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ICONIC Share New Single ‘Valley Of Lost Souls’ from Upcoming Album

Posted by tarjavirmakari on July 11, 2026

Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: ICONIC. Leave a comment

Hard rock supergroup Iconic – featuring Michael Sweet (guitars), Joel Hoekstra (guitars), Marco Mendoza (bass), Tommy Aldridge (drums), and Nathan James (vocals) – are pleased to share the new single and lyric video, “Valley Of Lost Souls”, ahead of the release of their upcoming album “II”, out on July 31, 2026, via Frontiers Music Srl.

Michael Sweet said: “What a thrill it is to create and release music with such legends. “Valley Of Lost Souls” is another song that solidifies who we are as a band and perfectly represents our goal – to remind people of the power of rock”.

Joel Hoekstra added: “Big “thanks” to Frontiers for the opportunity to make music with these guys! I hope you enjoy “Valley Of Lost Souls” as much as I enjoyed playing/recording it!”

“Here’s another killer track! Flying high with the Iconic flag, great band! Enjoy!”, stated Marco Mendoza.

Pre-Order “II” HERE

Iconic return with “II”, a second album that doesn’t just continue the band’s journey – it defines it. Where their debut introduced the chemistry between five world-class musicians, II sharpens that vision into a clearer, heavier, and more confident sonic identity, delivering a sound that is more powerful, more direct, and unmistakably rock.

At the heart of the album lies the electrifying guitar partnership of Joel Hoekstra and Michael Sweet, delivering a masterclass in soaring melodies, blazing solos, and muscular riffs that perfectly balance technical brilliance with pure hard-rock attitude. Beneath them, the rhythm section of Tommy Aldridge and Marco Mendoza drives the record with thunderous authority, creating a groove that is both massive and relentless.

The album kicks off with “Cry No More”, a high-octane opener that immediately sets the tone – an energetic slice of hard rock packed with driving riffs, explosive drums, and a chorus built to stick.

On the other side of the emotional spectrum, “Tears Keep On Falling” showcases the band’s dynamic range, unfolding as an electrifying power ballad where melody, atmosphere, and intensity come together in dramatic fashion.

Towering above it all is Nathan James, whose performance on “II” is nothing short of extraordinary – powerful, soulful, and commanding, elevating every track with unmistakable presence.

With bigger riffs, deeper grooves, and a stronger sense of identity, “II” captures Iconic at full force: a band no longer introducing itself but fully owning its sound.

“II” Tracklist:

1. Cry No More
2. All I Want
3. Open My Eyes
4. Tears Keep On Falling
5. Take Me To The Place
6. S.O.S.
7. Nothing Left For Me
8. Far Away
9. Valley Of Lost Souls
10. Written In The Stars
11. Heart Of Stone

Line Up:
Nathan James – Vocals
Michael Sweet – Guitars
Joel Hoekstra – Guitars
Marco Mendoza – Bass
Tommy Aldridge – Drums

Keyboards by Antonio Agate
Backing Vocals by Marco Pastorino

Follow ICONIC:
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Neumann Proudly Unveils “U 47 fet Bon Scott Edition”

Posted by tarjavirmakari on July 11, 2026

Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: Bon Scott, U 47 fet Bon Scott Edition. Leave a comment

Neumann proudly unveils the U 47 fet Bon Scott Edition, a strictly limited special edition of one of the most iconic studio microphones in recording history. In partnership the Bon Scott Estate, this exclusive release honors Bon Scott, the electrifying frontman of AC/DC, and the microphone that captured the raw energy and unmistakable character of his voice on some of rock’s most influential recordings.

Based on the current production U 47 fet reissue, the Bon Scott Edition pairs the unmistakable sound of a true studio classic with bold visual elements and a premium collector’s presentation. Limited to just 300 units worldwide, it stands as both a world-class recording tool and a tribute to a defining era of rock.

Where Rock History Found Its Voice

In the 1970s, producers Harry Vanda and George Young needed a microphone that could keep up with Bon Scott’s explosive vocal style – powerful, gritty, and full of attitude. Their choice was the Neumann U 47 fet.

With its extraordinary headroom and signature midrange presence, the U 47 fet became the driving force behind Scott’s vocals on early AC/DC albums, including Let There Be Rock. It captured not just the power, but the personality – ensuring his voice cut through thunderous guitars without losing its edge.

As Harry Vanda recalls, the microphone allowed Bon’s voice to “sit best with the guitars,” delivering exactly the sound that would help define a genre.

