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ABIGAIL WILLIAMS Stream New Track ‘Still Nights’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on June 7, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: ABIGAIL WILLIAMS. Leave a comment
Photo credit: Agonia Records

American black metal band ABIGAIL WILLIAMS previews its upcoming studio album “A Void Within Existence” (out July 18th on Agonia Records) with a new single “Still Nights”. Watch its visualizer video, here:

The follow-up to 2019’s critically acclaimed “Walk Beyond the Dark” marks a new chapter in the band’s relentless evolution; an album that not only expands upon the atmospheric darkness and melodic brutality of its predecessor, but pushes further into extremes, both sonically and emotionally.

Produced by frontman Ken Sorceron and mixed by renowned engineer Dave Otero (Aborted,Akhlys), “A Void Within Existence” is a scorched offering of black metal transcendence: harrowing, cinematic, and utterly uncompromising. Drums are performed by the virtuosic Mike Heller (Fear Factory, Ghost Bath), whose work here blurs the line between precision and chaos.

Lyrically, the album dives deep into existential themes of loss, disintegration, and unreality. Tracks like “Still Nights” and “No Less Than Death” reflect on identity through surreal and fragmented images – distant lights, poisoned memories, dreams where “there is no pain.” Elsewhere, songs like “Embrace The Chasm” and “Life, Disconnected” summon visions of cosmic dread and personal oblivion, confronting the listener with raw emotion and esoteric vision.

The record is accompanied by striking cover art from Eliran Kantor (Testament, Bloodbath), whose visual interpretation mirrors the inner desolation and mythic scope of the music.

“This record was born in the quiet hours, when everything felt hollow,” Sorceron reflects. “«A Void Within Existence» isn’t just a title – it’s a feeling I couldn’t shake while writing. There’s a loneliness threaded through these songs that came from somewhere deeper than I expected. The world outside was falling apart, and in a way, so was the one inside. I wanted to push beyond the limits we explored on «Walk Beyond the Dark». Sonically, emotionally, spiritually – nothing was off-limits. I produced the album to stay close to that vision, and with Dave Otero on the mix and Mike Heller behind the kit, everything came to life exactly how I heard it in my head: raw, vast, and crushing. This is a record about absence. About peeling away what isn’t real – examining the void left behind. If there’s anything left after that – maybe it’s the truth. Maybe it’s just the void. Either way, this is the most honest I’ve ever been. «A Void Within Existence» is more than an album. It’s a crucible – a journey through the fire where only shadow and silence remain.”

Surpassing its 20th year of existence (having been formed in 2004), ABIGAIL WILLIAMS has upgraded its formula to a quartet, comprising Ken Sorceron (ex-Aborted, ex-The Faceless, Vale Of Pnath, Nachtmystium) on vocals and guitars, Vance Valenzuela (Vale Of Pnath) on guitars, John Porada (ex-Nachtmystium, ex-Wolvhammer) on bass and Mike Heller (Fear Factory, Malignancy) on drums. With Sorceron retaining his leading role, the band expands on its unique and intensive sound, forged throughout five studio albums, and anchored in black metal with shades of death metal & symphonic metal.

Tracklisting:
1. Life, Disconnected
2. Void Within
3. Nonexistence
4. Still Nights
5. Talk To Your Sleep
6. Embrace The Chasm
7. No Less Than Death

Line-up:
Ken Sorceron – vocals, guitars
Vance Valenzuela – guitars
John Porada – bass
Mike Heller – drums

Pre-orders: https://abigail-williams.com/

ABIGAIL WILLIAMS on-line:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AbigailWilliamsBand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abigailwilliamsofficial/
Spotify
Apple Music

OBSIDIAN TONGUE Kick Off U.S. Co-Headliner w/ WOE

Posted by tarjavirmakari on June 7, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: OBSIDIAN TONGUE. Leave a comment
Photo by Stephanie Sintra

Progressive black metal duo OBSIDIAN TONGUE embarked on their FRAILTY & SCORN tour, which consists of eight performances of black metal intensity alongside WOE. The trek kicked off yesterday, June 6, in Long Island City, NY and will make its way throughout the East Coast until the final stop on June 13 in Providence, RI. The tour will not only celebrate the release of OBSIDIAN TONGUE‘s new studio album, but also will bring both bands back to many cities they have not visited in nearly a decade. The full itinerary can be found below!

OBSIDIAN TONGUE is supporting their new full-length, ‘Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn,’ which is out now via Profound Lore Records and can be ordered HERE.

