu – Unholy Summer Fest

About ARION

Formed in 2011, ARION first made a significant mark on the metal scene with their debut album “Last Of Us” in 2014. Their sophomore effort, “Life Is Not Beautiful,” featuring the breakthrough single ‘At The Break Of Dawn [feat. Elize Ryd],’ solidified their status and earned them major support slots with Finnish bands like BATTLE BEAST, WINTERSUN, and SONATA ARCTICA.

The release of “Vultures Die Alone” in 2021 during the pandemic propelled their burgeoning career even further, leading to extensive touring in subsequent years. While supporting established metal bands such as GLORYHAMMER and BLOODBOUND, the quintet also performed at a selection of prestigious European festivals and celebrated their US live debut at ProgPower USA in 2022, before closing their “Vultures Die Alone” live chapter supporting prog metal giants DREAM THEATER in 2023.

With their new album “The Light That Burns The Sky” ready for release and years of touring experience, including many headlining dates in their home country, ARION are poised to extend the reach of their melodic metal legacy worldwide. The group additionally celebrated the album’s launch with a Central European co-headlining tour alongside their label mates BRAINSTORM as well as more Finnish shows with heavyweights SONATA ARCTICA and STRATOVARIUS.

HOG MEETS FROG Unveil New Single ‘The Urbanizer’, Ft. Marco Minnemann

Posted by tarjavirmakari on July 18, 2025

Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: HOG MEETS FROG. Leave a comment

Austrian avant-funk-prog-metal trio Hog Meets Frog have dropped their most ferociously surreal single to date: “The Urbanizer” (You Know Where The Flowers Have Gone), featuring world-renowned drummer Marco Minnemann (The Aristocrats, Steven Wilson, Joe Satriani). The track arrives ahead of the band’s first-ever Canadian tour (dates listed below), which includes a performance at the Loud As Hell Open Air Festival in Drumheller, Alberta, on August 3rd.

Lyrically dystopian and musically unhinged, “The Urbanizer (You Know Where The Flowers Have Gone)” is a darkly groovy critique of ecological collapse and unchecked urban sprawl—told from the perspective of the “urbanizer” himself, a concrete deity paving over the planet.

The track’s artwork, created by Attila Zolt Tornyi (LaMañana), features a golden skull in a desolate concrete wasteland—symbolizing the “concrete gold” of speculative real estate and the sunless future it casts.

Bassist and band storyteller Peter ’PETZ’ Schwabl comments on the single:

“We have featured on the tune ‘The Urbanizer’ drummer Marco Minnemann (The Aristocrats, Steven Wilson, Joe Satriani), which is a great honour for us. A mutual friend brought us together – thanks, Alan!! The song’s main riff was written many years ago, and a few years later, the first four verses and thus the character of the urbanizer emerged. Over the years, however, it has become clear that society isn’t getting to grips with the issue; rather, the effects of human actions, which have been driving global warming for decades, are increasing in a lot of areas. Why? Well, some deny ecological changes out of fear, some out of greed, and still others just to show that they’re ‘against the system’ – whatever that means. Precisely because of the subject matter, the song is one of those that even we couldn’t make into a particularly funny song… but, hey! Let’s just say that HOG MEETS FROG also has a dark side.”

Listen to “The Urbanizer” (You Know Where The Flowers Have Gone) ft. Marco Minnemann is now on all major streaming platforms.

Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/track/2JBo93Ad2S7uD46tInWG8F

Performing in Canada for the first time, Hog Meets Frog is excited to be showcasing in Ottawa, Toronto, and Montreal, as well as performing at one of Canada’s loudest and most extreme metal gatherings, Loud As Hell Open Air Festival, which also includes Revocation, First Fragment, Insurrection, and Gorgatron.

“Don’t expect anything. Just experience it. You’ll see three guys throwing sounds around, sometimes wearing masks, telling stories. The rest forms in the head of the beholder,” adds Petz.

Hog Meets Frog – The Urbanizer Greening Tour 2025
July 26 – Schwarzach, Austria – Tauerngold Festival
July 30 – Ottawa, ON – Avant-Garde Bar
Aug 1 – Toronto, ON – The Rockpile
Aug 3 – Drumheller, AB – Loud As Hell Open Air Festival w/ REVOCATION, FIRST FRAGMENT, FILTH, INSURRECTION, GORGATRON, OPAL IN SKY, and more!
Aug 6 – Montreal, QC – Piranha Bar
Sept 6 – Schwaz, Austria – Woodlight Festival

About:
Formed after a “musical abstinence” by a copywriting drummer and a lyricist bassist “pregnant with a riff,” Hog Meets Frog was born from a story about a hog and a frog having… fun. Their sound? In their own words: “Freaky-fuckin’-SQUEAQUACK-music.”

The band’s writing process is as unpredictable as their music—riffs born on subways, lyrics conceived in showers, and stories inspired by overheard conversations, political absurdities, and the slow-motion collapse of the natural world.

