With just days to go before the worldwide April 3 release of one of the most coveted new blues albums of the year, Carmine Appice and Cactus also unveil one of its most anticipated tracks as their latest single.
Originally recorded on Cactus’s 1972 album ‘Ot and Sweaty, this piledriving reimagining of “Bad Stuff” features guest vocals from Joe Lynn Turner, veteran of both Deep Purple and Rainbow, alongside his own massively successful solo career, while fellow Purple alumni Steve Morse adds his own characteristic guitar alchemy. The result, as Turner explains, is explosive.
“When Carmine asked me to contribute a vocal to the new Cactus album the first question was ‘what song?’ He said a bluesy rock song called ‘Bad Stuff’ that would be perfect for me. And when I heard about the amazing lineup of Steve Morse..Tony Franklin.. Derek Sherinian, and, of course, Carmine, I was completely sold!
“The result is a low down dirty blues track that moves and grooves with a sexy voodoo swagger. I’m very proud to play a part on this killer album!”
The line-up is completed by Carmine’s Guitar Zeus bandmate Tony Franklin and Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater), and Cactus’s own Artie Dillon.
Carmine continues, “I always loved ‘Bad Stuff’ back in the day, and still today. I always loved the groove and the lyrics. And with the new Allstar version I love it even more!!”
The long-awaited sequel to Cactus’s last album, Temple of the Blues, Temple Of Blues II echoes its predecessor’s star-studded line-up of guests, with Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) Ted Nugent, Billy Sheehan, Bumblefoot and Pat Travers all returning from last time around, alongside an all-new wave of heavy hitters including Morse, Turner, Melanie (a truly transformative rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze”),Tracii Guns (LA Guns), Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot), Alex Skolnick(Testament), and a whole lot more!
Elsewhere on this thunderous adventure, Ted Nugent and Bob Daisley (Rainbow) join forces for an astonishing “Spoonful” – one of no less than seven Dixon/Wolf classics on the album – the others include the band’s last two singles, “The Little Red Rooster” (featuring Snider and Guns) and “Back Door Man,” with Eric Gales and Billy Sheehan.
But of course there’s more besides, and every one of them expands the raw blues-rock vision of volume one with even more fire, swagger, and authority. And Carmine, of course, anchors the proceedings with his unmistakable power, groove, and feel, driving every track and reaffirming his status as one of the most influential drummers in rock history.
Having been active practitioners since 1992, Defiled are masters of the vile art known as death metal. The Tokyo legends have shared the stage with Morbid Angel, Mayhem, Cannibal Corpse and Incantation. However, these grizzled veterans are neither relics nor custodians for the old-school. Their upcoming new album, Altered State, unleashes a dizzying blast of death metal straight from the future.
Today, Defiled are announcing their new album, Altered State, with a music video for its lead single. By continuing to take the genre in unexpected directions, on “Portal”, the band unlock a head-banging new dimension.
“Altered State is an expansion of our last two albums, The Highest Level and Horror Beyond Horror”, Defiled founding member and guitarist Yusuke Sumita says. “Like many other bands, our musical roots are heavily influenced by early ‘90s death metal and ‘80s thrash and hardcore, however our interpretation is different and has branched off from the current scene. On Altered State, there are many catchy hooks, but tricky progressive rhythms and song structures can be found as well. The album may not be understandable after a few listens but it taps into a blind spot that many bands have missed”.
Watch the music video for “Portal”:
The video for Portal was created by Seaside99works.
After hearing them pound out three albums in four years, metalheads would be forgiven for assuming Defiled had reached the highest level, that there were no horrors left for them to reveal. Altered State quickly quiets any further foolish suspicions. “Portal” opens with Sumita and fellow axesmith Shinichiro Hamada shredding through a traditional assortment of dirty and demonic riffs, only for the rhythm section of bassist Takachika Nakajima and drummer Keisuke Hamada to break into a series of tempo shifts that prove more elusive than the truth. While the band are still guided by the underground spirit, the new single from their upcoming album delves deeper into their psychic perception of our warped reality.
“Perpetual hell awaits”, Shinichiro Hamada growls. With one last sharp twist, he and his bandmates ascend to a higher plane of death metal existence.
Tracklist 1. Dazed in Blindness (2:59) 2. Altered State (3:05) 3. Obsession (3:04) 4. Portal (3:39) [WATCH] 5. Necro-Force (2:31) 6. The Degradation (3:51) 7. Genocidal Stage (2:27) 8. Metamorphosis of Evil (3:11) 9. The Ultra Death (2:42) 10. Zombified (2:17) 11. Lunatics (3:07) 12. Prophecies (3:29) 13. Demolition (3:25) 14. Apocalyptic End (3:25)
Artwork by Wes Benscoter
Hear “Portal” and other songs from Altered State during Defiled’s Japanese summer tour, as well as their upcoming shows with Mayhem and Incantation.
