Swedish melodic death metal collective THE HALO EFFECT continue to reveal tracks from their forthcoming cover EP We Are Shadows, out November 21.
Each band member has chosen a personal favorite song to reinterpret, and this time it’s guitarist Niclas Engelin’s turn. His choice: the 1985 classic ‘Dance With The Devil’ by the legendary “supergroup” PHENOMENA, featuring Glenn Hughes, Mel Galley (Whitesnake), and Cozy Powell, among others.
THE HALO EFFECT’s version transforms the iconic track into a crushing, melodic storm — with Mikael Stanne’s ferocious growls and the band’s trademark guitar-driven intensity breathing new life into the timeless song.
Niclas Engelin recalls the song’s lasting impact: “I got hit by lightning in the 7th grade when I got to borrow the album by Phenomena from my friend Emil Olsen. The song Dance With The Devil struck me hard, and I recorded the whole album on cassette — which I played into dust.”
We Are Shadowswill feature unique reinterpretations personally chosen by each member of THE HALO EFFECT, showcasing the diverse influences behind one of Sweden’s most acclaimed modern metal acts.
THE HALO EFFECT will join German metal outfit HEAVEN SHALL BURN along with The Black Dahlia Murder and Frozen Soul on tour early next year. Check out the dates:
27.02.2026 DE Hamburg – Inselpark Arena 28.02.2026 DE Köln – Palladium 01.03.2026 NL Tilburg – Poppodium 013 03.03.2026 FR Villeurbanne – Le Transbordeur 04.03.2026 FR Paris – Élysée Montmartre 05.03.2026 BE Bruxelles – Ancienne Belgique 06.03.2026 DE Stuttgart – Porsche-Arena 07.03.2026 DE Wiesbaden – Schlachthof 08.03.2026 CH Zürich – Halle 622 10.03.2026 IT Trezzo sull’Adda – Live Club 11.03.2026 LU Esch-sur-Alzette – Rockhal Main Hall 13.03.2026 DE Berlin – Columbiahalle 14.03.2026 DE Jena – Sparkassen-Arena 15.03.2026 CZ Brno – Sono Centrum 17.03.2026 HU Budapest – Barba Negra Csepel 18.03.2026 PL Kraków – Klub Studio 19.03.2026 AT Vienna – Gasometer Raiffeisen Halle 20.03.2026 DE Dresden – Messe Halle 1 21.03.2026 DE München – Zenith
Prog-Alt-Metal’s rising STELLAR CIRCUITS has released their 3rd and final single, ‘Bury The Ashes,’ from their forthcoming album, Phantom :: Phoenix, that’s out November 14th via Nuclear Blast Records.
Commenting on the single, vocalist Ben Beddick says:
“This was my first time doing that type of fast screaming in one of our songs…I really wanted to utilize a more percussive and almost, rapping style vocal during the verse section. I thought it was a nice contrast to other parts of the song. The chorus has a very uplifting and soaring quality to it that I love and I think it serves as a nice release from the tension in those heavier sections. I really think it adds a bit of dynamics to the track as a whole and I’m excited for people to hear it.”
STELLAR CIRCUITS latest single showcases the band’s unique versatility, remarkable songwriting and continued ability to deliver memorable heavy-hitters, as also proven with previous singles ‘I See Your Spirit’ and ‘Corridor.’
STELLAR CIRCUITS’ follow up to 2023’s acclaimed record Sight To Sound, is a cathartic work of art that explores the trials and tribulations of life and death and the process of healing and perseverance in the face of agony.
Beddick says of the album:
“When we were writing this record, one of the things that kept coming up was the idea of death and rebirth through fire. This idea of killing off the old and dead parts of ourselves in order to give birth to something new and maybe even a truer version of who we all are. Every time we write an album, we go into the process with the idea of getting uncomfortable and exposing a more vulnerable part of ourselves. There also seems to be a constant theme of dealing with loss when we’re in the middle of writing.
Everybody went through different periods of loss and grief during this process and I think that it shows through in the subject matter and the sounds that came out of it. We always want to push ourselves to a new place and build on the foundation that we’ve created over the last few years of being in this band. I think that we’ve been able to achieve that with Phantom :: Phoenix. It’s a representation of that cycle and I hope it can act as a catalyst for growth to those who listen.”
Female fronted Chicago rockers, Ignescent, are excited to announce the release of their new studio album, “Eternal”, out on March 20, 2026, via Frontiers Music Srl.
To celebrate the announcement, the band share the new single and accompanying official video, “Joker”, available below.
