Finnish Kuopio-based death metal band Licuation unveils an exceptionally intense double single, with the tracks 213 and Stigmatized showcasing the band’s most brutal and ambitious side to date. 213 is a relentless and straightforward death metal strike, blending rapid-fire riffing, pounding double-kick patterns, and sewer-rat-like guttural vocals. Lyrically, the track plunges into the horrifying world of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer and his infamous “death room,” from which no one ever returned. The song’s physical, aggressive energy mirrors the human darkness at the core of Dahmer’s story.
Stigmatized, on the other hand, delivers a longer and more epic composition that fuses direct riffing with groove elements and layered rhythmic variations. The track features a bass solo, tight guitar tapping, and deliberate rhythmic intricacies that highlight the band’s technical skill and compositional ambition. Lyrically, Stigmatized explores dangerous cults and the twisted internal logic that pulls people into their orbit. The song constructs a closed, oppressive world where personal freedom is consumed by the deranged rules of the collective.
Together, the two tracks demonstrate Licuation’s ability to combine raw aggression, technical proficiency, and storytelling in a way that stands out within the Finnish metal landscape. 213 represents the band at its most explosive and direct, while Stigmatized expands their sound into longer and heavier territories. Through these two songs, Licuation proves capable of both crushing intensity and nuanced atmosphere-building.
The result is dark, menacing, and musically tight — exactly what modern death metal demands. This double single stands as a strong testament to Licuation’s readiness to ascend to the next level. Both 213 and Stigmatized reflect the band’s evolution toward an even bolder and heavier sonic identity.
–Composed & lyrics by Esa Laukkanen, Veeti Heiskanen, Teemu Tick, Jani Nevasalmi ja Samu Reijonen –ISRC: FI3FC2596901, FI3FC2596902 –Single cover by Tata Kumislizer
The band comments tracks:
” “213” is a straightforward and merciless track that blends rapid-fire riffing, pounding double-kick patterns, and sewer-rat-like guttural vocals. Lyrically, it delves into the twisted world of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Plunging straight into his infamous “death room,” from which there is no return.
“Stigmatized” is a long, epic death metal track that blends straightforward riffing with heavy groove elements. The song features intricate rhythmic twists, a bass solo, and tight guitar tapping. Lyrically, it explores dangerous cults that pull people into their orbit — closed worlds ruled by their own disturbed internal logic.”
Licuation is a death metal band from Kuopio, Finland, known for playing fast, heavy and uncompromisingly hard. Their music fuses relentless blast beats, growling bass lines, ice-cold guitar tones and melodic solos. Tying it all together is a raw, ferocious vocal delivery that channels themes of pain and death. The group has released several acclaimed records and music videos. Their latest EP, Morbidly Curious, garnered wide attention and strong support from metal fans around the world. Now the band is hungrier than ever — ready to show what they’re truly capable of. Licuation has earned a reputation on major festivals and club stages across Finland: performing in front of a 5,000-strong crowd at Raahe Kölifest, five consecutive shows at Kuopiorock, and an intense set at Turku Metallivuori are just a few highlights. Licuation has shared the stage with acts such as Stam1na and Marco Hietala. This regiment won’t slow down until it rests in the grave.
Line-up: Esa Laukkanen – Bass Veeti Heiskanen – Vocals Teemu Tick – Guitars Jani Nevasalmi – Guitars Samu Reijonen – Drums
Fresh from the aftermath of wrecking the road with Sanguisugabogg, Despised Icon and Corpse Pile, Defeated Sanity are announcing their first U.S. headline tour in support of Chronicles of Lunacy. The brutal innovators of technical death metal will perform their latest Billboard-crushing album in full on top of pit-slamming favorites from their early classics.
“From the first blast-beat barrage, the tempo was merciless, the riffs jagged and precise, the breakdowns heavy enough to register physically”, New Noise wrote about Defeated Sanity’s recent stop in Chicago. “What stood out was how they balanced their signature technical flair, unexpected time changes and bursts of jazzy dissonance with sheer raw impact”.
Supporting Defeated Sanity for all 27 dates on next year’s headlining coast-to-coast run of the U.S. are South African heavies Vulvodynia and New Zealand death metal slammers Organectomy. Excresence, Scasm and Horrific Vision will join on select dates.
