TO THE MAX! Reveal Details of New Album “Two The Max!” + Release Album Trailer

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

Verona-based Action Rock trio TO THE MAX! have announced their sophomore studio album, “Two The Max!”, set for release on March 13 via Go Down Records. Alongside the announcement, the band has unveiled an album trailer, offering a first taste of what promises to be their most focused and explosive release to date. Watch the trailer here:

“Two The Max!” is a thrilling 40-minute journey through ten dynamic tracks that redefine Rock’n’Roll energy. This Verona-based trio pushes boundaries with an experimental fusion of Action Rock, seamlessly blending gritty Hard Rock riffs, infectious Funk grooves, and raw punk attitude into a powerful, distinctive sound. Each song pulses with vibrant energy and dark tonal layers, delivering an unforgettable mix that keeps listeners on their toes. The band remains coherent while avoiding repetition, proving its identity with clarity and confidence. “Two The Max!” is not just an album, it’s a high-octane celebration of genre-bending creativity and rock passion that demands to be played loud.

Tracklist:

  1. On ‘N’ On
  2. Who
  3. Apple Bite
  4. C’mon (Move It)
  5. Dying Inside
  6. Sharp Breath
  7. Running
  8. Sunday Nite
  9. Enjoy The Ride
  10. Cancel

TO THE MAX! is a Heavy Rock band formed in Verona, Italy, uniting musicians with diverse musical backgrounds and long-standing personal connections. The trio consists of Alessandro Marchi (drums, vocals), Nicola Marchi (guitar, vocals), and Mattia Fraccaroli (bass, backing vocals). Before joining forces, the members were involved in projects spanning genres from Thrash and Black Metal to Sleaze Rock, sharing stages and collaborations along the way.

In mid-2020, during the global lockdown, the three musicians reunited in the rehearsal room with a clear objective: to create music free from external constraints, driven solely by their own vision. Their goal was to write Heavy Rock songs that explore a wide range of moods and influences while maintaining a consistent and recognizable sound.

After less than a year of rehearsals and a home-recorded five-track demo, TO THE MAX! began performing extensively in 2021, playing pubs, live clubs, and festivals. In 2022, they recorded their debut album Midnight Tea, which was self-released on CD and digitally in 2024. The band has since completed several Italian and European mini-tours, appearing at venues such as Bloom (Mezzago, Italy), Le Brin De Zinc (Barberaz, France), Sala Barracudas (Madrid, Spain), and G5(Vienna, Austria), as well as festivals including Rock Camp (Trieste), Metal Machine (Reggio Emilia), and Rock The Station (Austria), sharing stages with both local and international acts.

Songwriting continues to be the driving force behind the band’s evolution, and the new material culminates in their sophomore album “Two The Max!”, scheduled for release via Go Down Records in March 2026.

“Two The Max!” is available for pre-order here: Physical | Digital

Line-up:
Ale | drums, vocals
Nico | guitars, vocals
FRH | bass, backing vocals

For more info visit:
https://www.instagram.com/tothemax_band/
https://www.facebook.com/tothemaxvr
https://www.godownrecords.com
https://www.facebook.com/GoDownRecords/
https://www.instagram.com/godownrecords/

LOST IN HOLLYWOOD Release New Single + Video ‘I Should Have Known Better’

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

Lost In Hollywood return with their brand new single ‘I Should Have Known Better’, pushing their emotionally charged sound to an even more vulnerable and intense place.

Stream here: https://arisingempire.com/lostinhollywood

After a strong run of releases that steadily expanded their reach, Lost In Hollywood have proven their ability to balance raw heaviness with cinematic atmosphere. Singles like ‘The Fire‘, ‘Pretty Skin‘ and ‘Like a River‘ featuring Of Virtue showcased the band’s talent for massive hooks and emotional depth, while ‘The Art of Being Torn Out‘ featuring Half Me underlined their connection to the modern heavy scene and their willingness to collaborate without losing identity.

Once again, Lost In Hollywood demonstrate their knack for writing songs that feel deeply personal while remaining universally relatable. ‘I Should Have Known Better’ doesn’t search for easy answers, instead it captures that familiar moment of realization where regret, honesty, and growth collide. A powerful next step for a band that continues to sharpen its sound and emotional weight with every release.

MARIANAS REST Celebrate Album Release of “The Bereaved” with New Music Video for ‘Again Into the Night’

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

Finnish doom-laden death metal force MARIANAS REST have released their long-awaited fifth studio album, “The Bereaved”, out now via Noble Demon. To mark the occasion, the band also unveil a brand new music video for the album track “Again Into the Night”, a deeply emotional and atmospheric piece that perfectly captures the album’s bleak yet cathartic spirit.

“‘Again Into the Night’ stands as one of the earliest compositions written for The Bereaved and reflects the band’s willingness to explore new sonic territories while staying true to their melancholic roots. ‘Again Into the Night‘ was probably one of the first if not the first demo we had for this album. It kind of worked as a playground to try out new stuff, new ways of expression, that we could use in the future. Fun song to jam to in the rehersal grounds,” Guitarist Nico Mänttäri comments. 

