Oikoumen is a human-centered orchestral progressive symphonic project. It shares visceral emotions, often dark, always committed, through intense, embodied music, where the orchestra serves emotion. The project is led by Élie Veux on composition and guitar, Laura Mazard on lyrics, vocals and artistic direction, and Yaël Febvray on bass and synthesizers. The first album “Dystopia” was released in 2022, marking the true beginning of the project.
French band already released a music video for a song “Reign of Idiocy” from their upcoming album, which is scheduled for release on April 17, 2026.
Music for upcoming album was recorded, mix & mastered by Julien Prost. New single is available for listening at all popular streaming platforms (here). Below you can watch video to the new song which was filmed at Cité du Cinéma in Saint-Denis near Paris.
This is how Laura comments new song: “Reign of Idiocy is a symphonic metal song about school bullying, seen through the eyes of the victim with a powerful and violent intensity we tried to capture with grandiose orchestras, energetic riffs, and vocals deployed like a tear-stained scream“.
On January 30, 2026, Wanikiya Record / Promotion officially announced the release of “New Representation”, the debut EP by Energy Source, available now on all major digital platforms.
WE JUST NEED REPRESENTATION. Not a slogan. Not a provocation. But a clear, direct, and necessary statement.
Wanikiya Record/Promotion is proud to present a release that marks a crucial milestone in the artistic journey of the Como–Brianza-based band: an EP that stands as a sonic manifesto, a stance, and an act of awareness.
A MANIFESTO BORN FROM FIVE YEARS OF EVOLUTION Active since 2020, Energy Source arrive at New Representation after a deep journey of growth—human before musical. Five years of experiences, obstacles, transformations, and visions converge in a compact, intense, and uncompromising EP.
The tracks tackle powerful, universal, and highly relevant themes:
the pain of losing a loved one
rediscovering inner strength in the darkest moments
the anger of regrets and missed opportunities
a lucid critique of a social system that rewards the strongest while forgetting those left behind
The message is one, clear and direct: WE JUST NEED REPRESENTATION.
A demand for space, listening, and truth, shouted through powerful, emotional, and deeply contemporary music.
FROM THE SINGLE TO CONSOLIDATION The path leading to New Representation officially took shape in 2025, with Energy Source joining the Wanikiya Record roster, alongside the release of the single “Your Worst Enemy” on March 28, 2025.
Recorded after winning the Alcolicontest in Erba, the track marked a true turning point for the band, projecting them into the alternative metal underground scene. Your Worst Enemy addresses the theme of inner struggle, reminding us that our worst enemy is often within ourselves, perfectly anticipating the lyrical and sonic approach of the entire EP.
A POWERFUL, MODERN, AND DISTINCTIVE SOUND Energy Source’s sound is born from the fusion of:
the rock and metal legacy of the ’80s and ’90s
the modern impact of alternative metal and metalcore
The result is a solid, energetic, and authentic proposal, capable of speaking to the present without denying its roots.
Line-up: Matteo Passeri – vocals Christian Clerici – guitar Mario Paparone – guitar Alessandro Scisci – bass Pietro Ciavatta – drums
A tight and determined lineup that has transformed even early difficulties—including a debut marked by the pandemic—into a creative drive now fully expressed in New Representation.
A NEW PHASE WITH WANIKIYA RECORD / PROMOTION With this EP, Energy Source officially open a new phase of their career, supported by the production and promotion of Wanikiya Record/Promotion, an internationally active entity dedicated to showcasing new rock and metal acts.
New Representation is not an endpoint, but the beginning of an ambitious journey, with a strong international outlook and the goal of delivering an authentic, urgent, and necessary message on every stage and through every listen.
Representation is not a favor. It is not a concession. It is a right.
2002 formed Finnish industrial metal band Ruoska, will release their sixth studio album “Kade” February 27th. Now they have released the final single Ikirouta from the upcoming album.
When the mood darkens and despair rears its head, Ikirouta hits you in the face with memories, biting into your bones and core like a freezing winter wind.
