Pelagic Records today announce the release of their new label compilation entitled The Dungeon Tapes, featuring previously unreleased music and cover songs from a variety of album artists.
Appearing on The Dungeon Tapes are such esteemed groups as Psychonaut, Lost In Kiev, Pothamus, Gösta Berlings Saga, Telepathy, The Answer Lies In The Black Void, and Spook The Horses.
The Dungeon Tapes also will feature a stunning My Bloody Valentine cover recorded by members of Spotlights, Rosetta, Failure, Shy Low and Hiroe, appearing under the name Pelagic United.
Streaming today is the first track from the record, sludge/post-metal trio Pothamus‘ single ‘Heravis II.II (Let Light In)’.
Blistering and unrelenting, ‘Self-Immolate’ captures one of the EP’s most volatile moments. Driven by punishing riffs and a suffocating atmosphere, the track confronts the destructive pull of inner turmoil, the instinct to burn everything down in an attempt to cauterise self-inflicted wounds, only to realise that once the fire starts, it can no longer be controlled.
“With ‘Self-Immolate,’ we wanted to return to an otherworldly visual space, similar to what we explored on the ‘Sandman’ video, but with significantly more heat involved,” the band explain. “The song is about giving in to the fire inside you and trying to cauterize the wounds you create, only to realize that once something is burning, it is no longer under your control. Naturally, we decided the best way to convey this was to film in a Texas warehouse with almost no ventilation.”
What unfolds on screen is as punishing as the song itself. Shot in suffocating conditions, the video captures the band performing amid oppressive heat, with the physical strain becoming part of the narrative.
“As expected, the conditions were brutal,” they continue. “The exhaustion you see on screen is completely real and no one was acting by the end of the shoot. Faces melting, patience wearing thin and the overwhelming heat all became part of the experience. In a strange way, that discomfort worked in our favor, turning the video into a very honest extension of the song’s themes and making the suffering feel earned.”
Often cited as a modern embodiment of classic early-2000s metalcore, Foreword lean into that lineage on Exposition but with sharpened edges and a wider sonic pallete. Across the EP, crushing rhythm-driven foundations collide with layered synths and cinematic atmospheres that allow the heaviness to hit harder.
Foreword comment on the EP: “This EP carries a particularly personal weight for us as a band. It represents a moment where we allowed ourselves to fully lean into the sounds, textures and influences that have shaped us over the years, while still pushing our identity forward. A major source of inspiration came from modern gaming soundtracks, most notably titles like DOOM and Cyberpunk 2077, which encouraged us to think more cinematically and atmospherically in our writing.
“This EP means a lot to us because it feels real in a way that is sometimes scary. It captures a version of ourselves that is imperfect, searching, and still learning how to communicate honestly, both with each other and with the people listening. If someone connects with this music during a difficult moment in their own life, then the vulnerability it required was worth it.
“Thank you to everyone who gives this EP their time, their attention and their trust. We do not take that lightly, and we hope these songs meet people wherever they are and remind them they are not alone in what they are feeling.”
Exposition was recorded with producer Cory Brunnemann (Nonpoint, Upon A Burning Body, Zahna), whose collaborative approach played a key role in shaping the EP’s cohesive identity. Departing from their more prescriptive methods of the past, Foreword placed a higher level of trust in the studio process, allowing ideas to evolve organically.
“We brought Cory a wide range of ambitious and sometimes unconventional ideas,” the band explain. “His ability to translate our more chaotic and abstract concepts into something focused, impactful and consistent elevated the songs beyond what we feel we could have achieved on our own.”
Rooted in self reflection and internal conflict, Exposition documents moments of doubt, frustration, guilt and emotional tension as they were happening, rather than after resolution. The result is an immersive and deeply honest release that expands Foreword’s sound while preserving the intensity and emotion at its core.
For fans of Paleface Swiss, I Prevail and Landmvrks, Exposition marks a confident and compelling evolution.
Track-list: 1. Shepard to the Black Sheep 2. Am I Dreaming (Wide-Awake) 3. Hunger Sickness 4. Read Between the Lines 5. Intimate Torment 6. Self-Immolate
Foreword are: Vocals – Andy Alderson Guitar/Vocals – Chris Se Cret Guitar – Marco Gomez Bass – Manny G
Swiss metallers BAD MARILYN have unveiled NITTE VALO (ex Battle Beast, Dreamtale) as their new lead singer.
BAD MARILYN states: “We’re excited to announce to you our new singer for Bad Marilyn: Nitte Valo. You may know Nitte from her work with Battle Beast, Burning Point, After Infinity and Dreamtale where she is also currently singing. Now she is joining Bad Marilyn to delve into a new adventure of Metal Music.”
NITTE VALO comments: “I am truly honored and excited to be joining BAD MARILYN. I can’t wait for new adventures and to create mind-blowing music with these amazing guys!”
BAD MARILYN will enter the Kangaroo/TrakShak Studios in Karlsdorf-Neuthard Germany in April 2026, to record their new album under direction of producer Dennis Ward (Helloween, Angra, Gus G, Pink Cream 69).
Line Up:
Nitte Valo – Vocals (ex Battle Beast, Dreamtale) Sammy Lasagni – Guitars (ex Godiva, Gods Of Silence) Andri Leonardo – Keyboards David Craffonara – Bass Felbi – Drums
BAD MARILYN is an up-and-coming Swiss power metal quintet based in Wangen an der Aare, formed in the summer of 2023. The band quickly made a name for themselves in the European metal scene, reaching over 250,000 Spotify streams in their first year and making it to the Wacken Metal Battle Switzerland semifinals in 2025.
