A dark, guitar-driven anthem of obsession, chaos, and toxic desire, delivering a heavy, hook-filled return to Saliva’s signature early-2000s sound.
Hard rock band Saliva have released their new single, “Sadistic Love,” out now via Judge & Jury Records alongside the official music video.
“Sadistic Love” is a dark, moody, guitar-driven track that taps into the early-2000s sound that helped define Saliva’s legacy. Built around a heavy mid-tempo groove, the song builds tension before breaking into an explosive chorus, pairing the aggressive, melodic vocals of Bobby Amaru with an undeniable hook. Lyrically, the track explores love as both a lifeline and a weapon, capturing the all-too-familiar feeling of being trapped in a relationship that is falling apart but still impossible to let go of.
“Some relationships become a battlefield. You fight, you break, you swear it’s over, and then somehow you’re right back in the middle of it again. ‘Sadistic Love’ is about being addicted to the very thing that hurts you. It’s about chaos disguised as passion and pain disguised as connection. Sometimes the scars become part of the attraction. It’s messy, it’s toxic, it’s real, and we wanted the song to feel exactly like that,” shares Bobby Amaru.
“Sadistic Love” marks Saliva’s fourth new single, continuing to build momentum toward the band’s forthcoming new album, slated for release later this year.
In addition to the new release, Saliva will be hitting the road this summer. The band recently made appearances at leading rock festivals such as Welcome to Rockville and Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival.
Fans can expect additional announcements in the coming weeks as Saliva continues rolling out new music and builds toward the release of Breaking Throughthis August.
June 6, 2026: Cape Girardeau, MO @ Arena Park June 9, 2026: Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre June 10, 2026: Seattle, WA @ El Corazon June 11, 2026: Bellingham, WA @ Wild Buffalo House of Music June 13, 2026: Sidney, MT @ Richland County Fair & Rodeo August 9, 2026: Oshkosh, WI @ Hard Drive 2026 Aug 13, 2026: San Francisco, CA @ August Hall Aug 14, 2026: Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex Aug 15, 2026: San Diego, CA @ SeaWorld San Diego
Saliva exploded onto the hard rock scene with anthems like “Click Click Boom” and “Your Disease,” the latter earning a Grammy nomination. Their major-label debut Every Six Seconds (2001) went double-platinum, followed by Back Into Your System (2002), which produced hits including “Always,” “Raise Up,” and “Rest In Pieces.”
Since 2011, frontman Bobby Amaru has led the band through a new era with releases including Rise Up (2013), Love, Lies & Therapy (2016), 10 Lives (2018), Every Twenty Years EP (2021), and Revelation (2023). In 2023, the band suffered the devastating loss of founding guitarist Wayne Swinny, whose legacy continues to shape their music and live shows. Reflecting on his passing, Amaru shared, “This band meant more to Wayne than music itself, and he wanted us to continue in its current form.”
Most recently, Saliva released Revelation: Retold (2025) via Judge & Jury Records, a deluxe reimagining of their 2023 album featuring guest vocals, unreleased tracks, and new takes on fan favorites, reinforcing the band’s resilience and continued evolution.
Sweden´s pioneers of gothic metal BESEECH are set to release their brand new album Future. Present. Past. on 28th of august, 2026.
Emerging from Borås, Sweden in the early 1990s, Beseech has earned a devoted following as one of Scandinavia’s most evocative gothic metal bands. Blending dark romanticism, doomy atmospheres, and unforgettable melodies, Beseech built a reputation for haunting yet accessible music that resonates with fans of gothic, doom, and melodic metal alike.
The band’s journey began with their 1995 demo Tears, leading to their critically acclaimed debut album …From a Bleeding Heart (1998). They continued to develop their signature sound with Black Emotions (2000) and the beloved Souls Highway (2002), which featured the iconic vocal interplay of Erik Molarin and Lotta Höglin — a duo whose contrasting voices became a defining element of Beseech’s identity. The band’s evolution continued with Drama (2004) and Sunless Days (2005), expanding their sonic palette while maintaining the melancholic beauty fans had come to love.
After years of touring and recording, Beseech disbanded in 2006, leaving behind a legacy of timeless gothic anthems. A decade later, the silence was broken with My Darkness, Darkness (2016) — a powerful testament to the band’s enduring spirit and their ability to craft new stories from the shadows.
