Boston stoner/fuzz rock outfit GOZU will release their long-awaited new full-length, Gozu VI, on May 15th through Blacklight Media/Metal Blade Records.
“We wanted something that really moved and hit a nerve,” says GOZU singer/guitarist Marc Gaffney on composing the band’s sixth studio album. “I was pretty roughed up emotionally while writing. I played guitar more in the past two years than ever before. I would work, go to the gym, come home, eat and then play guitar until I went to bed.”
The end result is eight action-packed tracks, produced and mixed by Benny Grotto at Boston’s Mad Oak Studios. Emotion is writ loud and large for the band that’s been praised for their “deep grooves, thick riff mechanics, soulful melodies,” and for creating a “musical stew that intoxicates the listener, sweeping them into another aural universe.”
Gaffney has spoken about the band’s, “maturity mixed with a childlike enthusiasm to play music,” and Gozu VI‘s songs are proof positive. “I think this is more of a soulful, straight forward, guitar-driven album. Lyrically, this took on a whole different feel, and it wrote itself.”
“[Lead guitarist] Doug [Sherman] and I are always sending each other phone recordings,” the singer furthers. “So, we had a bunch in the mix when we all got together. It’s usually Doug and I meeting, then [drummer] Seth [Botos] and [bassist] Joseph [Grotto] hop on board and we all hammer it out. Lyrics for these tunes were written way ahead as I was going through some shit. I would write at night in this crappy apartment I was living in so I would not be indulging in cocktails,” Gaffney says. “Sometimes you must have your own therapy sessions, and I had a fuck ton!“
The singular band’s last album, 2023’s Remedy, was reviewed as an “utter triumph” and praised for being “never too testosteroney, even when the songs are at their heaviest.” Of GOZU‘s writing approach, The Obelisk wrote, “This has been GOZU’s method for seven years now, to take the tones, grooves and – particularly in the vocals of guitarist Marc ‘Gaff’ Gaffney, the soul of heavy rock – and recontextualize them with a force of impact born of heavy metal.”
With Gozu VI, the lineup’s melding of intense, fuzzy ’70s-inspired riffs, rich, catchy, grunge-esque vocal melodies, and a touch of oldschool stoner psychedelia has reached a zenith. Categorize them how you will. “We don’t mind if people think we’re stoner, doom, heavy, easy listening with a touch of cayenne pepper. I feel we’re just a heavy soulful band,” Gaff says. “We play music that people can shake their ass to and lyrics that are honest and deal with human nature.”
In advance of the record’s release, today GOZU presents their first single, “Banacek.” Comments Gaffney, “Iron Maiden is a huge favorite for all of us and we wanted a tune with that Steve Harris gallop. Jellyfish has always been a band that has crippled me with their amazing vocal harmonies so intrinsically that’s how the vocals arrived!“
More than three decades into their career, Montreal’s CRYPTOPSY continue to assert their dominance as one of extreme metal’s most formidable live acts. Following a period of renewed creative intensity culminating in their latest album An Insatiable Violence, the band now announce their “Malicious & Vile Summer 2026” European tour.
Renowned for their precision, speed and overwhelming stage presence, Cryptopsy’s live performances translate the band’s controlled chaos into a visceral experience. Driven by Flo Mounier’s intricate and physically demanding drumming techniques and anchored by the dynamic interplay between Christian Donaldson’s riff work and Oli Pinard’s commanding bass presence, the band delivers a set that balances technical extremity with groove and impact. At the forefront, Matt McGachy commands the stage with a punishing vocal performance, shifting between cavernous growls and piercing screams with unwavering intensity.
Having written much of An Insatiable Violence while on the road, the material was shaped with live performance in mind. Tracks such as “The Nimis Adoration” and “Malicious Needs” are structured around intensity and rhythmic force, designed to translate directly into a concert setting where their full weight can be realized.
