Time To Kill Records is proud to announce that QWÄLEN will release their third album, “Veri Virtaa Edelleen”, on March 6th, 2026. The Finnish band continues its rapid rise, sharpening and intensifying its ravenous blend of black metal and punk into a formula that is more focused, more refined and yet more vicious than ever.
Blood continues to flow. The third statement of QWÄLEN delves into the rottenness of human reality, the abolition of kings and gods, and the bleak, habitual cycle of fraternal violence—concepts that mean nothing to the band, and yet embody everything they express. With the very idea of black metal at its core, QWÄLEN persists in breaking free from the narrow boundaries of the genre. Hail no one but thyself; raise no one on a pedestal but thyself, for borders can only be drawn from within. Gods live only if we allow them. Death becomes the final insult, the ultimate raised middle finger when all is reduced to rocks and bones—the black serpent within, the black flame of rebellion. Hail Satan. Blood continues to flow.
Tracklist:
1. Hunnutettu maa 2. Matala hauta huutaa 3. Kahleet 4. Uusi nahka 5. Kiviä ja luita 6. Pirujen illallinen 7. Veri vastaa 8. Kuolleet jumalat
Formed in 2017, QWÄLEN channels the raw musical backgrounds of its members – active in bands such as Kürøishi, Viimeinen Virhe, Letterbombs and Hoc Est Bellum – into a distinctive interpretation of black metal built on simplicity, rawness, speed and honesty. These foundations shaped their debut, “Unohdan sinut”, which explored self-portrayal, loss, rebuilding, abandonment, misanthropy and Satan. Their second album, “Syvä hiljaisuus”, turned its gaze toward humanity’s sheep-like nature, the inevitability of destruction, the acceptance of flaw and the surrender to greater forces. The new album continues in this vein, embracing the decay of human reality, the fall of kings and gods and the sinister repetition of brotherly violence – motifs that, for QWÄLEN, mean nothing and yet define everything.
As with their previous record, the album was tracked at Waiting Room Recording Studio in Tampere with Mikael Neves, who also handled the mixing. Mastering was completed at Enormous Door by Jack Control, while artwork and layout were created by the always formidable Jussi Pohjanen.
Line-up:
Eetu Viita: Vocals Samuli Similä: Guitar & vocals Antti Kannisto: Guitar & vocals Ville Jylhä: Bass Henri Kaarre: Drums
German blackened death metal force BLOODRED officially announce their upcoming studio album “Colours Of Pain”, set to be released on February 13, 2026 via Massacre Records. Alongside the album announcement, the band unleashe the first single and official video, the devastating title track “Colours Of Pain”.
Serving as the emotional and conceptual centrepiece of the album, “Colours Of Pain” is a powerful exploration of the many shades of human suffering. Each emotion becomes a colour – red for rage, black for grief, grey for numbness – painting a vivid picture of inner turmoil.
Musically, the track blends relentless blasts and heavy mid-tempo groove with a darkly melodic core. The accompanying video – shot and directed by Alexander Krull – visually amplifies this descent into psychological intensity, offering a visceral representation of the song’s themes.
“Colours Of Pain” marks a significant evolution in BLOODRED’s sonic identity. While remaining rooted in the furious Blackened Death Metal that defined their previous releases, the new album expands into a darker, more dynamic, and more atmospheric territory. Haunting melodies, crushing mid-tempo sections, and ferocious blast-beat assaults collide to form the band’s most diverse and emotional work to date.
Long-time collaborators Ron Merz (vocals, guitars, bass) and Joris Nijenhuis (drums) once again stand at the core of the album, delivering a performance which balances aggression, depth, and cinematic atmosphere. The album also features a special guest appearance from Þráinn Árni Baldvinsson (Skálmöld), providing a blazing guitar solo on the track “Mindvirus”.
Produced, mixed, and mastered by Alexander Krull at Mastersound Studio, and completed with a striking artwork by Stefan Heilemann, “Colours Of Pain” is nothing short of a definitive artistic statement.
“Colours Of Pain” delivers eight tracks of uncompromising heaviness, lyrical depth, and atmospheric weight. Its themes span betrayal, censorship, environmental collapse, societal decay, pandemic devastation, and global resistance—showcasing BLOODRED’s most ambitious songwriting to date.
Track listing
Ashes
Colours Of Pain
Mindvirus
Heretics
A New Dark Age
Death Machine
Winds Of Oblivion
Resist
BLOODRED continue to evolve without abandoning the savage essence that has defined them since their debut. “Colours Of Pain” is their most dynamic, personal, and socially confrontational record yet—an unflinching dive into the emotional, political, and existential suffering that shapes our world.
Prepare to experience the full spectrum of darkness as BLOODRED reveal the many “Colours Of Pain”.