A Studio Legend, Turned Modern Classic

Introduced in 1972 as the solid state successor to the original tube-based U 47, the U 47 fet quickly earned its reputation as a go-to microphone for loud, demanding sources. Its FET design offered remarkable headroom while retaining the unmistakable tonal authority of the U 47 family.

Since its return to production in 2014, the U 47 fet has remained a trusted choice for engineers worldwide – equally at home on vocals, amplifiers, and drums.

The Bon Scott Edition preserves this legacy in full: identical in sound and performance to the current U 47 fet reissue, delivering the same punch, clarity, and character that have made it a studio essential.

A Collector’s Piece with Attitude

The Bon Scott Edition brings a distinctive visual identity to this legendary microphone, celebrating its connection to rock history:

Matte black finish with bold Bon Scott graphics
Bon Scott’s name and signature on the microphone body
Exclusive black wooden presentation box
Collector’s booklet featuring an interview with producer Harry Vanda

Each unit is individually numbered, underscoring its rarity and collectability.

Built for Power and Presence

Engineered for the most demanding recording environments, the U 47 fet Bon Scott Edition handles up to 137 dB SPL (147 dB with pad engaged), making it perfect for:

Powerful, high-energy vocals
Guitar and bass amplifiers
Kick drums and high-impact sources

Its unmistakable midrange authority and massive headroom make it the ideal choice whenever sound needs to hit hard – and cut through.

Giving Back

In the spirit of supporting the music community, Neumann and Bon Scott’s family will donate a portion of proceeds from this edition to Support Act Australia, helping artists and industry professionals in need.

Availability

The U 47 fet Bon Scott Edition was launched on July 9, 2026, marking what would have been Bon Scott’s 80th birthday.

In Europe and Asia, the U 47 fet Bon Scott Edition will be available from select dealers.

In North and South America, it will be sold exclusively through Sweetwater and Guitar Center.

With only 300 units available worldwide, this special edition is set to become an instant classic.

For more information, visit the product page and Bon Scott Official.

Bahrain’s ZVINDIYAR Unveil New Single ‘Shadhavar’ from Upcoming Debut Release

Posted by tarjavirmakari on July 11, 2026

Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: ZVINDIYAR. Leave a comment

After their debut single “Anqa” was voted Best New Metal Song of the Week by Metal Hammer readers, Bahraini atmospheric death metal project ZVINDIYAR return with “Shadhavar”, the third and final single from their upcoming debut release, Six Rites, due on September 3.

Metal Hammer described “Anqa” as “a glorious showcase” of the band’s sound, praising its “big, dramatic riffs delivered with a furious, unrelenting force.”

Inspired by the mythical Persian creature Shadhavar, the new single explores mortality, ambition, and the desire to leave something behind after the body is gone. Combining death metal aggression, clean vocals, cinematic atmosphere, and Persian mythological imagery, “Shadhavar” marks the band’s most ambitious work to date while bringing the story of Six Rites to its conclusion.

Six Rites is available for pre-order now on Bandcamp. Supporters will receive the full six-track release and digital booklet early on August 20, ahead of the official worldwide release on September 3.

Drawing inspiration from Persian and Arabic mythology, Six Rites explores themes of transformation, collapse, and transcendence through a cinematic blend of atmospheric death metal. Serving as ZVINDIYAR’s first complete release, it expands upon the conceptual world introduced by the band’s three singles.

Track listing:
Anqa
Hex Of The Frenzied Decay
The Soaring Enigmatic
Fell
الهمس الأول
Shadhavar

Bandcamp pre-order: https://zvindiyar.bandcamp.com/
EP teaser: https://youtube.com/shorts/Vwroi86UIq8

For more info:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zvindiyar/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@zvindiyar
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zvindiyar

ANTHRAX Release Video for Epic New Single ‘The Edge Of Perfection’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on July 11, 2026

Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: Anthrax. Leave a comment

ANTHRAX have released ‘The Edge Of Perfection‘, the second single from their long-awaited 12th full-length studio album Cursum Perficio out September 18 via via Nuclear Blast Records and Megaforce Records (North America). The new single is highlighted by clean guitar echoes and cymbals that gently shake until a blastbeat blows open the doors. Guitars buzz like a motorboat on the River Styx, making waves through the darkness. In their wake, a crushing rhythm trails the melody of lead singer Joey Belladonna’s lament, “My heart breaks…I’m on the edge…I’m on the edge of perfection.”