Now, Beseech rises once more, bringing back Erik and Lotta — the most iconic vocal pairing in the band’s history. Their reunion signals a return to the lush harmonies and dark atmospheres that fans remember, while pushing Beseech’s sound into new, uncharted territory. From mournful ballads to heavy, brooding riffs, Beseech continues to walk the twilight path between beauty and despair.
Their new album “Future. Present. Past” is to be released 28th of August, 2026 via Despotz Records.
Tracklist: 1. Ambiguous Mind (SEXTE2600102) 2. Hesitation (SEXTE2600103) 3. Boundless Space (SEXTE2600101) 4. End This (SEXTE2600104) 5. Future. Present. Past. (SEXTE2600105) 6. You Bleed. You Dream. You Breathe (SEXTE2600106) 7. Álamos Sunset (SEXTE2600107) 8. Melodies of Movement (SEXTE2600108) 9. Still Lost (SEXTE2600109) 10. The Sweet Hello, the Sad Goodbye (SEXTE2600110) 11. Between Worlds (SEXTE2600111)
Music/Lyrics: Erik Molarin Daniel Lindgren Jonas Strömberg Lotta Höglin Christian Silver Manne Engström Anton Silver
Your favourite pirates have returned. Rising from the mythical floating island of Lyxion in the Bermuda Triangle, Pirate Queen continue their legendary voyage across the seas of heavy metal. Said to be descendants of infamous pirate families, the band claims a history stretching back more than 500 years, having first hoisted their musical sails in 1524.
Two years ago, Pirate Queen burst onto the scene like a restless storm with the release of their debut album Ghosts. Blending cinematic storytelling with thunderous heavy metal, the record introduced listeners to the band’s mysterious world of piracy, myth, and adventure.
Now Pirate Queen return with their brand-new second album Sailing Around The World.
Sailing Around The World is about charismatic, adventurous pirates who manifest freedom, individualism, and rebellion. Pirate Queen glorifies the nature and venerates the past. The beauty of the wild and the need for adventure serve as a rebellion against reason, order, and societal rules. A noble power metal tale of 5 heroines and their adventures who are creating unique memories far away from home.
Pirate Queen and her crew visited the Land of Angels, anchored on the Island of Silence, sailed Ocean of Mermaid Tears, stayed at the Lands of Jupiter, crossed the Mercury Ocean and reached the Lands Unknown. Be the loyal crew member and join this beautiful voyage.
Tracklist (with ISRC): 1. Arrival of the Queen (SEXTE2600203). 2. Sailing Around The World (SEXTE2600202) 3. William Kid (SEXTE2600201) 4. Ciudad de Tacoronte (SEXTE2600204) 5. Her Majesty Captain Destiny Grieflord (SEXTE2600205) 6. Lyxion (SEXTE2600206) 7. Shanty (SEXTE2600207) 8. On The Sea (SEXTE2600208)
Line up: Her Majesty Elizabeth Noir Nuit – Vocals Destiny Grieflord – Guitar Victoria Pearl Fata-Morgana – Guitar Ariel Coral Shin – Bass Raindrop Oceanus – Drums
Southern California’s legendary rip-hop pioneers Kottonmouth Kings have officially released their new EP, California Burning, available now via Kottonmouth ReKordz and distributed worldwide through Virgin Music Group.
The Kottonmouth Kings are back, and they’re shaking things up with a new era of rip-hop that’s louder, harder, and more unapologetic than ever. D-Loc rolls deep with Judge D, Taxman, and Chucky Chuck, and it’s the youngest members who’ve stepped up to clean house—restructuring the business and pushing the kingdom to new heights. Their upcoming album, set to blaze through in August of 2026, is stacked with a sonic assault that will shake the underground to its core.
Hailing from the renegade streets of Southern California, the Kottonmouth Kings have been challenging the mainstream since the ‘90s, building a legacy of freedom, chaos, and cannabis-fueled anthems. Now, free from old contracts, the Kings are ready to take the energy worldwide. The team’s rebuilt with purpose—five of six original music producers are back in the fold: Mike Kumagi, D-Loc, Judge D, Steve Dang, and Jim Perkins—crafting beats with big-name collaborations that’ll turn heads.