Based on audience reactions at recent gigs, Ikirouta proved that there is demand among Ruoska fans for heavy, slow-tempo tracks. The feedback on the song surprised the band members themselves, even though Ikirouta breaks the traditional boundaries of Ruoska.
For the first time, Ruoska combines powerful distorted guitars with stunning orchestral arrangements in a way that reveals new nuances with each listen. Ikirouta keeps its listeners in its strong grip, creating a chilling and gloomy mental landscape that only a Finn can understand.
The band, which hails from Juva, Eastern Finland, and has already racked up nearly 25 million plays on Spotify alone, will also be heading out on an album release tour, which will be starting right after album release.
Ruoska is: Patrik Mennander (Vocals) Samuli Rimmi (Guitar, Backing vocals) Miika Kokkola (Bass, Backing vocals) Teemu Karppinen (Drums)
For years, FROM ASHES TO NEW (@FromAshesToNew) has captured the hearts and minds of music listeners worldwide, making impact with a distinctive amalgam of alt metal combined with songs that bracingly capture their generation’s anxieties. They’re a band that doesn’t run from the darkness but instead embrace it. The Lancaster, PA band’s streaming figures are in the billions, they’ve successfully sold-out tours, and performed alongside some of the biggest names in rock. With their next album REFLECTIONS—out April 17 via Better Noise Music—Danny Case (vocals), Matt Brandyberry (vocals), Lance Dowdle (guitar), Maty Madiro (drums), and Jimmy Bennett (guitar) have created 12 songs that brim with even more confidence and power than before. Today (January 30), they’ve released the album’s third song, the potent “Villain.” Listen to it HERE and watch the video HERE. Pre-order it now HERE.
On “Villain,” rather than singing from the perspective of the person who knows their partner is so bad for them that it’s toxic but they still stick around. Vocalist Matt Brandyberry flips the perspective. Here, he takes the other person’s viewpoint.
“‘Villain’ is a story about the magnetic pull between two people who know better, but dive in anyway,” says Brandyberry. “It’s the moment when desire outweighs consequences, when you choose the chaos you swear you shouldn’t want, and the ‘bad guy’ becomes the one voice you can’t quiet. The song leans into that dark, intoxicating tension where temptation feels like truth, danger feels like comfort, and the line between thrill and destruction disappears. It’s not about saving each other…it’s about surrendering to the part of yourself you pretend doesn’t exist.”
The 12-track REFLECTIONS will mark the follow-up to 2023’s BLACKOUT, which achieved the #1 spot on several iTunes and Spotify Rock and Metal charts across the globe. Two songs from REFLECTIONS were released last year: “New Disease,” an unflinching song about the dangers of trend jumping (listen HERE, watch HERE), followed by the sonically intense and lyrically harrowing “Drag Me” (listen HERE, watch HERE). The latter track is the album’s first song to go to radio and is just getting started on its run up the charts.
By late 2023, FROM ASHES TO NEW was at a creative crossroads. The group wrapped up demos for 16 songs for what was to be its fifth studio album. However, instead of sprinting towards the finish line and completing the record, the band decided to scrap those demo sessions. The process went against everything FROM ASHES TO NEW did before. Usually, they’d have a set number of songs they’d go into the studio with, record those songs, and maybe have one or two left over. Scrapping a session and mainly starting anew (they kept two songs) was liberating.
When FROM ASHES TO NEW scrapped those sessions, the band collectively knew they had to make something that remained true to their traditional sound yet broadened the tent to capture the ears and focus of a fresh audience. In this case, it means furthering the sound into alt-metal.
The band’s previous album, 2023’s BLACKOUT, was a step in getting there and one that the band is proud of. However, this time around, FROM ASHES TO NEW has loftier expectations and goals. “I wanted to take what we are good at and push it even further,” Brandyberry says. “That was the process for this whole record.” As always, the band continues to forge a strong bond with its fans. “I think it’s better to let people know we’re right there with them and feel the same way,” he continues. “Just because we have a cool job doesn’t mean that life isn’t hard.”
