Richmond, Virginia’s metal-punk trio, BAT, is thrilled to announce a spring U.S. tour alongside Canadian progressive sci-fi metal pioneers, VOIVOD. The eight-date trek begins in at Hell’s Heroes VIII in Houston on March 20th and concludes in Tulsa on March 27th. Fans can join BAT for an official afterparty immediately following the final show at 2 Minutes To Tulsa at The Whittier Bar.
Tickets for the tour go on sale this Friday, December 12th at 1pm local time via the below links.
Symphonic metal titans EPICA proudly release their explosive new single ‘Avatar – The Final Incarnation – ‘, a track that deals with the final incarnation (Avatar) to rid the world of unrighteousness and restore truth and purity. The single is accompanied by a stunning visualizer featuring artwork taken directly from the band’s forthcoming EPICA Oracle Card Set, launching worldwide on January 7th.
Mark Jansen shares insight into the inspiration behind the track:
“In Hindu philosophy, Kalki represents the final avatar who restores balance at the end of the age. That idea of breaking free from cycles—through self-realization, detachment from desires, and inner transformation—resonates deeply with me. ‘Avatar’ channels that journey toward liberation, something both powerful and universal.”
Simone Simons adds:
“We absolutely can’t wait to kick off the European tour. Sharing the stage with our incredible fans night after night is the heartbeat of what we do, and this new song will definitely warm you up for the journey we’re about to take together.”
From January till March, EPICA will embark on ‘The Arcane Dimensions‘ European Tour with Amaranthe and Charlotte Wessels’ The Obsession, that brings three of the genre’s most dynamic forces together for an unforgettable live experience. See the full list of dates below and grab your tickets now!
But more is more: On January 7th, the band will release the ‘Aspiral Oracle‘, a beautifully crafted deluxe boxset containing a 12 card oracle deck (one card per song title and one extra artist card called ‘The Map’), a handbook with an in-depth rulesheet and a stunning incense holder, all designed and sculpted by Hedi Xandt who previously created the artwork for Aspiral. This boxset is a true must have that will give you deeper insights into the meaning of all the Aspiral songs, but can also serve as a tool that can give you guidance in your personal journey.
Brutal death metal rising stars STABBING are now unleashing the pummeling title track from their upcoming sophomore album, ‘Eon Of Obscenity.’ The furious aural attack can now be found along with a music video at THIS LOCATION.
STABBING comments, “The lyrics in ‘Eon’ are mainly about the idea that someone with homicidal tendencies could hide it for years, and then one day just snap, and nobody in their life would ever see it coming. Like they decide to embrace their sickness and completely lose all morality.”
STABBING does not merely define the term “Brutal Death Metal,” they exceed it. The Houston Texas newcomers have plundered the crypts of claustrophobia and darkness, only to surface with ‘Eon of Obscenity,’ STABBING’s Century Media debut and a benchmark for modern death metal.
‘Eon of Obscenity’ is due on January 30, 2026 via Century Media Records and can now be pre-ordered HERE.
The album artwork was created by Rudi Yanto and can be found below along with the tracklisting!
Tracklisting + Running Times:
1 – Rotting Eternal (01:24) 2 – Inhuman Torture Chamber (02:58) [WATCH] 3 – Masticate the Subdued (02:41) 4 – Eon of Obscenity (02:10) [WATCH] 5 – Reborn to Kill Once More (03:16) 6 – Ruminations (01:34) 7 – Nauseating Composition (Feat. Ricky Myers) (03:09) 8 – Their Melted Remains (04:04) 9 – Sonoluminescent Hemoglobinopathy (01:52) 10 – Symphony of Absurdity (04:12) 11 – Sinking Into Catatonic Reality (03:33)
STABBING does not merely define the term, “Brutal Death Metal” – they exceed it. The Houston Texas foursome has plundered the crypts of claustrophobia and darkness, only to surface with Eon of Obscenity, STABBING’s Century Media debut and a benchmark for modern death metal. “It’s just more extreme,” says vocalist Bridget Lynch, when asked to define the band’s infernal sub-genre, Brutal Death Metal (AKA B.D.M.). “It’s everything that’s extreme about death metal, just taken a little bit further. The vocals. The drums. The riffs. It’s just faster and more boundary-pushing.”
