SHINING have unleashed their new single “NORTH,” a ferocious collision of industrial metal, distorted screams, punishing riffs and the band’s unmistakable shrieking saxophone. The song is emboldened by a distinctive Nordic saxophone riff that will freeze your blood to ice.
“’NORTH’ is a salute to the ice-cold North—its darkness, its harsh winters and the defiance of the people shaped by them,” says SHINING founder Jørgen Munkeby. “At its core, it’s a song about Northern perseverance and ‘The Northern Way’: that stubborn, self-reliant spirit that has driven SHINING from the beginning.”
True to spirit, SHINING took complete control of the song’s creation; the band wrote, recorded and mixed it themselves in their own studio before travelling to drummer Simen Sandnes’ cabin in the Norwegian mountains to shoot the official video.
November 3rd — Stengade, Copenhagen, Denmark November 5th — dB’s, Utrecht, Netherlands November 6th — Backstage By The Mill, Paris, France November 10th — O2 Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom* November 11th — SWG3, Glasgow, United Kingdom* November 12th — The Academy, Dublin, Ireland*
*With Igorrr and Otto Von Schirach
SHINING are currently working on a new album, expect more new music soon.
About SHINING:
Led by saxophonist, singer, composer and producer Jørgen Munkeby, SHINING began as an acoustic jazz quartet before repeatedly and deliberately mutating into new musical forms. That evolution reached a violent breakthrough with ‘Blackjazz,’ an explosive fusion of free jazz, blackened industrial metal and progressive extremity that established the Norwegian band as a singular force in heavy music.
SHINING continued their transformation through 2013’s streamlined and confrontational ‘One One One,’ 2015’s ‘International Blackjazz Society’ and 2018’s hook-driven rock reinvention ‘Animal.’ The latter’s title track has surpassed 13 million streams on Spotify, while the album increased the band’s monthly listenership tenfold.
In recent years, SHINING have revisited ‘Blackjazz’ through a series of selected anniversary performances, including an explosive show before 15,000 fans at Hellfest (France) in 2024. Their August 7, 2026 appearance at Bloodstock Festival (UK) continues that celebration—but “NORTH” makes it clear that the band’s next chapter has already begun…
One of Brazil’s leading independent heavy metal promotion channels, Metal com Batata, is celebrating 10 years of dedication to the underground scene with a special edition of the Metal com Batata 10th Anniversary Online Festival.
The event will be streamed live and free on August 21st, 2026, beginning at 8:00 PM (Brazil time) on the official Metal com Batata YouTube channel.
Founded on July 15th, 2016 by Brazilian radio host Cristiano “Batata” Oliveira, Metal com Batata has become an important platform for promoting independent bands from Brazil and around the world. Over the past decade, the project has featured hundreds of interviews, introduced thousands of new songs, and built strong relationships with musicians, record labels, radio stations, promoters, and fans worldwide.
To celebrate this milestone, the festival will feature 25 artists from eight different countries, highlighting the diversity and strength of today’s underground metal scene.
Brazilian Artists
The festival will showcase performances and exclusive appearances by:
Dunkell Reiter, Losna, Sacrifix, Stout Inc., Shitai, Siegrid Ingrid, Drowned, Exkil, Dorsal Atlântica, Armadilha, Headspawn, Galo de Briga, Scum Noise, Magnolia, LoSS, Daniele Krauz and Dinnamarque.
International Artists
The international lineup includes:
Noord – Belgium
Castelnuovo Rancore – Italy
Riccardo D’Attis – Italy
Frostmorner – Italy
Parallel Minds – France
Bastard Skull – United States
Active Intersection – United States
Crimson Day – Finland
In addition to the musical performances, viewers will enjoy exclusive video messages from artists, record labels, promoters, and media partners who have supported Metal com Batata throughout its ten-year journey.
The event also celebrates the international partnerships established over the years with record labels, PR agencies, and radio stations from several countries, helping connect Brazilian audiences with underground metal from around the world.
