SAMURAI PIZZA CATS, Germany’s metalcore mavericks known for their mostly fun leaning music, flip the script with their new single “City of Gold”, releasing November 14th, via Century Media Records. Dreamy and cinematic, the newest work of the quartet feels like it’s welcoming the colder, darker days while still pulsing with energy and a positive, warmth feel. Still recognizable by their signature sound, “City of Gold” might surprise fans and new listeners alike. The single is paired with a cinematic music video, showcasing the feel of a night drive through city lights. “City of Gold” follows the band’s prior releases “Super Zero”, “Pandastruck”, and “Fear No Slice”.
28.03.26 Germany Cologne – Samurai Pizza Fest 04.04 – 05.04.26 Germany Oberndorf a. N. – Easter Cross Festival 2026 20.08 – 22.08.26 Germany Lich – Music Forge Festival 2026
About Samurai Pizza Cats
Samurai Pizza Cats is a German metalcore band formed in 2021 in Castrop-Rauxel. The band consists of vocalist Sebastian Fischer, guitarist Daniel Haniß, bassist Stefan Reufer, and drummer Stefan Buchwald. Their name is a nod to the 1990s anime series of the same name. The band quickly gained a loyal fan base thanks to their energetic live performances and unique sound that blends metalcore, deathcore, and trancecore elements. Samurai Pizza Cats released their debut album, “You’re Hellcome,” in September 2023, and established themselves in the German metalcore scene. The band is signed to Century Media Records since February 2025.
Samurai Pizza Cats are Sebastian Fischer – Vocals Daniel Haniß – Guitar Stefan Reufer – Bass Stefan Buchwald – Drums
Southern California band Of Mice & Men have released their new album Another Miracle via Century Media Records. The band have teased the album with 4 of the LP’s singles including this week’s “Flowers,” and before that “Troubled Water,” Another Miracle’s title track and “Wake Up,” which hit #17 on the Active Rock Radio chart.
The album’s 12 tracks find Of Mice & Men at their most personal and most expansive. The album was crafted entirely in-house – written, produced, and engineered by the band themselves. “The process of self-recording and self-producing this album as well the last two has seen us really trying to one up what we’ve done in the past – and it’s on us to do that,” drummer Valentino Arteaga explains. “On this album in particular, we wanted to push the boundaries of what that sounds like for our band.”
Watch the video for “Wake Up” here. Watch the video for “Another Miracle” here. Watch the video for “Troubled Water” here. Watch the video for “Flowers” here.
Another Miracle tracklisting:
A Waltz Troubled Water Safe & Sound Hourglass Wakeup Flowers Another Miracle Contact Parable Somewhere In Between Swallow Infinite
Of Mice & Men will celebrate the release with a set on Sunday, November 16, at Warped Tour in Orlando. Later this month the band will head to The UK and Europe run with dates kicking off November 27 and concluding December 14. They have also announced a tour of Australia in 2026. All shows are listed below and tickets are available at ofmicetickets.com. The tour dates are listed below.
With Another Miracle, their most explosive full-length yet, Of Mice & Men deliver a masterclass in modern heavy music – balancing bone-crushing breakdowns with arena-ready
rock anthems that hit just as hard. The unifying characteristic is the fact that the band are always authentic to themselves while they take creative chances that will likely surprise even their most dedicated fans. “We’re always pushing the boundaries of what excites us musically,” vocalist/bassist Aaron Pauley explains. “We never thought we would get to our ninth album, so the only way to progress forward is to challenge ourselves and utilize what we’ve learned from working with different producers over the decades.” Correspondingly, this is the third album that the band – which also features drummer Valentino Arteaga as well as guitarists Phil Manansala and Alan Ashby – self-produced and engineered, with Pauley mixing and mastering the album in order to fully realize the band’s collective vision.
“The process of self-recording and self-producing this album as well the last two has seen us really trying to one up what we’ve done in the past – and it’s on us to do that,” Arteaga explains. “On this album in particular, we wanted to push the boundaries of what that sounds like for our band.” From the electronic accents of “Troubled Water” to the unfiltered aggression of “Hourglass,” Another Miracle sees Of Mice & Men leveling up without retreading the sonic formulas that have been successful in the past. “We wanted to create songs that didn’t have the predictability of what we were going to do next to keep the fans on the edge of what’s going to happen next,” Manansala adds. Listeners may not expect that the brutal breakdown at the end of “Hourglass” would lead into the acoustic guitar introduction of “Wake Up,” but in the context of the album these unlikely transitions make sonic sense.