“We can’t wait to play all of our new album Chronicles of Lunacy to our U.S. fans”, Defeated Sanity says. “Be sure to join us as we return to brutalize the U.S. once again”.
Get tickets for Defeated Sanity’s 2026 U.S. Headlining Tour, here!
Defeated Sanity 2026 U.S. Tour Dates with Vulvodynia and Organectomy + Excrescence, Scasm and Horrific Vision on select dates
April 16 – Anaheim, CA @ Parish (HOB)* April 17 – Fresno, CA @ Fulton 55* April 18 – Santa Rosa, CA @ The California* April 19 – Sacramento, CA @ Starlet* April 21 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon* April 22 – Portland, OR @ Dante’s* April 23 – Boise, ID @ Shredder* April 24 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Ace’s High Saloon* April 25 – Denver, CO @ HQ* April 27 – Milwaukee, WI @ X-Ray Arcade* April 28 – West Chicago, IL @ Social Club+ April 29 – Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle+ April 30 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop+ May 1 – Rochester, NY @ Montage Music Hall+ May 2 – Clifton, NJ @ Dingbatz+ May 3 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro+ May 4 – Raleigh, NC @ Chapel of Bones+ May 5 – Jacksonville, FL @ The Albatross+ May 6 – Tampa, FL @ Orpheum+ May 7 – Orlando, FL @ Conduit+ May 8 – Pensacola, FL @ Handlebar^ May 9 – Houston, TX @ Pub 529^ May 11 – Dallas, TX @ Three Links^ May 12 – Austin, TX @ Come and Take It Live^ May 13 – Lubbock, TX @ Jakes^ May 15 – Phoenix, AZ @ Nile Underground^ May 16 – Las Vegas, NV @ Backstage Bar^ *Excrescence +Scasm ^Horrific Visions
Tracklist 1. Amputationsdrang (2:30) [WATCH] 2. The Odour Of Sanctity (3:36) [WATCH] 3. Accelerating The Rot (3:22) [WATCH] 4. Temporal Disintegration (5:52) [WATCH] 5. Extrinsically Enraged (4:09) [WATCH] 6. A Patriarchy Perverse (4:16) 7. Condemned to Vascular Famine (6:00) [WATCH] 8. Heredity Violated (3:48) Total runtime: 33:35
DEFEATED SANITY is unequivocally one of the most unique, boundary-pushing and crucial bands in the history of extreme death metal. Their music is as technically coherent as it is mind-bending and memorable. Endlessly replay-able and full of discovery, their maze of riffs and musical passages is inspired by infamous classic bands in the extreme metal genre, while also heavily steeped in jazz and progressive classical elements.
The band consists of four members. They’re led by drummer Lille Gruber, who’s the son of deceased co-founding member Wolfgang Teske. Gruber is joined by bandmates Jacob Schmidt (bass), Josh Welshman (vocals) and Vaughn Stoffey (guitar).
As well as being the drummer of Defeated Sanity, Gruber is the multi- instrumental, songwriting mastermind behind the band’s deep and compelling catalogue of songs and compositions. He possesses a bag of tricks seen nowhere else in the genre, and a musical prowess which is on full display throughout their new album Chronicles of Lunacy.
“We love experimenting”, explains drummer and founding member Lille Gruber. “But we realized that some of our oldest fans might have gotten lost after our last couple of albums. With the new one, we wanted to focus more on neck-snapping brutality”.
Chronicles of Lunacy punches you right in the face. Press play and “Amputationsdrang” already has you pinned to the mat beneath its non-stop blasts. Get comfortable, too, because Defeated Sanity don’t let the album up for air until the very end of Track 4. But turns out, acting like knuckle-dragging cavemen isn’t so easy for a band that has a Mensa-level maestro like Gruber at the controls.
At the tender age of six, Lille Gruber picked up heavy guitar and drums. Inspired by killer American BDM bands like Disgorge, Monstrosity and Brodequin, the German wunderkind recorded the band’s first demo alongside his father, Wolfgang Teske. Since Wolfgang’s passing in 2010, Gruber has taken on the bulk of the composing for Defeated Sanity. Whether he’s hammering his snare, pinging between cymbals or riding a colossal groove, The Chronicles of Lunacy flows like a never-ending stream of filth.