According to Metal com Batata founder Cristiano “Batata” Oliveira:
“For the past ten years, our mission has always been to give independent bands a voice, regardless of their size or country of origin. This festival is our way of saying thank you to every musician, label, promoter, media partner, and especially to the audience that has supported Metal com Batata since 2016.”
With free worldwide streaming, the Metal com Batata 10th Anniversary Online Festival promises to unite heavy metal fans from around the globe in a celebration of independent music and underground culture.
EVENT INFORMATION Metal com Batata 10th Anniversary Online Festival Date: August 21st, 2026 Time: 8:00 PM (Brasília, Brazil – UTC -3) Watch Live: www.youtube.com/METALCOMBATATA Free Online Event
Ten years supporting independent metal. Ten years bringing Brazilian underground music to the world—and the world to Brazilian metal fans.
Dark black metal duo HULDER are streaming their new record Verbolgen in full via Black Metal Promotion’s YouTube channel, released on August 7th through Season of Mist and 20 Buck Spin. Over the course of 9 tracks, the album journeys seamlessly throughout the three realms before galloping onward, toward the glow of dawn.
Verbolgen is Hulder’s third full-length and the first to formally welcome Necreon as co-leader, a status their creative process has reflected in practice for years. Keld (Majesties, Obsequiae, Celestiial) contributes hurdy gurdy, additional guitars, and keys throughout, with drumming duties split between Vapula and Vrolok across the tracklist, and Ianuaria appearing on session flute.
Recorded at Elektric City Recording in Portland, Oregon and at various locations by the band, Verbolgen was mixed by Ahti Kortelainen at Tico Tico Studios in Kemi, Finland and mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki. Cover artwork was painted by Morrigan, her first metal commission since 1996, with logo design by Jannicke Wiese Hansen and photography by Liana Rakijian.
Polish black-death veterans MASSTERON are ready to unleash their first full-length album, “Second in the Spheres”, set for release on September 24th, 2026 via ATMF. The album will be available as a six-panel Digipak CD, presenting the band’s uncompromising vision of extreme metal in its purest and most focused form.
The first single “True Midnight” is now streaming HERE.
Formed by musicians with years of experience within the Polish underground scene, MASSTERON channel the savage spirit of late-’90s Polish black-death metal while avoiding the temptation of simple nostalgia. Drawing inspiration from the primal intensity of early Azarath, Inquisition and the raw force of Aura Noir, the band looks back to the genre’s foundations with the perspective and awareness of seasoned musicians.
“Second in the Spheres” is not an exercise in recreating the past, but a refined expression of everything that made extreme metal dangerous in the first place. The album consists of six tracks recorded live in the studio, capturing the immediacy and physical impact of the band’s performance without relying on artificial enhancements, excessive editing or programmed perfection.
However, rawness does not mean carelessness. MASSTERON avoid the common trap of mistaking a deliberately rough sound for authenticity. Beneath the hostile atmosphere and old-school spirit lies a meticulous approach to songwriting, where every riff, transition and dynamic shift serves a precise purpose. The result is a record that feels ancient in its attitude but razor-sharp in execution.
Spanning 37 minutes of relentless black metal fury, “Second in the Spheres” delivers a balance between aggression and control, chaos and structure. The album carries the spirit of a bygone era while proving that experience can transform traditional formulas into something immediate, powerful and lethal.
With their debut full-length, MASSTERON present a statement of intent: a tribute to the roots of extreme metal, forged by musicians who understand its history but refuse to remain trapped in it. “Second in the Spheres” is a first strike built on conviction, discipline and an undying devotion to the ancient flame.
Any Given Sin and Mascot Records have announced the release of the band’s second studio album titled Until We Disappear on November 20. Today, they present “Like You,” a recording that will be featured on Madden 2027 from EA. To preview the song, click here. Any Given Sin share, “’Like You,’ is a song about toxic relationships. There is a personal aspect to this song for all of us in our own ways. But the moral is the same; suffer no fools! We are beyond grateful to have our song ‘Like You’ featured in Madden 2027. Huge thanks to EA Sports and the NFL for this amazing opportunity.”