It’s no surprise why “Wake Up” is also one of the album’s singles. With its soaring chorus and atmospheric arrangements, the song truly transcends genres and shows Pauley stretching out vocally in ways that compliment the carefully syncopated instrumentation. While the band’s vocalist likes to leave the meaning of his songs ambiguous, he says “Wake Up” is open to interpretation when it comes to whether the lyrics are talking about the mental state of dreaming, hallucinating or having a psychedelic experience – and that undisclosed liminal state that is mirrored by the music. “That song is really an imperative to live in the present because you have the opportunity to dictate your own experience in a lot of ways,” he explains. “You don’t get to control a lot of things in life, but you can control your consciousness in a few interesting ways.” That spirit of pushing himself and the band’s audience out of their collective comfort zone is a theme of Another Miracle, an album that will undoubtedly have a unique meaning to each listener.
“I feel like on our last three albums we’ve really dove into layering tons of production and other instrumental elements into the background of our music,” Ashby says about the sonic textures of these songs that unfold themselves more deeply on each subsequent listen. “On the last two records people have said we sound a little more experimental, but to me that just means there were more elements of parts that weren’t just a guitar riff or a singing part,” he continues. Another Miracle undeniably features Of Mice & Men’s signature sound that fans have come to love, but if you are willing to take the time to really listen, there’s a level of depth lurking beneath the surface that keeps these songs from ever sounding stagnant or dated.
In addition to having two gold-selling singles, Of Mice & Men have racked up countless accolades throughout their career: Having their 2014 album Restoring Force chart at number one on the Billboard independent chart and being certified Gold, touring alongside Linkin Park or taking home the Best International Newcomer Award at the Kerrang! Awards. While these accolades are nice, the band are most proud of the fact that their current lineup, which has been together since 2016, has been able to forge a relationship that allows them to keep creating powerful music. “I think we’re more locked in than ever,” Pauley says. “There’s less friction than ever before and I think that friction is what keeps people inside of a box because it gives it its shape,” he continues. “When you get rid of that, you open it up to allow for a bunch of different ideas that you may not have come up with if the group dynamic wasn’t the same.”
That expansive sense of opportunity informs every second of Another Miracle – and while the album won’t delude listeners into thinking they’ll never face adversity, it illustrates that we have more in common than we do separating us from each other. “A lot of the time, we feel that the uniqueness of our circumstance prevents us from connecting with others: ‘How could anyone possibly know what it’s like to go through what I’m going through?’” Pauley says. “That being said, everyone, and I mean everyone, knows what it’s like to wish for a miracle during a time when everything seems hopeless. It seems to be one of those core human experiences that ties us all together,” he adds. “That’s exactly what Another Miracle is about and we hope you enjoy it.”
Of Mice & Men Tour Dates
11/16 – Warped Tour 2025 – Orlando, FL 11/27 – Docks – Hamburg, DE 11/28 – Hole 44 – Berlin, DE 11/29 – Anker – Leipzig, DE 11/30 – Meet Factory – Prague, CZ 12/02 – Progresja – Warsaw, PL 12/04 – Backstage – Munich, DE 12/05 – Essigfabrik – Cologne, DE 12/06 – Kulturfabrik Kofmehl – Solothurn, CH 12/08 – Bataclan – Paris, FR 12/09 – 013 – Tilburg, NL 12/11 – Electric Ballroom – London, UK 12/12 – Academy 2 – Manchester, UK 12/13 – Bristol Electric – Bristol, UK 12/14 – The Garage – Glasgow, UK 1/24 – Riverfront Revolt, WI, USA 5/2 – Hammersonic, Jakarta 5/5 – Magnet House – Perth, AUS 5/7 – Lion Arts Factory – Adalaide, AUS 5/8 – 170 Russell – Melbourne, AUS 5/9 – Manning Bar – Sydney, AUS 5/10 – The Triffid – Brisbane, AUS 7/24 – Hills of Rock, Bulgaria 7/27 – Rockstadt Extreme Fest, Romania 8/6 – Leyendas del Rock, Spain 8/8 – Bloodstock Open Air, England 8/9- Alcatraz Festival, Belgium
Before returning to South America and bringing back their Darkness Over X-Mas Tour CALIBAN are releasing a cover version of a song that is very close to their collective heart – “You Only Live Once” by Suicide Silence. Both bands toured together on legendary tours in 2009 and 2016 and Caliban featured the late Mitch Lucker on their scene anthem “We Are The Many”.
Caliban comment: “‘You Only Live Once’ has always been more than just a song to us – it’s a reminder of what connects this scene: honesty, intensity, and brotherhood. Suicide Silence and Mitch shaped an entire generation of heavy music and inspired countless bands. We played many shows together over the years and always had a great time — on stage and off. Mitch was one of those rare people who carried both relentless energy and genuine kindness wherever he went. Covering this track is our way of paying respect to him and to the legacy he left behind – a legacy that reminds us to live loud, without regret.