“This is where we came from, where we’re at, and where we’re headed. The fans are going to feel this one deep,” says D-Loc.
He continues, “After 30 years in the underground, this one feels different. ‘California Burning’ is the beginning of a brand new chapter for us — our first EP release through our new label partnership with Virgin Music Group. We poured everything into this record… the chaos, the rebuilding, the growth, the fire, and the future. We’re proud of what we created and even more excited for what’s coming next. This is only the start. The Kings are back in motion.”
Country legend Kenny Rogers’ great nephew, Judge D, sings with The Kottonmouth Kings on the song “California Burning”. The song speaks to the state of emergency that California is in.
“We love our state and our people and we’re tired of watching it burn literally and figuratively,” he states.
Judge D adds, “Is there a way to fix all this without the hate? Yes, with the truth.”
For nearly 30 years, Kottonmouth Kings have been the defiant heartbeat of underground rip-hop, blending hip-hop, punk, reggae, and cannabis culture into a movement that has outlasted industry trends and internal storms. Founded in 1996 by Dustin “D-Loc” Miller and fallen member Steven “Saint Dog” Thronson in Placentia, California, KMK grew from backyard cyphers to a global force, challenging the mainstream with albums like Royal Highness and Rollin’ Stoned. Led by D-Loc’s vision and fueled by a creative crew including Judge D, Johnny Richter, Pakalika and others, the Kings weathered ownership disputes, catalogue sales, fallen members, and lineup shifts, always staying true to their ethos of peace, love, unity, and respect. KMK’s story spans nearly three decades of rebellion, resilience, and reinvention against a backdrop of cannabis culture and music industry shifts.
Today the youngest members have the throne and are seasoned for industry success. The legacy lives on with D-Loc, Judge D, Chucky Chuck, and the Taxman. With tours booked and a new EP, the anticipation is building. Come see them live at a show near you!
Finnish dark heavy rockers MANDY MANALA with their highly anticipated sophomore album “Something Wicked”, set for release on May 29, 2026 via Argonauta Records, following the strong acclaim and growing international attention generated by their debut release. The album will be available on CD, deluxe colored vinyl and digital formats.
Join with us the worldwide premiering here, ahead of its release:
With this new chapter, the Finnish dark heavy rock outfit push their sound further into heavier, darker and more atmospheric territories, refining their identity while maintaining a powerful melodic core. Blending dark heavy rock, stoner and occult influences, Something Wicked delivers a dynamic and immersive listening experience built on crushing riffs, hypnotic grooves and a cinematic approach to songwriting.
The haunting and charismatic vocals of Christa Nedergård guide the listener through themes of darkness, desire and mysticism, elevating the band’s sonic depth and emotional impact.
Appealing to fans of Ghost, Lucifer, Chelsea Wolfe and Fleetwood Mac, Mandy Manala stand out for their unique balance between heaviness and melody, combining vintage atmospheres with a modern, evocative sound.
Cover art by Ritva Pääjärvi
Tracklist:
Bloodred Chapel of Sin
Nocturnal Bites
Bridges
Shoebox
Psalm 77:7
Underneath The Sea
Beneath A Steel Sky
The Dark Passenger Pt.2
Something Wicked
With Something Wicked, Mandy Manala deliver a darker, heavier and more refined album, marking a decisive step forward after the success of their debut and confirming their place within the modern heavy rock scene.
Chicago metal legends Aftermath are celebrating 40 years of musical chaos with the release of a brand-new lyric video for their classic track “When Will You Die?” The video made it premiere on crypticrock.com.
“’When Will You Die?’ was one of the songs that when we were writing and rehearsing it, we knew the pit would go crazy. Looking back on it all these years later we were totally right. It’s been a crowd favorite since the beginning,” says the band.
“When Will You Die?” is not a song about philosophical or hypothetical questions of your own mortality. It is not deep, not meant to question one’s existence or death in any profound way. Rather, the lyrics were based on a friend of Kyriakos “Charlie” Tsiolis’ desire to see the death of a family member happen sooner than later.
