Canadian hardcore heavyweights Get The Shot return with a devastating new single ‘Crucifixion Depiction’, a brutal and deeply personal confrontation with loss, failure and the painful death of a dream. The track also marks the launch of the pre-order for the band’s upcoming EP of the same name, set for release on 23rd October.
‘Crucifixion Depiction’ pushes the band’s forward while channeling one of the most difficult experiences we face as human beings: losing something that once gave our lives direction and meaning. Built on crushing riffs, merciless grooves and sheer physical intensity, the song turns grief into something violent, visceral and painfully tangible.
Rather than focusing solely on the death of another person, ‘Crucifixion Depiction’ explores another form of mourning, the moment a future you fought for collapses in front of you and you are forced to grieve the person you thought you would become. Lines such as “I’m losing everything / Is this the end of me?” capture the desperation at the heart of the track, while its imagery grows increasingly brutal as shattered ambition becomes a symbolic execution.
Musically, Get The Shot translate that inner conflict into pure hardcore violence. Punishing rhythms, suffocating heaviness and explosive vocal delivery collide in a track designed to hit with both emotional and physical impact. The stark “Nails. Hammer. Cross.” refrain reduces the song’s central metaphor to three brutal images before its final moments turn sacrifice, self-destruction and liberation against one another.
Catch the band live: 29.10.2026 I La Rayonne (w/ Benighted, Glassbone) I Lyon (FR) 30.10.2026 I L’Alhambra (w/ Benighted, Glassbone) I Paris (FR) 31.10.2026 I Corefest I Göppingen (DE) 01.11.2026 I Kulttempel I Oberhausen (DE) 02.11.2026 I Les 4 Écluses I Dunkerque (FR) 03.11.2026 I Kavka I Antwerpen (BE) 04.11.2026 I Naumanns I Leipzig (DE) 05.11.2026 I Cafe Central I Weinheim (DE) 06.11.2026 I Monkeys I Hamburg (DE) 07.11.2026 I Belvedere I Namur (BE) 08.11.2026 I La Laiterie (w/ Benighted, Glassbone) I Strasbourg (FR) 09.11.2026 I 007 Strahov I Prague (CZ) 10.11.2026 I Cassiopeia I Berlin (DE) 11.11.2026 I 2Progi (w/ Nasty, Crawlspace, Pintglass) I Poznan (PL) 12.11.2026 I Pink Whale I Bratislava (SK) 14.11.2026 I Sunset Bar I Martigny (CH) 15.11.2026 I Ebulition I Bulle (CH)
Progressive symphonic metal band Scardust are thrilled to unveil a powerful rendition of Clean Bandit’s “Symphony”, featuring Mia Asano and Noa Gruman’s Hellscore Choir, out now via Frontiers Music Srl.
The track features acclaimed Los Angeles-based electric violinist Mia Asano, whose genre-defying style fuses classical virtuosity with rock, metal, Celtic and electronic influences. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Asano has built a global following of more than six million across social media, with her viral performances generating over 500 million views.
Her career has included collaborations with artists including Ministry, DragonForce, Lindsey Stirling, Tina Guo and Taylor Davis, as well as a European arena tour with Two Steps From Hell, which began with a performance in front of 75,000 people at Wacken Open Air. A recipient of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s Best Violin Performance Award in 2020, Asano brings her unmistakable energy and virtuosity to the new single.
The band commented: “‘Symphony’ by Clean Bandit has always felt like such a beautiful and emotional song, and we immediately felt it had the potential to become something very Scardust – combining prog metal, the Hellscore choir, and Mia’s incredible violin playing. Sharing the adventure of Sabaton’s Legendary tour this last winter with Mia made us want to create something together again, and this song felt like the perfect opportunity.”
“While the original song is a love song, we connected with it from a more bittersweet perspective: that deep longing to belong, to be together with someone, or to be part of something, while feeling that there is a barrier keeping you apart. We wanted that feeling to run through the entire interpretation – from the arrangement and performances to Mia’s breathtaking violin solo, and into the cinematic world of the video and artwork”, they added.