Jennifer Benson commented: “The track is about when the people we love – or thought loved us – hurt and betray us with their words. It’s about the kind of pain that cuts deeper than we expect – when gossip, lies, or broken trust awaken something dark inside. The hurt stirs the Hyde within, and in the aftermath, we’re left feeling like fools forever believing in their love. “I’ll be a joker for you” becomes both a confession and a declaration – a raw acknowledgment of the scars left behind”.
“Driven by haunting vocals and explosive energy, the track dives into the tension between heartbreak and healing – between vengeance and grace. It’s an anthem for anyone who’s been wounded by words yet still chooses to rise”, she continued.
Ignescent, a powerful and dynamic modern metal band from Chicago, fronted by the multi-talented vocalist Jennifer Benson, returns with their brand-new album, “Eternal”.
The band expressed their enthusiasm for the new record, by saying: “We’re beyond excited to announce our brand-new album “Eternal”, dropping March 2026! This one’s a battle cry – for faith, for hope, for forever. What’s eternal cannot be shaken”.
Their latest release showcases a fierce contemporary metal sound reminiscent of Flyleaf, Evanescence, Jinjer, and Skillet – blending raw emotion with driving riffs and soaring melodies.
Over the course of their career, Ignescent has made a notable impact on the rock scene. Their single “Remnant” climbed to #46 on the Billboard Rock Charts, while their debut EP “Electrified” was produced by four-time Dove Award-winning and Grammy-nominated producer Travis Wyrick (10 Years, P.O.D.). The opening track, “Calling Out To You”, co-written with former Skillet guitarist Ben Kasica, also made its way into the Billboard Rock Top 30.
Since 2018, the band has been actively touring across the Midwest, Nashville, and later Europe, following the release of their album “Fight In Me” through Frontiers Records Srl.
But Ignescent is more than just a rock band – they are storytellers with authenticity at their core. Drawing from real-life struggles with anxiety and depression, their lyrics offer a message of hope, resilience, and connection. Their music is grounded in emotion, featuring compelling guitar work, powerful rhythms, and deeply relatable themes.
“Eternal” is produced by Jeremy Valentine (New Years Day) and Brandon Wolfe, and features a collection of modern metal anthems, including “Joker”, “Fearless” – co-written with Sameer Bhattacharya of Flyleaf, and “Chariot Of Fire”, featuring Clint Lowery of Sevendust.
“Eternal” Tracklist:
1. Joker 2. Scream 3. Fight For Me 4. Fearless 5. Shame Shadow 6. Our Love Dies 7. Light Up The Night 8. In The Dark 9. Chariot Of Fire 10. Eternal
Line Up: Jennifer Benson – lead vocals Andre Leon – guitars Mikey Green – bass guitar Kohl Coryell – drums
Swedish rock quintet Hällas are proud to share the first single of their fourth full-length Panaroma, which will be released on 30th January, 2026. The new album will be released via their own label Äventyr Records.
“In one way, Panorama sounds familiar: an imaginative hybrid of progressive 70s rock and heavy metal with echoes of both folk and psychedelia, along with conceptual content. In another sense, you have not quite heard a record like this from Hällas before. The self-confidence has never been as evident. Influences from different directions collide, and sometimes clash, contributing to the feeling that the expected instead culminates in wonder at what it is you’re hearing.“
With their new album Panorama, Hällas both consolidates and expands the image of what the band is – but also what rock can be. This time, different perspectives in a scenario are explored regarding whether humanity is capable of understanding a viewpoint other than their own. It reflects our time but is, in typical Hällas fashion, staged in a fictional, distant world.
Hällas have previously announced new Scandinavian and European tour dates in support of the release. A full list of confirmed dates can be found below.
Hällas live 06-02-2026 Korjaamo, Helsinki (FI) 13-02-2026 Rockefeller, Oslo (NO) 20-02-2026 Fållan, Stockholm (SE) 21-02-2026 Filmstudion, Gothenburg (SE) 28-02-2026 Amager Bio, Copenhagen (DK) 11-03-2026 Uebel & Gefaerlich, Hamburg (DK) 13-03-2026 La Machine du Moulin Rouge, Paris (FR) 15-03-2026 De Helling, Utrecht (NL) 16-03-2026 Junkyard, Dortmund (DE) 17-03-2026 Dynamo, Zürich (CH) 18-03-2026 Hansa39, Munich (DE) 19-03-2026 Arena Wien, Vienna (AT) 21-03-2026 Heimathafen Neukölln, Berlin (DE) 22-03-2026 Futurum, Prague (CZ)
Track list: 1. Above the Continuum 2. Face of an Angel 3. The Emissary 4. Bestiaus 5. At the Summit
Forget about everyday life and step into an adventurous fantasy world – that’s what Hällas wants for their audience to experience. The Swedish quintet craft epic fantasy-themed concept albums filled with adventurous twin guitars, vintage synths, and mystical storytelling, carving out their own genre of adventure rock.