Their sound is a high-energy fusion of anthemic Power. Their first full-length album, “Eye of the Snake,” was released on May 3, 2024. It was produced by the legendary Dennis Ward (Helloween, Pink Cream 69).
Known for their relentless stage energy, the band has performed at major events such as the Brienzersee Rockfestival, Rock and Ride, and Metal Storm over Lucerne.
The band is currently looking toward the future, with plans to return to the studio in 2026 to record their second studio album.
With inspirations from the resistance movement in Norway during the 2nd World War, the young metal band Sabotør (Saboteur) offers you some hard-hitting and old-school metal.
Formed in 2024 by Rasmus Stenstadvolden Strømberg (bass and vocals), Andreas Remmen (guitar) and Mathilde Solemdal (drums), the trio started slamming out epic metal/punk tracks with the inspiration from bands like English Dogs, Brocas Helm and Warfare. All packed in the theme of the Norwegian resistance movement during the 2nd World War, with lyrics in Norwegian.
Their debut album, “Første Aksjon”, is set to be released on May the 8th. The album was recorded at Formkraft Produksjoner and the album was mixed by Remi André Nygård (Morax/Inculter).
The second single, “Sabotør”, was released on Friday the 20th February. You can check out the single here: https://orcd.co/sabotoer
Sabotør has this to say about the track: This song tells the story of the Norwegian heavy water sabotage that took place near Rjukan, Telemark, in 1943. A group of saboteurs in the operations Grouse, Freshman and Gunnerside were deployed on the Hardanger Plateau, where they would take their way on ski to the Vemork power station. The objective was to destroy the plant and sabotage the German heavy water production, which was to be used in the development of nuclear weapons. The British glider assault, Operation Freshman, was unsuccessful, and all survivors were executed. Operations Gunnerside and Grouse managed to successfully land on the plateau, joined forces, and they infiltrated the Vemork plant and destroyed the production facility the night of 27 – 28. February, 1943.
The riffs are rolled in with barbed wire, and each song delivers dynamite, vandalism, espionage and sabotage!
Jackass icon Chris Pontius enters a dark, surreal metal universe in the cinematic music video for “Loving the Dead,” the new collaborative single from Vreid and Djerv, out February 20.
Some collaborations feel inevitable only in hindsight. A chance meeting, a shared fascination with the darker corners of art and culture, and a willingness to push beyond expectations have converged in Loving the Dead, resulting in a collaboration that stands out as one of the most unexpected metal releases of the year.
Directed by Ulvar Gansum and filmed inside a church in Oslo, Loving the Dead blurs the line between music video and psychological short film. The song serves as the final single ahead of Vreid’s upcoming album The Skies Turn Black, merging the band’s raw, atmospheric sound with the haunting intensity of Djerv’s Agnete Kjølsrud.
Rather than a traditional guest appearance, the collaboration feels like a shared descent into the same shadowy landscape.
Inside the song
Co-Written and with vocals performed by Kjølsrud, Loving the Dead invites interpretation rather than explanation. The lyrics move through a surreal inner world where darkness and destructive self-talk dominate, touching on the moment where resistance gives way to survival instinct. Even so, there is a quiet counterweight running through the song. Love is still present, just harder to see.
Inspired in part by Vreid and Djerv’s shared fascination with David Lynch’s universe, the song is designed to leave space for the listener to create their own meaning.
A cinematic transformation
The music video follows Pontius’ character as he drifts from the chaos of a bar into a ritual-like world, drawn forward by Kjølsrud’s almost siren-like presence. Surrounded by masked figures, he is slowly transformed, eventually embracing the darkness and becoming part of it himself.
“We wanted to create something cinematic and unexpected,” says Vreid’s Jarle Kvåle. “Not just a performance video, but a visual journey.”
Pontius’ presence adds an unusual but natural crossover. Known globally for chaotic humor, he brings vulnerability and discomfort to the role, creating a striking contrast to both his public persona and the ritualistic setting.
“It didn’t feel strange at all,” Pontius says about his performance. “It felt natural.”
Blending atmosphere, heaviness and cinematic storytelling, Loving the Dead stands as the final single before Vreid’s upcoming album The Skies Turn Black.
DEPRESSURE released their new album Worst Is Yet To Come on February 20, 2026. Fusing modern alternative rock and metal with a cold Nordic atmosphere, the record delivers wide walls of guitars and melodic choruses. Its themes dive into human fragility, mortality, and finding yourself when everything feels uncertain.
“If I’m here no more when the time is right?” “Do we have the strength to become what we want to be?”
Can heavy rock and guitar solos empower the soul? Depressure says yes. Trust instinct. Turn pain into power. Finish what you started — no matter how dark it gets.
Depressure was founded in Joensuu, Finland in 2006. After releasing two demos and performing a handful of shows, the band fell silent for nearly a decade. In early 2018, the project was revived when guitarist-singer Antti Heikura resurrected the band and composed and recorded the debut album September, released on February 19, 2020.
A new chapter began after Antti relocated to Poland, where a fresh lineup formed and live performances resumed, including shows in Gdańsk. Recording sessions for the follow-up album began in autumn 2024, leading to the creation of Worst Is Yet To Come.
“You say you need me, you promise to stay. I’ve been waiting for you, the nights have been cold. Someday this all will be true.”
Depressure: Antti Heikura – Vocals & Guitar Paweł Kempa – Guitar Tomasz Kacmajor – Drums Konrad Piątkowski – Bass
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
Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 