Working with the legendary Joost van den Broek on the production and orchestration was a huge part of bringing this vision to life. It feels like a very natural meeting point between everything we love about Scardust and everything Mia brings as a musician – dramatic, emotional, cinematic, and deeply human.”
Scardust will donate any proceeds from this release to the Foundation for Prader-Willi Research.
With the release of the band’s first EP, “Shadow” (2015) and the release of their first full length LP. “Sands of Time” (2017) Scardust positioned them as a promising newcomer of the new progressive metal scene. They rapidly rose to the top of the local metal scene, selling out shows and opening for the likes of Symphony X, Therion and Epica and started touring overseas playing festivals and headline shows in Germany, China and the UK as well as continuing to headline shows and festivals at home.
From the beginning the band strove for exceptional artistic and instrumental achievement at the highest level and Noa Gruman’s voice captivates her listeners whether with its gentle purity, operatic power or guttural growls. Despite the challenges of Covid-19, 2020 saw the release of their sophomore album “Strangers” accompanied by seven self-produced music videos. Described by Dead Rhetoric as “captivating from start to finish”, “Strangers” introduced a unique concept album built on complementary song pairs, earning strong critical and fan acclaim.
2022 started on a high note with the visit of folk star Patty Gurdy, who joined Scardust for a live show in Israel and filmed the band’s most viewed video to date, “Concrete Cages”. That summer, the band headlined multiple shows across Europe, performing to packed arenas at Wacken Open Air & Dong Open Air where they earned the praise of Testament’s Steve Di Giorgio who, on hearing the band from backstage, ran out front and watched the entire set ‘mesmerised’.
The year concluded with the release of the dramatic one-shot video “Evolution Of The Disney – But She’s METAL” in which Noa weaves her way through a magical metal arrangement of all the best-known Disney Princess songs.
2023 saw Scardust release “Game Of Now”, a cinematic piece set in a futuristic dystopian live show, play festivals and concerts across Europe and join power metal legends Blind Guardian on tour. The year culminated in the signing of a major multi-album deal with Frontiers Records – heralding the release of the highly anticipated album “Souls”.
December 2024 saw the release of “My Haven” from “Souls”, followed by “RIP”, “Unreachable” and “Dazzling Darkness”. With 2024 being taken up with writing and recording “Souls”, it wasn’t until early 2025 that they were able to announce that Ross Jennings (Haken) was guesting on the album and was to join the band for a headline show resulting in the epic Touch of Life video.
Alongside Scardust’s rise, Noa Gruman’s metal choir, Hellscore, has been gaining significant recognition. Known for their unique a cappella renditions of metal classics, they have collaborated with renowned artists and bands such as Epica, Therion, Amorphis, and Alestorm. Hellscore is also an integral part of Scardust’s sound, performing on all their albums and live shows.
Noa Gruman is also much in demand as a vocalist and the already-impressive list of her recent guest vocal appearances includes albums by Amorphis, Ayreon, Therion, Gloryhammer, Nino Helfrich and Orphaned Land.
With the release of their latest album, “Souls”, Scardust have taken another major step forward in their evolution. The album brings together the band’s trademark progressive complexity, symphonic scale, powerful melodies and technical musicianship, while expanding their sound through orchestral, Mediterranean and Celtic influences.
Featuring the Hellscore choir and a string quartet throughout, alongside guest appearances from Ross Jennings (Haken), Ally Storch (Subway to Sally), a Turkish orchestra and the TLV Orchestra, Souls explores themes of memory, belonging, loss and the desire for connection. Bold, emotional and ambitious, the album represents both a culmination of everything Scardust have built so far and the foundation for the next chapter of the band’s sound.
Line Up: Noa Gruman – Vocals Gal Gabriel Israel – Guitar Aaron Friedland – Keyboards Bar Sasson – Bass Yoav Weinberg – Drums
OUTLIER have released their new single and official music video, “Graveyard Masterpiece,” via Oxide Records. The release arrives alongside the announcement that the band will hit the road for an upcoming tour this October with Dark Divine and Fire From The Gods.