The upcoming tour will see Cryptopsy perform across major European festivals and select headline club shows, further reinforcing their reputation as a cornerstone of brutal technical death metal on stage.
25 July: Steenwijk, NL @ Stonehenge Festival 26 July: Cham, DE @ LA 28 July: Brasov, RO @ Rockstadt Extreme Fest 29 July: Kosice, SK @ Collosseum 30 July: Kraków, PL @ Hype Park 31 July: Löbnitz, DE @ Full Rewind 01 August: Dortmund, DE @ Dortmund Deathfest 02 August: Brighton, UK @ Chalk 03 August: Cardiff, UK @ The Globe 05 August: Dublin, IE @ Whelans 06 August: Derby, UK @ Bloodstock Open Air 07 August: Helsinki, FI @ Helsinki Metal Fest 08 August: Jaromer, CZ @ Brutal Assault 09 August: Vagos, PT @ Vagos Metal Fest 12 August: Trier, DE @ The Forum 13 August: Dinkelsbühl, DE @ Summer Breeze 14 August: Colmar, FR @ Spirit In Black Festival 15 August: Kortrijk, BE @ DVG Club 16 August: Carhaix, FR @ Motocultor 18 August: Martigny, CH @ Sunset Bar 19 August: Pinarella Di Cervia, IT @ Rockplanet 20 August: Spital Am Semmering, AT @ Kaltenbach Open Air 21 August: Litomerice, CZ @ Death Coffee Party
More than 30 years into their storied career, Montreal death metal innovators Cryptopsy return with their ninth studio album, An Insatiable Violence, set for release on June 20, 2025 on Season of Mist.
Revered in extreme metal circles for such groundbreaking classics as 1994’s Blasphemy Made Flesh and the 1996 magnum opus None So Vile, Cryptopsy find yet another gear on An Insatiable Violence, which further solidifies the band’s place in the upper echelon of death metal. Coming out of the pandemic, the band dedicated themselves to staying on top of their game more than ever before, with the intention of consistently putting out a new record every two years. That started with 2023’s acclaimed As Gomorrah Burns, and continues 21 months later with An Insatiable Violence.
“We had to write the majority of An Insatiable Violence while on the Death to All tour, which was something we’d never done before”, vocalist Matt McGachy says. “Flo [Mounier, drums] and Chris [Donaldson, guitar] really put their hats on. It was a feat”.
“Ever since COVID our focus is clearer, a lot of work gets done faster, and we push each other to get it done.”, Mounier says.
In addition to featuring some of the fastest passages Cryptopsy has ever recorded – keen listeners will even hear the odd gravity blast from Mounier, a rarity from the virtuoso drummer – the controlled chaos of their signature sound is offset by well-timed passages that ease off the gas pedal enough to allow listeners to come up for some air. That dynamic rage on An Insatiable Violence in turn makes the more aggressive moments hit even harder, which is immediately noticeable on the harrowing “Until There’s Nothing Left” and the chugging closing track “Malicious Needs”. Olivier Pinard anchors “Fools Last Acclaim” with stunning authority (keeping pace with Mounier is an unenviable task) while Donaldson offsets gnarly, atonal riffs with melodic passages throughout the record. “It’s a continuation of As Gomorrah Burns,” McGachy says, “We really wanted to make a groovy record, and we think we’ve done it.”
It seems as though nothing is scarier than real life right now, and An Insatiable Violenceis a commentary on today’s society as though filtered through the transgressive, countercultural perspectives of J.G. Ballard and David Cronenberg.
“It all came to me in a dream in August 2023,” elaborates McGachy. “I woke up, I took my phone, and I wrote down the title of the record. It’s about a person that wakes up every day and fixes a machine. Tinkers with it, tries to make it better all day long, sweating in the sun, and then at night, they strap themself into this machine and the machine tortures them, and they love it. Then they wake up the next day and fix it again to make it more efficient, to keep harnessing it, and then just keep doing it over and over again.
