ANTHEA Unveil First Single + Video ‘Phantom In The Masquerade’ from Upcoming Album

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 19, 2026
Posted in: News, Int. News. Tagged: . Leave a comment

Rockshots Records announces the release of “Phantom in the Masquerade”, the brand new single by Los Angeles symphonic metal act Anthea, out now on all digital platforms.

“Phantom in the Masquerade” is the first single taken from Anthea’s upcoming third full-length album, “Beyond The Dawn,” and serves as an introduction to the band’s most ambitious and theatrical chapter to date. The song explores the feeling of being invisible while surrounded by others, translating emotional isolation into a powerful and evocative musical narrative.

Commenting on the track, the band states:
​
“‘Phantom in the Masquerade’ is one of the most theatrical songs we’ve written. We wanted it to feel both catchy and haunting, with lyrics that capture the experience of being surrounded by people yet completely unseen. It sets the stage for the dramatic direction we’ve been embracing, both musically and visually.”

Musically, the single highlights Anthea’s evolved sound, blending symphonic metal foundations with strong melodic hooks, driving guitar work, and layered orchestrations. The balance between immediacy and atmosphere reflects the broader identity of “Beyond The Dawn“, an album conceived as a dynamic journey where each song offers a distinct mood while remaining part of a cohesive whole.

Expanding on the vision behind the album, the band adds:
​
“This record pushed us to explore every corner of our sound – from fast and heavy tracks to more emotional and melodic moments. ‘Phantom in the Masquerade’ introduces that range and gives listeners a clear sense of the dramatic and expressive path the album follows.”

An official music video accompanies the release, transforming the song’s themes into a symbolic visual narrative centered on identity, isolation, and transformation. Set within a masquerade ball, the video reinforces Anthea’s strong theatrical aesthetic, a defining element of both their music and live performances.

“Phantom in the Masquerade” marks the opening step toward “Beyond The Dawn“, an album shaped by themes of growth, transition, uncertainty, and renewal, representing a significant evolution in Anthea’s songwriting and artistic vision.

For fans of: Dynazty, Kamelot, Powerwolf

DIGITAL SINGLE: https://lnk.to/sIZl8W

New album “Beyond The Dawn” out April 17th, 2026.

PRE ORDER “Beyond The Dawn“: https://rockshots.eu/products/anthea-beyond-the-dawn

Track Listing:​
1. Beyond The Dawn – 4:13
2. Phantom in the Masquerade – 3:32
3. The Lost Soul – 3:44
4. Awakening (Song for Spring) – 4:16
5. Bygone Age (Chicxulub) – 4:03
6. From Shadows to Light – 4:40
7. Crystal Moon – 4:11
8. Wanderer’s Quell – 3:53
9. Whispers of the Heart – 4:46
10. Duality of Gaia – 4:12
11. Burnin’ in the Third Degree (Tahnee Caine and Tryanglz cover) – 3:38
Album Length: 45:08

Anthea Line-Up:​
Diego Valadez: Lead Vocals, Keyboards
Juan Pina: Rhythm Guitars, Harsh Vocals
Marcos Mejia: Lead Guitars
Gabby Hawk: Bass
Peter Vasquez: Drums
​
The Sirens (Backing Vocals)
Mel Del Real: Backing Vocals
Astrid Anaya: Backing Vocals

More info:​
​https://rockshots.eu​
​https://www.facebook.com/antheametal​
​https://www.instagram.com/antheametal

Drum Workshop to Honor JOSH FREESE with Lifetime Achievement Award at NAMM Show 2026

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 19, 2026
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The Drum Workshop, Inc. (DW) Performance Series™ honors the musical achievements of legendary drummer Josh Freese by presenting him with its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the NAMM Show 2026 on the DW/Roland booth, room 202 (2nd level), 16.30pm on the 23 January. The award is a fitting tribute to a career that has seen him play DW drums on hundreds of albums, across an array of musical genres, with the world’s biggest bands and artists. 