Prior, the band presented “Until We Disappear.” Also featured on this upcoming album are “Through Hell,” which was included in the end credits for the feature film The Barn III and the band’s interpretation of the Men At Work hit “Down Under.” A prior cover released of The Cutting Crew’s “(I Just) Died In Your Arms Tonight” has amassed over 22 million streams since first released.
Hundreds of seedy budget motels sit alongside the endless highways of North America. Between long haul drives and sweat-soaked gigs, you might find Any Given Sin’s vocalist Victor Ritchie and guitarist Mike Conner in one of these old hotel rooms toiling away over lyrics when they should be sleeping. Instead of getting rest, the musicians will confront life’s darkness and their own demons in the dead of night, sharing a piece of paper with thoughts and confessions scrawled in the form of verses and choruses. Victor will write a line, and Mike will answer with his own until a song slowly, but surely takes shape. These nights give the Maryland band—rounded out by bassist Rich Stevenson and drummer Mike Showalter—an edge of their own.
It’s evenings like this that have invariably informed their second full-length album coming later this year.
“The lyrics definitely happen in seclusion,” affirms Mike. “Victor and I have spent many nights in motels just writing words on paper until 3am, no matter when we need to wake up. He’ll write a cool line and show it to me and ask, ‘What do you think?’ I’ll share my own idea. It’s a long and meticulous process, but it’s really open. We’re speaking truthfully to one another. We’re dealing with darker subjects like sadness and depression. That’s usually what comes out in almost every song.”
This unfiltered honesty has defined the group’s sound since their emergence with 2015’s independent Forbidden EP. Gaining a buzz, they earned a bona fide underground hit with “Dynamite.” To date, it has eclipsed 13 million streams, but it also marked their first radio success, surging as SiriusXM’s “#1 Most-Spun Song on Octane’s Accelerator,” breaking the Top 5 of the popular BIGUNS Countdown, and closing out 2019 in the “Top 30 Songs of the Year.” From there, the guys notched two successive #1 entries on SiriusXM with “Insidious” and “Another Life,” which has clocked 10 million-plus streams thus far. Everything paved the way for the arrival of their debut LP, War Within, in 2023.
“It took a long time for us to make it this far,” Mike leaves off, “and we’re going to kick it in the ass until we can’t do it anymore. I’ve gotten a lot of messages from people who will tell us our songs got them through hard times. We hope to bring listeners comfort.”
CRO-MAGS, the iconic New York hardcore outfit fronted by Harley Flanagan, proudly announces their new album, ‘The Age of Quarrel: 40 Years of Quarrel,’ a tribute to their 1986 seminal debut. Following the release of the original single “Wired for Chaos,” the band now shares the 2026 version of “World Peace,” alongside an official music video, available below.
On the decision to honor ‘The Age of Quarrel,’ Harley shares:
“It all started with the making of the ‘Wired for Chaos’ movie, but there were several reasons for revisiting ‘The Age of Quarrel.’ None of the people who played on the original record ever got paid, and none of us ever received an accounting of the album’s sales. For years, I tried to reunite the original lineup to re-record it and reclaim the rights to ‘The Age of Quarrel’ and ‘Best Wishes’ through the Copyright Reversion Act. But I couldn’t get everyone together to take back ownership of the music, and that window has now closed.”
He continues, “We had to re-record a few songs for the ‘Harley Flanagan: Wired for Chaos’ documentary soundtrack because the original recordings couldn’t be licensed. That inspired me to finish the entire album. To honor ‘The Age of Quarrel,’ I brought together friends, current bandmates, and musicians from other bands to celebrate these songs that have meant so much to so many people, myself included. Forty years later, everyone who wrote these songs will finally be paid through ASCAP and BMI, and the remaining proceeds will go to charity. I’m doing my best to make things right. These songs belong to the fans. I’m washing my hands of the past and trying to clear the bad karma from this record. Love wins. My quarrel is over.”