“Graveyard Masterpiece” is a deeply personal exploration of the experiences that shape us—love, loss, trauma, failure, and everything we endure along the way. Rather than viewing those experiences as something to escape, Outlier embrace them as the raw materials that ultimately become part of who we are.
Frontman Joey Arena explains:
“’Graveyard Masterpiece’ is about realizing that none of us become who we are untouched. We’re stitched together by love, loss, trauma, failure, and everything we survive along the way. Some pieces heal, some leave scars, but they all become part of us. We don’t always get to choose what life uses to build us, we only get to choose what we become when it’s finished.”
As Outlier continue their work with Oxide Records, the band is pushing forward with some of their most ambitious music to date, further establishing themselves as one of heavy music’s most thought-provoking new voices. Unafraid to challenge expectations, Outlier create music that is as introspective as it is aggressive, confronting the experiences that shape us while questioning what we ultimately choose to become.
Now, Outlier are taking that vision to the road. The band will join Dark Divine and Fire From The Gods for an upcoming tour, giving fans the opportunity to experience “Graveyard Masterpiece” and Outlier’s evolving live show firsthand.
For Outlier, the future isn’t about pretending the scars aren’t there. It’s about turning every scar, every loss, and every piece of the past into something greater.
“Graveyard Masterpiece” is available now on all major streaming platforms.
For more information, music, and upcoming announcements, follow Outlier on social media and streaming services.
Outlier Shows: 10/12 JACKSONVILLE, FL @ JACK RABBITS 10/14 CORPUS CHRISTI, TX @ HOUSE OF ROCK 10/15 HOUSTON, TX @ BAD ASTRONAUT 10/16 SAN ANTONIO, TX @ THE ROCK BOX 10/18 FORT WORTH, TX @ TULIPS FTW 10/20 WICHITA, KS @ WAVE 10/21 SPRINGFIELD, MO @ THE REGENCY LIVE 10/22 INDIANAPOLIS, IN @ HOOSIER DOME 10/25 BUFFALO, NY @ REC ROOM 10/26 GRAND RAPIDS, MI @ THE STATCHE 10/27 CLEVELAND, OH @ MAHALL’S
The name OUTLIER came years before Joey Arena realized he’d been describing himself all along.
As the founder, songwriter, and architect behind OUTLIER, Arena has built one of independent music’s most respected careers. His work has earned millions of streams, regular support from SiriusXM Octane, Billboard and Top 40 success, and recognition from Alternative Press, Revolver, ABC News, and Metal Injection. His songwriting has led to collaborations with Chris Motionless of Motionless In White, JD of Ice Nine Kills, Danny Leal of Upon a Burning Body, Hyro the Hero, Sen Dog of Cypress Hill, and a growing list of artists across modern rock.
Growing up in Rochester, New York, music became somewhere to disappear. Before the national tours and festival stages, Arena spent late nights in a basement bedroom with his guitar amplifier barely turned up, writing while the rest of the house slept. Years on the road brought opportunity, but they also challenged Arena to decide how much of himself he was willing to compromise. By the time Top 40 success arrived, he realized he had stopped writing for himself. OUTLIER grew from that decision.
Working alongside producer Evan McKeever, Arena built the project from the ground up. The first releases arrived independently, and the band’s first show was booked before a permanent lineup existed. Arena’s songwriting draws from lived experience without asking listeners to relive his life, leaving room for them to find pieces of themselves in the songs. That balance between emotional weight and modern heaviness has become one of OUTLIER’s defining characteristics.
Today, OUTLIER enters its next chapter with the clearest reflection yet of the vision Arena set out to build years ago. He has never been interested in staying inside one role. His curiosity extends from songwriting and arrangements to visual concepts, music videos, and the creative direction surrounding every OUTLIER release.
When asked if he could ever imagine creating under another name, Arena doesn’t hesitate. I will never find another band name. This is just who I am.
Burton C. Bell presents “Obsolete By Word of Mouth”, a rare and deeply personal spoken word experience celebrating the 30th anniversary of Obsolete and offering audiences the opportunity to hear the story behind the landmark album directly from the artist whose voice, lyrics and vision helped define it.