Comprised of multi-instrumentalist Brendan Hayter (Thrawsunblat/Obsequiae live) and drummer Raymond Capizzo (Falls Of Rauros/Panopticon live), OBSIDIAN TONGUE returned to the all-analog Mystic Valley Studio, where their first two records were made, to print their Covid-era home sessions onto two-inch tape. Mixed and mastered in the analog domain as well by Alex Garcia-Rivera, ‘Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn’ boasts a unique and unmistakable sonic force amidst the modern digital landscape; created with a total absence of click tracks, quantization, or sound replacement of any kind. 

OBSIDIAN TONGUE Tour Dates (Co-headlining w/ WOE), remaining shows:

06/07: Milton, DE @ Brimming Horn Meadery // Party Like It’s 793 Fest
06/08: Baltimore, MD @ The Depot
06/09: Richmond, VA @ Cobra Cabana
06/10: Raleigh, NC @ The Pour House
06/11: Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
06/12: Syracuse, NY @ The Jugg on Teal
06/13: Providence, RI @ Fete Music Hall

Tracklisting:
01 – Orphaned Spiritual Warrior
02 – Snakeskin Tunnel Colony
03 – Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn [LISTEN]
04 – To Forgive Oneself [WATCH]
05 – …And Still They Dream…
06 – Theater of Smoke & Wind

Lauded as USBM’s best kept secret, Obsidian Tongue has been on a steadfast artistic journey since their formation in 2009. They’ve never failed to retain the original mission of playing raw and cathartic melodic black metal as they journeyed further into psychedelic and progressive territories with each release following 2012’s self-released debut ‘Subradiant Architecture.’ While their debut won a passionate following for its perfect union of the grimy and the epic sides of black metal, it was 2013’s ‘A Nest of Ravens in the Throat of Time’ (Hypnotic Dirge Records) and its psychedelic dark metal that established their name more into the scene and showcased their ambitious nature even more.

2015’s 15-minute single ‘The Lakeside Redemption,’ with its progressive, haunting, dreamlike and triumphant elements, set the groundwork for their third full length, which took several years of tireless effort to complete. Released in Jan of 2020, ‘Volume III’ (Bindrune Recordings) was clearly the band’s magnum opus but all plans to support the album on the road became thwarted due to the pandemic. So all there was left to do was write even more music. This gradually led to a creation of not one, but three works: the first being 2024’s much-delayed self-released digital EP ‘The Stone Heart’ and the second being their fourth full-length album ‘Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn’ to be released via Profound Lore Records on May 30, 2025. 

In the summer of 2024, Obsidian Tongue, comprised of vocalist/guitarist/bassist Brendan Hayter (Thrawsunblat/Obsequiae live) and drummer Raymond Capizzo (Falls Of Rauros/Panopticon live) returned to the all-analog Mystic Valley Studio, where their first two records were made, to print their Covid-era home sessions onto two-inch tape. Mixed and mastered in the analog domain as well by Alex Garcia-Rivera, ‘Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn’ boasts a unique and unmistakable sonic force amidst the modern digital landscape; created with a total absence of click tracks, quantization, or sound replacement of any kind. 

The progressive black metal journey that is ‘Eclipsing Worlds of Scorn’ takes off immediately with the wrathful sounds of “Orphaned Spiritual Warrior” and “Snakeskin Tunnel Colony,” easily the band’s two heaviest tracks to date. These flow directly into the apocalyptic title track, and onto the vulnerable and surreal sounds of “To Forgive Oneself” leading into the acoustic instrumental “…And Still They Dream.” This dream ends with the triumphant “Theater of Smoke & Wind,” a true psychedelic black metal classic that still evokes some of the original feeling found on the band’s ‘Subradiant Architecture’ debut.

Sixteen years into the band’s existence, Obsidian Tongue clearly show no signs of running out of new ways to alter their sound – song by song, album by album.

Lineup:
Brendan Hayter – Guitar, Vocals, Bass, Synth
Raymond Capizzo – Drums

Recorded @ Mystic Valley Studio
Mixed & Mastered by Alex Garcia-Rivera

Links: Instagram – Facebook – Apple Music – Spotify – Bandcamp

THE DEAD COWBOYS Release Lyric Video for ‘Super Country Cowboy’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on June 7, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: THE DEAD COWBOYS. Leave a comment

THE DEAD COWBOYS release Super Country Cowboy, the second single from their soon to be released debut album. Bobby Jensen talking about the new single, “Super Country Cowboy is a song that I love because fits me and my personality. I was raised half city mouse and half country mouse so it really hits home with who I am and where I come from. My dad was born and raised in the Hills of Summertown Tennessee, while my mom was born and raised in Minneapolis. With that diverse upbringing, I was raised to be streetsmart and country dumb as well as being fluent in two languages, English and southern bull, so you can’t get much by me and I can usually see you coming.