While fantastically twisted, An Insatiable Violence mirrors our toxic relationship with social media. “We’re continuously trying to feed this algorithm of the machine while it’s totally tearing us apart socially and psychologically”, McGachy continues. “’The Nimis Adoration’ is about mukbang, these Korean people that eat too much food on the Internet. Piles and piles of food. A poor girl died on a live cam”.
At the center of the album is the mind-boggling percussion skill of Mounier, arguably the most imposing Canadian drummer not named Peart, who dominates such standout tracks as “Dead Eyes Replete”, “Fools Last Acclaim”, and “Embrace the Nihility”. “I look at Flo as an Olympic athlete,” says McGachy. “I want to push this guy to go a lot faster than Cryptopsy’s previous releases. We have so much more to give, and I wanted just drain it all out of him while he’s still at the top of his game, because he is. He’s crushing.”
“I mix up a lot of a physical activity, like resistance training into the drumming,” Mounier says. “I recently developed new techniques that make it easier to go even faster, so I tried to push that on this album. My focus is now more on dynamics and the touch of the snare, a certain snap of the snare, a rim shot on the snare, the toms, a light touch or a hard touch. Live, I can really let go, you know, give the sound guy a hard time,” he adds with a laugh.
For McGachy, who has always boasted a powerful, guttural death growl, the rigors of touring have enabled him to evolve as a vocalist, and he turns in a revelatory performance on An Insatiable Violence. In addition to ear-scraping screams that rival George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher, McGachy unleashes the deepest, filthiest death growls of his career. “Gomorrah was the first album that I recorded with my full false chord scream, which is something that I’d only just touched on The Book of Suffering: Tome II in little sections,” he says. “We did at least 140 shows since Gomorrah. I exclusively did my false chords during all the songs that we performed on None So Vile and Blasphemy Made Flesh. And then, when we did go into the studio for An Insatiable Violence, Chris would be like, ‘Deeper, you must go deeper!’”
Another fearsome vocalist from Cryptopsy’s lore pops back into the booth on An Insatiable Violence. “When we were recording the vocals for ‘Embrace the Nihility’, Chris had the idea of ending the song with the same vocal pattern as the end of ‘…and Then It Passes’”, McGachy remembers. “We figured if we were going to rip ourselves off, then we may as well get the real thing. We were honored that Mike DiSalvo accepted. We are all huge fans of Cryptopsy’s DiSalvo era. His vocals on this album are an ultra Easter egg for our fans”.
In addition to the effusive praise As Gomorrah Burns received from within the metal scene, the 2023 album achieved a first for Cryptopsy: earning them their first ever JUNO Award in 2024 for Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year. “We had little-to-no expectations of winning” says McGachy. ”We didn’t even go to the ceremonies because we were on tour in Europe with Atheist. On the day we found out that we won, we had a crazy 18-hour drive from Derby to Germany, plus a ferry ride. But we still partied for 48 hours. Flo bought an expensive bottle of champagne”.
Cryptopsy recognize that not every death metal band sticks around long enough to win a Canadian Grammy 30 years into their career. The cover art for An Insatiable Violence was created by the late, great vocalist Martin Lacroix. “The album artwork has got to be one of the most important things to us!”, the band says. “Martin Lacroix was one of our vocalists, one of our great friends and one of the nicest people that anyone could have the privilege to meet. We really wish he was here with us to share this moment. His perfect smile would say it all! Rest in peace brother”.
With Cryptopsy’s latest career renaissance showing no signs of slowing down, the recent accolades are only the beginning. An Insatiable Violence reaches a new peak in a career loaded with them.
Lineup: Flo Mounier — Drums Matt McGachy — Vocals Christian Donaldson — Guitar Oli Pinard — Bass
Recording, Mixing & Mastering Studio: Christian Donaldson’s Studio
Production, Sound & Mixing Engineer: Christian Donaldson
Guest Musicians: Mike DiSalvo performs vocals on “Embrace the Nihility”
Finnish doomish Heavy Metal band Wizards Of Hazards have released another single “Whatever Lies Behind” accompanied with a music video. The song is the second single from their upcoming third full length album, that the band has been working with Samuli Rimmi (Dreamferno, Ruoska) at Studio 33, Kuopio Finland.