Three exclusive October events announced for San Diego, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
This is not a concert.
“Obsolete By Word of Mouth” is a small-scale social experiment built around both the story of Obsolete and the way that story will be experienced and carried forward.
The concept of “By Word of Mouth”extends beyond the presentation itself. The experience is designed as a return to a time before the proliferation of the internet, cell phones and social media when people were fully present for a moment and the stories of what they witnessed traveled from person to person.
For the duration of the presentation, the audience will be asked to put away their phones and remain present, allowing them to absorb the meaning, history and emotion of the story without the distraction of screens, filming, posting or documenting the experience.
What happens inside the room stays with the 50 people who experienced it. Much like in the past, those guests will then carry the story forward by word of mouth, sharing what they experienced with their friends and comrades in their own words.
It is a personal experience that social media cannot duplicate.
Limited to only 50 guests per event, “Obsolete By Word of Mouth” removes the traditional barriers between artist and audience, creating an intimate environment in which Bell can revisit the ideas, stories and creative process surrounding one of the most significant albums of his career.
During the hour-long presentation, Bell will share stories from the creation of Obsolete, read his original synopsis written during the album’s development, and read the story of Obsolete as a performative movement without a microphone.
The result is deliberately different from a conventional live performance: part storytelling, part oral history, part personal reflection and part social experiment – told by the artist who was there, created it and lived it.
Bell will also spend time with every guest before and after the presentation, making each evening a uniquely personal experience. With attendance capped at only 50 people, there is no traditional divide between artist and audience making this a truly VIP EXPERIENCE.
Each guest will also receive an exclusive, personally autographed commemorative program, created specifically for “Obsolete By Word of Mouth”, featuring original handwritten, and typed, manuscripts from Bell’s collection giving attendees a tangible piece of Obsolete history.
Obsolete By Word of Mouth — October 2026
October 6 — San Diego, California Scorpion Percussion Guest arrival: 7:00 pm Spoken word presentation: 8:00–9:00 pm
October 7 — Los Angeles, California The Crooked Path Guest arrival: 7:00 pm Spoken word presentation: 8:00–9:00 pm
October 9 — Las Vegas, Nevada The Space Guest arrival: 7:00 pm Spoken word presentation: 8:00–9:00 pm
Tickets: $50.00 Limited to 50 guests per event.
Guests will be asked to silence and put away their cell phones during the presentation. No filming or recording will be permitted.
There will be no screen between the audience and the experience, and no social media feed capable of recreating what happened in the room. The only way the experience travels beyond those 50 people is the way stories once traveled — from one person to another, by word of mouth.
Thirty years after Obsolete, Burton C. Bell is opening the story again in an entirely different way.
Three cities. Fifty guests per room. One voice. One shared experience.
No filming. No recording. No scrolling.
Just the story of Obsolete, told by the man who lived it – and carried forward by the people who were there.
Greek power metal band Firewind are thrilled to announce the release of their new studio album, “Gods, Myths & Titans”, out on February 19, 2027, and the first for the new label BLKIIBLK.
Led by guitar virtuoso Gus G. (Ozzy Osbourne, King Diamond, etc), Firewind have evolved into a powerhouse band with a devoted international fanbase and a string of acclaimed albums.
To mark the announcement, Firewind unleash the first single, “The Legend Of Achilles”, available now along with a lyric video.
Gus G. stated: “We’ve wanted to make a concept album about Greek mythology for a long time, and finally we got around to it. It’s been two years in the making, and our goal was to create the most epic album in the history of the band. Adding cinematic and orchestral elements to our classic metal sound gave a whole new layer, enhancing the style of Firewind”.
“Each track is a gate to a different myth. We went all in with the visual side as well and worked with Felipe Machado who created unique artworks for every song. These are tales of power, glory, tragedy, and defiance”, he added. “Today we give you the first single and it’s about Achilles – one of the mightiest warrior legends to ever walk the earth. Turn up the volume and enter the realm of “Gods, Myths, & Titans”.”
The band just finished a busy summer schedule with appearances in many European festivals and will next embark on a tour across US and Canada this month, supporting Ensiferum, and also returning to ProgPower festival. All the tour dates and details are below.