When STABBING came together in 2021, the goals were simple. “We were really just having fun and wanted to emulate the style of the bands we really liked,” says Lynch. “Old school 90’s and early 2000’s brutal death metal bands like. Disgorge, Deeds of Flesh, stuff like that.” Coming from local bands and projects including guitarist Marvin Ruiz’s Nephilim Grinder and Dysmetria with Lynch dabbling in area grindcore outfits, from their first demo and 2021’s Ravenous Psychotic Onslaught EP, it was clear that STABBING was immediately pushing boundaries. On the road they distinguished themselves, giving tour mates including Defeated Sanity more than a run for their money. Not only was STABBING a bloody, clear-cut step above most, they wrapped it all in songs and blistering live performances that were as memorable as they were bellicose and brutal.
STABBING’s reckoning moment came in November 2023, as first band on for the “Ancient Unholy Rising Tour” with co-headliners Incantation and band favorites, Suffocation. Not only had STABBING’s lineup begun to solidify with then newly joined bassist Matt Day, but when Suffocation vocalist Ricky Meyers had fallen ill and had to miss a string of shows, it was Lynch who stepped in to save the day. STABBING’s vocalist simply took the stage with the New York death metal legends and gave the absent Meyers a run for his guttural money. “That was one of the coolest things I’ve ever gotten to do,” states Bridget. “Suffocation was one of the first death metal bands I ever got into as a fan, so jumping onstage and blasting through maybe six songs was a crazy moment. I was terrified when they asked!”
It was also on that tour that the band also caught the ear of Century Media Records who inked the band several months later. With a string of shows in 2023 and 2024 including landmark appearances at the celebrated Maryland Deathfest and Milwaukee Metalfest, as well as a U.S. tour with 200 Stab Wounds, Ruiz (who also plays with Texas Brutal Death Metal, OG’s Devourment) started putting together riffs that would serve as the foundation of Eon of Obscenity. Compared to Stabbing’s more primal origins, Eon of Obscenity. is a clearcut next step that elevates not only the band, but the genre itself. From the outset of opener, “Rotting Eternal” straight into “Inhuman Torture Chamber”, which showcases Lynch’s inhuman vocal prowess and ability to shift gears from the guttural to something chittering that barely registers as human, STABBING have taken their brutal arts to new heights. Even the album’s instrumental inclusion, “Ruminations” shows an unexpected technicality as riffs and time-signatures coalesce in unexpected ways.
Recorded at Houston’s Southwing Audio by engineer Ben Gott with Chris Kritikos mixing and mastering, the production of Eon of Obscenity is as strident as the music itself. It’s eleven tracks that are as raw as they are extreme. “It feels more refined,” says the vocalist. “The album shows the potential of what the band started as. It’s not overly produced. There’s not a lot of effects or over-editing. We wanted to keep the raw sound that the classic bands had. We wanted to go for that, for something very honest and very us.” The album title itself also ties into Eon of Obscenity being not merely a second album from STABBING but a massive step forward.
“It’s representative of this being a new era for the band,” Lynch states. “An improvement of the STABBING sound and us as musicians. On the last album [2022’s Extirpated Mortal Process], I wasn’t really happy with what I did vocally,” she admits, “And I really wanted to really improve. One of my favorite songs on the album is called ‘Reborn to Kill Once More’, which sums up how good and how strong we feel about the band and the album now.”
Being one of the rare female voices in modern death metal isn’t lost on Bridget. She’s quick to admit that she approaches lyrics and delivery in a way that differs from most. “When I was in high school, first getting into brutal death metal, I discovered the band, Cerebral Bore” she recounts. “When I saw that they had a female singer, I was like, ‘What the hell?’ I was like, I have to be that! I had to emulate her. I was so inspired. My hope is that when people, particularly younger girls hear STABBING for the first time, we have that same effect on them.
“It’s pretty obvious that metal, in general, has been pretty male dominated,” Lynch states. “I won’t really entertain the misogyny of brutal death metal in what we do, for obvious reasons. I try to turn it around. One of our older songs is about the first female serial killer I ever read about, Aileen Wournos. If you look at other female-led death metal bands like Castrator or Emasculator, they also try to turn the tables and present things from a different perspective.”
With Eon of Obscenity, the Texas four-piece have delivered on everything their earlier releases and live shows have hinted at. B.D.M. has an unmistakably brutal new voice and it is STABBING. “I never expected it, there is a new wave of slam bands and brutal death metal bands,” says Bridget. “But I never thought people would think of us as an important band to that or any other scene! We have younger bands come up to us all the time and say, ‘Your first demo really inspired us,’ and that blows my mind. I never thought my brutal death metal band would have that kind of impact.”