The wealthy relative held his money and the family member’s inheritance of that money over his head. Hoping the relative’s death would change his own life for the better, the family member could not wait for the day to come. Ironically, the wealthy old man lived for decades beyond 1987 when the song was written and recorded.
The lyric video directed by Mike Savage is an even darker version of the subject of the lyrics. Drawing on many heavy metal cliches in the visuals to draw the storyline even further into the realm of how money corrupts your soul. Visually it goes well beyond any Aftermath lyric video in telling the story in the form of a movie.
Currently the band is in the studio putting the finishing touches on their 4th studio album.
The band states, “We are excited to be back in the studio. We can’t wait for everyone to hear this album. It’s heavy, it’s catchy, and in typical Aftermath fashion it sounds totally different from our previous albums.”
The new album is being recorded at Electrowerks Recording, with engineering and mixing by Chuck Macak. Additional details, including the album title, tracklist, and release date, will be announced in the coming months.
Chicago based Aftermath, fronted by Kyriakos “Charlie” Tsiolis, formed in October 1985 when Charlie and his schoolmate Steve Sacco (Guitar) got together. This early incarnation with Adam (Bass) and Ray Schmidt (Drums) released their first demo in 1986 featuring “Sentenced to Death”, “Revenge”, “Shotgun” and “The Aftermath”.
In 1987, they unleashed their second demo entitled Killing the Future featuring the tracks “When Will You Die”, “Going No Place”, “Chaos”, “Meltdown” and “War for Freedom”. The band pursued a mind-blowing speed and technical brand of thrash that soon set them apart from the pack and in the process made them a pioneering crossover thrash band.
The tracks “War for Freedom” & “When Will You Die” were both featured on the British Metal Forces magazine_compilation LP Demolition: Scream Your Brains Out in 1988. Their appearance on the Metal Forces compilation further expanded the band’s international appeal.
By 1988, the band’s musical direction was changing, and Adam’s raw and simple bass lines would soon be replaced with complex and technical bass parts handled at first by John Lovette. Ironically, John never played bass on any Aftermath recording and was not even a bass player. He wanted to join the band so badly, however, that he came to the audition with a friend’s bass he had just started to play. The speed and complex playing he displayed were like nothing the members had ever seen before on bass. He landed the gig that day. When the band decided it was time to add a second guitarist, Lovette told his bandmates of his desire to switch to guitar and for the first time he came clean he was a guitar player pretending to be a bass player all along. His bass playing was surpassed by his guitar skills and the band found its second guitar player, but unfortunately the search for a bass player was forced to resume. Luckily, the search (for the time being, anyway) ended with Danny Vega. His warm and precise playing was the perfect complement to the guitar playing of Lovette and Sacco and worked amazingly well with Schmidt’s powerful drumming. With Lovette handling most of the song writing duties, Aftermath was about to make an unbelievable musical change.
By 1989, that change brought on by Lovette’s writing and the band’s musical tastes and stylings had slowed and matured as evidenced by the release of the underground classic demo Words That Echo Fear. Danny Vega was replaced on bass by Chris Waldron. The band went onto to become a trailblazing progressive/technical thrash band in the years that followed.
In 1990, based on the huge international success of the Words that Echo Fear demo, the metal label RoadRacer Records (a subsidiary of Roadrunner Records) approached the band for a demo deal, which resulted in a live four track demo featuring the songs “Eyes of Tomorrow”, “Afraid Of Time”, “The Act Of Unspoken Wisdom” and “Reflecting Pictures”. Negotiations eventually broke down and Aftermath signed to New York’s Big Chief Records. The label’s collapse halfway through the recording sessions led to a long delay in finishing the record. While the band struggled to pay the studio bill, the album the band started to record in 1990 would not see the light of day for four years. The experience left the band reeling and forced them to issue the album under their own imprint with the help of their manager through Zoid Recordings in 1994. Four long years had passed since the initial recordings for the record Eyes of Tomorrow and the scene had dramatically changed.
The album was subsequently re-released on Thermometer Sound Surface / Zoid and released yet again four years (1998) later on Black Lotus Records in a re-mastered version.