REFLECTIONS will be released as seven different configurations: CD, periwinkle vinyl, black/white/orchid vinyl exclusively on the band’s official webstore, urchin vinyl exclusively at various indie record stores nationwide, violet/black wave vinyl exclusively via GimmeMetal.com, silver/black vinyl exclusively via Revolver magazine’s website, and black/white/violet vinyl exclusively via Spotify Fans First.
Here’s the track listing for REFLECTIONS:
Drag Me
Forever
Villain
Die For You
Black Hearts
Upside Down
(Not) Psycho
Parasite
New Disease
Darkside
Falling From Heaven
Your Ghost
Following a successful stint returning to past glories at the Warped Tour in 2025, FROM ASHES TO NEW is ready to unleash REFLECTIONS to the world. They’ll hit the road for a 42-date U.S. tour supporting Black Veil Brides, along with TX2, and As December Falls, starting April 25 in Riverside, CA. Tickets are available HERE.
Apr 25: Riverside, CA @ Municipal Auditorium ^ Apr 26: Reno, NV @ Grand Sierra Resort # Apr 28: Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo # Apr 30: Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union ^ May 01: Denver, CO @ Fillmore ^ May 02: Omaha, NE @ ASTRO # May 04: Dallas, TX @ House of Blues ^ May 05: Houston, TX @ House of Blues ^ May 06: San Antonio, TX @ The Aztec ^ May 08: Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle ^ May 11: Greensboro, NC @ Piedmont Hall ^ May 12: Norfolk, VA @ The Norva # May 14: Philadelphia, PA @ Fillmore ^ May 15: Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE # May 17: Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore ^ May 19: Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room ^ May 21: Minneapolis, MN @ The Fillmore ^ May 22: Chicago, IL @ Ramova Theatre ^ May 23: Madison, WI @ The Sylvee ^ May 25: Toronto, ON @ History ^ May 26: Montreal, QC @ M-Telus ^ May 28: New York, NY @ Palladium Times Square ^ May 29: Silver Spring, MD @ Fillmore ^ May 30: Worcester, MA @ The Palladium # ^Promoted by Live Nation #Not a Live Nation date
What happens when a reggaeton producer takes on metal?
Nothing Forever answers that question with its debut single and video, “Labyrinth,” released in full exclusively on YouTube—bypassing DSPs entirely and delivering the complete track directly to fans.
“Labyrinth” features two vocal forces from different corners of the metal world: Marcos Leal, best known as the former frontman of Ill Niño and a longtime presence in heavy music, delivers a commanding performance that reflects nu-metal’s evolution through a modern lens.
Joining him is Italy’s rising powerhouse Becko, whose previous work includes collaborations with Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park, and who has rapidly built a reputation within the European metal scene for blending modern aggression with melodic control and crossover appeal.
The video was produced and directed by Allister & Becko and was filmed by Alexia G Shot It & Allister.
The project is led by producer Chris Anger, a producer with deep roots in reggaeton and hip-hop and a current focus on metal, with credits including Wyclef Jean, Yandel, members of Korn, the Wu-Tang Clan, and Ill Niño. With Nothing Forever, Anger applies a mixtape mentality, borrowed from hip-hop and underground Latin music, to heavy music, prioritizing impact, ownership, and intention over algorithms.
“Labyrinth” opens Noise-Tape 01 (NT01), the first chapter in a larger body of work released via I Am Loco Music. The project intentionally rejects streaming platforms in favor of direct access, full-context releases, and fan ownership. The project draws inspiration from bootleg CDs, underground mixtapes, and an era when music arrived whole, not diluted.
“The current streaming model is bad for most artists and ultimately bad for listeners too,” says Chris Anger. “Artists are underpaid, and audiences don’t actually own the music—they’re just renting access. “Nothing Forever is my way of challenging that system and creating a model that actually works for artists and fans.”