“Lille’s drumming is just ridiculous”, Jacob Schmidt says. Schmidt – who toured with Obscura behind Cosmogenesis – joined as the other half of Defeated Sanity’s chaotic rhythm section for the band’s beloved second album. His nimble, belching bass give the new album’s lead single “The Odour of Sanctity” a dizzying bounce. “He’s the face of the franchise, so we’re never going to abandon those head-scratching moments that set Defeated Sanity apart”.
Indeed, Chronicles of Lunacy isn’t Defeated Sanity for dummies. Heck, the lyrics are wrapped up in the twisted ways that delusions can rot the human psyche. This heady concept was made flesh by none other than Jon Zig. Drawn in painstaking detail by his wicked right hand, the album’s cover shows that the birth of some ideas look an awful lot like a gory and sex-crazed nativity scene.
“Each song on Chronicles deals with a different form of mental corruption”, Josh Welshman says”. “Odor” stinks of religious fanaticism. “A Patriarchy Perverse” cracks open the mind of co-ed killer Ed Kemper, while “Extrinsically Enraged” practically foams at the mouth with squealing hammer-ons. “That one’s more literal”, says Welshman with a hearty laugh. “It’s about contracting rabies”. If it weren’t for Disposal of the Dead / Dharmata, then Defeated Sanity would’ve chewed through as many vocalists as they have albums, but after a brutal showing on their last one, Welshman is back with more guttural vengeance. His growls ooze from the pit of his gut on “Temporal Disintegration”, stomped out like the innards of a cockroach by the gravity-defying slams.
While it still hits from every odd angle, Chronicles of Lunacy does draw a jagged red line back to Defeated Sanity’s brutal origins. After all, the band now share a label with their namesake. In true, DS fashion, the first song written for this album was “Heredity Violated”, a headbanging grand finale that never stops chugging. “This album isn’t as tough on the brain as the last two”, says new guitarist Vaughn Stoffey, whose chunky riffs whip “Accelerating the Rot” into the fastest song in the band’s canon. “It’s rawer and more straightforward, which gets back to what fans love about Psalms of the Moribund“.
To dig up the sheer brutality that long-time fans have come to crave, Defeated Sanity returned to Thousand Cave Studios. New York City’s most vile underground hotspot also served as the excavation site for the Billboard-charting The Sanguinary Impetus, which shoveled a fresh layer of dirt over the “polished” production of Passages into Deformity. But the band encouraged producer Colin Marston to get down and dirty with Chronicles of Lunacy. “We still wanted some of the high fidelity that you hear on modern death metal records”, Schmidt says, “but this album has the same crushing low-end as Psalms or Chapters of Repugnance“.
The band execute this two-headed approach to monstrous effect on “Condemned to Vascular Famine”. At just under six minutes, the song delivers the longest ass beating on Chronicles of Lunacy. At times, all four members sound like they’re climbing up the walls in separate asylums, but after slipping in a brief nod to Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the band come slamming down into the album’s ugliest breakdown.
“That’s one of our favorites”, the band says. “It lands at a crossroad of the DS sound that we ended up with on Chronicles of Lunacy. Even though it gets pretty fucking weird at times, there’s still an emphasis on heavy, straight-up slamming”
None of their albums are ever going to follow a straight line, but on Chronicles of Lunacy, Defeated Sanity return to sheer brutality.
Lineup Josh Welshman – Vocals Vaughn Stoffey – Guitars Jacob Schmidt – Bass Lille Gruber – Drums
Guest musicians Danny Nelson and Paolo Paguntalan provide backup vocals on “Amputationsdrang” and “Accelerating the Rot”
Recording Studio Thousand Caves Studio in January 2024.
Production Recorded, mixed and mastered by Colin Marston. Produced by Colin Marston and Defeated Sanity.
Cover Art Artwork by Jon Zig Title lettering by Liz Schmidt Layout by Alex Eckman-Lawn
(Current live lineup of Coded Nature) – Photo by Gandoomphotography
Tehran-based progressive rock/metal band Coded Nature has released its fourth album titled “EX-iles” via Amertad Music.The album isa ten-track psychedelic sounding release paying tribute to the 80’s, the golden age of TV and music while exploring the seductive and yet dangerous side of the media.
