ZAN/CODY Announce New Studio Album “Beautiful ‘N Damned”, Out July 24th

Posted by tarjavirmakari on May 12, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
Photo by Tallee Savage

ZAN/CODY – the project of Shotgun Messiah’s original singer Zinny Zan (vocals) and Harry Cody (guitars) – return with a new studio album, “Beautiful ‘N Damned”, out on July 24, 2026, via Frontiers Music Srl.

To celebrate the announcement, the band unveil the first single and accompanying video, “Damn”, available below.

Zinny Zan commented: “Damn” is the first single from our upcoming album and a statement of what Zan/Cody is all about. Harry and I feel this track captures the core of who we are as musicians – high-octane rock with attitude and a sharp edge. Lyrically, it taps into the world we’re living in now – where the lines between truth and illusion keep getting blurred. What’s real? What’s fake? The message is simple: don’t take everything at face value. Think for yourself, question what you’re told, and draw your own conclusions. This is Zan/Cody!”

Watch the official video for “Damn”:

Pre-Order “Beautiful ‘N Damned” HERE

When two of the founding architects of Swedish sleaze hard rock reunite, the result can only be explosive. Zinny Zan (vocals) and Harry Cody (guitars), the original front duo of cult legends Shotgun Messiah, are back together under the banner Zan/Cody, delivering a brand-new album, aptly titled “Beautiful ‘N Damned” that reconnects directly with the genre-defining sound they helped create.

Shotgun Messiah’s self-titled 1989 debut remains a cornerstone of glam and sleaze metal, a record that shaped an entire generation and secured the band’s status as one of the most influential cult acts in Scandinavian hard rock. Now, decades later, Zan and Cody rekindle that chemistry with a record that proudly revives the classic Shotgun Messiah sleaze vibe, while pushing it forward with renewed energy, attitude and modern punch.

At the center of the album is Harry Cody’s unmistakable guitar work – sharp, melodic, gritty and instantly recognizable. Long regarded as one of the most respected guitarists to emerge from the Swedish scene, Cody delivers riffs and solos that are both streetwise and technically refined, perfectly complementing Zinny Zan’s raw, charismatic vocal delivery, steeped in attitude and rock ’n’ roll swagger.

Mixed by Chris Laney (Pretty Maids, Crazy Lixx), the album captures the perfect balance between classic sleaze authenticity and contemporary production power, ensuring the songs hit hard while retaining their dirty, dangerous edge.

With their highly anticipated appearance at Sweden Rock Festival and a new album on the way, the sensation is real: Zan/Cody are not here to rewrite the past, but to carry the Shotgun Messiah legacy into the future. Fans can expect uncompromising sleaze hard rock, undeniable hooks, and the spirit of a band that helped define a scene – reborn, louder and sharper than ever.

“Beautiful ‘N Damned” Tracklist:

1.    Sever
2.    I Am The Shit
3.    Ride Or Die
4.    Suffer City
5.    She Walks With Violence
6.    Damn
7.    Let’s Be Heroes
8.    Beautiful ‘N Damned
9.    Bad Bad Man
10.    Tear It All Down

Line Up:
Zinny Zan – Vocals
Harry Cody – Guitars

Follow ZAN/CODY:
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UNDERTAKERS Drop New Single & Video ‘United Front’ from Upcoming Album

Posted by tarjavirmakari on May 12, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment

As previously announced, Italian death-grind veterans UNDERTAKERS will release their new album “Global Dominion” on July 10th, 2026 via Time To Kill Records.

In the meantime, the band today presents “United Front”, the first single taken from the record, offering a direct and uncompromising glimpse into the new material. The track highlights the group’s renewed approach, more than ever focused on a burning fusion of death metal, grindcore and hardcore attitude. With this first preview, UNDERTAKERS confirm the foundations of an album set to stand out for its intensity and stylistic coherence.

Streaming: https://ffm.to/undertakers-united-front

“’United Front’ is the album’s closing statement of unity and resistance. Blending grindcore intensity with hardcore urgency, the track channels collective strength against division and control. It’s a call to overcome fear and fragmentation, turning individual struggles into a shared force. Direct, anthemic and defiant, the song captures the moment where awareness becomes action and voices merge into one”.