The guitar Wizard Aarne Ylipiha tells about the song: “Whatever Lies Behind is one of the first songs where WIZARDS OF HAZARDS shed their skin by bringing a second guitar to the table, as the band’s vocalist Master Willman brings a new dimension to the song. There are also keyboards played by Winston, which are not common in Wizards’ production, but which help to create the right atmosphere just before the end of the song bursts into flames. The Wizards also invited the Grimmer to join the band as a special guest and form the circle wizards in the sessions of Studio33, Kuopio Finland. The lyrics come from a mental health perspective, as we are sure that every soul has some experiences with the dark side of the mind. The video was made by crazy Stacy Picard, our eternal friend from New Zealand, and it does the song justice and perfectly captures the strange things of the mystical forests of Central Finland.”
–ISRC: FI3FC2699301 –Composition & Lyrics: Ville Willman, Aarne Ylipiha, Amir Bitar & Petri Pakarinen
WIZARDS OF HAZARDS are a heavy metal band from Middle Finland. The Wizards share the same interest for vintage instruments and recordings of the analog aeons, mostly 70’s and 80’s heavy metal. Their fuzzing riffs bow to proto-doom era and lyrics are inspired by bygone times, supernatural phenomenons and old tales & beliefs. After decades of jamming and performing as a trio, they shifted their shapes into a four piece and changed their name to WIZARDS OF HAZARDS.
A debut album END OF TIME came out 2020. Album consists of doomish, heavy riffed songs from the band’s early years, and three of those were pre-released on the BLIND LEADS THE BLIND EP on that same year – both releases came via Inverse Records. Recordings were made on RTM SM900 magnetic tape within two sessions in january and june 2020 under the brilliant guidance of analog wizard Anssi Kippo at Astia-studios, Lappeenranta Finland.
The BLACK WIZARD EP was released on december 2021 by Inverse Records, and it was a hats off to their roots with ep given the band’s former name. Those three, very old songs came from the same session at the Astia-studio november 2021 as all the songs of the second album SUPERNATURAL. Although most of the songs of their second long play were made long ago, the lyrics of the album are unfortunately valid and sadly true today also. The cover art presents stunning sculptures of Vilde Hage Aune, and all the songs were recorded again on magnetic tapes with help of Mr. Kippo in that doomy & riff-based, vintage sounding way of the WIZARDS OF HAZARDS.
After a year long Fuzzmass tour around Finland and Baltics the WIZARDS OF HAZARDS are casting new songs and are about to spell another master piece as their new album is about to come alight.
Wizards Of Hazards are: Ville Willman – Vocals Aarne Ylipiha – Guitars Amir Bitar – Bass Petri Pakarinen – Drums
Polish metalcore veterans FRONTSIDE present the second single and official music video taken from their upcoming studio album “Nemesis” to be released on April 10th, 2026 via Massacre Records. The new track, titled “Kapłani Diabła” (Devil’s Priests), stands as one of the most uncompromising compositions on the record.
Following the release of the first single “Omen”, the band now dive deeper into the thematic core of “Nemesis” with a track that confronts listeners with some of the darkest chapters in the history of Christianity.
The song explores events and phenomena that have shaped European and global history for centuries – from the Crusades and the Inquisition to the political influence of church institutions, the accumulation of immense wealth and the many historical examples of hypocrisy and moral abuse among the clergy.
However, FRONTSIDE do not approach the subject through simple religious polemics. Instead, “Kapłani Diabła” reflects on broader mechanisms of power and manipulation, questioning how easily ideals can be distorted and used to achieve entirely different goals. The lyrics raise fundamental questions about authority, institutional responsibility and the way history is interpreted – or deliberately ignored – depending on who controls the narrative.