Line-Up: Matt Day – Bass Guitar Aron Hetsko – Drums Bridget Lynch – Lead Vocalist Marvin Ruiz – Guitar
Special Guests: Guest vocals by Ricky Myers (SUFFOCATION) on “Nauseating Composition”
Cover Artist: Rudi Yanto
Credits: Recorded at Houston’s Southwing Audio by engineer Ben Gott Mixed and mastered by Chris Kritikos
Back in 1980, Twisted Sister were still a few years from superstardom. They’d already been around since 1972, growing out of a band called Silver Star, who styled themselves as New Jersey’s New York Dolls. A year later, though, they changed their name and shifted their direction as well.
Constantly gigging, forever sharpening their sound, and undergoing a veritable plethora of line-up changes, Twisted Sister as we know them best would not emerge until 1982. But already they’d made appearances on major label comps, and they’d recorded, too, the first couple of live shows featured on 2016’s so-aptly titled box set Rock ‘N’ Roll Saviors – The Early Years.
Now the most ferocious of those performances, from West Islip NY in1980, makes its stand-alone debut as Hammerheads – and what a show it is. Opening with a positively roof-raising rampage through “What You Don’t Know (Sure Can Hurt You),” the 12 song concert sees these legends of crazed, cross-dressing hard rock mayhem absolutely slaying on stage, with – among so many more – future smash “Rock’n’Roll Saviors,” a fiery “Johnny B Goode,” and one of the all-time great “Born To Be Wild”s.
It’s a devastating concert – the sound of a band that, still awaiting their first major break, have already put all the pieces in place. Now all they need do is wait for the world to catch up with them.
Which, of course, it would. Around 18 months later, two of the songs featured here, “What You Don’t Know” and “Under The Blade”, would feature on the band’s first ever release, the UK-only Ruff Cuts EP, and hit #2 on the UK metal charts. Others – “Bad Boys (Of Rock’N’Roll)” and “Destroyer” – would make it onto their debut album, Under The Blade; one more, “I’ll Never Grow Up,” would be added to the album when the band was picked by Atlantic Records.
All adding up, then, to one of the most explosive live shows of the era, and now one of the most dynamic discs you’ll have heard in years. And, for vinyl lovers, this is Hammerheads’ first ever appearance in that format. Make sure you listen on maximum volume.
Texas-based rock band THE SPEAKER WARS — featuring legendary drummer Stan Lynch (ex-Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers) and acclaimed singer-songwriter Jon Christopher Davis — bring holiday cheer with the release of their new Christmas song, “Brighten the Corner.” The track arrives alongside an official visualizer, available below.
For a limited time, fans who purchase THE SPEAKER WARS’ debut self-titled album via the Frontiers US webstore will receive a free download of the new single, along with an exclusive Christmas card signed by founding member Stan Lynch, while supplies last.
Stan Lynch shares:
“THE SPEAKER WARS are wishing y’all a soulful, joyful and peaceful Holiday Season.”
1. You Make Every Lie Come True 2. It Ain’t Easy 3. Taste Of Heaven 4. Never Ready To Go 5. The Forgiveness Tree 6. When The Moon Cries Wolf 7. Trader’s South 8. Leave Him 9. Sit With My Soul 10. I Wish You Peace
STAN LYNCH, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, long-time drummer and founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, announces today the formation of THE SPEAKER WARS. After two decades of recording and touring multiple albums with The Heartbreakers, STAN moved to the other side of the recording console and shifted his focus to production and songwriting. Over the years, STAN has written and produced hits for artists in multiple genres, including the Eagles, Don Henley, Tim McGraw, The Mavericks, Ringo Starr, The Byrds, Toto, and The Fabulous Thunderbirds.
While writing in Nashville, a publisher introduced STAN to Texas singer-songwriter, Jon Christopher Davis, who was gathering material for a solo record on a major label. After accumulating an album’s worth of songs, Jon abandoned working on a solo record and the two decided to start a band to perform the newly created material. Adding Jay Michael Smith on guitar, Brian Patterson on bass, Steve Ritter on percussion, and Jay Brown on keyboards, THE SPEAKER WARS was born.