Josh Freese has earned a reputation as one of the industry’s most versatile in-demand freelance drummers. He is known for his incredible versatility across rock, punk, and new wave with the ability to slot into established rock groups and sounding like he has always been there. A talent that was tested recently when, for two years, he joined the Foo Fighters following the death of Taylor Hawkins.

Freese’s musical range is staggering, including working with Michael Bublé, Suicidal Tendencies, Nine Inch Nails, Glen Campbell, Sting, The Vandals, Avril Lavigne, Danny Elfman, Katy Perry, M83, DEVO, Guns N’ Roses, The Replacements, Weezer, and the list goes on. He has also recorded solo records and co-written songs with Queens of the Stone Age, Guns N’ Roses, Sting, The Vandals, A Perfect Circle, DEVO, and many more. From playing drums at Disneyland at the age of 12 to gracing the stage and studio with rock music’s elite, this award recognizes his exceptional career. “There’s a truism that ‘a band is only as good as its drummer,” noted Sting, “Any band that Josh graced with his presence on the kit was fortunate indeed.”

Don Lombardi, DW Founder, said: ‘I’ve known Josh since he was a young teenager and have had the privilege of witnessing all the accomplishments he has achieved throughout his lifetime. Receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award is well deserved, as he has made an incredible contribution to the music industry and drummers around the world.’

Chris Lombardi, DW President and CEO, commented, “Josh has been a true member of the DW family for over 40 years, and I have had the privilege of calling him a friend throughout his entire tenure as a DW artist. It is a true honor to present him with this prestigious award.”

To find out more please go to http://www.dwdrums.com/.
Learn more about Josh Freese
Explore the history of the Roland Lifetime Achievement Awards. 

IN DAKHMA Release New Single + Live Video for Cover of Sepultura’s ‘Territory’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 19, 2026
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Rising from the depths of the Croatian underground, death metal trio In Dakhma has officially released their crushing cover of the Sepultura classic, Territory.

Originally appearing on the 1993 landmark album Chaos A.D., Territory remains a definitive anthem of political upheaval and sonic brutality. In Dakhma takes this foundation and injects it with their signature suffocating atmosphere and death metal precision.

“Sepultura has been one of the main influences of our sound,” says the band. “Territory is a song about borders, conflict, and the propaganda of hate – themes that unfortunately remain as relevant today as they were thirty years ago. We wanted to capture that anger and channel it through the In Dakhma lens.”

n Dakhma is dedicated to the “old school” spirit of the genre while incorporating modern and ritualistic elements. Taking their name from the Zoroastrian ‘Towers of Silence,’ the band explores themes of mortality, ancient rites, and the decay of civilization. Known for their high-intensity live performances, In Dakhma is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with within the Balkan metal landscape.

The video for “Territory” features a raw, DIY aesthetic that mirrors the band’s no-nonsense approach to metal. It is available to stream now on the band’s official YouTube channel.

Live video was recorded at Dark Circle Fest 2025, organised by Vinko Golembiowski & Filip Škopić of Ri Rock

Video Editing: Vedran Nor
Handheld Camera: Ana Križanec
Thumbnail Photo: Ana Križanec
Mix & Master: Vedran Kovačić, Chicken Sound Studio

Line Up:
Matko Podobnik – Drums
Tomi Gamilec – Bass & Vocals
Vedran Nor – Guitar

More info:
Web: https://indakhma.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/in.dakhma/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/in.dakhma/
Bandcamp: https://indakhma.bandcamp.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/084MbAlEmEortmT8mPkNXE

Ecuador’s KILL CITY Release New Single ‘I’ll Just Wait’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 19, 2026
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Photo by Pepe and Rafael

KILL CITY surprises with their fine new single “I’ll Just Wait“, which highlights the fresh, original songwriting of these Ecuadorian masters.

With this song, the South American band delivers a Hard Rock proposal featuring a melancholic touch in both its lyrics and melody, including — as is typical of KILL CITY — expressive guitars over a solid rhythmic foundation. Their interpretation of MELODIC HEAVY METAL.

