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
Extreme death metal masters INFERI are proud to announce that they will now be joining DEFEATED SANITY as direct support during the band’s North American spring tour, in which they will be replacing Vulvodynia. The run will feature additional support from New Zealand’s Organectomy on all dates while Excresence, Scasm, and Horrific Vision will appear on select stops. The full itinerary can be found below while tickets are available HERE.
DEFEATED SANITY comments, “Unfortunately due to outside factors Vulvodynia are no longer able to make this tour. Thankfully Inferi were able to step up here and replace them on short notice.”
ICYMI: INFERI will be unleashing its latest studio album, ‘Heaven Wept,’ on April 10, 2026 via The Artisan Era! The band has recently released the pummeling first single, “The Rapture of Dead Light,” along with a music video!
The clip sees INFERI vocalist Stevie Boiser, guitarist/vocalist Malcolm Pugh, guitarist Sanjay Kumar, and new drummer Nate Bigelow embark on an Indiana Jones style quest for the elusive Bigfoot. Watch the band square off with the battle-jacket wearing and headbanging entity to find out if their intricate riffs are a match for the enigmatic beast at THIS LOCATION.
‘Heaven Wept’ can be pre-order and pre-saved HERE.
In addition, INFERI is now embarking on the “All So Vile” trek through the UK and Europe as support for CRYPTOPSY along with 200Stabwounds and Corpse Pile. The tour has been selling out at nearly every stop and is still decimating the continent until the final stop in Paris (FR) on February 15.
In addition, INFERI will be performing at producer Dave Otero’s inaugural Flatline Festival, which takes place June 13 – 14 at the Oriental Theater in Denver, CO. More info and passes can be found HERE.
Since the explosive success of Inferi’s critically-acclaimed and chart topping 2018 full-length, ‘Revenant,’ the death metal battalion has continued to relentlessly churn like a raging maelstrom, dominating everything in its wake with the band’s melodic and virtuosic approach to the genre. ‘Heaven Wept’ picks up where 2021’s ‘Vile Genesis’ left off, putting forth the same mind-bending compositions and other-worldly musicianship that has set the band apart from their contemporaries. Inferi has risen to become a dominant force among modern American death metal acts since their reunion in 2011. ‘Heaven Wept’ is a master class in progressive extremity and is certain to make its mark as one of the greatest death metal offerings of this decade.
The album artwork was created by Helge C. Balzer.
Tracklist: 01: The Rapture of Dead Light (04:19) [WATCH] 02: Feed Me Your Fear (05:05) 03: Master of Nothing (04:49) 04: Eternally Lie (04:25) 05: Heaven Wept (05:10) 06: Atonement Denied (05:30) 07: Of Rotted Wombs (04:03) 08: Godless Sky (04:23) Full running time: 00:37:44
All So Vile Europe 2026 Cryptopsy | 200Stabwounds | Inferi | Corpse Pile
Feb. 07: Milan (IT) @ Legend Club Feb. 08: Aarau (CH) @ KiFF Feb. 09: Lyon (FR) @ Club Transbo Feb. 10: Barcelona (ES) @ Wolf LOW TICKETS Feb. 11: Madrid (ES) @ Revi Live LOW TICKETS Feb. 12: Portugalete (ES) @ Santana 27e SOLD OUT Feb. 13: Toulouse (FR) @ Metronum Feb. 14: Nantes (FR) @ Le Ferrailleur LOW TICKETS Feb. 15: Paris (FR) @ Petit Bain LOW TICKETS
North American Tour: (Supporting DEFEATED SANITY w/ Organectomy, Excrescence, Scasm, + Horrific Visions)
04/16 Anaheim, CA @ Parish (HOB)* 04/17 Fresno, CA @ Fulton 55* 04/18 Santa Rosa, CA @ The California* 04/19 Sacramento, CA @ Starlet* 04/21 Seattle, WA @ El Corazon* 04/22 Portland, OR @ Dante’s* 04/23 Boise, ID @ Shredder* 04/24 Salt Lake City, UT @ Ace’s High Saloon* 04/25 Denver, CO @ HQ* 04/27 Milwaukee, WI @ X-Ray Arcade* 04/28 West Chicago, IL @ Social Club+ 04/29 Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle+ 04/30 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop+ 05/01 Rochester, NY @ Montage Music Hall+ 05/02 Clifton, NJ @ Dingbatz+ 05/03 Baltimore, MD @ Metro+ 05/04 Raleigh, NC @ Chapel of Bones+ 05/05 Jacksonville, FL @ The Albatross+ 05/06 Tampa, FL @ Orpheum+ 05/07 Orlando, FL @ Conduit+ 05/08 Pensacola, FL @ Handlebar^ 05/09 Houston, TX @ Pub 529^ 05/11 Dallas, TX @ Three Links^ 05/12 Austin, TX @ Come and Take It Live^ 05/13 Lubbock, TX @ Jakes^ 05/15 Phoenix, AZ @ Nile Underground^ 05/16 Las Vegas, NV @ Backstage Bar^ *Excrescence Scasm ^Horrific Visions
INFERI U.S. Dates 2026: 06/13: Denver, CO @ Flatline Festival
Formed in 2006, INFERI is an American technical melodic death metal band forged from the depths of Nashville, Tennessee. After reforming in 2011, INFERI emerged onto the global stage with ‘The Path of Apotheosis’ in 2014. Followed by the acclaimed 2018 release ‘Revenant,’ which landed at #26 Hard Rock albums and #28 on the Billboard’s Heatseekers charts, solidifying them as a household name in the underground technical death metal scene. Touring across the world with bands such Rivers of Nihil, Archspire, Shadow of Intent, Cryptopsy, Signs of the Swarm, Brand of Sacrifice, Deicide and Revocation allowed INFERI to continue on their upward trajectory. Creeping their way up the charts, and into the minds of new fans with ‘The End of an Era: Rebirth’ in 2019, their ‘Of Sunless Realms’ EP in 2020, and 2021’s ‘Vile Genesis.’ Now in 2026 INFERI stands ready to unleash their most devastating album to date, ‘Heaven Wept’.