The music video accompanying the single takes a symbolic and conceptual approach. Its visual language draws inspiration from the aesthetics of the Rorschach inkblot test, a psychological interpretive method. The imagery unfolds as a series of abstract visions that can be perceived differently by each viewer – a deliberate artistic choice suggesting that people often see in history and religion exactly what they want to see, filtering reality through their own beliefs.
The new single perfectly aligns with the overarching concept of “Nemesis”, an album that explores themes of collective responsibility, social tension and the consequences of human decisions. Once again, FRONTSIDE combine their crushing, precise sonic assault with thought-provoking lyrics that challenge listeners to confront uncomfortable truths.
With “Kapłani Diabła”, the band demonstrate that “Nemesis” will mark one of the boldest and most controversial chapters in their career – a work that not only delivers overwhelming musical intensity but also invites reflection on history, authority and the nature of human faith.
“Nemesis” will be available as CD, Gatefold 2LP and digital.
Track listing:
Initium Omen Kapłani Diabła Zostaniecie Z Niczym Alfa I Omega To Wszystko Co Masz Wejdź Prosto W Nowy System Na Krawędzi Chaosu Nastał Czas Sztylet, Brzytwa, Hak I Sznur Czas Zabijania Nemesis Terminus
FRONTSIDE will support the release with an extensive Polish tour in March and April 2026, followed by festival appearances including Mystic Festival 2026.
FRONTSIDE live:
26.03.2026 PL Wrocław – Agora 27.03.2026 PL Zabrze – CK Wiatrak 28.03.2026 PL Kraków – Hype Park 29.03.2026 PL Łódź – Warkot 9.04.2026 PL Poznań – 2 Progi 10.04.2026 PL Gdańsk – Drizzly Grizzly 11.04.2026 PL Warszawa – Proxima 12.04.2026 PL Lublin – Zgrzyt 3.06.2026 PL Gdańsk – Mystic Festival
FRONTSIDE are: Mariusz “Demon” Dzwonek – guitar Dariusz “Daron” Kupis – guitar Wojciech Nowak – bass guitar Tomasz “Toma” Ochab – drums Wojciech “Mollie” Moliński – vocals
Wormholedeath proudly welcomes Tokyo-based progressive extreme metal band Beyond The Veil to its roster. The international lineup, featuring members from Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom, has signed with the label for the release of their upcoming album “Oblivion.”
Formed in 2020 by DB Karma, Yoshihiro Yamaji, and Eric Fetterman, Beyond The Veil quickly established a distinctive identity within the extreme metal landscape. Keisuke Tsuboi joined the band in 2021 on bass and drums, and Dave Griffiths completed the current lineup on bass in 2025.
Their sound merges thrash, death metal, black metal, and blackgaze with elements of progressive rock, jazz, folk, and classical music. The result is music that moves between crushing intensity and reflective, melodic passages. Most compositions come from lead guitarist Yoshihiro Yamaji and keyboardist DB Karma, while vocalist and rhythm guitarist Eric Fetterman writes the English lyrics. DB Karma contributes the Japanese lyrics, and the rhythm section, Dave Griffiths and Keisuke Tsuboi, develops the band’s bass and drum arrangements.
Oblivion was built around a specific ambition: to drag the spirit of 1970s and ’80s progressive rock into direct collision with modern extreme metal. To do it authentically, the band reached for the instruments that defined that era — Mellotron, Moog, and Chapman Stick — giving the record a texture and warmth that sets it apart from anything currently on the heavy music landscape. The songs are long by design. Beyond The Veil was not interested in compromise, and it shows.
Their influences read like a well-worn record collection: UK and Italian prog, Nordic and Asian prog, and a deep, foundational love for thrash, death, and black metal, particularly the output from before 2010. It’s that combination, the old and the extreme, the delicate and the crushing, that gives Oblivion its character.