Tracklist:

​1. Call To Arms (intro)
2. United Front
3. Global Dominion
4. All Out War
5. Plutocracy Era
6. Iron Regime
7. Collapse Protocol
8. Rise of Resistance
9. Just Keep Fighting
10. Bodies’ Supermarket

Preorders:

“Global Dominion” marks the most mature chapter in the band’s history. It is where everything finally locks into place: grindcore violence, hardcore urgency, death metal weight and sharp black metal edges fused into a modern sound that never betrays its old-school DNA. No nostalgia trip, no trend-chasing—just experience, control, and intent.

The record is built on contrast: precision versus chaos, speed versus crushing mid-tempos, modern production versus a raw, uncompromising attitude. Every track serves a purpose, every riff hits with direction. This is a band that knows exactly who it is and has nothing left to prove.

Lyrically and conceptually, the album is both a denunciation and a reflection. “Global Dominion” is the core statement: a ruthless look at power, control, and submission in contemporary society, but also a mirror held up to human nature itself. This is not abstract politics, it’s about systems we live in, benefit from, and are crushed by at the same time.

Tracks like “Rise of the Resistance”, “Collapse Protocol”, and “Iron Regime” define the first impact: rebellion, systemic failure, and enforced order. “Plutocracy Era” sharpens the focus, exposing a world ruled by wealth and influence, while “Just Keep Fighting” stands as a blunt survival mantra. The album closes with “Global Dominion” and “United Front”, tying the narrative together: awareness without illusions, resistance without rhetoric.

This is a heavy record with something to say. Cold, aggressive, and direct. Modern in form, old-school in spirit. No compromises.

The first single and further details about the album will be revealed soon.

Line-up:

Enrico Giannone – Insults
Stefano Casanica – Guitar
Marco Mastrobuono – bass
Giorgio Cifuni – Guitar
Alfonso Mocerino – drums

UNDERTAKERS – Hate Since 1991

Formed in late 1991, UNDERTAKERS are among the longest-running and most uncompromising bands of the Italian extreme underground.

Over the decades, they have shared the stage with an insane number of international acts, including Napalm Death, Suffocation, Malevolent Creation, Vader, Cannibal Corpse, Vital Remains, Fuzztones, Sinister, Dog Eat Dog, Krabathor, Disgorge, Pandemia, Ryker’s and many more far too many to list properly.

The band has completed three European tours and appeared multiple times at major festivals such as Brutal Assault and Dynamo Open Air, building a solid reputation as a relentless and unforgiving live act.

Originally rooted in classic death metal, UNDERTAKERS have constantly evolved their sound into a violent and unmistakable mix of grindcore, brutal death metal and hardcore. The result is a raw and aggressive hybrid best described as pure brutal-core.

UNDERTAKERS were personally selected by 99 Posse as representatives of the Italian extreme scene for a BMG-promoted tribute project celebrating ten years of activity of the Neapolitan collective. This collaboration resulted in a grindcore reworking of the iconic track “Ripetutamente”, a crossover experiment that perfectly reflects the band’s anarchic and uncompromising attitude.

Throughout their career, the band has appeared on numerous compilations, released a 7” produced by Kick Promotion, and featured on Rock TV with performances on Database, Sala Prove and Rock TV Tour.

Their discography includes the split “Chaos in Musica” (Massacro Records) and the experimental release “Revision Distortion X-Version” (Nocturnal Music), an electronic reinterpretation of “Vision Distortion Perversion” blending grind, jungle and techno—clear proof that UNDERTAKERS have never played it safe.

In 2020, the band returned with “Dictatorial Democracy”, released on October 30th by Time To Kill Records in three ultra-limited vinyl editions. The album is a brutal summary of the band’s entire career, featuring new and classic tracks alongside two essential covers: “Fascist Pig” (Suicidal Tendencies) and the grind version of “Ripetutamente”.

In 2024, UNDERTAKERS released a split 7” with Plakkaggio, delivering a death metal reinterpretation of the punk classic “Pet Sematary” by the Ramones once again twisting icons into something far more extreme.

Only for real grind lovers.

https://undertakers-ttk.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/undertakersgrind
https://www.facebook.com/undertakersgrind

50 Years Of Punk & 50 Years Of Sid Vicious. Cleopatra Celebrates The Patron Saint Of Shock Appeal

Posted by tarjavirmakari on May 12, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

It’s 50 years since punk rock first arose from the streets of London to mortify great swathes of polite British society.  50 years since the Sex Pistols released their debut single, “Anarchy In The UK,” in November 1976. And 50 years since Sid Vicious first hit the headlines, after he threw a glass towards the Damned at the 100 Club Punk Festival, and a female audience member was blinded in one eye when the projectile shattered against a nearby pillar.