Since the explosive success of Inferi’s critically-acclaimed and chart topping 2018 full-length, ‘Revenant,’ the death metal battalion has continued to relentlessly churn like a raging maelstrom, dominating everything in its wake with the band’s melodic and virtuosic approach to the genre. ‘Heaven Wept’ picks up where 2021’s ‘Vile Genesis’ left off, putting forth the same mind-bending compositions and other-worldly musicianship that has set the band apart from their contemporaries. Inferi has risen to become a dominant force among modern American death metal acts since their reunion in 2011. ‘Heaven Wept’ is a master class in progressive extremity and is certain to make its mark as one of the greatest death metal offerings of this decade.
All songs written and performed by Inferi Bass performed by Malcolm Pugh Orchestration and synth arrangements by Malcolm Pugh
Mixed and mastered by Mike Low Drums engineered by Mike Low at Top Track Studios Additional engineering by Erik Johnson Guitar reamping by Phil Pluskota
MORRATH‘s story begins in 2017 when teenage maniacs founded a thrash metal band Prowler in their small hometown in western Poland. After few years of local gigs, loads of lineup changes, leaving Maslakowski and Jankowski as the only original members and finding a drummer capable of playing blastbeats, they changed their name to Morrath, following their musical shift into heavier and faster playing, improvement in skills and to simply get a fresh start.
Within 5 years they released: “Inhumanity Enthroned” (2021, EP), “Centuries of Blindness” (2023, album), “Przegnity Konglomerat” (2025, split) and now they are preparing to put out brand new EP titled “Obscure Abominations“. They also played numerous amount of live shows and shared the stage with bands like Incantation, Nocturnal, Arkona, Vomitory, Anima Damnata, Stillborn, Baalzagoth and Gallower.
Music for “Obscure Abominaion” EP was recorded during fall in 2024:
guitars, bass and vocals recorded in Świniarnia Studio Trzcinica by Damian Duda
drums recorded in Poznan by Mateusz Wrobel
All was mixed and mastered by Michał Grabowski (Christ Agony, Towards Hellfire, Feto In Fetus). Cover artwork was done by Mieszko Jankowski (Coffinwood, Leprozorium, Night Lord). On the upcoming record few guests performed:
Eryk Jakubczyk (Frightful): guitar solo in “Gospel of Heretics“,
Szymon Plewa (Night Lord): guitar solo in “Human Eradication“,
Damian Duda (Vishurddha): synth & keyboard in “Where the Obscure Dwells“,
Krzysiek Śniadecki (Godslut): guest solo in “Blasphemy Reigns“.
EP will be released digitally and as limited CD up to 300 pcs by Polish underground label Necroscope Blasphemia. Physical release will consist live tracks from split “Przegnity konglomerat” released in 2025 on strictly limited edition to 80 tapes. Pre-order of the upcoming EP is available on Bandcamp (link here).
TRACKLIST:
01. Gospel of Heretics 02. Human Eradication 03. Where The Obscure Dwells 04. Blasphemy Reigns 05. Where Salvation Meets The Rot (live, CD bonus track) 06. Crimson Demons (live, CD bonus track) 07. New God Exalted (live, CD bonus track)
Band comments new EP: “We decided to make our music more dark, moody, transcendental and even psychedelic or ‘acidic’, while still making sure we deliver the right amount of aggression and brutality. Guitars, bass and vocals were recorded in less professional space than those of the album, which gave us more control over the sound, more time to work etc., so “Obscure Abominations” finally have the sound we think works the best for our music“.
Watch video to the song “Gospel of Heretics” at Death Metal Promotion:
Since 2018, NITE have proudly carried the torch for Bay Area metal. But the San Francisco natives are catching fire behind their white-hot new album. Cult of the Serpent Sun was named one of the best albums of 2025 by Decibel, New Noise, Invisible Oranges and other major publications, as well as Nate Garrett from Spirit Adrift. Now, as they prepare to ignite Inferno Festival, the blackened heavy metal band are celebrating the one-year anniversary of their latest critically-acclaimed LP with Bandcamp.