Vocalist Jaakko Mäntymaa adds: “This song had the right feel straight from the start. It doesn’t happen often, unfortunately. It’s about fatigue. How you feel like giving up, when things go sour for the hundredth time. We’ve all been there. Hopefully it can remind people how important it is to just keep hanging on. No matter how it hurts.“

Listen to the single HERE

From the dark shores of the Baltic Sea, MARIANAS REST channel the deep melancholy of their homeland. Hailing from the southeastern Finnish town of Kotka, the band was formed in 2013 and has since become a powerful force in the world of melancholic death metal.

Their music is heavy and unhurried, blending elements of doom, death, and post-metal into a sound that is both crushing and beautiful. MARIANAS REST don’t just write songs – they create moods: haunting, immersive, and emotionally devastating. A journey into darkness that, strangely, feels both familiar and comforting.

Over the course of four albums – Horror Vacui (2016), Ruins (2019), Fata Morgana (2021), and Auer (2023) – the band has explored themes of isolation, despair, and conflict with uncanny timing. Fata Morgana was the closing chapter of a trilogy written before the pandemic but released at its peak. Auer was completed just before military unrest erupted in Europe – a coincidence too eerie to script.

Tracklist:

  1. Thank You for the Dance
  2. Rat in the Wall
  3. Divided
  4. Again into the Night
  5. Burden
  6. Diamonds in the Rough
  7. Pity the Living
  8. Goodbyes and Good Intentions
  9. Tyhjä
  10. The Colour of You

The band’s fifth full-length, “The Bereaved”, is a deeply personal tale of death and the many forms in which the end may appear. We meet these Finnish axemen in the midst of memorial, tortured by those do’s or don’ts of individuals left behind, even though some indeed pity the living and envy the dead. At such times, who is more blessed, the deceased or the bereaved?

Again, just like on their previous albums, the melodies are the key for an unique soundtrack for the ongoing struggle against the black clouds that seem to gather around us all every now and then.

When it comes to MARIANAS REST’s music, sometimes slow, deep and hard, on some occasions a bit faster and aggressive attacks, it sure does include that x-factor of Finnish DNA, that embraces melancholy and beauty on such level that makes one’s hair stand every single time.

“The Bereaved” is out now via Noble Demon and available for purchase at THIS LOCATION

In addition, the band will celebrate the release of the new album by touring Finland and Europe during the winter and spring of 2026:

17.01.2026 – Espoo (FI), Masis Brewery – Album & Beer Release Party
23.01.2026 – Kouvola (FI), House of Rock
24.01.2026 – Turku (FI), Apollo
30.01.2026 – Kuopio (FI), Sawohouse UG
12.02.2026 – Lahti (FI), Torvi
14.02.2026 – Jyväskylä (FI), Lutakko
20.02.2026 – Joensuu (FI), Kerubi
21.02.2026 – Helsinki (FI), Kuudes Linja
11.07.2026 – Kotka (FI), Dark River Festival
16.–18.07.2026 – Laukaa (FI), John Smith Rock Festival

More to be announced soon.

MARIANAS REST are:
Vocals | Jaakko Mäntymaa
Guitar | Nico Mänttäri
Guitar | Harri Sunila
Bass | Niko Lindman
Keyboard | Aapo Koivisto
Drums | Nico Heininen

For more info visit:
https://www.instagram.com/marianasrestofficial/
https://www.facebook.com/marianasrestofficial/
https://www.marianasrest.com
https://linktr.ee/nobledemon

FOREWORD Announce New EP “Exposition” + Release First Video Single ‘Intimate Torment’

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

US metalcore quintet Foreword have announced their new EP Exposition, due for release on 20th February via Seek and Strike, alongside the reveal of its first single and video, ‘Intimate Torment’.

Pre-save Exposition here: https://orcd.co/forewordep2026

New single ‘Intimate Torment’ sets the emotional tone for the EP. Raw and unflinchingly honest, the track showcases Foreword’s ability to balance weight and atmosphere while exploring deeply personal lyricism. The video reflects that same intent, stripping things back visually to focus on performance and the discomfort at the heart of the song.

“For the ‘Intimate Torment’ video, we made a very intentional decision to keep things simple,” the band say. “The idea was to introduce a newer color palette for the band while letting the lyrics do the heavy lifting. Instead of distracting visuals, the focus stayed on the members’ performances and emotion, giving the song space to feel as raw as it’s meant to be.”

Often cited as a modern embodiment of classic early-2000s metalcore, Foreword lean fully into that lineage on Exposition but with sharpened edges and a wider sonic lens. Across the EP, crushing rhythm-driven foundations collide with layered synths, cinematic atmospheres and moments of restraint 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.

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.”

Lyrically, Exposition is rooted in self-reflection and internal conflict, documenting moments of doubt, frustration, guilt and emotional tension that were still unresolved as the songs were written. Rather than offering closure, the EP exists in that uneasy middle ground capturing vulnerability as it happens, not after the fact.