Quite famously, Aftermath, in a notable court case Tsiolis v. Interscope. Records. Inc., 946 F.Supp. 1344, 1349 (N.D.III. 1996) sued high-profile millionaire rapper DR. DRE over the ownership of the Aftermath name. The Rapper tried to buy the name for $50,000, which the band rejected. The band sued him. As part of the settlement, Interscope Records signed the band. To the label’s surprise, the band delivered a record under the moniker Mother God Moviestar. Its eponymous Electro-Metal debut was released in March 1998. The case has been studied in law schools around the US related to the issue of trademark dilution.
Aftermath has continued to receive critical acclaim as one of the major influences in the genre. The band was featured on pages 9 and 10 of Gary Sharpe-Young’s A – Z of Thrash Metal, available on Cherry Red Books. Aftermath is also given an entire feature section in Alexandros Anesiadis’ 2019 book Crossover the Edge: Where Hardcore, Punk, and Metal Collide.
Twenty-five years after its formation, Aftermath’s music made its return in 2011 with the release of the Box Set 25 YEARS OF CHAOS on Area Death Productions and the vinyl When Will You Die on F.O.A.D. The reemergence of one of the most original thrash bands ever continued in 2014 with their decision to reunite for several concerts in 2015.
Coming off their first show in 20 years at Ragnarokkr Metal Apocalypse in their hometown of Chicago, the band ripped the stage apart at Headbanger’s Open Air in Hamburg, Germany that summer. In the Fall of 2015, the reunion continued with the reissue of Eyes of Tomorrow. With an expanded booklet and remastered by Paul Logus (Pantera, Steel Panther), Shadow Kingdom Records released the band’s debut along with bonus material. Following this release was the Killing the Future reissue on Divebomb Records. Once again Paul Logus remastered the tracks from their original source and created a wall of sound in the process. Killing the Future, along with the expanded booklet and bonus tracks from the band’s 1986 first demo completed the celebration of the band’s 30th anniversary.
In 2017, the band started writing the material for their new album. There is Something Wrong is an 11-song opus recorded by Chuck Macak. mastered by Ted Jensen and released through Ingrooves by Zoid Entertainment and The Label Group. A concept record in the truest sense of the word, the album features a mix of old-school crossover thrash and technical/progressive metal and is a commentary on what is wrong with the world today. A calling out of the masses to wake up and know the real enemy. The music is urgent, and the lyrics challenge the listener to seek the truth. Aftermath went back to its early days and revived its crossover thrash stylings on several songs, but those are only samples of what the listeners have in store for them once they put on their headphones and listen to There is Something Wrong in its entirety.
In 2020, Aftermath released a re-imagined version of the John Lennon classic, “Give Peace a Chance”. The song was remixed and remastered for the new album and included on the record because of the message.
“John Lennon’s urgent call for peace in Give Peace a Chance is more important today than ever, and our call for peace with this cover is the perfect message to follow up our previous album. We released a dark concept album with a bleak message and felt it was important to follow that up with something positive. The visuals in the video are as important as the lyrics in a way. We live in a visual world today and this video needed to get out the message of HOPE. Having a young girl be the focus of the video was our way of getting that across. Seeing only positive acts when she puts on Lennon’s famous glasses was the perfect visual metaphor. Lennon’s message is transmitted not only through his lyrics but also through the perspective created by his unique lenses” says the band.
The video was directed by critically acclaimed video director Steven Nathan in New York City.
Aftermath unleashed their highly awaited masterpiece, No Time to Waste, through Zoid Entertainment/TLG/INgrooves on March 17, 2023. This release stands as the triumphant conclusion to a powerful trilogy, representing a notable departure from the somber tones of its predecessor.
In an exclusive statement, Kyriakos “Charlie” Tsiolis shared, “We take immense pride in this album, a culmination of a trilogy that commenced with our debut. Crafted during a challenging era in contemporary history, ‘No Time to Waste’ emerges as an anthem of hope. In contrast to our previous dark conceptual endeavor, we’ve refined this record. The ten tracks within are both weighty and charged, delivering a potent metal experience coupled with a profound message – that collectively, we can overcome, but time is of the essence.”
AFTERMATH is: Kyriakos “Charlie” Tsiolis – Vocals Steve Sacco – Guitar Ray Schmidt – Drums George Lagis – Bass
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
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 