For the video, the multi-GRAMMY® Award-nominated New York hard rock titans – Scott Ian (guitar), Charlie Benante (drums), Frank Bello (bass), Joey Belladonna (vocals), and Jonathan Donais (guitar) – teamed up with director and Academy Award-winner Joel Harlow (Star Trek and Alice in Wonderland) to create a spectacular cinematic experience that takes the hero from a dream into an evening of magic where he encounters underworld evil, interspersed with live performance footage. The clip includes appearances from martial artist Wes Scarpias, actress Ashley Edner-Tancharoen, actor Troy James, actor and Academy-Award winning make-up and special effects creator Rick Baker, actor Rod Maxwell and actor Fedor Steer.

“It’s the apex predator of Anthrax songs,” grins Ian. “I think it’s the best song we’ve ever written and the best thing I’ve ever been a part of creatively. What’s the most powerful emotion that moves me more than anything? Of course, it’s love. Nothing moves me like the deep feeling that I get from my wife and son. I’m living on that edge for the rest of my life. This is mine, but there are a lot of ways to ruin it. I’ve ruined it in past iterations of my life, but it got me to where I am. Love is perfection, and I like being on the edge of it. I don’t want everything to be about all of the same shit. This record has a whole bunch of love, a whole bunch of fun, and a little hate.”

Benante adds, “When I think about songs like ‘Only’ and ‘Indians,’ you know that you hit something and you can feel it. That’s the way I felt about ‘The Edge Of Perfection.’”

‘The Edge Of Perfection‘ follows Cursum Perficio’s first single and video, ‘It’s For The Kids‘. It’s a classic ANTHRAX ripper locked and loaded with buzzsaw-sharp riffs, explosive drumming, and a howling and head-banging hook. It undoubtedly has all the makings of a future live staple. Listen HERE and watch the official music video HERE.

Listen to ‘The Edge Of Perfection‘ HERE

Pre-order Cursum Perficio here: https://anthrax.bfan.link/cplp

Cursum Perficio marks the band’s first record in ten years since 2016’s For All Kings, which debuted in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200. The phrase Cursum Perficio is Latin for “My journey has come to an end,” “My journey is over,” or “I complete my journey.” It proves apropos for such a complete body of work.

The band dove into recording Cursum Perficio in earnest during 2022, working out of Dave Grohl’s Studio 606 in Los Angeles. They carefully pieced together what would be this magnum opus, mining their history with reverence, delivering on fan expectations tenfold, and broadening the scope of their signature sound. Produced by Jay Ruston and ANTHRAX, the result is an album that’s as angry, aggressive, and alive as their most celebrated fare.

The CURSUM PERFICIO track listing is as follows:

01. Persistence of Memory
02. The Long Goodbye
03. It’s For the Kids
04. Everybody’s Got A Plan
05. The Edge Of Perfection
06. Infectious
07. NYC93
08. Cursum Perficio
09. T.O.M.B
10. Watch It Go
11. My Victory

EXUMER to Release “Death Mask Messiah” Full-Length Album on August 28th, Video for Title Track Out Now

Posted by tarjavirmakari on July 11, 2026

Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: Exumer. Leave a comment

Long-running German thrash outfit EXUMER will release their new full-length, Death Mask Messiah, on August 28th through Metal Blade Records.

Death Mask Messiah, which marks the band’s first new studio output in seven years, further cements EXUMER‘s legacy as a dauntless thrash metal institution. A logical and compelling progression from the German legend’s three previous albums, the 11 ferocious songs, produced by Dominic Paraskevopoulos (Kreator, Caliban) and mixed and mastered by Arthur Rizk (Soulfly, King Diamond), take a more brutal and direct musical approach.

“We are a lot more aggressive than on Hostile Defiance and are returning to a more ‘in your face’ style on Death Mask Messiah,” confirms co-founding vocalist Mem V. Stein. “We’re furthering the process that began with our first offering for Metal Blade, 2012’s Fire & Damnation, where we wanted to sound like a contemporary band while maintaining the spirit and our musical heritage of the 1980s.”

Recorded from December 2025 through January 2026, Death Mask Messiah is EXUMER‘s sixth album and fourth for Metal Blade. It’s also the first EXUMER LP recorded with the rhythm section of drummer Jerome Reil and bass player Alex Voss. “They have formidably integrated themselves as musicians and friends into the EXUMER tapestry,” Mem says. “You can feel their young energy, coupled with our trademark aggression and experience. The band sounds more focused and yet raw, thanks to their addition to the lineup.”

Death Mask Messiah also surprises: There’s a guest and a cover song: Nasty Ronnie from American metal legends Nasty Savage sings on EXUMER‘s version of his band’s track “Unchained Angel.” EXUMER supported the band in 1988 on their first European tour.