Forty years ago, New York City’s CRO-MAGS defined the metal-punk crossover with their landmark 1986 album, ‘The Age of Quarrel.’ The intensity, influence, and groove of that record continue to resonate today, fueled by the band’s enduring legacy and hard-earned reputation as one of heavy music’s most volatile and influential acts. Now led by founding bassist and vocalist Harley Flanagan, who assumed frontman duties beginning with 1989’s ‘Best Wishes,’ CRO-MAGS bring ‘The Age of Quarrel’ full circle with a celebration of the album that started it all.
Joining Flanagan are original ‘AOQ’ guitarist Doug Holland, former CRO-MAGS/ Suicidal Tendencies guitarist Rocky George, and members of modern-day acolytes Turnstile and Rise Against for fresh takes on classics including “Hard Times,” “World Peace,” and “Malfunction,” along with the addition of the 1985 demo-era favorite “Everybody’s Gonna Die.” Drums on all tracks were handled by drum phenom Greyson Nekrutman. Produced and mixed by Arthur Rizk (Power Trip, Blood Incantation), ‘40 Years of Quarrel’ not merely revisits a pivotal crossover classic, but pours new fuel on the fire for old devotees and new converts to the CRO-MAGS cause.
Pre-Order ‘The Age of Quarrel: 40 Years of Quarrel’ HERE
‘The Age of Quarrel: 40 Years of Quarrel’ Track List:
1. We Gotta Know (Featuring Dave Sharpe & Doug Holland) 2. World Peace 3. Show You No Mercy 4. Malfunction 5. Street Justice 6. Survival Of The Streets 7. Seekers Of The Truth (Featuring Arthur Rizk and Rocky George) 8. It’s The Limit (Featuring Meg Mills) 9. Hard Times 10. By Myself 11. Don’t Tread On Me (Featuring Zach Blair) 12. Face The Facts 13. Do Unto Others 14. Life of My Own 15. Signs Of The Times
CRO-MAGS are currently on tour in Europe before returning to the U.S. for a series of select dates, with additional shows to be announced soon.
CRO-MAGS Live:
Europe: August 8 — Newport, UK @ Corn Exchange August 9 — Blackpool, UK @ Rebellion Festival August 11th — Barcelona, ESP @ Beach, Beer, & Chaos
USA: August 30th — Worcester, MA @ The Palladium September 1st — McKees Rocks, PA @ Roxian Theatre September 2nd — Detroit, MI @ Saint Andrew’s Hall September 26 — Daytona Beach, FL @ Party Weekend October 4 — Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Festival
More Dates TBA!
The history of Harley Flanagan and his band CRO-MAGS is integral not just to the history of hardcore, but to modern metal, rock, and punk itself. With roots stretching from the shadow of Warhol and the Velvets to CBGB’s hardcore matinees and L’Amour Brooklyn thrash-a-thons, all the way through current generations of punk and extreme metal, CRO-MAGS are the connective tissue. Just ask the likes of Dave Grohl, Green Day, and Turnstile. CRO-MAGS stand side by side with Black Sabbath, Motörhead, and Metallica as both an influence and a gamechanger.
The brainchild of a 14-year-old Harley Flanagan, CRO-MAGS began in 1981 while Flanagan was playing drums for The Stimulators. By 1982/83, he had recorded the primal CRO-MAGS demos — four songs that would become the blueprint for the seminal 1986 release, ‘Age of Quarrel.’ Initially a solo vision, Flanagan wrote and played all of the music himself. In 1985, alongside guitarist Parris Mayhew, vocalist John Joseph McGowan, and drummer Mackie Jayson, the genre-defining ‘Age of Quarrel’ demo was recorded. The full-length album followed in 1986, with Doug Holland of Kraut joining on second guitar.
Explosive both on and offstage, CRO-MAGS have had a tumultuous history, to put it mildly. Through multiple lineups, six studio albums beyond the original demos, and more than four decades of worldwide touring, CRO-MAGS remain one of the most iconic bands in American hardcore and metal. Today, the band is led by Flanagan on bass and vocals — a role he has held since ‘Best Wishes’ (1989). He remains the only member to appear on every CRO-MAGS release since the band’s founding.
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
