Hear, in the year 2026, a raw recording from a young WITHERING SURFACE with various musical directions and inspirations, trying to find their own music style. Does it stand the test of time? Yes
For fans of (early) Eucharist, In Flames, Amorphis
Back in 1994 in a town called Naestved in the South of Sealand, Denmark, Michael H. Andersen used most of his spare time working on his fanzine Emanzipation. Nineteen-year-old still living with his parents, MHA was about to get an awakening. He had recently fell in love with the first demo tape from Eucharist and an advance tape for the upcoming In Flames album and loved the direction At The Gates and Amorphis was heading. Almost no one in the circle of musicians in the South of Sealand had any idea what those bands were all about. This is before the internet and in the outskirts of Denmark, so all information about new bands was through tape trading or the records the local record store managed to get, and occasionally the trip to record stores in the capital city Copenhagen.
The Danish scene back then mainly had focus on brutal death metal and hardcore/thrash. MHA wanted to start up what he thought would be the first Danish melo-death band. After having meet two equally minded metal fans at a local metal show, Jimmy Christensen and Kaspar Boye-Larsen, and approaching Allan Tvedebrink from the local thrash band Mortifere and adding Jakob Gundel from MHAs other band Crawcell, the first melo-death band in Denmark was born: WITHERING SURFACE. A few rehearsals later and a search for the perfect band name, Withering Surface was a reality in late 1994. Just six months later the four young guys, aging from 14 to 21, entered the Take-One studio for 3 days where four songs were recorded, mixed and mastered with producer Kasper Munkebo, who had previously worked with Dominus among others. The result was “Unique”. A recording that was baptized a “promo tape” and sold close to 2000 copies worldwide through the underground scene with trades, and physical money bills sent to MHA. The four songs also ended up being licensed for cassette release South America.
“Unique” now sees the light of day again on all streaming services. Henrik West at Medley Studio was handed over three versions of the original “Unique” cassettes to do a digital re-master. Not an easy job, but he pulled it through. What you hear in the year 2026, is a raw recording from a young band with various musicial directions and inspirations trying to find their own music style. Does it stand the test of time? Yes.
Now, “Unique” is now finally available in all streaming services, roughly 30 years after its original release.
Withering Surface went on to record four albums, played numerous profile shows and tours around the world from 1995 to 2005, Wacken and Roskilde among others, touring with Arch Enemy, Opeth and Dimmu Borgir etc., being Grammy nominated etc. until the band took a 15 year break and did a successful comeback in 2020 with the album “Meet Your Maker” and a handful of well attended shows (a lot of shows got cancelled, including Copenhell, due to covid19). In 2024, they released their latest album “Exit Plan” and toured extensively around it.
“Unique” is out now on all streaming services via Mighty Music
Recording lineup: Kaspar Boye Larsen – bass Jakob Gundel – drums Allan Tvedebrink – guitar Jimmy Christensen – guitar Michael H. Andersen – vocals
German alternative and gothic metal pioneers PYOGENESIS return with their new single “Uncontrolled”, a fierce and uncompromising track which dives deep into the turmoil of adolescence and emotional awakening.
Vocalist Flo V. Schwarz says “Uncontrolled” is raw and unfiltered. It felt liberating and brutally honest to write it. The musical and vocal aggression is emotionally charged and the track captures the moment when hormones are going crazy. It describes what’s going on inside young people as everything changes, while they try to find their place in the world.
“Uncontrolled” is a raw eruption of puberty-fueled chaos, where feelings ignite rage and instinct overrides reason. It captures the violent inner clash between desire, confusion, and loss of control. Trapped between childhood and adulthood, the mind spirals while the body burns. A brutal soundtrack to growing up under pressure.
With this release, PYOGENESIS continue to expand the darker aspects of their artistic identity, reaffirming their ability to combine psychological depth with crushing intensity. “Uncontrolled” stands as a reminder that growth is often confusing and deeply uncomfortable, and that some scars are forged long before adulthood truly begins.