The record is inspired conceptually by US politics of the last decade, the pandemic, the use of misinformation to stir up cultural divides, and the like. Mem also mused on the 30-year anniversary of Waco, Texas and the standoff with the Branch Davidians. “David Koresh was a false prophet and wore a death mask, manipulating and leading his followers to certain death,” Mem says. “Each song on Death Mask Messiah picks up an individual theme of these two strains of thought.“

For instance, the title track and lead single brings everything together with the Waco raid/siege and Koresh as the main character but also paints a universal picture of charlatans who lead the United States to hell with their lust for power.

Mem further elaborates, “We deliberately chose this track as the first single, as the sonic assault of its main riff and the lyrical concept represent the totality of our intentions for this album. It marks a clear step toward elevating the band to the next level of our career, leaving nothing to the imagination and reinforcing our place as one of the most powerful forces in the entire genre.”

Death Mask Messiah features front art and layout by Björn Gooßes of Killustrations (Sodom, Vomitory).

Find pre-orders at: metalblade.com/exumer

Death Mask Messiah Track-Listing:
01. Death Mask Messiah
02. Blinding Skies
03. Sin Bleeder
04. Eradication
05. Ravishing Waste
06. Allocated Savagery
07. Serpent
08. Fratricide
09. Scorcher
10. Frozen Ground
11. Unchained Angel

EXUMER Live:
10/23/2026 Nuclear Winter Festival 2026 – Hirschaid, DE
11/21/2026 Alcatraz & Pluto Festival – Deinze, BE
2/20/2027 Endzeit Festival 2027 – Essen, DE

EXUMER:
Mem V. Stein – vocals
Ray Mensh – guitars
Marc B. – guitars
Alex Voss – bass
Jerome Reil – drums

https://www.facebook.com/exumerofficial
https://www.instagram.com/exumerofficial

HIDECLOSE Unveils Final Single ‘My Little Ghost’ from Upcoming Concept Album

Posted by tarjavirmakari on July 10, 2026

Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: HIDECLOSE. Leave a comment

Berlin-based cinematic gothic rock project HIDECLOSE returns with “My Little Ghost,” the final single preceding the release of the ambitious concept album Promissum.

Stream the single here.

Set within the evolving narrative of Promissum, “My Little Ghost” transports listeners to Victorian London in 1889, where Inspector Edward Sutton interrogates Annie “Little Ghost” Blackwell, a member of the notorious Forty Elephants gang. What begins as a routine investigation into theft soon spirals into a web of deception as Annie, desperate to secure her freedom, manipulates the truth and shifts suspicion for the murder of Agnes Hill onto Professor Dario Valperga. In doing so, a criminal investigation becomes a devastating false accusation, pushing the album’s overarching story into darker territory.

Written by Lenn Vane and performed by The Veiled Librarians, “My Little Ghost” stands among HIDECLOSE‘s most intimate and cinematic compositions. The track introduces new vocal performances—including a female voice—that heighten its dramatic tension while expanding the emotional scope of the project’s theatrical universe.

Blending gothic metal, dark rock, and doom-laden atmospheres, the song combines haunting orchestration, crushing guitar work, expressive vocal performances, and cinematic storytelling. Every musical element serves the narrative, reinforcing HIDECLOSE‘s vision of creating an immersive rock opera where each release unfolds another chapter of a larger story.

Statement from Hideclose:

“It is the most theatrical piece of the project so far, and I paid a lot of attention to the vocals. In my mind, there is a film script, and the music is its soundtrack. The whole project, hideclose, tells one story that will gradually unfold. “

HIDECLOSE is a Berlin-based cinematic gothic metal and dark rock project centered around Essentia Mali, a five-act rock opera exploring the nature of evil—from the depths of the human psyche to the cosmic unknown.

Spanning London, Turin, San Francisco, and the realm of the dead, the story follows theology professor Dario Valperga, born in Turin in 1854, as he embarks on a journey marked by suffering, fear, transformation, and supernatural awakening. As the narrative progresses, the boundary between reality and the otherworld gradually dissolves, drawing listeners into an expansive and richly imagined universe.

Musically, HIDECLOSE combines gothic metal, dark rock, doom influences, theatrical songwriting, and cinematic arrangements to deliver a concept-driven experience where every song advances the story.

HIDECLOSE‘s Nocte Mutamur (By Night We Are Changed) is now available on all major digital platforms here:

Bandcamp: Stream Here – Spotify: Stream Here – Soundcloud: Stream Here

Connect With HIDECLOSE:

www.youtube.com/@Hidecloseofficial
www.instagram.com/hideclose.band
www.facebook.com/hideclose