BLOODRED are Ron Merz – Vocals, Guitars, Bass Joris Nijenhuis – Drums
JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS present the ultra-heavy track ‘Venomous‘ as the second single lifted from the forthcoming new full-length “Inexorable Opposites“. The fourth album by the Australian Psychedelic Western Rockers is scheduled for release on February 6, 2026, via Magnetic Eye Records.
JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS comment on ‘Venomous’: “This song aims to highlight that each of us has a dark and poisonous side“, vocalist and guitarist Tim Coutts-Smith writes. “If you think you don’t, you’re probably one of the worst offenders. The lyrics are written from gazing at my own ‘venomous’ self, and I hope they outline how childish yet dangerous that part of the psyche can be.“
Tracklist
Moss
Venomous
Mt. Macedon
Dave Is Done
Junior Fiction
Seer
On the Overwhelm
To Die
With their fourth album “Inexorable Opposites”, JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS deliver a doozy of a record. The Psychedelic Western Rockers from Down Under have taken a big leap that was made possible by breaking new ground.
It pays off that the Australians have dared to take numerous creative risks, of which several stand out:
First off, “Inexorable Opposites” introduces new drum powerhouse Brayden Becher, who has literally given the band an extra kick. This was amplified by employing Lewis Noke-Edwards as a third party engineer for the tracking of the drums, a first for JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS, having done their recording in DIY fashion on past albums. While the creative process was generally more collaborative than for previous releases, the album also comes with an extended range as it includes both the ‘heaviest’ and ‘gentlest’ songs the band have ever recorded.
Probably as important as the musical tweaks is the new direction that the lyrics take on “Inexorable Opposites”. While there are still new tales playing out in the universe of the eponymous science fiction Western character Jack Harlon, the themes of the new songs rather revolve around the real world. Vocalist Tim Coutts-Smith was inspired by experiences both personal and from recent years as well as being influenced by his work in mental health.
This is summed up by the album’s title “Inexorable Opposites” that summarises the frequently contrasting emotional and lyrical content by drawing attention to a most inspirational quote from “Man and His Symbols” (1964), the final work of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung: “The sad truth is that man’s real life consists of a complex of inexorable opposites – day and night, birth and death, happiness and misery, good and evil. We are not even sure that one will prevail against the other, that good will overcome evil, or joy will defeat pain. Life is a battleground. It always has been and always will be; and if it were not so, existence would come to an end.”
Although the Outback is too far away to constitute a direct influence on JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS, their atmospheric dark Western sound draws a connecting line from Australia to Arizona. It is part of a uniquely eclectic style that explores a wide range of genres and incorporates elements of blues, stoner rock, lo-fi fuzz, spaghetti western scores, and doom metal among others.
JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS first incarnated as a side project of singer Tim Coutts-Smith around the year 2015. Over time, his steadily growing band developed into a full-fledged performing act.
From day one, Coutts-Smith centered his lyrics and themes around a fictional Western outlaw named Jack Harlon. He would often begin writing about real people and events, before turning them into characters and stories in a science fiction themed Western landscape.
JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS are also known for their DIY approach, producing most of their albums and visual art internally. As a live act, the band has mostly toured and performed in Australia including sharing stages with international acts such as GREENLEAF, SASQUATCH, WO FAT, and WHORES.
So far, JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS have released a self-titled debut EP in 2016, followed by three critically acclaimed albums and continuously growing recognition within the heavy underground: “Hymns” (2018), “The Magnetic Ridge” (2021), and “Hail to the Underground: Interpretations” (2023). The band also appeared on Magnetic Eye Records’ “Superunknown Redux” tribute to Soundgarden with their fuzzed-out, hallucinatory rendition of deep cut ‘Kickstand’.
JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS deliver a beautifully matured and musically experienced version of their characteristic sound on the fourth album “Inexorable Opposites”. With adult lyrics that take their listeners seriously in a contemplation about the duality of life and the frequent contradictions of the self with the external world, the Australians show their growth as songwriters and musicians without losing the connection to the titanic fuzz and heavy riffs that helped put them on the map.
Drum recording by Lewis Noke-Edwards at Black Lodge Studios, Brunswick, Melbourne (AU) All other instruments engineered by Tim Coutts-Smith & Jordan Richardson at their home studios, Melbourne (AU) Mixed by Tim Coutts-Smith at his home studio, Melbourne (AU) Mastered by Tim Coutts-Smith at his home studio, Melbourne (AU)
Artwork by Baroquegothik Layout by Karl Stehn (KDS Designs) & Łukasz Jaszak
Line-up Tim Coutts-Smith – vocals, guitar Jordan Richardson – guitar Brayden Becher – drums Liam Barry – bass
photo by Julia Nikiforova – JN Lightning Photography
HateSphere will release the LP version of “The Sickness Within” album on January 16 through Scarlet Records.
Thefourth studio album for the Danish thrash-death machine, originally released by Steamhammer in 2005, “The Sickness Within” was the pinnacle of the first part of the HateSphere career, and still a killer thrash-death album after all these years.