The result is an EP that feels immersive and deeply honest, one that expands Foreword’s sound while preserving the intensity and emotion at their core. For fans of Paleface Swiss, I Prevail, Landmvrks and modern metalcore that blends aggression with mood and accessibility, Exposition marks a significant 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

For more:
Instagram | Spotify

Season of Mist Announces Partnership with Thunderflix

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 18, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

Season of Mist is thrilled to announce a partnership with Thunderflix.

Metalheads can now watch their favorite Season of Mist artists on the world’s premiere on-demand video streaming service dedicated exclusively to heavy metal music. Leading the charge on this new venture is the one and only Mayhem with Live in Marseille 2000. More concert footage will follow closely behind from Heilung, Rotting Christ, Kylesa, Ne Obliviscaris and other fan favorites.

Watch Season of Mist on Thunderflix

“Thunderflix continues to bring the best films, concerts and documentaries for metal fans and there is no heavier label than Season of Mist”, says Thunderflix founder Samuel Douek. “We’re thrilled to not only partner with Season of Mist. Each concert received a 4K makeover. Fans will feel like they’re watching these iconic moments for the first time!”

“Personally, as a metal fan, I think Season of Mist has always provided some of the most brutal and powerful metal”, Douek continues. “It’s incredible to release some of the labels masterpieces on Thunderflix!”

Season of Mist x Thunderflix 2026 Release Schedule

January 16
Mayhem – Live in Marseille 2000
Agressor – Deathreat
Tsjuder – Norwegian Apocalyspe – Oslo vs. Sandnes

January 23
Confessor – Live in Norway
Arcturus – Shipwrecked in Oslo: Live at Rockefeller 2005
Blood Duster – The Shape of Death to Come

January 30
Rotting Christ – Theogonia, Aealo, 35 Years of Evil Existence: Live in Lycabettus
Red Harvest – Harvest Bloody Harvest
Psykup – We Love You All

February 6
Brutal Truth – For The Ugly and Unwanted, This Is Grindcore
Kylesa – Spiral Shadow
Chaostar – Anomima

February 13
Septicflesh – The Great Mass, Infernus Sinfonica MMXIX
Saint Vitus – Lillie: F-65 LTD Edition
Kells – Anachromie

February 20
Heilung – Life – Heilung Live at Castlefest
Benighted – Brutalive The Sick
Eths – Ankaa

February 27
Ne Obliviscaris – Exul
Der Weg Einer Freiheit- Noktvrn
Vreid – Wild North West

March 6
Voyager – A Voyage Through Time
Thy Catafalque – Mezolit – Live at Fekete Zaj
Imperium Dekadenz – Dis Manibvs

DISCREATION Unleash “Iron Times MMXXV” Album with Music Video for ‘Blood Ritual’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on January 18, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment

Photo by Peter Kunz — Artwork by Björn Gooßes / Killustrations

German death metal powerhouse DISCREATION release “Iron Times MMXXV” via Massacre Records. The record is a newly reworked version of the band’s successful 2023 album “Iron Times”, featuring fully re-recorded vocals by the band’s new frontwoman Skadi.

STREAM/PURCHASE THE ALBUM HERE: https://save-it.cc/massacre/iron-times-mmxxv

To mark the announcement, DISCREATION have unveiled the music video for “Blood Ritual”, offering the first official preview of Skadi’s vocal interpretation of the material.

Guitarist Sebastian Schilling comments: “Initially, we only wanted to re-record the track Blood Ritual with Skadi to shoot a video for it. But once we were in the studio, we decided to re-record the vocals for the entire album. This gives fans the opportunity to hear the songs not only live with Skadi on vocals. Skadi has put her own stamp on the songs, allowing Iron Times MMXXV to stand on its own as a separate version alongside the original recording with Marc Grewe (Asinhell, ex-Morgoth).”

With “Iron Times MMXXV”, DISCREATION open a new chapter while offering a forceful reinterpretation of their most recent material – expanding the martial, war-fueled identity of Iron Times without diminishing its impact.

UPCOMING SHOWS

Eternal Death Rituals w/ Fleshcrawl, Slaughterday & Soul Grinder
20.02.2026, Oldenburg, MTS Records
21.02.2026, Remptendorf, Hirt´s Bräu
27.02.2026, Weiher, Live Music Hall
28.02.2026, Aalen, Rock It
04.04.2026, Siegen, Vortex
04.04.2026, Pälzer Hell, Schneckenhausen
30.05.2026, Bremen, tba
06.06.2026, Boarstream Open Air, Buchenbach
12.06.2026, Hamburg, Bambi Galore
26.06.2026, Rock & Metal Dayz, Oschersleben
11.09.2026, Erfurt, Club From Hell
26.09.2026, Aschaffenburg, tba
03.10.2026, Celle, CD-Kaserne

DISCREATION online
https://discreation.de
http://www.facebook.com/Discreation
http://www.instagram.com/discreationband