Their combined upbringing and my love of KISS and Waylon Jennings led to my brackish existence between the ocean of rock ‘n’ roll and the river of country music.  Growing up I often wondered what it would sound like if KISS released a Country Album and this song is a good example of what that might sound like. Super County Cowboy gives the stomp of hillbilly country , the thump of loud guitars with the storytelling lyrics and I think it’s a great blend of styles in one song.

The video is a great visual of the boy who wants to be like his favorite band “The Dead Cowboys” and has their posters on his wall and every album. It’s exactly what I was growing up as a KISS fanatic. He gets his first guitar and taste of what the loud power chord can do to your soul.  Nothing will stop him now!  He starts playing and singing nonstop and becomes the Super Country Cowboy.”

Stream the new single “Super Country Cowboy”: https://smarturl.it/Deadcowboys

The Dead Cowboys are set to release their debut album on Shotgun Records June 21st. Blazing out of the American heartland, The Dead Cowboys are the sonic outlaws redefining what it means to ride the line between heavy metal and country. With a signature sound they’ve dubbed “heavy western”, this band is a hard-hitting fusion of roaring guitars, outlaw swagger, and dust-kicking groove that feels like Motörhead riding through a ghost town at midnight.

Originally formed in 2005 by Bobby Jensen—a powerhouse performer with a voice as wild as the frontier—The Dead Cowboys started as a passion project blending Bobby’s deep love for classic country storytelling and the raw energy of metal. But when his other band, Hairball (a high-octane heavy metal tribute juggernaut), exploded onto the national scene, The Dead Cowboys were temporarily put out to pasture.

Upcoming Tour Dates:
6/21 Album Release Party at Route 47 Pub and Grub, Fridley MN
8/29 Le’musique Room, St Micheal MN
8/30 St Croix Casino Hertel, Hertel WI

Tracklisting:
Bad Friends & Good Times
Super Country Cowboy
Crazy Horses
The Lake
Hot Rod Vega
Mexico
Jensen Road
When The Cows Come Home
Demon Desperado

Band Members:
Bobby Jensen- L. Vocals / Guitar
Katherine “Wild Kat” Ray – Fiddle
Brian Reidinger – Drums / Vocals
Matt Leonetti – Keys / Piano / Vocals
Joey Shaheen – Bass / Vocals

Tracy Frink – Pyro / Stage Manager / Demon Desperado
“Lethal” Leisa Moses – Hair /Wardrobe / Monster wrangler

Songwriter / Production Credits:
Production Credits: Producer – BOBBY JENSEN, Engineer BRIAN BART, Recording Studio LOGIC
Bad Friends & Good Times – Written by: Bobby Jensen (Jensen Road/BMI)
Super Country Cowboy – Written by: Allen JR. Sostrin / Kevin Douglas / Rockie Rash
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Crazy Horses – Merrill Davis Osmond / Wayne Osmond / Alan Ralph Osmond
Crazy Horses lyrics © Mike Curb Music
The Lake – Written by: Bobby Jensen (Jensen Road/BMI) / Mike Frank
Hot Rod Vega – Written by: Allen JR. Sostrin / Kevin Douglas / Rockie Rash
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Mexico – Written by: Bobby Jensen (Jensen Road/BMI)
Jensen Road – Written by: Bobby Jensen (Jensen Road/BMI)
When The Cows Come Home – Merle Travis / Bobby Jensen (Jensen Road/BMI)
Demon Desperado – Written by: Bobby Jensen (Jensen Road/BMI)

About Bobby Jensen:

Bobby was the singer in band Hairball. He was also the Starchild in KISS Tributes Strutter as well as the group KISS ARMY in the 90s and early 2000s. Touring North America with appearances on MTV as well as performing at KISS conventions.

Bobby has worked with Alice Cooper’s nonprofit “Solid Rock Teen Centers” for 12 years and built the show “Almost Cooper, The Alice Cooper Show” with assistance from Alice Cooper’s prop builders and costume team.

Bobby performed on the “Patriarchs in Black“ album with Johnny Kelly of Type-O- Negative / Quiet Riot, and Dan Lorenzo of Hades. He wrote and sang “Hallowed Be Her Name” and “Dead and Gone” with Dan Lorenzo for their “My Veneration” album.

WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA:
WEBSITE: http://thedeadcowboysband.com
FACEBOOK: Facebook.com/thedeadcowboysband
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@thedeadcowboys
INSTAGRAM: Instagram/thedeadcowboys1880
TIKTOK: thedeadcowboys4

WASTE CULT Premiere Debut Album “Blame”, Out Now

Posted by tarjavirmakari on June 7, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: WASTE CULT. Leave a comment

Italy’s WASTE CULT have made their debut album “Blame” available for streaming, released on June 6th, 2025, via Aesthetic Death.

Featuring a dynamic blend of doom, stoner and post-metal influences, “Blame” showcases the band’s signature weight and relentless energy across its expansive, immersive tracks. From hypnotic riffs to towering atmospheres, this early stream offers listeners a first glimpse into the dense, compelling soundscape that has been steadily forged by WASTE CULT since their formation in 2021.

Stream “Blame” at THIS LOCATION.

Tracklist:

1 – Ad Astra
2 – Delirium Of Manners
3 – Blame
4 – Blended As One
5 – Kerberos
6 – Pictures
7 – The Warmest Shelter
8 – Maze

WASTE CULT started in Bologna – Italy in late 2021, with all members having experience with other punk/thrash metal projects, including Rake-Off, Hyle, Siege Stompers, Call The Cops…

The aim for WASTE CULT has been to create different sounds and atmospheres to those other projects – exploring a slower doomier approach to their sound. In mid 2022 they self-released an eponymous 4-track EP on tape, and on the back of that started playing shows across Italy.

The first full length – “Blame” – is the characterisation of all their different influences, with a more defined identity – taking inspiration from the doom classics to the more modern post-metal sounds. This reality took shape after years experimenting in the practice room, with “Blame” bearing witness to a more introspective and personal approach within both the music and lyrics.

Aesthetic Death has always been a fan of stoner doom sounds and, like many, was schooled on the likes of Kyuss, Monster Magnet and Black Sabbath. Yet, Aesthetic Death has rarely had opportunity to work on any release with bands from these lands of sound.

When first listening to WASTE CULT it instantly resonated. Albums can become a soundtrack to a period of our lives, as an immersive escape alongside all the positive or negative things happening.

Line-up:

Frank – Guitar and vocals
Pilvia – Guitar
Noise – Bass
Claudio – Drums and backing vocals

https://wastecult.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/wastecultband/
https://www.facebook.com/wastecult

VICIOUS RAIN Release New Single And Video ‘IKIGAI’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on June 7, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: VICIOUS RAIN. Leave a comment
Photo Credit: Witzki Vision

Heavy new Swiss band Vicious Rain have unveiled their new single, ‘IKIGAI’, via Arising Empire. Following the success of their debut album There Is Beauty In Letting Go, Vicious Rain are opening a new chapter and deliver a powerful statement with the new single.

Stream here: https://arisingempire.com/viciousrain

‘IKIGAI’ – the reason why life is worth living – explores the search for purpose, inner drive, and the courage to walk your own path despite doubts and obstacles. Vicious Rain combine raw emotion, soaring melodies, and crushing heaviness into a sound that feels even more direct and determined than ever before.

The single not only marks the beginning of a new era for the band but also highlights Vicious Rain’s musical and personal growth. A band ready to push boundaries and fearlessly pursue their vision.

Catch the band live:
23.08.25 CZ – Rock For Your Shock Festival Headliner
20.09.25 CH – Garage 8 Olten
22.11.25 DE – Corefest Stuttgart w/ Future Palace, Dead By April, Aviana and many more.

Formed in late 2022, Vicious Rain are an alternative metalcore band from Baden, Switzerland. The group combine intertwined singing/screaming vocals with anthemic singalongs, screaming melodic leads and crushing breakdowns, as they embrace everything from the heavy side of the genre all the way to the more intimate melodies. The band‘s spirit is marked by their shared belief in the importance of solidarity, and the role of the individual accomplishment of a common vision. Lyrically, the Swiss quintet wholeheartedly express their stance on personal matters, while highlighting their belief that self-reflection is the key to growth. 

Vicious Rain are:

David Häusermann | Vocals
Mauro Gugerli | Guitar & Vocals
Tristan Meier | Guitar
Loris De Notaristefano | Bass
Michael Teufelberger | Drums

Vicious Rain online:
https://www.instagram.com/viciousrainband
https://www.tiktok.com/@viciousrainband
https://www.facebook.com/viciousrainband
https://twitter.com/viciousrainband
https://viciousrain.com

Kris Barras’ HOLLOW SOULS Release ‘Shotgun’ Single + Video, Feat. Jon ‘Marv’ Harvey of Monster Truck

Posted by tarjavirmakari on June 7, 2025
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: HOLLOW SOULS, Kris Barras, Kris Barras' HOLLOW SOULS. Leave a comment
Photo by Blackham Images

Kris Barras’ new blues-rock super-collective Hollow Souls are pleased to announce their sophomore single “Shotgun” featuring the unmistakeable vocals of Jon ‘Marv’ Harvey, of the Canadian powerhouse southern rock band, Monster Truck. “Shotgun” is the second single from the band’s forthcoming EP out in September and is released on Hollow Souls own label imprint.