Montreal’s MISERERE LUMINIS have explored a stridently emotive and richly-layered strand of anguished Black Metal since their 2008 formation. Following their 2009 self-titled debut and 2023’s acclaimed “Ordalie“, the trio will release new album “Sidera” – a third tumultuous and cinematic masterwork – on March 6th.
To highlight their unique blend of dark kinetic energy and beauteous rapture, MISERERE LUMINIS now premiere a second single from “Sidera“. Listen to ‘Aux bras des vagues & des vomissures‘ directly below:
Opening with melancholic restraint, the song patiently builds tension before unfolding in a masterful surge of epic Black Metal as sweeping melodies and towering intensity converge into a deeply affecting crescendo.
Composer Neptune relays the musical and lyrical depth of the track:
““Aux bras des vagues & des vomissures” really delves into the experimental and cinematic side of MISERERE LUMINIS, exploiting our love for sonic textures and mood dynamics. We feel it certainly has a unique and distinctive footprint in the album. Most of the songs on “Sidera” were written by the three of us exchanging ideas in our rehearsal space, however the writing process for ‘Aux bras des vagues & des vomissures‘ was completely different. The song was entirely written on the piano, from two different main ideas I had, and we went into the recording studio not knowing exactly how the song would sound like in the end, but we decided to “trust the process”. After the drums and piano were recorded, we tried incorporating more instruments to flesh out the composition, layer by layer, making some sections more metal-oriented than they were originally thought out to be, until it slowly became what it is on the album, with the vocal performance of Annatar really sealing what the song was meant to be.
The main lyrical idea of “Sidera” (and “Ordalie” – since “Sidera” is it’s completing half) is the exploration of suffering and the transformations it induces in the self, viewing them as forces or tools to unveil a deeper sense of meaning and purpose. In the texts, this takes place through a “dialogue”, and ultimately a reunion, between two different conceptual parts of the human psyche. More specifically, ‘Aux bras des vagues & des vomissures‘ is about finding a sort of peace, a quiet patience, among the feeling of loss, of disorientation, a sense of being overwhelmed by existence. It is about taking the time to extract something precious from wavering moments of pain.“
For further immersion in the mesmerizing soundscapes of MISERERE LUMINIS, check out the first unveiled song from the new album – ‘De cris & de cendres‘ – here.
“Sidera” will be released on CD, vinyl and digital on March 6th. A special t-shirt design will accompany the launch. Pre-orders are possible via DMP’s EU, US and Bandcamp shops.
This April, MISERERE LUMINIS will embark on a European tour alongside Austrian Black Metal band DÉTRESSE. Find all confirmed dates below and tickets here:
MISERERE LUMINIS are an unorthodox, atmospheric Black Metal band who hail from Montreal and are born from the minds behind GRIS and SOMBRES FORÊTS, two prime-movers in the Québécois underground Black Metal scene. The band’s eponymous debut album was released in late 2009 on Sepulchral Productions, after which the band returned to the shadows. MISERERE LUMINIS was resurrected in 2018 for the creation of acclaimed second opus, “Ordalie“, which was unleashed in June 2023. Various live gigs – including an expansive Autumn 2024 tour through Europe with GIVRE – followed and demonstrated the band’s move towards a more luminous presence in future.
Intense works are currently in motion on an upcoming third album which will be released by Debemur Morti Productions.
UKĆ is the original project of Łukasz “Icanraz” Sarnacki, known for his work with Corruption, Devilish Impressions, Virgin Snatch, Hermh, and Christ Agony.
Due to his one-man nature, Łukasz and his music were never meant to leave the confines of a recording studio. Immediately after the album’s release, the first proposals to bring the music to the stage arose, resulting in the completion of a live lineup. The band has performed both in Poland and abroad, and these performances are imbued with a powerful emotional charge woven from the most genuine feelings. UKĆ is metal that isn’t shy about its vulnerability.