⫸ Streaming

Bassist Andrés Miranda says about “I’ll Just Wait“:

“It’s one of those songs that’s perfect for listening to on a road trip, staring off into the infinite. The musical foundation of the song was brought by Juan Miguel during one of our composition sessions, and our vocalist Chemel thought of the melody that to match that foundation well. We spent several months developing it, with every member of the band, guitarist Xavier, drummer Luis and myself adding to the song. It was a clear concept from the beginning, although it took us longer than usual because we kept refining everything to make sure it sounded exactly the way we wanted. Basically when all the music and melody was completely defined, everyone pitched their ideas for the lyrics and the song was done. We think the cover art reflects the sensation of solitude expressed by the song. The photo was done by Jose Hanze, one of the best street photographers of Ecuador.”

Artwork: Luigi Stornaiolo, Chemel Neme, Andrés Miranda, Jose Hanze – Logo: Kill City

More information: https://www.facebook.com/KillcityEC/

LIGHTNING STRIKES Release First Video ‘Fear of Unknown’ from Upcoming Album

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 19, 2026
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Los Angeles, CA based heavy metal outfit LIGHTNING STRIKES have released a music video called “Fear of Unknown” from their upcoming sophomore album ‘The King Is Victorious’, which is set for release on February 18th. “Fear of Unknown” video is now available to watch, below.

Karpis spoke about the single “Fear of Unknown”, ““Fear of Unknown” is about the fear that can cripple your mind and can take your capabilities away if you are week minded, something that you don’t see, but that fear lives in your head and reminds you that your life can end at any point. Your brain can’t calculate why you are scared and as soon as you are getting weak and useless then fear of unknown will take you away.”

Karpis continues, “It was written by me mid 2021. I recorded the drum tracks about that time, then Barry Sparks came into the project, he was very excited and energized to be part of the project, he even made a compliment and said it’s sounds like Black Sabbath and he will do some Geezer Butler style bass. The song was finalized in early 2025 after Norifumi Shima recorded his guitar track and added his signature guitar solo. Then Mariano Gardella completed the lyrics and recorded his dream vocals by giving the song a very unique prespective. Finally, let’s not forget about the maestro on the keyboard, Derek Sherinian who I have worked with previously on my 1st album, he also came into project and added his signature keyboard tracks and solo.”

The bulk of the album was recorded by Maksudian, a Japanese guitar virtuoso, Norifumi Shima (CONCERTO MOON), American bassist extraordinaire, Barry Sparks (MSG, Yngwie Malmsteen), and up-and-coming Argentinian vocalist, Mariano Gardella, with keyboard maestro, Derek Sherinian (BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, SONS OF APOLLO), who guested on the group’s debut album, also making an appearance.

Originally formed in 1984, LIGHTNING STRIKES were the first metal band to feature an all Armenian-American line-up, well over a decade before the arrival of SYSTEM OF A DOWN. Co-founder Maksudian revived the name with new personnel a quarter century after the initial breakup recording the group’s self-titled 2016 full-length debut with Brazilian vocalist Nando Fernandes (SINISTRA, HANGAR), the aforementioned Rob Math and Derek Sherinian, and former BLACK SABBATH vocalist, Tony Martin, who sang on and wrote the lyrics to ‘Death Valley’ and ‘301 AD Sins of Our Fathers’. Mixed by Roy Z, the album was well received and peaked on the Japanese Burrn! Magazine import charts at number 6.