With “Gods, Myths & Titans”, Firewind return with one of the strongest and most inspired albums of their career. The record also marks the return of Henning Basse behind the microphone, bringing a powerful and distinctive vocal presence that perfectly complements the band’s unmistakable sound.
The album also marks a significant new chapter for Firewind and Frontiers Label Group, as the band’s first album released through BLKIIBLK, Frontiers Label Group’s dedicated metal brand.
Drawing inspiration from Greek mythology, the record unfolds as a cohesive concept-driven journey through gods, heroes and legends, giving the album an additional sense of identity and epic scope.
Exceptionally strong songwriting, memorable melodies and carefully crafted orchestral arrangements add a new dimension to Firewind’s trademark heavy metal attack, enriching the music without ever compromising its power and intensity.
Tracks such as “Firegod” and “The Legend Of Achilles” are destined to become huge sing-along anthems for the band’s fans, with the kind of memorable choruses made for being shouted back from the crowd. And, as always, Gus G. delivers a phenomenal guitar performance, combining breathtaking technique with melody, emotion and his unmistakable signature style.
“Gods, Myths & Titans” is more than another great Firewind album: it stands as a major highlight in the band’s discography and one of the most exciting heavy metal releases of 2027. For Firewind and Gus G., this is a career-defining chapter.
“Myths, Gods & Titans” Tracklist:
1. Prologue Sacrifice 2. Firegod 3. I Will Sail On 4. The Legend Of Achilles 5. Cries Of A Mortal 6. Queen Of The Underworld 7. Prelude The Chosen One 8. Under Aegean Skies 9. A King Dethroned 10. Unbreakable 11. Titans Fall 12. Epilogue
FIREWIND – North America Tour 2026 w/ Ensiferum
9/11/26 – Nashville, TN 9/12/26 – Indianapolis, IN 9/13/26 – Pittsburgh, PA 9/14/26 – Detroit, MI 9/16/26 – Cleveland, OH 9/17/26 – Madison, WI @ Blades of Steel Fest 9/18/26 – Des Moines, IA 9/20/26 – Winnipeg, MB 9/22/26 – Edmonton, AB 9/23/26 – Calgary, AB 9/25/26 – Vancouver, BC 9/26/26 – Portland, OR 9/27/26 – Seattle, WA
Line Up: Gus G. – Guitar, Keyboards Henning Basse – Vocals Petros Christo – Bass Johan Nunez – Drums
Today, Saor is announcing Caledonia, a new album of re-recordings from the one-man Scottish atmospheric black metal project’s first three albums. Far from an exercise in nostalgia, Caledonia finds Andy Marshall presenting these five songs as they exist today, after years of refinement on stage, bearing the full weight of everything he’s learned.
Under standing stones and a sky lit by starlight, the 2026 re-recording of “Carved in Stone” glimmers with archaic prophecy and ghostly whispers that summon ancestral wisdom, before arriving at a moment of clarity: a destiny unfolding, an ascent beyond the ordinary. Since the song appeared on Saor’s debut full-length album, Roots, it has stood as one of Marshall’s most direct evocations of the Highland landscapes and lore that have defined the project since its inception. With this re-recording, it’s now carried by a decade of additional scale and atmosphere.
Tears of a Nation MMXXVI (10:33) Full runtime: 51:28
Caledonia finds Andy Marshall doing something few artists in his position ever attempt: applying everything he has learned as a producer, arranger, and performer over the past decade back onto the songs that started it all. Rather than a pause in SAOR‘s forward motion, it is a deliberate act of craftsmanship, five compositions from Roots, Aura, and Guardians rebuilt from the ground up with producer Chris Fielding, given the scale and depth Marshall always heard in them but lacked the resources to fully realise the first time around.