“EX-iles” tells the story of a couple gradually pulled into a hypnotizing TV universe where promised utopias dissolve into distortion. The journey moves from naïve hope in “Kingdom of Light” to full mind control and digital immersion in “BuZZzz.” Tracks like “SuperstarZ,” “Sugar Fiction,” and “A Voltage to Your Heart+” highlight the seductive yet destructive pull of media obsession. As the album progresses, the sound grows heavier until the instrumental “Creamy Dawn” offers a brief moment of reflection. The second half, with songs such as “Running to the Failure,” “PiXXelZ,” and “Holy DrugZz”, explores the emotional fallout of this descent and the way virtual worlds can drain a life away.
Artwork by SantoOn Art
The overall sound of “EX-iles” centers on 80s-inspired riffs and synth tones, revitalized through modern progressive song structures. Coded Nature weaves disco and funk passages, folk rock textures, and heavy metal riffs into the mix, adding a distinctly experimental edge to their sound.
EX-iles tracklist: 01 – Kingdom of Light 02 – BuZZzz 03 – SuperstarZ 04 – Sugar Fiction 05 – A Voltage to Your Heart+ 06 – Creamy Dawn 07 – The Fugitive 08 – Running to the Failure 09 – PiXXelZ 10 – Holy DrugZz
Coded Nature bio: Introspective and highly expressive, progressive rock act Coded Nature has become one of Iran’s most enduring and artistically consistent rock projects. Founded in 2009 by Emad Ghashami, the band spent its formative years in deep creative development, writing, arranging, and refining its sound. That groundwork paid off with the release of four full-length albums between 2022 and 2025 so far. In 2022, Coded Nature released its debut album, “Vertical Fields” exploring the concept of humanity destroying the earth and looking for a new home among other stars. In 2023 the band released its second album “Blackfire” revolving around a middle eastern country burning down because of its oil reserves. Coded Nature’s 2024 album “Russian Kontrol” is a historical commentary, and a mythical take on a repressive government’s reign of terror which in the end is taken down by its people.
Despite the challenges of operating within Iran’s underground music landscape, Coded Nature has sold out multiple shows and built a dedicated following within the country’s rock and progressive music communities. At its performances, it’s not uncommon to hear Iranian audiences singing along to original English-language songs, a rare and striking sight in the local scene. Coded Nature refuses to be confined by genre. Listeners can trace elements of metal, folk, funk, electronic music, and even disco woven into its sound, each used intentionally to support the narrative and emotional arc of the music. The band’s aim is not just stylistic exploration, but storytelling, transformation, and eliciting a deep emotional response.
For anyone with an open mind and a curiosity for boundary-pushing rock, Coded Nature offers a sound that is both adventurous and deeply human.
Coded Nature are: Emad Ghashami: Vocals, Guitars, Keys and Arrangement Mohsen Hakimizadeh: Lead Guitars Emin Aghajani: Bass Guitars Vandad Belash: Drums ”EX-iles” Credits: Vocals, rhythm guitars and synths recorded by Emad Ghashami Lead guitars recorded by Mohsen Hakimizadeh Drumlines by Vandad Belash Female vocals recorded by Bahareh Zargaran Songs written and produced by Emad Ghashami Mixed and Mastered by Emad Ghashami at Coded Studio Artworks by SantoOn Art Photoshoot by Gandoomphotography Label: Amertad Music Mansour Mousavi: Electric and Acoustic Guitars Alireza Beglari: Electric Guitars Amir Dowlatkhah: Backing Vocals
Alternative metal quartet THIS I OWE proudly announces the release of their powerful new single, “Swallow,” a haunting and deeply emotional track now streaming on all major digital platforms.
The idea for “Swallow” came soon after the release of the band’s critically acclaimed debut album, Alchemists. Though already deep into planning their next major project, This I Owe felt a pressing creative need to release one more track, marking a poignant bridge between chapters.
“Swallow” is a raw, atmospheric ballad shaped in the emotional aftermath of the band’s debut. True to its title, the song reflects the profound experience of being pulled under by your own thoughts and feelings. This I Owe masterfully crafted a mood of slow, sinking tension that feels distinctly unsettling yet strangely calm, carrying that signature emotion with a subtle, yet effective, classic-rock edge.
“Swallow” marks a small step away from the album’s sound, but not so far that fans won’t recognize the band’s identity. THIS I OWE are confident listeners will hear familiar threads woven into this new chapter.
The new single arrives on the heels of the band’s celebrated debut album, Alchemists. Conceptually, the album delves deep into the universal experience of grief. It follows a protagonist navigating the complex stages of loss, mourning the death of hope, their “Queen of Hearts.” Moving from sorrow and anger to reflection and eventual acceptance, Alchemists is both a deeply personal journey and a cathartic, sonic ritual for listeners.