30/11 Bogotá, Colombia – Capital Music 02/12 Santiago, Chile – Sala Metrónomo 04/12 Buenos Aires, Argentina – Uniclub 06/12 São Paulo, Brazil – Fabrique Club
CALIBAN are also bringing back their Darkness Over X-Mas Tour 2025: Special Guests: Mental Cruelty, Doomcrusher & Strength
For over two decades, CALIBAN has stood as one of the defining forces in Metalcore. With their latest album “Back From Hell” the German band continues to evolve their sound while staying true to the intensity and emotion that have defined their career. Led by founding members Andreas Dörner (vocals) and Marc Görtz (guitar), the band’s current lineup includes new vocalist and bassist Iain Duncan, whose clean vocals, songwriting skills and diverse perspective and experience bring a fresh dimension to their already powerful dynamic. Complemented by longtime drummer Patrick Grün and guitarist Denis Schmidt, CALIBAN’s formidable lineup is poised to deliver a relentless and emotionally charged experience that reaffirms their status as Metalcore pioneers.
CALIBAN: Iain Duncan – bass, vocals Patrick Grün – drums Andreas Dörner – vocals Marc Görtz – guitar Denis Schmidt – guitar
The UK’s most exciting new heavy band, HERIOT, have released their new single ‘Commander of Pain’.
Debbie Gough (vocals/guitar) comments: “‘Commander of Pain’ is an ode to 90’s death metal. This is a song born of the inspiration we’ve gained from playing live alongside many different genres of metal bands. We wanted to write a track paying tribute to our favourite aspects of heavy music.'”
‘Commander of Pain’ was produced by Erik Bickerstaffe (Loathe) and mixed and mastered by Randy LeBoeuf (Kublai Khan, Loathe, Gideon, The Acacia Strain).
HERIOT are currently touring North America for the first time, supporting Trivium, with Jinjer. Early 2026 sees the quartet supporting SikTh at two special UK shows, as the progressive metal pioneers celebrate the 20th anniversary of Death Of A Dead Day.
Upcoming HERIOT dates below:
2025: 15-Nov Milwaukee, WI The Eagles Ballroom 16-Nov Cincinnati, OH The Andrew J Brady Music Center 18-Nov Indianapolis, IN Egyptian Room at Old National Centre 19-Nov Waukee, IA Vibrant Music Hall 20-Nov Minneapolis, MN Uptown Theater (no Jinjer) 22-Nov Winnipeg, MB Burton Cummings Theatre 24-Nov Edmonton, AB Midway Music Hall 25-Nov Calgary, AB Grey Eagle Event Centre 26-Nov Missoula, MT The Wilma 28-Nov Spokane, WA The Podium 29-Nov Garden City, ID Revolution Concert House 1-Dec Salt Lake City, UT The Union Event Center (no Jinjer) 3-Dec Riverside, CA Riverside Municipal Auditorium 5-Dec Albuquerque, NM Revel 6-Dec Oklahoma City, OK The Criterion 7-Dec Fayetteville, AR JJ’s Live 9-Dec Springfield, MO Shrine Mosque 10-Dec Kansas City, MO Uptown Theater 12-Dec New Orleans, LA The Fillmore New Orleans 13-Dec Dothan, AL The Plant 14-Dec Orlando, FL Hard Rock Live
HERIOT‘s first tour across the ocean sees the young UK quartet continue their ascendancy following the smash success of their incredible debut album Devoured by the Mouth of Hell (Century Media, 2024).
Devoured by the Mouth of Hell was recorded and produced by HERIOT‘s Jake Packer with Josh Middleton (Sylosis, Architects) and mixed and mastered by GRAMMY Award-winning Will Putney (END, Fit For An Autopsy, Better Lovers), with additional engineering by Justin Hill (SikTh, Betraying the Martyrs).
NME, Kerrang! and Upset magazine cover stars, Devoured by the Mouth of Hell was been critically acclaimed worldwide as the breakthrough metal album of the year. Celebrating the release, HERIOT performed an intimate album release show in Bristol, which instantly sold out. Following the album release, HERIOT toured the UK and across Europe supporting Fit For An Autopsy and Sylosis, alongside Darkest Hour.
In April of this year HERIOT celebrated Devoured by the Mouth of Hell with a UK headline tour across five sold-out dates, including a show at London’s iconic The Underworld.
HERIOT‘s debut album continues their ascendancy as the pre-eminent new force in the UK heavy scene. The album follows ‘Siege Lord‘ and late 2023’s ‘Soul Chasm‘, the first two glimpses of new material following their signing with Century Media and support shows with Architects in summer of 2023.
HERIOT‘s debut EP Profound Morality (2022, Church Road Records) catapulted the quartet into the global spotlight, with praise worldwide and a debut, sold-out, headline tour across the UK. The band have since supported Lamb Of God, Thy Art Is Murder, RoloTomassi, and performed to packed tents at Download Festival, 2000trees, Wacken Open Air, Bloodstock, Mystic Festival and many more, gathering a legion of fans in the process. They since followed Profound Morality with the ferocious standalone single ‘Demure‘ (February 2023, Church Road Records).