Today, NITE are thrilled to announce that Cult of the Serpent Sun was selected as February’s record of the month by Bandcamp’s heavy metal club. Curated by veteran metal writer J. Bennett, The Hard Stuff spotlights notable releases from across the world of heavy music.
“As 2026 gets underway, we here at The Hard Stuff would like to spotlight one more of our personal favorites from last year”, Bennett says. “Cult of the Serpent Sun sees the San Francisco-based NITE sharpening their melodic brand of blackened heavy metal into something undeniable. They’ve taken the strongest elements of their two previous records and distilled them into an all-killer, no-filler collection of songs steeped in traditional heavy metal, black metal and rock ‘n’ roll. Don’t blow it!”
“We are excited to be featured on this month’s The Hard Stuff”, NITE vocalist and guitarist Van Labrakis says. “We are very proud of what we did in Cult of the Serpent Sun. It’s a solid heavy metal album. We are glad that more people will discover it through this feature”.
Subscribers to The Hard Stuff receive a high-quality digital download of Cult of the Serpent Sun, plus an exclusive interview with NITE and a subscribers-only listening party where they can chat with the band.
1. Cult of the Serpent Sun (4:56) 2. Skull (4:31) 3. Crow (Fear The Night) (4:11) [WATCH] 4. The Mystic (4:55) 5. The Last Blade (4:32) 6. Carry On (4:29) 7. Tarmut (5:14) 8. Winds of Sokar (3:52)
When darkness engulfs the world, NITE sets the sky ablaze with white-hot, blackened heavy metal.
Having journeyed to the stars on their last venture, NITE now faces the abyssal and shadowy mythology that has long laid dormant beneath society. Each of the eight epic battles on Cult of the Serpent Sun tests their mettle. But amidst the album’s blackened perils, the band emerges victorious.
“NITE strives to be a light,” says vocalist and guitarist Van Labrakis. “Cult of the Serpent Sun is about how we persevere in times of immense darkness.”
Ever since banding together in 2018, NITE has carried the torch for Bay Area metal. Darkness Silence Mirror Flame debuted their blackened twist on NWOBHM. “…raucous, Marshall-fueled heavy metal that would be the envy of many a British band in the 1980s,” wrote Invisible Oranges. Follow-up Voices of the Kronian Moon upped the ante with more strutting tempos and windblown shredding, much to Stereogum’s delight. “It’s like speeding down a freeway at night in a Corvette with the top down, but everyone is wearing velvet capes.”
On Cult of the Serpent Sun, NITE wisely triples down on their trusty arsenal. Instead of scaling back, their third album adds more heft to the band’s armor. Labrakis and fellow guitarist Scott Hoffman’s molten leads duel with heightened showmanship. Drummer Patrick Crawford pummels and gallops while Avinash Mittur rattles the chest with his Rickenbacker bass. The title track charges with newfound urgency, slithery and venomous in its attack.
The album’s “more is more” philosophy is guided by what NITE have learned from the road. Since their last studio stint, the band have stormed the stage at Northwest Terror Fest, toured with fellow statesmen Persekutor and Haunt and marched across the Southwest on the road to Hell’s Heroes VI. “Fans really responded to older songs like ‘Acheron’ and ‘Genesis’,” Labrakis says. “Cult of the Serpent Sun has more songs that are fast and upbeat and help lift people’s spirits.” Galvanized by a foundation-shaking groove, “Skull” defiantly crushes. “Crow (Fear the Night)” is a rallying cry, calling for fists to rise with power and might.
NITE’s classic weaponry shows no signs of rust on their third album. “The Last Blade” draws first blood amidst an acoustic flurry before thrusting onto the offensive. “The aim here is not to replicate that era but to explore and evolve,” Labrakis told Decibel when asked about the band’s influences. Cult of the Serpent Sun honors the trailblazing spirits of old by honing what separates this band’s particular alchemy from mere imitation brew. “The Mystic” expands their sonic palette, featuring a slow-burning bass line that stretches time and space into a hypnotic portal. With its whirling and enchanted melody, “Tarmut” glimmers like a desert mirage.
“We play a traditional style of heavy metal, but the blackened element takes us in a different direction,” Labrakis says. His road-hardened voice stands resolute in “Carry On,” denouncing the perils of war. “Dream on and find who you are,” he beckons on the album’s triumphant closer “Winds of Sokar.”
On Cult of the Serpent Sun, NITE guards the altar of blackened heavy metal with sharpened blades and axes raised.
Lineup: Van Labrakis: Guitar / Vocals Scott Hoffman: Guitar Avinash Mittur: Bass Patrick Crawford: Drums
Recording studio 210 Studios San Francisco and The Hoagie Container
Production credits Recorded by Van Labrakis Produced by Van Labrakis and Nite Mixed and mastered by Van Labrakis at 210 Studios San Francisco
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
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
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