The full Nothing Forever project expands this vision through collaborations with artists including Jonny Santos of Spineshank, Jahred of (hed) P.E., Jamaican dancehall heavyweight Busy Signal, CHNNR (AJ Channer ex vocalist of Fire From The Gods, and modern Mexican metal pioneers Ladrones—reinforcing the project’s boundary-pushing scope and cross-genre intent.
Sonically, “Labyrinth” is built to hit with force and clarity mixed by Chris Anger, alongside Richard Wicander of Fire From the Gods and mastered by Chris Athens (Metallica, Slipknot, and Soundgarden), adding the final touch to this bomb.
The full Nothing Forever project is slated for mid-2026 and will continue to blur genre lines while challenging long-standing assumptions about how metal is created, released, and consumed.
Hard rock band 12 Stones return with their new single “Golden Child,” marking their first new song in six years through a joint venture between Judge & Jury Records and SV Records. Both 12 Stones and Judge & Jury are credited as primary artists on the release and track level, signaling a collaborative partnership that blends the band’s legacy sound with Judge & Jury’s acclaimed production and creative reach.
Paul McCoy (Lead Vocals) on “Golden Child”: “The song is about realizing that in some relationships people never actually know each other because they were left clinging to a good memory of a better time, to the point that they can’t see the forest for the trees. Sometimes the truth is right in front of us. We just have to open our eyes and take notice of who we’ve become.”
Founded by multi-platinum producer Howard Benson and Neil Sanderson (drummer and songwriter of Three Days Grace), Judge & Jury brings decades of success in the rock world, offering extensive promotional, production, and songwriting resources. Now gearing up for additional releases in 2026, 12 Stones continue to channel the same intensity and passion that launched their career. Fans can expect more new music soon!
In addition, the band has announced tour dates this spring! Dates are listed below.
Paul McCoy is best known for his featured vocals on “Bring Me to Life” by Evanescence. He won a Grammy for his performance, and the song has been streamed over one billion times.
12 Stones formed in 2000 in the small town of Mandeville, LA. The original lineup consisted of Paul McCoy (vocals), Eric Weaver (guitar), Aaron Gainer (drums), and Kevin Dorr (bass). The band has released 5 full-length albums and 2 EPs and is currently set to release new music in 2026. 12 Stones takes pride in their live shows, bringing every ounce of their energy to their performances. They have spent the last 2 decades touring with legendary bands such as Creed, 3 Doors Down, Sevendust, and many more. After 25 years of being a band, 12 Stones still has the same fire for music as they did in the beginning. Make sure to catch them on the road and stay tuned for brand-new music.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
1/31 Covington, LA @ Encore 2/25 Atlanta, GA @ 529 (Acoustic) 2/26 Virginia Beach, VA @ Scandals Live (Acoustic) 2/27 Wilmington, NC @ Reggie’s (Acoustic) 2/28 Summerville, SC @ Trolley Pub (Acoustic) 3/1 Gastonia, NC @ The Rooster (Acoustic)
4/17-21 CREED CRUISE
w/ POWERMAN 5000 & MAKES MY BLOOD DANCE 4/30 Dallas, TX @ Trees 5/1 Houston, TX @ Scout Bar 5/3 Austin, TX @ Come and Take It Live 5/5 St. Louis, MO @ The Sovereign 5/7 Foxborough, MA @ Six String Grill & Stage 5/8 Millersville, PA @ Phantom Power 5/9 Frenchtown, NJ @ Arties Bar & Grill 5/10 Newark, DE @ Halftime Sports & Music 5/12 Lakewood, OH @ Mercury Music Lounge 5/13 Flint, MI @ The Machine Shop 5/16 Belvidere, IL @ Apollo Activity Center 5/20 Cadillac, MI @ The Venue Event Center 5/21 Joliet, IL @ The Forge 5/23 Dubuque, IA @ Q Sports Bar
6/6 Hanover, PA @ Rock on the Hill 9/6 Dyersville, IA @ Velocity Festival
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 ) 