“Shotgun” is available on all streaming platforms HERE. Watch the official music video HERE.

In March 2025, Hollow Souls came out swinging with their breakout debut single “Borderline,” and announced a 20-date Oct/Nov 2025 UK Tour. The upbeat blues rock anthem showcased the awesome pipes of former Kris Barras Band backing singer Phoebe Jane.

This time around, “Shotgun” sees Phoebe providing soulful backing vocals to Monster Truck frontman Jon ‘Marv’ Harvey who collaborated with Kris and producer Josiah Manning remotely after a long-term friendship based on mutual musical respect.

“We’ve been talking about writing a song with Marv for a long time,” says Kris. Josiah and I had a riff we laid down at Momentum Studios. We instantly knew this one would be perfect for Marv, so we fired it over to him. What he sent back blew us both away. The explosiveness of his vocal and Marv’s amazing storytelling. We couldn’t ask for a better collaborator. I hope we perform it live together one day!”

Jon ‘Marv Harvey’, who wrote the lyrics and melody over Kris and Josiah’s stomping blues rock guitar riffs, tells a gritty story of a bar fight with his customary gravelly drawl. Having collaborated with U.S. guitar hero Jared James Nichols on the first single “Borderline,” Kris switches to lead guitar on “Shotgun” and delivers a fiery solo that demonstrates his inimitable style of hard rock shredding with bluesy phrasing. “Borderline” is available on all streaming platforms HERE.

“Shotgun” is released ahead of Hollow Souls’ 20-date Oct/Nov 2025 UK Tour. Tickets are available from thegigcartel.com.

From humble beginnings in Torquay, Devon, to trading licks with the likes of Joe Bonamassa and Billy Gibbons on the world stage, Kris has already lived a hundred lives that defy his youth and exuberance.

Kris’ own project Kris Barras Band had a mammoth 2024. From selling out headline shows in British castles, headlining Planet Rockstock, and a Top #5 UK album with Halo Effect.

Inspired by the U.S. supergroup Supersonic Blues Machine in which he also performed and energised by the wealth of British talent around him, to create Hollow Souls, Kris put together a homegrown jam band to serve as a creative sparring exercise during his downtime.

Hollow Souls is a dream project for Kris. Together with long-term collaborator, multi-instrumentalist and producer Josiah J Manning, using Josiah’s Plymouth-based Momentum Studios as their base, a studio band consisting of drummer Joe Harris (Toby Lee, Lack of Afro) and bass player Leighton Allen (Callum Scott, The Hoosiers) became more than the sum of its parts.

When Kris invited in former KBB backing singer Phoebe Jane to jam, the floodgates of creativity truly opened. In writing for her dexterous range and astonishing power, Kris and Josiah knew they had found a singer with which their musical palette could continue to evolve; the spark that ignited a whole new band into existence with Hollow Souls.

Photo by Blackham Images

KRIS BARRAS’ HOLLOW SOULS
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2025 UK TOUR
TICKETS: THE GIG CARTEL & PLANET ROCK TICKETS

OCTOBER
Thu 16 – Bedford, Esquires
Fri 17 – Chesterfield, Real Time Live
Sat 18 – London, Camden Underworld
Sun 19 – Stowmarket, John Peel Centre
Wed 22 – Shoreham, Ropetackle
Thu 23 – Cardiff, The Globe
Fri 24 – Leek, Foxlowe Arts
Sat 25 – Gloucester, Guildhall
Sun 26 – Norwich, Waterfront Studio
Wed 29 – Grimsby, Docks Academy
Thu 30 – Huddersfield, Parish
Fri 31 – Birmingham, Castle & Falcon

NOVEMBER
Sat 1 – Stockton, Georgian Theatre
Sun 2 – Carlisle, Old Fire Station
Tue 4 – Glasgow, Oran Mor
Wed 5 – Edinburgh, La Belle Angele
Thu 6 – York, Crescent
Fri 7 – Blackpool, Waterloo
Sat 8 – Southampton, Suburbia
Sun 9 – Tavistock, Wharf 

More information: WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE

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