For more info: Hogmeetsfrog.com | Facebook.com/hogmeetsfrog | Twitter.com/hogmeetsfrog | Instagram.com/hogmeetsfrog | Tiktok.com/@hogmeetsfrog

TEMTRIS Unleash Ferocious New Single & Lyric Video ‘Scars Of Betrayal’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on July 18, 2025

Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: TEMTRIS. Leave a comment

Australian heavy metal titans TEMTRIS return with the blistering new single “Scars Of Betrayal”, the second offering from their highly anticipated eighth studio album, Queen of Crows, due for release on August 8, 2025, via Wormholedeath.

Stream the single on all platforms: https://orcd.co/sobsingle

The single offers another glimpse into the emotional depth and dynamic energy of Queen of Crows — a commanding nine-track opus that dives headfirst into the complexities of the human condition. Dark, bold, and unflinchingly honest, the album balances thought-provoking storytelling with virtuosic musicianship, setting a new bar for modern heavy metal.

Following the success of the first single, “The World is Bleeding Out”, this latest release continues to build momentum as the band gears up for a series of national and international tour dates, soon to be announced.

The Queen of Crows holds your fate in her hands — are you ready to face the consequences?

Pre-save “Queen of Crows” now: orcd.co/queenofcrows

Connect with TEMTRIS:
www.temtris.com
www.facebook.com/Temtris
www.instagram.com/temtris_official/
www.youtube.com/@temtris6323

PATRIARCHS IN BLACK Release New Single And Video ‘Ready To Die’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on July 18, 2025

Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: PATRIARCHS IN BLACK. Leave a comment

PATRIARCHS IN BLACK release “Ready To Die”, the third pre-release single from the upcoming studio album ‘Home’ (out August 15th on Metalville).

Singer Kelly Abe says about the song : “We all have our cross to bear. For some, that involves brushes with death. And for some, the difference between life and death is one’s willingness to acknowledge their shortcomings. For me, to persevere in spite of them, I truly felt I had to be ready to die.”

Former Type O Negative/Danzig drummer Johnny Kelly and guitarist and riff writer Dan Lorenzo (Hades/Non-Fiction) founded PATRIARCHS IN BLACK at the end of 2021. Their debut single ‘Demon of Regret’ was released in January 2022 and the full album ‘Reach For The Scars’ was released in July 2022. Their second album ‘My Veneration’ was released in October 2023, followed by ‘Visioning’ in July 2024.

As with their previous releases, Dan and Johnny managed to secure some outstanding artists as guest musicians for their 4th longplayer ‘Home’.

Dan Lorenzo says about “Home”: “Did you ever see the movie Groundhog Day? Bill Murray is forced to live the same dayover-and-over. How boring, right? I love pizza, but I don’t want to eat it every meal. With our new album you will find our “usual” doomy riffs, but we also took some chances. There’s acoustic guitars, violin, flute and of course lots of heavy riffs. Diversity. It keeps things interesting.

I picked the title “Home” because as much as I love to travel, it’s always nice to come home. Johnny’s mom died last year. Some would say the Lord took her Home. Johnny and I recorded 17 new songs, but we couldn’t fit them all on this album. We are honored that some of the best vocalists and bassists worked with us to lend their talents. We hope you love PATRIARCHS IN BLACK “Home”.”

“HOME” TRACK LISTING (incl. guest musicians)

Hymns for the Heretic
–Written by Lorenzo/Thomas
–Johnny Kelly drums
–Dan Lorenzo guitars
–Kyle Thomas vocals
–Dave Neabore bass

The Call
–Written by Lorenzo/Agell
–Johnny Kelly drums
–Dan Lorenzo guitars
–Karl Agell vocals
–John “JD” DeServio bass

Burn Through Time
–Written by Lorenzo/Sunshine
–Johnny Kelly drums
–Dan Lorenzo guitar/bass
–Mark Sunshine vocals

Frisson
–Written by Dan Lorenzo
–Dewey Bragg vocals
–Johnny Kelly drums
–Jonathan Eng viola
–Eric J. Morgan strings

Kaos
–Written by Lorenzo/Abe
–Johnny Kelly drums
–Dan Lorenzo guitars
–Kelly Abe vocals
–Bass Rob Moschetti bass

Storm King
–Written by Lorenzo/Ferrara
–Johnny Kelly drums
–Dan Lorenzo guitar
–Joe Ferrara vocals
–Johnny Araya bass

Celestial Yard
–Written by Lorenzo/Sunshine
–Johnny Kelly drums
–Dan Lorenzo acoustic guitar
–Mark Sunshine vocals
–Emma Smoler violin
–Damon Trotta bass

Where You Think You’re Going
–Written by Lorenzo/DMC
–Johnny Kelly drums
–Dan Lorenzo guitars
–DMC vocals
–David Freis vocals
–Sarah Sovak vocals/flute
–Damon Trotta bass
–Jonathan Eng violin

Beline
–Written by Dan Lorenzo
–Johnny Kelly drums
–Dan Lorenzo guitars
–John Kosco vocals
–Eric J. Morgan bass/string arrangement