Some argue that the UKĆ project split Polish metal in half. Their bold, unconventional lyrics and broad approach to music sparked much controversy, quickly making UKĆ one of the hottest newcomers in recent years. The 2023 album “Coming Out” divided not only metal fans but also music editors, who gave the album both the highest and lowest ratings, unanimously emphasizing that a similar phenomenon hadn’t been seen in Polish metal for many years.
After almost three years since the debut album, the time has come for a new release.
All the instruments and vocals for the new album, titled “Anomalie (Upadek Konającego Ćwierćwiecza)“, were recorded by Łukasz “Icanraz” Sarnacki at Hertz Studio in collaboration with Karol Andres (Quo Vadis, Supreme Void). The duo of Łukasz Sarnacki and Wojtek Wiesławski handled the mixes, while Wojtek Wiesławski, who has previously worked with bands such as Behemoth, Decapitated, and Vader, provided the final mastering. The cover art was created by Rafal Kubisiak. The album will be released on March 6, 2026, in digital format and on CD by Via Nocturna (pre-order). The photoshoot was conducted by Magdalena Zagóra.
On February 6, exactly one month before the album’s release – UKĆ revealed the music video for the title track, “Anomalie.” The video was created in collaboration with Art Of Vision.
Icanraz comments on the single: “Anomalie is a song about an autistic boy trying to relate his inner world to the real world. It’s a song about misunderstanding, rocky acceptance, and the difficult but unconditional love between a parent and a child. The lyrics were inspired by the relationship and observations of a close child on the advanced spectrum, who opened the door to his world for me. In the song, you can hear the boy’s voice addressing his parent. This boy is my son, Cyprian, who also played the main role in the song’s music video. Musically, “Anomalie” is pure emotion circulating between cold black metal and the stylistic openness of prog rock. The whole thing is underpinned by hard rock melodies and closed with a groove-like metal rhythm“.
Listening to EVA UNDER FIRE (@evaunderfire) is like hard rock therapy, turning scars and demons into anthems of inner strength. Nowhere is that clearer than on the Detroit band’s latest single, the sonically fierce and lyrically razor-sharp “Murder Scene,” released today (February 6) via Better Noise Music.
“‘Murder Scene’ explores eating disorders, body dysmorphia, self-doubt, and how dreams can become nightmares when the same people who once cheered for you are now criticizing you,” says singer and songwriter Amanda Lyberg. “The dream of being on stage comes with a spotlight on my personal flaws. I’m just a body. To be picked apart and judged and perceived. Anxiety is a liar in my head. It tells me I’m not good enough to be here. So, I fight it. I changed my name and my image to prove it wrong. Still the anxiety gets louder. I think it’s trying to kill me. In a world so desensitized, it feels like death has been redefined as a minor inconvenience. I’m insecure about my body so anxiety might win. My skin is crawling, and every part of my body feels wrong. Maybe I’ll call a doctor and get it altered. Maybe if I don’t eat, I’ll feel better.”
“Murder Scene” is the follow-up to the blistering and inspirational anthem “Awakening,” released October 17, 2025 via Better Noise Music. It was the first taste of new music in two years from the Detroit, MI quintet. Stream/download “Awakening” HERE and view the lyric video HERE.
For all of EVA UNDER FIRE’s new music, Amanda drew on her career as a licensed therapist to foster an open dialogue among the band members, empowering everyone to be heard during the recording. Her work in therapy started in 2018 when she graduated with a Master of Arts in Psychology degree and went on to work at a mental health clinic in Detroit, Transcendence Behavioral Health (owned by Dr. Stephanie Williams). That same year, her father passed away due to a fentanyl overdose. Her mother survived the same batch that killed her father and has been sober for the past six years. In addition to her thriving and busy music career, Amanda is currently a practicing psychotherapist specializing in trauma work, grief and loss, and addiction recovery.
Her story turned into a 2023 short film, “My Rockstar,” which used EVA UNDER FIRE music throughout, and has won over 20 awards in several film fests including Orlando Film Fest, Wild Rivers Film Festival, Toronto WILDfilm Festival, and many others.