«We’re honoured and happy to have the opportunity to release this album in vinyl again, as it has always had a special place in our hearts! Please join us in our celebration!» – HateSphere
Plenty of razor-sharp guitar riffs, some heavy crushing grooves and a subtle but cool melodic taste were the main ingredients of this brutally exquisite recipe, and truly represented the frantic HateSphere signature sound.
The Danish band was lead at that time by the charismatic frontman Jacob Bredhal: his raspy, powerful vocal delivery was one of the highlight of a flawless tracklist. Add a brilliant songwriting and a meaty production and you’ll simply get one of the best extreme metal albums of the early 00s.
artwork by Christof Kather
To this day, an unparalleled vulgar display of sickness!
fourth studio album for the Danish thrash-death machine, originally released by Steamhammer in 2005;
HateSphere’s most commercially successful release ever;
produced by Jacob Hansen and Tommy Hansen at Hansen Studios;
mixed and mastered by Tue Madsen at Antfarm Studio;
cover artwork by Christof Kather;
FFO: Slayer, At The Gates, The Haunted, Heaven Shall Burn, The Black Dahlia Murder;
“The Sickness Within” will be re-released in the following format: vinyl LP (500 transparent red)
“The Sickness Within” tracklist:
1 The White Fever 2 The Fallen Shall Rise In A River Of Blood 3 Reaper Of Life 4 Sickness Within 5 Murderous Intent 6 The Coming Of Chaos 7 Bleed To Death 8 Heaven Is Ready To Fall 9 Seeds Of Shame 10 Chamber Master 11 Marked By Darkness
Total running time: 44:39
In other news, HateSphere is currently working on the follow-up to the acclaimed “Hatred Reborn” album (2023).
Line-up (2005): Jacob Bredahl – vocals Peter Lyse Hansen – guitar Henrik Bastrup Jacobsen – guitar Mikael Ehlert Hansen – bass Anders Gyldenøhr – drums
AMMO are pleased to announce the release of their new and highly anticipated single ‘Shared Silence’, available now on all platforms.
A track that doesn’t just tell a story — it hits, shakes, and leaves a deep mark.
“Shared Silence” is not just music. It is a raw and visceral snapshot of a single day spent in peacekeeping scenarios, where the line between waiting and terror is as thin as a breath. Here, there is no strategy or politics — only the human being, vulnerable and authentic, suspended between life and nightmare.
The title itself — Shared Silence — is a powerful oxymoron. That silence is not peace: it is weight, it is threat, it is the glue that binds soldiers far more than any scream. It is the silence of those who know that every second could be their last.
The track unfolds as an emotional journey through three universal sensations of war:
1. Anxiety The song opens with pulsing bass and an irregular, feverish drum pattern that mimics the accelerated heartbeat of someone waiting, trembling. It is the moment of tension, of a mind racing faster than time.
2. Fear The beating heart of the track. An explosive, melodic, adrenaline-filled chorus with distorted guitars cutting through the air like bullets. The lyrics dive into the drama of the moment — the desperate fight for survival.
3. Pain The song slows into a more atmospheric bridge, almost a lament. The voice becomes rough, introspective, bringing to the surface the emotional and physical cost of war: not only wounds, but trauma, loss, memory that burns.
Musically, “Shared Silence” balances tension and dynamics: verses almost whispered — the silence of anticipation — exploding into a powerful, devastating Rock chorus.
This single is both a warning and a tribute. A call not to forget the horror that hides behind the rhetoric of war, and a homage to the deep, tragic, unbreakable bond that forms between those who share the same hell.
Under the helmet, in the end, only one truth remains: humanity in pain.
Today, December 12, 2025 marks a new chapter in the journey of FOR MY DEMONS, a progressive dark metal band known as one of the most elegant and conceptually profound acts in the Italian alternative scene. The new single ‘9 Weeks’, released by Volcano Records & Promotion and available on all digital platforms, comes with a lyric video rich in symbolism and visual intensity, now streaming on the band’s official YouTube channel.
9 Weeks is a fragment of light and madness taken from the concept album Tristesse, inspired by the tormented life of Vincent van Gogh. The song tells the story of the nine weeks the painter spent in the famous Yellow House in Arles, where his encounter with Paul Gauguin soon turned into conflict, rupture, and silence. A crucial moment shaped by contrasting visions, colliding souls, art, and obsession. Musically, the track blends melodic elegance with narrative tension in a distinctive style that evokes the dark, introspective atmosphere of Katatonia, Soen, and Dream Theater, while filtered through a deeply personal sensibility. With its symbolic lyrical structure and layered musical composition, 9 Weeks stands as one of the most mature and expressive pieces by the band, uniting storytelling and emotional suggestion in a sonic form that transcends labels.
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
Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 