Hailing from Athens, Greece, THIS I OWE is a dynamic band that fuses alternative metal with elements of prog, doom, and gothic metal. With their emotionally charged sound and genre-defying compositions, the band has quickly carved out a name for themselves as one of the most compelling new acts in the Greek metal scene.
TLG|ZOID proudly presents Billy Morrison and Ozzy OsbourneCollector’s Edition Picture Disc Vinyl, arriving January 9th distributed by Virgin Music Group. The limited-edition 180g picture disc—available now for pre-order, online and at local record stores—is designed as a true collector’s piece, worthy of framing and displaying like fine art.
It’s the perfect Christmas gift for fans of Ozzy and Billy alike, offering a rare and visually striking keepsake that celebrates their powerful collaboration.
This stunning release brings together both smash hits, “Gods of Rock N Roll” (featuring Steve Stevens and a beautiful score by Fred Coury) and “Crack Cocaine” (featuring Steve Stevens), united on one brilliantly crafted, art-forward vinyl. The picture disc format elevates the release into a gallery-worthy keepsake—an item meant not only to be played, but cherished, displayed, and celebrated.
Billy Morrison shares: “I feel so incredibly fortunate to have been able to work with my best friend on those last two songs, CRACK COCAINE and GODS OF ROCK N ROLL, that when the idea of a picture disc vinyl with all the versions on it came up, thanks to my guys at TLG |ZOID, I jumped at the idea. We already had the wonderful cover shots that our photographer, Jane Stuart, had taken throughout the process of both releases, and I remember as a kid just loving the idea of a vinyl record with images on the actual vinyl! It was a no brainer, and a truly wonderful way to close out that chapter with a tip of the hat to Ozzy and the two amazing songs that we did together. I will always be able to watch that video of GODS, when Steve Stevens and I are belly laughing with Ozzy in the studio and hold that close as a treasured memory.”
Billy Morrison, the British guitarist, singer, and songwriter is primarily known as Billy Idol’s rhythm guitar player for the past 15 years alongside lead guitarist Steve Stevens. Hisrecent collaboration with Ozzy Osbourne and Steve Stevens, “Crack Cocaine,” soared to #1 on the Mediabase Active Rock Chart, further solidifying his place as a powerhouse in the rock world. The Morrison Project is a testament to his collaborative spirit and fearless commitment to creating boundary-breaking music that unites artists and genres in bold, unexpected ways.
Frontiers Music Srl is pleased to announce the signing of British melodic rock band Atlantic. With their classic sound, strong melodies and heartfelt songwriting, the band are ready to begin an exciting new chapter with Frontiers as they work on their next studio album.
The band commented: “We are very proud to say that we will be working with Frontiers Records on this album. They are a fantastic label and we are honoured to be with them. The new album will be released in 2026. Many thanks to Mario at Frontiers and their entire staff for making us feel welcome, and to Kevin Fetterplace at Mojo Management”.
Mario de Riso, A&R and Business Affairs VP at Frontiers, stated: “We’re thrilled to welcome Atlantic to the roster – a band that captures the classic spirit of British AOR with the kind of songwriting, hooks, and melodic class that still feels timeless. Their return is exactly what fans of the genre have been waiting for”.
Atlantic was founded by guitarist and songwriter Simon Harrison. Following on from his bands Stranger and Wisht, Simon wanted to make an album in his favoured AOR/Melodic rock genre.
Heavily influenced by bands such as Whitesnake, Journey, Bad English, FM and Dare, he set about writing the songs that became the first Atlantic album entitled “Power”, released in 1994. It became a niche classic, selling hundreds of thousands of copies.
After a couple of decades working as a very successful ghost writer, producer and mix engineer, Simon met up with Mark Grimmett (Vocalist) and decided to reignite Atlantic.
In 2021, after sketching out the ideas for the new album, Simon and Mark got together with some other very talented musicians to form the current line-up, featuring Mark Grimmett (vocals), Simon Harrison (guitar), Nick Burr (guitar), Julian Hill (bass), Mark Peters (keyboards) and Eddie Marsh (drums).
Their latest album “Another World” was released in 2024, again to critical acclaim and success. The band are currently writing and recording a new album.
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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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