Sid never really left those headlines again… not when he joined the Pistols in early 1977; not when he attacked the host of television’s Old Grey Whistle Test with a broken bottle; not when he continued playing his bass as a bunch of angry Texans rained bottles and fists down upon the band. And so on and so forth, until he only needed to be seen walking down the street for someone to alert the media.  

By the time Sid died on February 2 1979, while on bail for the alleged murder of his girlfriend Nancy Spungeon, he had probably spent longer being hounded by the blood-thirsty English tabloids than he ever spent on stage or in the recording studio.

Thankfully, he did continue performing. His songs on the Pistols’ Great Rock’n’Roll Swindle album, Eddie Cochran’s “C’mon Everybody” and “Something Else,” and that coruscating version of “My Way” were all British Top 10 hits, and the handful of live solo shows he played were jam packed, standing-room-only crushes.

This month’s anniversary selection from Cleopatra Records’ punk archive was captured at one of those shows.  Jack Boots & Dirty Looks was recorded live at Sid’s last ever show in England, on August 15, 1978. Shortly after, he headed over to New York City – and never returned home.

It was a hot night, with the temperatures soaring even higher as his band took their places onstage – Rat Scabies (The Damned) on drums; Sid’s predecessor in the Pistols, Glen Matlock on bass and Matlock’s Rich Kids bandmate Steve New on guitar.

Nine songs peel out – Sid’s hits, of course, plus the legendary (and then unreleased) Pistols shocker “Belsen Was A Gas,” a couple of early Pistols tracks that were also included in the Swindle movie, and covers of “I Wanna Be Your Dog” and “Tight Pants” (The Stooges) and “Chatterbox” (Johnny Thunders).  It was one helluva show, and reliving it on CD and vinyl brings it all flooding back.  

Originally released on bootleg back in 1984, and rereleased in a faithful reproduction of the original eye catching artwork, Jack Boots & Dirty Looks  also comes in an individual hand-numbered mini LP wallet.

And that’s not all.  With punk rock celebrating its golden anniversary this year, Cleopatra Records joins the party with a catalog brimming with first wave punk rock giants. 

From The Damned to Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers, and ex-Runaway Cherie Currie to the Dead Boys (whose own latest release, the Down On The Bowery From The Sleaziest Catacombs is released on May 22);  from Eater and The Vibrators to The Dickies and The Germs, brilliant new releases and precious archive treasures alike have lit up the shelves, and every month through 2026, Cleopatra Records will be spotlighting a fresh classic from the catalog.

Last time around it was the UK Subs’s farewell concert at the historic 100 Club in London; next month… hmm.  Wait and see.  But this month, we remember Sid Vicious – still, for many fans, the ultimate British punk rocker.  And, for many others, the music’s ultimate martyr.

CD/LP: https://cleorecs.com/ search?q=sid+vicious+jack+ boots

DVRK Release New Single + Music Video ‘Misery Repeat’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on May 12, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
Photo by © Caike Scheffer

DVRK, are releasing their new single “Misery Repeat”. With this single, the French deathcore band are leveling up alongside their new vocalist Julian Wilt. Following their debut EP Infinite Reminiscence, a new session begins and this one is heavier than the first.  

Stream “Misery Repeat”: https://orcd.co/dvrkmiseryrepeat

The visuals for “Misery Repeat” were created by Ahleesi Mathis / @sinpievisuals.

DVRK’s debut EP Infinite Reminiscence is available now on Season of Mist. Order: https://orcd.co/infinitereminiscence

“Misery Repeat” opens with a VHS-era recording in Ukrainian confirming that the first session of the DVRK program has been completed, and that what follows will be harder, faster and without mercy.

DVRK do not present themselves as a band so much as a system; a global organisation running its subjects through escalating trials, its reach extending across languages and borders. French, Japanese and other tongues will carry future transmissions, each one pulling the listener deeper into a mythology that has no clear center and no visible end. At its core, beneath the architecture of the program, is something altogether more human: a man consumed by a love that has become indistinguishable from ruin, drinking himself numb, unable to surface. The program frames him. The song does not spare him.

“Misery Repeat” was produced by Fabien Letren and Bastien Deleule and recorded by Bastien Deleule at Nalcon Studio. The song was mixed and mastered by Eloi Nicod at Craftline Studio. The artwork was created by Cédric Faullummel.