Their upcoming album Panorama is Hällas‘ fourth full length release. While staying true to their signature sound and lyricism, it may very well be the most varied and complex so far.
Hällas were founded in 2011 and saw their initial breakthrough with their first full length album, Excerpts From A Future Past (2017), and its hit single ‘Star Rider’. Building on their initial success, Hällas released their sophomore album Conundrum in 2020, garnering them a Swedish Grammy nomination. The album trifecta was complete with the release of Isle of Wisdom in 2022, widening their repertoire even further.
With each release, the band has cultivated a cult following in the modern prog and hard rock scenes around the world. With their cinematic storytelling and timeless sound, Hällas has been touring far and wide-playing sold out shows all over Europe, as well as North and Latin America. Regardless of where, Hällas captures their audience with their own adventure rock universe coming to life on stage.
With Panorama, the band writes yet another chapter in the story of Hällas. Tread carefully, friends.
Hällas are: Tommy Alexandersson: vocals, bass Rickard Swahn: guitar Marcus Petersson: guitar Nicklas Malmqvist: keyboards Kasper Eriksson: drums
In just under two weeks, Defeated Sanity are finally hitting North America live and in the flesh with their latest Billboard-busting album. The brutal technical death metal innovators are leveling major cities across the U.S. and Canada alongside Sanguisugabogg, Despised Icon and Corpse Pile, along with some eye-popping special guests.
As they prepare to wreck havoc out on the road, today, Defeated Sanity are giving everyone an early taste of the destruction that they can expect see during the upcoming tour. Brutal Assault recently released footage from the band’s punishing set at this year’s festival, which features three of the most insane tracks from Chronicles of Lunacy.
“We can’t wait to finally present our new album Chronicles of Lunacy to our U.S. fans live and in action”, Defeated Sanity says. “Be sure to join us as we brutalize the U.S. once again”.
Defeated Sanity 2025 U.S. Tour Dates with Sanguisugabogg, Despised Icon and Corpse Pile + special guests
November 2 – Cambridge, MA @ Sonia Live Music Venue [HEADLINE SHOW] [TICKETS]~ November 4 – Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall [TICKETS]* November 5 – Chicago, IL @ Metro [TICKETS]** November 6 – Indianapolis, IN @ Deluxe (Old National Centre) [TICKETS]*** November 7 – Lawrence, KS @ The Granada [TICKETS] November 8 – Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall [TICKETS] November 9 – Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey Theater [TICKETS] November 11 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Nile Theater [TICKETS]# November 12 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory [TICKETS]# November 13 – Berkeley, CA @ UC Theatre [TICKETS]# November 14 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent Theater [TICKETS]# November 15 – Las Vegas, NV @ Fremont Country Club [TICKETS]# November 17 – Dallas, TX @ Echo Lounge & Music Hall [TICKETS] November 18 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk [TICKETS]## November 19 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall (Downstairs) [TICKETS]## November 21 – Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum [TICKETS]## November 22 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade [TICKETS]## November 23 – Charlotte, NC @ The Underground [TICKETS]## November 25 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Roxian Theatre [TICKETS] November 26 – Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage [TICKETS]### November 28 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza [TICKETS]^ November 29 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer [TICKETS]^ November 30 – Columbus, OH @ The King of Clubs [TICKETS]^^
~only Defeated Sanity *with Everybody Dies **with Everybody Dies + Gorgasm ***with Volcano + Ran Thru #with Upon Stone ##with Bayway ###with Bludgeoned by Deformity ^with Skinless ^^with Ringworm + Anatomize
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
Thrash metal titans Bastard Skull are back with the lyric video for “After The Plague”, a highlight from their self-titled debut album via Wormholedeath.
A scorched vision of humanity’s downfall. After the Plague tears through a post-apocalyptic wasteland, where corruption, madness, and deceit outlive the disease itself. Brutal, bitter, and unflinchingly real — this is thrash metal at its most unforgiving.
Formed on November 13, 2022, at a Mercyful Fate show in Brooklyn, NY, Bastard Skull emerged when John Blicharz (Annuanki, Blood Feast, Dusk) reconnected with Tom Lorenzo (Blood Feast, Without End). Joined by Mark Mari (Sneak Attack) on drums and George Kostadimas on bass, Tom stepped up as the band’s vocalist for the first time. Drawing on years of metal experience and raw energy, Bastard Skull quickly honed a ferocious sound. Their debut album, recorded with Mike Sabatini (Attacker) at Band Mother Recording and mastered by Alan Douches (Nile, Dying Fetus, Obituary), delivers unrelenting thrash metal power that fans have been waiting for.
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
Ads
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 ) 