Track Listing:

Fear Of Unknown
Voices In My Head
Clash Of Battalions
The King Is Victorious
Aim and Shoot
Lucid Dreams
New Beginning
Masquerade Suite (Instrumental)

Musicians:

Karpis Maksudian – Drums/USA
Shima Norifumi – Lead Guitar/Japan
Barry Sparks – Bass/USA
Mariano Gardella – Vocals/Germany
Derek Sherinian – Keyboards/USA

Producer: Karpis Maksudian
Engineer: Dario Mollo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lightningstrikesrocks/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightningstrikesrocks/
X: x.com/lsrocksofficial
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@lightningstrikesofficial387

NERVE STAR’s New Single ‘Black Ice/The Harder The Better’ Out Now

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 19, 2026
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NERVE STAR release a new single Black Ice (A side) / The Harder The Better (B side), out now, taken from their new album ‘White Hot’, coming out on 27th February 2026. 

Black Ice – “A 100 mph cover of Aragorn’s NWOBHM classic with super fast riffs and solos.”
The Harder The Better – “Raunchy Texas style riffage, lots of wah wah and great groove from start to finish.”

Order here: https://linktr.ee/rskent

NERVE STAR are a hard rock/heavy metal band which took form in 2021, playing a blend of 70’s hard rock, 80’s heavy metal, NWOBHM and some punk thrown in the mix, with unrelenting riffs, big drums, thumping bass and loud guitars. 

Throughout the year, the line up began to solidify with Joss Thorley from Manchester on Bass and Chris Billinghurst from Maidenhead on Lead Guitar and they settled on a band name ‘Nerve Star’. It wasn’t possible to rehearse together so some cool tracks were selected and sent out, with initially ten songs home demoed. 

After a couple of changes as they sought to find the ideal line up, in 2023 they brought in a great singer from the South of England, Matt Oakman, and things instantly moved into another league. With Matt on board, they searched around for a second reliable and gifted rock/metal guitarist and drummer, contacting Janne Stark, who loved all the tracks. He had done it all as both a producer and guitarist in Metal, Prog and NWOBHM bands since the 1980’s and recorded and produced his own albums and was a perfect partner for Chris on guitar, they now had their own version of the dual leads of Thin Lizzy.

With all Janne’s experience and solidity, it meant that sessions were completed in days rather than months at his studios in Sweden and everything started to take off. Janne introduced the band to Peter, a band colleague and great drummer from Karlsham in Sweden, so when Peter ‘Trumpeter’ Svensson jumped on board, the line up was complete.
 
In Spring 2024, with demos completed, they started full recording sessions with Janne and Peter in Sweden and Joss, Chris and Matt with Ras at Raw Studios in England. This continued through 2024/25 until all 13 tracks were completed. 
 
For the final track on the album track that was recorded, one of their guitar heroes was asked if he would like to contribute. Tony Bourge, the heavy metal riff master from the 1970’s Welsh band ‘Budgie’ who was responsible for killer riffs on tracks such as Breadfan/Crash Course In Brain Surgery (covered by Metallica), In For The Kill (Van Halen) and many more. Tony had previously contributed on several Bandolier Kings albums with Janne and agreed to help on one of his own 80’s classic tracks ‘Richard III’, that he originally wrote and recorded with Welsh rockers ‘Tredegar’. Tony recorded all his guitar parts in Wales and sent them across. All three lead guitarists can be heard on this epic track, which is the closer on the upcoming album.

Album ‘WHITE HOT’ (HYPER04) will be released in late February 2026 on all formats: 
Vinyl LP (8 tracks), CD and Digital/Streaming Album (13 tracks) and distributed in the UK by RSK Entertainment via Proper Distribution. UK gigs and later European festival appearances will follow.

Producer: Mike Dixon (Thin Lizzy-UK Tour 75 / Sensational Alex Harvey Band-British Tour 76)
Recorded/Mixed by: Rasmus Bom Andersen  (Diamond Head) at Raw Studios, UK
Mastered by: Andy ‘Hippy’ Baldwin  (Oasis/Blur) at Metropolis, London

Buy the album here: https://linktr.ee/Nervestar

NERVE STAR:
Janne Stark – Lead & Rhythm Guitar
Chris Billinghurst – Lead & Rhythm Guitar
Joss Thorley – Bass Guitar
Matt Oakman – Vocals
Peter ‘Trumpeter’ Svensson – Drums & Percussion