The band is already working on their next release, with a stated intent to evolve the format while keeping the philosophy intact: modern music made by people who genuinely revere the golden age of progressive rock.
Tracklist: 1 Built on Sand 2 A Glimpse into Eternity 3 Reflection 4 Enigma 5 Collapse 6 Terminus
Finnish dark metal band Horizon of Aeons are set to release their debut album,
Timeless Forms of Desolation, on 29 May 2026 via Inverse Records. The second single ‘Until the Darkness Claims Us’, is unleashed today and it’s available on all essential streaming services: https://push.fm/fl/horizon-of-aeons-darkness
The band comments:
“The title of the song is taken from the book written by Sarah J. Maas. The lyrics are loosely based on that story. The vow of absolute loyalty and brotherhood binds us to one another until our very last breath. The doomy atmosphere in the first part of the song is crushingly heavy, but only momentarily until the melodic relief comes. Later in the song, the heaviness returns, followed by beautiful melodies from keyboards and guitar, and the outro features three consecutive key modulations. This is something you don’t hear every day in metal music.”
–Composed by Miska Lehtivuori, Ville Pekkala, Pekka Venho & Pekka Jokela –Lyrics by Miska Lehtivuori & Ville Pekkala –Mixed & mastered by Miska Lehtivuori –ISRC: FIP6B2600006 –Single cover by Vivia Lehtivuori
Horizon of Aeons is a gothic dark metal band founded in 2024, bringing together
seasoned musicians from the Finnish metal scene. The band consists of Miska Lehtivuori (vocals, guitar), Ville Pekkala (guitar), Pekka Venho (bass), and Pekka Jokela (drums). These members have a rich history of playing together in various bands (Fall of the Leafe, Ablaze in Hatred, Searing Meadow, Mormânt De Snagov, Leaflet, Jackie’s Land), which laid the foundation for their cohesive and powerful sound.
Horizon of Aeons is a gothic dark metal band founded in 2024, bringing together seasoned musicians from the Finnish metal scene. The band consists of Miska Lehtivuori (vocals, guitar), Ville Pekkala (guitar), Pekka Venho (bass), and Pekka Jokela (drums). These members have a rich history of playing together in various bands (Fall of the Leafe, Ablaze in Hatred, Searing Meadow, Mormânt De Snagov, Leaflet, Jackie’s Land), which laid the foundation for their cohesive and powerful sound.
Horizon of Aeons’ musical influences are as diverse as the members’ extensive backgrounds in the metal scene. Each member brings a wealth of experience from their previous bands, contributing to the band’s unique sound.
Together, these musicians create a sound that is both intense and melodic, drawing from a wide array of metal subgenres. Their influences span across various styles, allowing them to craft a distinctive musical identity that is uniquely their own. This blend of experience and inspiration results in a sound that is both familiar and innovative, pushing the boundaries of gothic dark metal.
Themes and Lyrics
Horizon of Aeons’ lyrics delve deeply into the dark and complex concept of time and its relentless progression. Their songs often explore the infinite future contrasted with the finite past, creating a haunting and introspective atmosphere. The band masterfully weaves themes of existence and memory into their music, painting vivid pictures of a world where time is both a creator and a destroyer.
In addition, Horizon of Aeons touches on themes of cosmic forces, often using esoteric and mystical imagery. They explore the inherent inclinations of humanity, the seductive nature of sin, and the purifying power of darkness. This adds a layer of depth to their music, as they challenge conventional beliefs and embrace the darker aspects of existence.
Overall, the band’s lyrics are a profound exploration of time, existence, and the human condition, offering listeners a journey through the infinite and the ephemeral.
Debut Release
Horizon of Aeons’ debut album titled Timeless Forms of Desolation is set to be released through Inverse Records in 2026. Their first single, Haunting Presence, is already available on all digital platforms, showcasing a tantalizing preview of their dark, atmospheric sound through a condensed single edit.
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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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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