Lauded as one of Sirius XM’s 2023 “Ones To Watch,” EVA UNDER FIRE released their critically acclaimed debut album, LOVE, DRUGS & MISERY via Better Noise Music in 2022. Its deluxe version includes the Top 20 Active Rock radio-charting single “Unstoppable” featuring country/rock artist Cory Marks. They’ve toured across the globe with acts including Bush, Bad Wolves, Pop Evil, Skillet, and Finger Eleven, while also appearing at some of rock’s biggest festivals including Aftershock, Inkcarceration, and Rock Fest.
EVA UNDER FIRE—who has amassed over 100 million streams and 10 million YouTube views—substantially expanded their fanbase following their featured appearance in the horror-thriller The Retaliators (Better Noise Films) and the inclusion of their single “Blow (ft. Spencer Charnas of Ice Nine Kills)” on the film’s soundtrack. Their single “Heroin(e)” was also featured on the soundtrack for the 2020 film Sno Babies (Better Noise Films), which has over 65M global total streams. “Heroin(e)” has a combined total of over six million global streams, while “Blow (ft. Spencer Charnas of Ice Nine Kills)” has over 41.6M global total streams.
Later this summer, EVA UNDER FIRE has been announced as a support act tour along with Cody Jinks for Five Finger Death Punch’s “20th Anniversary World Tour 2026.”
In touring news, EVA UNDER FIRE will hit the road for a six-week U.S. tour with Jeris Johnson and Butcher Babies starting February 8 in Portland, OR. Later this summer, EVA UNDER FIRE has been announced as a support act tour along with Cody Jinks for Five Finger Death Punch’s “20th Anniversary World Tour 2026.” View all of EVA UNDER FIRE’s current tour dates HERE.
Stay tuned for more new music to come throughout 2026.
With Jeris Johnson and Butcher Babies:
Sun 2/8 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theatre Wed 2/11 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge Thu 2/12 Denver, CO Bluebird Theatre Fri 2/13 Oklahoma City, OK 89th Street Sun 2/15 Dallas, TX Puzzles Wed 2/18 Tampa, FL The Orpheum Fri 2/20 Orlando, FL Conduit Sat 2/21 Atlanta, GA Smiths Sun 2/22 Nashville, TN The 58’ Wed 2/25 Washington, D.C. Pearl Street (FREE SHOW) Fri 2/27 Millersville, PA Phantom Power Sat 2/28 Frenchtown, NJ Arties Sun 3/1 Pittsburgh, PA Jergel’s Rhythm Grille Wed 3/4 Saginaw, MI The Vault Thu 3/5 Columbus, OH A&R Bar Fri 3/6 Chicago, IL WC Social Club Sat 3/7 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line Mon 3/9 Madison, WI Majestic Theatre Tue 3/10 Ft. Wayne, IN Piere’s Thu 3/12 Houston, TX Warehouse Live Sat 3/14 Lubbock, TX Soggy Dog Tue 3/17 Phoenix, AZ Crescent Ballroom Wed 3/18 Los Angeles, CA Whisky a Go Go Thu 3/19 San Francisco, CA Brick & Mortar
With Five Finger Death Punch and Cody Jinks:
Mon Jul 20 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion Wed Jul 22 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheater Thu Jul 23 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center Sat Jul 25 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium Sun Jul 26 – Syracuse, NY – Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview Tue Jul 28 – Gilford, NH – BankNH Pavilion Thu Jul 30 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center Sat Aug 01 – Montreal, QC – Centre Bell Sun Aug 02 – Toronto, ON – RBC Amphitheatre Tue Aug 04 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater Wed Aug 05 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center Fri Aug 07 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake Sat Aug 08 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center Mon Aug 10 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center Tue Aug 11 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center Thu Aug 13 – Milwaukee, WI – American Family Insurance Amphitheater Sat Aug 15 – Grand Rapids, MI – Acrisure Amphitheater Sun Aug 16 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre Tue Aug 18 – Shakopee, MN – Mystic Lake Amphitheater Wed Aug 19 – Tinley Park, IL – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre Fri Aug 21 – Saint Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater Tue Sep 08 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre Fri Sep 11 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre Sat Sep 12 – Ridgefield, WA – Cascades Amphitheater Mon Sep 14 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre Wed Sep 16 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre Fri Sep 18 – Long Beach, CA – Long Beach Amphitheater Sat Sep 19 – Las Vegas, NV – Michelob ULTRA Arena Tue Sep 22 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre Thu Sep 24 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre* Fri Sep 25 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater* Sun Sep 27 – Houston, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Mon Sep 28 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater Wed Sep 30 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena Fri Oct 02 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP Sat Oct 03 – Kansas City, MO – Morton Amphitheater Mon Oct 05 – Biloxi, MS – Mississippi Coast Coliseum Wed Oct 07 – Huntsville, AL – Orion Amphitheater Thu Oct 08 – Franklin, TN – FirstBank Amphitheater Sat Oct 10 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre Sun Oct 11 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre Tue Oct 13 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre Wed Oct 14 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek Fri Oct 16 – Charlotte, NC – Truliant Amphitheater Sat Oct 17 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach Mon Oct 19 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena Wed Oct 21 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena Fri Oct 23 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
Rockshots Records announces the release of “Stardust”, the brand new single by Italian symphonic death metal act Nefastis, out now on all digital platforms.
“Stardust” is the second single taken from Nefastis upcoming concept album “Shadows At The Light Of Dawn“, an ambitious four-act work conceived as a continuous and immersive listening experience set in a post-apocalyptic world. Positioned within Act III: Alone, the track represents one of the album’s most direct and aggressive moments, offering a sharp contrast to the broader orchestral and progressive framework of the record.
Musically, “Stardust” stands out as the most thrash-driven and straightforward track on the album. Fast, melodic and fiercely aggressive, it delivers a concentrated burst of energy built on razor-sharp riffing, relentless rhythms and a violent yet controlled momentum. While maintaining the band’s symphonic death metal identity, the song strips the arrangement down to its most visceral core, emphasizing speed, impact, and immediacy.
Lyrically, the track portrays a lone individual drifting through the desolation of a dying world, reduced to fragments of memory and matter. “Stardust” embodies the sense of isolation that defines the album’s third act, translating existential emptiness into a raw and uncompromising sonic assault.
“‘Stardust’ is intentionally more direct and aggressive than the other tracks. We wanted it to hit fast and hard, almost like an instinctive reaction within the album’s narrative. It represents a moment where everything is reduced to violence, speed, and survival.”
Following the atmospheric and story-setting approach of the debut single “Shadow Spell“, “Stardust” reveals another facet of “Shadows At The Light Of Dawn“, highlighting the dynamic range and compositional depth that define the album. The record unfolds as a single narrative arc where each song functions as a chapter contributing to an overarching emotional and conceptual journey.
“Stardust” further confirms Nefastis evolved artistic vision, blending thrash intensity, death metal aggression, and symphonic elements into a cohesive and distinctive extreme metal statement.
For fans of: Wintersun, Hypocrisy, Fleshgod Apocalypse.
Track Listing: 1. Cosmic Silence at the Edge of the New World – 2:50 2. Shadow Spell – 4:30 3. Seduced by the Beauty of the Darkness – 5:05 4. Absence of Illumination – 2:52 5. Tears of the Past – 4:29 6. Vortex of Light – 5:09 7. Lights of Dawn – 3:43 8. Alone Again – 5:57 9. Stardust – 5:05 10. Blackened Vision – 2:45 11. Collapsing Dream – 8:01 12. Flowers Swept Away by the Autumn – 5:33 Album Length: 55:58
Nefastis Line-Up: Simone Colombo: Lead Vocals, Lead & Rhythm Guitars Andrea Lenzi: Lead & Rhythm Guitars, Acoustic Guitars, Backing Vocals, Orchestrations Fulvio Manganini: Bass Claudio Invidia: Drums
More info: https://rockshots.eu/ https://www.instagram.com/nefastis.italy/ https://www.facebook.com/nefastis.italy
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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
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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
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