Pointed Fire
–Written by Lorenzo/Sunshine
–Johnny Kelly drums
–Dan Lorenzo guitars/bass
–Mark Sunshine vocals
–Emma Smoler violin

Enough Of You
–Written by Dan Lorenzo
–Johnny Kelly drums
–Dan Lorenzo guitars/bass/backing vox
–Lead vocals Frankie Diaz

Ready To Die
–Written by Lorenzo/Abe
–Johnny Kelly drums
–Dan Lorenzo guitars
–Kelly Abe vocals
–Damon Trotta bass
–Gang vox Kelly, Dan, JROD

Shadows Grasp
–Written by Lorenzo/Traynor
–Johnny Kelly drums
–Dan Lorenzo guitar/bass
–Rob Traynor Vocals

Sweet Blood
–Written by Lorenzo/Sunshine
–Johnny Kelly drums
–Dan Lorenzo guitar
–Mark Sunshine vocals
–Iron Lou Strachan bass

https://www.instagram.com/PatriarchsInBlack
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559097640883

Greek Cosmic Grind Innovators DEPHOSPHORUS Premiere “Planetoktonos” LP, Out Today

Posted by tarjavirmakari on July 18, 2025

Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: DEPHOSPHORUS. Leave a comment

DEPHOSPHORUS‘ new full-length “Planetoktonos”, their most ambitious and intense work to date, is now streaming in full exclusively at No Clean Singing.

Out today, on July 18th, 2025 via 7Degrees Records, Nerve Altar (vinyl) and Selfmadegod Records (CD), the album finds the Greek band refining their signature cosmic grindcore into a weapon of cerebral devastation.

Across nine tracks, “Planetoktonos” fuses feral urgency with expansive atmospherics, channeling the chaos of grind, the heft of sludge and death metal, and the vision of science fiction-infused existentialism.

Propelled by explosive drumming, jagged riffs and a richly layered sonic architecture. the album explores planetary collapse, AI, and the future of human consciousness.

“Planetoktonos” is DEPHOSPHORUS at their sharpest, delivering a thought-provoking, otherworldly assault that challenges the boundaries of extreme music.

Stream “Planetoktonos” HERE.

DEPHOSPHORUS aims to expand listeners’ consciousness, fostering a vision of a sustainable future where humanity not only survives but thrives in harmony with its biosphere – and even with AI. Much like the anarchic utopia imagined by Iain M. Banks in The Culture books, this future is one where technology and humanity coexist symbiotically.

Their latest effort, “Planetoktonos”, is the band’s fifth full-length release, a ferocious collection of 9 cosmic, menacing tracks that pay tribute to the energy and dynamics of trailblazing acts such as Anodyne, Nasum, Playing Enemy, Breach, Knut, Leviathan and Bolt Thrower.

“Planetoktonos” – a Greek word coined by the band, roughly translating to “Planetkiller”- brings DEPHOSPHORUS closer than ever to their ideal sound. Mindfully forged in the positive atmosphere of Ignite Studio, a rising cornerstone of the local underground scene (home to acts like Antimob, Embrace Of Thorns and Chain Cult), the album was mastered by sonic guru James Plotkin (OLD, Khanate), ensuring every detail hits with impact.

Psychedelic layers are woven into the album’s fabric thanks to electronics mastermind Miltos Schimatariotis, a long- term collaborator and unofficial fifth member of the band. Schimatariotis, owner of Northside Studio, has been instrumental in shaping previous releases such as “Night Sky Transform”, “Ravenous Solemnit” and their collaboration LP with Haapoja.

As always, DEPHOSPHORUS explores science fiction and cosmology through an existential and political lens in both the lyrics and aesthetics of “Planetoktonos”. Several tracks, along with the album’s title and artwork – designed by Graphic No Jutsu (see Planet Of Zeus, Nightrage, etc.) – are inspired by The Expanse novel series by James S.A. Corey, a near-future universe where humanity has colonized the Solar System but faces the unknown consequences of encountering alien intelligence and technology. Other tracks delve into reflections on cosmologic and existential themes, spanning Dyson spheres and the persistence of life to the toxicity of defeatism and the looming threats of rogue AI or superintelligence.

“Planetoktonos” delivers a boundary-pushing sonic journey, sparking the imagination and inviting listeners to explore new dimensions of thought and sound.

Tracklist:

01. Living in a Metastable Universe
02. Hunting for Dyson Spheres
03. Pale Veins
04. After the Holocaust
05. The Triumph of Science and Reason
06. The Kinetics of a Superintelligence Explosion
07. Planetoktonos
08. Calculating Infinity
09. Eternal Bloom

Line-up:

Thanos Mantas – guitars/e-bow/chants
Panos Agoros – vocals
John Votsis – drums
Kostas Ragiadakos – bass

On Sunday 27th July, DEPHOSPHORUS will be returning to Greece’s New Long Fest after 11 years, having played their first concert there in 2014. More info at: https://fb.me/e/izItlYxty

More information: https://linktr.ee/dephosphorus