THE SPEAKER WARS are: Stan Lynch – Drums Jon Christopher Davis – Vocals Jay Michael Smith – Guitar Brian Patterson – Bass Steve Ritter – Percussion Jay Brown – Keyboard
The Metal Voice recently had an exclusive interview in studio with new band Terminal consisting of former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes, former Tesla guitarist Tommy Skeoch and Tesla bassist Brian Wheat.
Watch the full interview below.
When asked how CHRIS HOLMES feels about getting inducted into the Metal hall of Fame on Jan 21, 2026
” It’s good. I’m still doing it 40 something years later in the (music) business, I’m being inducted because of Chris Holmes, who I am, not the people I played with.. And that’s good. That’s what I’m happy about. I’ll put the the trophy proudly on my mantel, at my house. It’ll be an achievement that I’m proud to have to show off. “(Chris Holmes)
When about their new band called Terminal
“In 2022 I played on the monster cruise and I ran into Brian (Wheat) the bass player of Tesla and I talked to him and we were on the boat and we became pretty close friends. You know you can tell if you’re going to like somebody in about 10 minutes, 20 minutes of meeting somebody when you’re around them. You usually can tell if they’re if they’re compatible with your personality. And then when I went to visit him, he was like, I’ve been wanting to put a band together. He has a few other projects going. He’s got a one called Violet Breed. He was talking to me about putting a project together. I go, “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” And um so I gave him a few ideas of songs and we’re taking the steps and putting this project together. We got the people together. When I do Mean Man and my band, I don’t create the music and stuff to be put on (Radio) air. So in this situation, Brian writes this stuff to be put on the airways, and we’re doing music for that. And um we are going to submit the songs to a guy named (original Saliva singer ) Josey Scott. He’s already agreed to join the project, but we gotta get his voice on the music to see how it works. He’s the next step, And Tommy Skeoch he’s a guitar player in Tesla that had left 15 years ago and he’s done a few other projects. So, it’s kind of cool. We’ll have the drummer come in tomorrow.” Chris Holmes
“What happened was this: we were on the (Monsters Of Rock) boat in 2022, and I had seen Chris’ documentary, the ‘Mean Man’ documentary, and a friend of mine said, ‘You gotta watch this, this dude in W.A.S.P.,’ which was Chris. I said, ‘Yeah, I met that cat a long time ago.’ So I watched it and I really connected to him and his story. So when he was on the boat, when we were on the boat, I said, ‘I wanna meet the guy.’ So I went up to him and I introduced myself to him. I said, ‘Hey, man, I’m Brian from TESLA. Nice to meet you. I saw your documentary.’ And we just kind of hit it off. He said, ‘Hey, let’s have coffee or lunch’ or whatever. We were eating at the buffet, and we were talking, and I said to Chris, ‘Chris, all those years you were in W.A.S.P. Why didn’t you join some other band after you were out of W.A.S.P.?’ And he said, ‘Well, no one wanted to play you in a band with me.’ So I said, ‘Well, fuck, I’ll play in a band with you, man.’ And that’s kind of what happened. And then what happened from there was we just started hanging out. And they live in France, and I have a house in Italy, and they came and visited me. And we were talking on the phone and stuff. And on paper, I went, ‘Oh, this would be cool.’ So I knew me and Chris could get along. So that’s that. So me and Chris said (to each other), ‘Well, I’ll be in a band with you.’ And we’re just talking. Me and Tommy, before that, had reconnected after all our years in TESLA and all the shit we went through and all the shit that people who interview us say and all kinds of shit, ’cause they like to pit us against each other, and we reconnected. So I thought to myself, I said, ‘Man, Chris Holmes…'” Brian Wheat
When asked about the musical direction of the music
“We just kind of come in and see what we all kind of bring to it. And that’s kind of what we’re doing and what’s happening. And it’s pretty rocking, but it’s got even more melodic elements in it and different things.”- Tommy Skeoch
“Whatever the sound is of me, my poppy BEATLES thing, Tom’s heavy edge, Chris’ heavy metal stuff, you put it all together and then what Josey sings, that’s gonna be the sound. I can’t define what the sound’s gonna be.” Brian Wheat
When asked how many songs have been recorded
” Five. We don’t have any vocals yet (and no lyrics). We got five from the beginning to end(music). He’s (Josey Scott) is going to write the lyrics and he’s a songwriter in his own right.”- Brian Wheat , Chris Holmes Tommy Skeoch
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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
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