Don’t miss DVRK when they tour Japan next week with Obscura and Fallujah. The band will also join Obscura next year on a tour of Europe and the UK alongside Pestilence, Cryptic Shift and Thus.

DVRK The Sun Eater 2026 Japan Tour
with Obscura and Fallujah

Get tickets: https://realmofobscura.com/live/

May 20 – Tokyo @ Space Odd
May 21 – Tokyo @ Space Odd
May 22 – Nagoya @ 3Star Imaike
May 23 – Osaka @ Socore Factory
May 24 – Hiroshima @ Reed*
*No Fallujah

DVRK Shred Fest 2027 Europe & UK Tour
with Obscura, Pestilence, Cryptic Shift and Thus

Get tickets: https://www.shredfest.net/2027-europe-uk/

January 20 – Aschaffenburg, DE @ Colos-Saal
January 21 – Utrecht, NL @ TivoliVredenburg
January 22 – Dresden, DE @ Club Puschkin
January 23 – Dortmund, DE @ Junkyard
January 24 – Berlin, DE @ Lido
January 25 – Warsaw, PL @ Proxima
January 26 – Ostrava, CZ @ Barrák Music Club
January 27 – Vienna, AT @ Szene
January 28 – Salzburg, AT @ Rockhouse
January 29 – Frauenfeld, CH @ Eisenwerk
January 30 – Geneva, CH @ Usine
January 31 – Treviso, IT @ New Age
1 February 1 – Rome, IT @ Orion
2 February 2 – Milan, IT @ Legend Club
3 February 3 – Grenoble, FR @ L’Ilyade
February 4 – Montpellier, FR @ Victoire 2
February 5 – Barcelona, ES @ Wolf
February 6 – Madrid, ES @ Revi Live
February 7 – Sevilla, ES @ Sala Custom
February 8 – Lisbon, PT @ República da Música
February 9 – Porto, PT @ Mouco
February 10 – Pamplona, ES @ Totem
February 11 – Toulouse, FR @ Le Rex
February 12 – Limoges, FR @ CCO John Lennon
February 13 – Angers, FR @ Le Chabada
February 14 – Paris, FR @ Petit Bain
February 15 – Southampton, GB @ Engine Rooms
February 16 – Birmingham, GB @ O2 Institute
February 17 – Dublin, IE @ Opium
February 18 – Glasgow, GB @ Slay
February 19 – Manchester, GB @ Rebellion
February 20 – London, GB @ The Underworld
February 21 – Kortrijk, BE @ DVG Club
February 22 – Nancy, FR @ L’Autre Canal
February 23 – Leeuwarden, NL @ Neushoorn
February 24 – Hamburg, DE @ Uebel & Gefährlich
February 25 – Trockau, DE @ Music Center
February 26 – Lindau, DE @ Club Vaudeville
February 27 – Munich, DE @ Feierwerk

DVRK is a French five-piece operating at the intersection of deathcore, nu-metal, and electronic bass music. Formed in 2019 as a solo project, the band has since expanded into a full ensemble featuring Julian Wilt on vocals, Bastien Deleule and Gérald Audiard on guitars, Fabien Letren on bass, and Vincent Vidal on drums.

From the outset, DVRK has operated less like a conventional band and more like a system—a constructed world with its own logic, language, and escalating narrative. Each release functions as a transmission, drawing listeners deeper into a mythology that frames the project as a global program running its subjects through increasingly demanding sessions. The debut EP, Infinite Reminiscence, released via Season of Mist, established the framework. “Misery Repeat” marks the beginning of what comes next.

Past collaborations include Conquer Divide, Cove Reber, Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!, and Hyro the Hero.

Line-up:
Julian Wilt — Vocals
Bastien Deleule — Guitar
Gérald Audiard — Guitar
Fabien Letren — Bass
Vincent Vidal — Drums

Follow DVRK:
Bandcamp: https://dvrk.bandcamp.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wearedvrk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearedvrk
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wearedvrk
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/weareDVRK
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2veLy5cp8tE2IUS47EwzlB
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/dvrk/1462754288

JOOST, KÄÄRIJÄ & TOMMY CASH Launch Long-Awaited Collaboration Project with “Boyband” EP & Music Video ‘I Miss Us’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on May 12, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

Today, three of Europe’s most beloved and boundary-defying artists, Joost Klein, Käärijä and Tommy Cash officially launch their long-awaited collaboration project. The Boyband EP is available now here, and “I Miss Us” music video here.