Fully-focused and with a razor-sharp edge, the awe-inspiring double-vocal attack of Jake Packer and Debbie Gough is all-conquering; the titanic support of Erhan Alman (guitar) and Julian Gage (drums) rock-solid.
HERIOT have deservedly been grabbing attention with all four pairs of hands, weaponising metallic sludge and hardcore, unholy levels of distortion, speed and gut-punching talent. Elements of Nails, Knocked Loose, Code Orange, and Vein.fm combine and collide to exhilarating effect, creating a sound that is truly groundbreaking, fully worthy of the notice the band are achieving.
In their short recent history HERIOT have caught the attention of NME, Pitchfork, The Guardian, Metal Hammer UK, Rock Sound, Brooklyn Vegan, Kerrang!, Revolver, and Knotfest, among many others, heralding the quartet as “one of the most promising young bands in modern metalcore”, and “probably the best new metal band in Britain”.
Following the announcement of a 2026 EU/UK headline tour and currently supporting Annisokay on their European run, modern metalcore unit THE NARRATOR continue to showcase their chops with another adrenaline filled hulk of a song called ‘Aurora‘, which is out today!
Turning hope into a nightmare, ‘Aurora‘ expresses the fear of an impending military conflict reaching what once felt like a safe and distant place.
Alongside the single a stylish music video has been released, which you can check out below.
20.11.25 DE Saarbrücken Garage 21.11.25 DE Dortmund FZW 22.11.25 DE Cologne Carlswerk Victoria 23.11.25 DE Berlin Huxley’s Neue Welt 25.11.25 DE Frankfurt am Main Batschkapp 26.11.25 DE Stuttgart Im Wizemann 28.11.25 CH Zurich Dynamo 29.11.25 IT Milan Legend 01.12.25 DE Munich Backstage 02.12.25 AT Vienna Simm City 03.12.25 HU Budapest Barba Negra 04.12.25 PL Krakow Hype Park 05.12.25 CZ Zlin Masters Of Rock Cafe 06.12.25 DE Leipzig Haus Auensee 15.01.26 UK London The Garage 16.01.26 UK Leeds Key Club 17.01.26 UK Bristol Thekla 18.01.26 UK Nottingham Rescue Rooms
Headline Show:
20.12.25 DE Essen Zeche Carl
THE NARRATOR – EUROPEAN HEADLINE TOUR 2026
30.09.26 CH Aarau, Kiff Aarau 01.10.26 AT Wien, Flex Café 03.10.26 DE München, Backstage Club 04.10.26 DE Stuttgart, Im Wizemann 06.10.26 CZ Prag, Rock Cafe 07.10.26 DE Leipzig, WERK 2 – Kulturfabrik Leipzig e.V. 08.10.26 DE Berlin, Frannz-Club 09.10.26 DE Hamburg, Bahnhof Pauli 10.10.26 DE Köln, Club Volta 11.10.26 NL Haarlem, Patronaat 13.10.26 DE Wiesbaden, Schlachthof Wiesbaden Kesselhaus 15.10.26 UK London, The Black Heart 16.10.26 FR Paris, La Maroquinerie 17.10.26 NL Tilburg, Little Devil 18.10.26 BE Antwerp, Kavka Oudaan
Nuclear Blast Records is proud to welcome HOKKA, a powerful new force in Finnish rock, to its global roster. The band unites three major names from Finland’s rock legacy: former BLIND CHANNEL frontman Joel Hokka, THE RASMUS founding member and former guitarist-songwriter Pauli Rantasalmi, and phenomenal young drummer Jimi Aslak.
HOKKA makes an explosive entrance with their debut single, ‘In the Darkness’, available today on all major streaming platforms: https://hokka.bfan.link/inthedarkness
Accompanied by an epic and visually stunning music video, the song introduces the signature elements of HOKKA’s sound: deep, dark, and cold Nordic melancholy fused with a modern rock edge. Their music channels the emotional intensity of early-2000s Finnish rock while pushing boldly into new territory with unapologetic energy and ambition.
Watch ‘In the Darkness’ now and experience the dawn of HOKKA:
With a magnetic debut and a fearless creative vision, HOKKA is poised to become the next breakout act from Finland’s rich rock scene.
The band will make their first live appearance on Finnish YLE’s major New Year’s Eve TV show, broadcast live from Oulu-halli on December 31st.
“Different generations of Finnish rock are united for this newborn band proud to be part of Nuclear Blast Records roster.” commentsJoel Hokka
HOKKA is here to stay and slay.
Chief Shock Video
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
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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