SAOR took shape in Glasgow in 2013, when Andy Marshall, entirely self-taught, began writing and recording alone under the name Àrsaidh, quickly rebranded to SAOR when listeners struggled with the original’s pronunciation. The name, drawn from Scottish Gaelic and meaning “free,” gave shape to what Marshall would come to call Caledonian Metal: atmospheric black metal built on Highland landscapes, ancestral memory, and a distinctly Scottish sense of place, carried as much by tin whistle and bagpipe as by tremolo riffing. It was a niche nobody else had staked out, and Marshall built it almost entirely on his own terms, handling composition, vocals, and most instrumentation himself while bringing in session players to fill out the folk instrumentation live records demanded.
Roots, released in 2013, announced that voice fully formed. Reviewers picking up the record found a songwriter already comfortable letting long, patient compositions breathe, closing on the seventeen-minute “A Highland Lament” with a confidence that belied a debut. Aura followed a year later and sharpened the folk elements further, pulling in violin and tin whistle work that gave the atmospheric black metal a warmth rarely found in the genre’s colder corners. By the time Guardians arrived in 2016, SAOR had become a name to watch in earnest: a windswept, richly arranged record that critics singled out as a high point of the decade in atmospheric black metal, its closer “Tears of a Nation” widely cited as one of the project’s most affecting pieces of songwriting.
Forgotten Paths, released in 2019, took a different approach, trading some of the sprawl of Guardians for a tighter, more immediate four-track structure, and brought Neige of Alcest into the fold on the title track alongside violinist Lambert Segura. It was SAOR’s shortest record to date, and while some found it the least expansive entry in the catalogue, its melodic clarity won it just as many admirers, cementing Marshall’s reputation for restraint as well as grandeur. Origins, SAOR’s first outing on Season of Mist, turned toward the Picts as its central subject, tracing a group of ancient peoples from northern and eastern Scotland into a record that widened SAOR’s historical lens beyond the personal and the pastoral. Amidst the Ruins followed, a return to longer, more expansive songwriting after Origins‘ comparatively direct approach, layering cello, viola, Uilleann pipes, and tin whistle back into the black metal core. It was met with some of the strongest reviews of Marshall’s career and coincided with a shift long overdue: after years as a largely studio-bound project, SAOR began playing live with real regularity, moving through a growing run of European tour dates and major festival appearances that mark a live footprint unmatched at any earlier point in the band’s history. Across six albums and thirteen years, Marshall has shown no sign of repeating himself, each record pushing SAOR’s palette and ambition further while holding to the same essential sense of place.
It is against that backdrop of restless output and expanding reach that Caledonia arrives, not as a retreat from new ideas but as evidence of how far Marshall’s ear and instincts have come since he first put these songs to tape. The album gathers five tracks pulled from Roots, Aura, and Guardians: “Aura,” “The Awakening,” “Carved in Stone,” “Hearth,” and “Tears of a Nation,” each rerecorded in full and produced, mixed, and mastered by Chris Fielding. Many of these songs have been reshaped gradually through years of live performance, taking on new dynamics and arrangement choices that the early recordings, made with far more limited means, were never able to capture.
Caledonia lets them arrive at the form Marshall always intended, retaining the character of the originals while giving them the atmosphere and depth his later production work has made possible. Guest contributions from drummer Carlos Vivas, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Ella Zlotos on tin whistle, low whistle, and Uilleann pipes, and violinist Àngela Moya Serrat round out the record’s folk instrumentation. The album’s visual identity, cover artwork, layout, and an accompanying video for “Carved in Stone,” comes from longtime collaborator Anaïs Chareyre-Méjan, whose work has shaped SAOR’s imagery since Forgotten Paths and continues to anchor the project’s sense of place. Lyrically and thematically, nothing has shifted: Scotland’s landscapes and history, a connection to nature, heritage, and personal reflection remain exactly where they were when these songs were first written, still resonant enough, in Marshall’s telling, to justify revisiting them with the full weight of everything he has learned since.
Caledonia does not reinvent SAOR’s past. It completes it, offering listeners the chance to hear where these songs have been all along, and where, after more than a decade, Marshall has finally brought them.
Line-up: Andy Marshall — Composition, Vocals, Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Bass, Pads
THE ROCK ALCHEMIST – Italian Rock Band from Turin with a strong sonic identity that blends modern rock with progressive, hard, alternative, and pop elements!
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