Three Artists, One Near-Victory Each
What do Joost, Käärijä, and Tommy Cash have in common? Each has come agonisingly close to winning the Eurovision Song Contest, and each walked away a fan favourite, a cultural phenomenon, and, ultimately, something far more interesting than a winner. Their near-victories forged a bond built on mutual respect, shared absurdity, and an outsider’s understanding of what it means to turn the mainstream on its head.

Now, for the first time, they channel that energy together, and in doing so, they make history. Joost, Käärijä, and Tommy Cash are the world’s first Eurovision Boyband.
Ever.

The Boyband EP is a celebration of friendship and bringing together many different musical styles, all of which lead to the perfect creative chaos. Lead single, “I Miss Us”, carries a message that extends beyond the music itself. All revenue generated by the single will be donated in full to Musicians Without Borders, supporting children in Palestine and those affected by conflict around the world.

Musicians Without Borders uses the power of music to bridge divides, heal trauma, and connect communities affected by conflict. Their work in Palestine provides children with access to music education and creative expression in the most challenging of circumstances. Music for everyone.

Follow:
https://joostklein.eu/
https://www.instagram.com/joostklein

https://tommycash.world/
https://www.instagram.com/tommycashworld/

https://www.contrapromotion.com/Artists/Kaeaerijae/
https://www.instagram.com/paidatonriehuja/

INSANIA Unveil New Video for 25th Anniversary Edition of ‘Angels In The Sky’

Posted by tarjavirmakari on May 11, 2026
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: . Leave a comment
Photo by Markus Tält

Swedish power metal masters Insania are pleased to unveil the 25th Anniversary Edition of the song “Angels In The Sky”, originally released on their “Sunrise In Riverland” album in 2001, out now via Frontiers Music Srl. 

The band commented: “The 25th anniversary version of “Angels In The Sky” is a gift from us to all of our fans – both the new ones and the ones who have been with us since the beginning. This is how the song could have sounded 25 years ago – if the guys in the cureent line up magically would have returned back to our 20-something year old bodies in 2003 (thus omitting our very immature minds from the equation)!”

“Angels In The Sky is one of those songs that always seem to pop up when our band is mentioned – and rightfully so. The song itself came from a place of loss and sorrow – and still to this day it seems to resonate with the ones who hear it for the first time”, they continued. “We hope that you will enjoy this song in its new shape and form. Thank you for sticking with us throughout the years.”

Stream “Angels In The Sky (25th Anniversary Edition)” HERE

“Angels In The Sky (25th Anniversary Edition)” is the first song that Insania recorded with their new four-piece line-up, that made its live debut in 2025. The song is also the first studio recording where the new bass player Erik Arkö is featured – and it also marks the return of Katarina Jenner and Åsa Halén, who sang the choirs on “Revolution” and “Trinity” on “The Great Apocalypse”(2025) and who now return to leave their mark once again.

The first version of Insania was formed in 1992 by drum player Mikko Korsbäck and guitar player Henrik Juhano. Bass player Tomas Stolt was added to the line-up shortly after, and a few other musicians were also part of the band for short periods of time. 

The band initially started off playing covers of their favorite bands such as Helloween and Iron Maiden, but eventually Mikko’s classmate Niklas Dahlin joined as a second guitar player and they started writing their own tunes. The band then added keyboard player Patrik Västilä and began to pursue a more melodic style. Mikko took it upon himself to sing, even if he was playing the drums at the same time, as the band had not found a vocalist to match their ambitions.

In 1997, the band approached singer David Henriksson to join the band. The union between the band’s ambitions and David’s vocals was a match made in heaven. The band felt complete and sought to find a way to reach a bigger crowd. 

Later, the band was offered a deal with House Of Kicks (later known as MNW and then Sound Pollution) and their debut album “World Of Ice” was released in 1999. The band would go on to release three more albums over the course of the coming years, while enduring some line-up changes and eventually going on hiatus in 2007. 

Following the signing with Frontiers to release “V”, Insania started to bring their power metal attack again back to the metalheads around the globe, revitalized with the addition of the singer extraordinaire Ola Halén. 

The band released their latest album, “The Great Apocalypse”, last June, a powerful record full of speedy, double-bass drums, great hooks, and amazing solos.

Line Up:
Ola Halén – Vocals/guitars
Niklas Dahlin – Guitars
Erik Arkö – Bass
Mikko Korsbäck – Drums

Follow INSANIA:
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