Defiled 2026 Spring Shows
April 8 – Osaka, Japan @ Big Cat with Mayhem April 26 – Tokyo, Japan @ Classix
Defiled 2026 Altered State Japanese Tour
June 9 – Tokyo @ Holiday with Incantation June 10 – Yokohama @ El Puente June 11 – Fussa @ Chicken Shack June 12 – Tokyo @ Earthdom June 13 – Fukushima @ Sora June 13 – Sendai @ Solfa June 14 – Aizuwakamatsu @ Karando June 14 – Niigata @ Rocka June 15 – Nagano @ Rosebery Cafe June 16 – Kofu @ Bodega June 17 – Iida @ Space Tama June 18 – Nagoya @ Studio 246 June 19 – Osaka @ Hokage June 20 – Okayama @ Dogvult June 20 – Hiroshima @ Agit June 21 – Fukuoka @ Reflex June 21 – Sasebo @ Distortion June 22 – Mabi @ Branch
Defiled truly are their own island. While active since 1992, during death metal’s golden era, the Tokyo legends are neither relics nor custodians for the old-school. They do not follow Western traditions. They cannot be reduced to tokens like kimonos or samurai. Like the Japanese salamander, they continue to evolve in isolation, free from passing trends. Founding member and guitarist Yusuke Sumita and his band of warriors remain masters of the form, but their upcoming ninth album bears only a passing resemblance to the genre’s past or present. On Altered State, Defiled unleash a dizzying blast of death metal straight from the future.
“Like many other bands, our musical roots are heavily influenced by early ‘90s death metal and ‘80s thrash and hardcore, however, our interpretation is different and has branched off from the current scene”, Sumita says. “On Altered State, there are many catchy hooks, but tricky progressive rhythms and song structures can be found as well. The album may not be understandable after a few listens, but it taps into a blind spot that many bands have missed”.
Though they’re indifferent to scenes within the larger world of metal, Defiled’s presence has spread far and wide for more than three decades. The band’s 1994 debut EP, Defeat of Sanity, quickly proved prescient after inspiring the name of their future Season of Mist labelmates Defeated Sanity. Their first three full-lengths – Erupted Wrath (1999), Ugliness Revealed (2001) and Divination (2003) – were allmixed by none other than the legend himself, Jim Morris, at Morrisound Studios in Tampa, Florida. Early successset them upon a war path through the Japanese underground and onto the international stage. Defiled ransacked Milwaukee Metal Festival and banged heads with Morbid Angel, Mayhem, Cannibal Corpse and Incantation.
Since signing with Season of Mist in 2003, Defiled have shown no sign of slowing down. Despite enduring some changes between 2011’s In Crisis and 2016’s Towards Inevitable Ruin, the personnel around Sumita is now locked in with Keisuke Hamada pounding on drums, Takachika Nakajima nailing down bass and Shinichiro Hamada handling both guitars and vocals. Starting with Infinite Regress in 2020, this lineup is currently riding a seemingly endless hot streak. After reaching The Highest Level in 2023, they topped themselves once more with 2024’s Horror Beyond Horror.
“Horror Beyond Horror again finds Defiled stuck on the upswing”, Decibel wrote in an 8/10 review. “With their eighth studio album since 1992, the Tokyo death metal longhairs’ third pandemic-era disc completes a four-year hothouse of peak ability, creativity and volatility”.
Metalheads can be forgiven for assuming Defiled had already reached peak shredding, that there were no horrors left for them to reveal. But Altered State quickly quiets any leftover suspicions. Lead single “Portal” opens with a reminder that this band can sharpen even traditional riffs before breaking into a series of tempo shifts that unlock another plane of existence. Though still influenced by sounds that came from the underground, the album delves even deeper into their psychic perception of our warped reality with a twist of inspiration from Stravinsky. Occultists gather around the shapeshifting groove that seizes hold over “Obsession”.
“Both musically and lyrically, Altered State is an expansion of The Highest Level and Horror Beyond Horror”, Sumita says. “The music is a combination of old-school death metal, technical-thrash riffs and the rhythmic changes of progressive rock. The lyrics are based on the dystopian world presented in George Orwell’s science-fiction masterpiece 1984. They express the madness that everyone living in the present currently feels”.
Altered State isn’t afraid to wind through the darkest and most mysterious corners of our collective consciousness. But listen closely to Defiled and all secrets will be revealed. “Receive the power”, the band command on the album’s title track with a chaos that only they can control.
Production credits Recorded at Studio Zot in Tokyo, Japan Producer – Yusuke Sumita Sound Engineers – Shinichiro Hamada and Keisuke Hamada Mixing and Mastering Studio – Studio Nest in Chiba, Japan Mixing and Mastering Engineer – Kenji Kikuchi
Songwriting credits: Music and lyrics by Yusuke Sumita
LEX LEGION is a brand new band comprised of old friends with incredible heavy metal pedigree. Comprising of four-fifths of the classic late 1980s King Diamond line-up – drummer Mikkey Dee, guitarists Pete Blakk and Andy La Rocque, and bassist Hal Patino – the group is infused with the jaw-dropping vocals of Nils K. Rue (Pagan’s Mind). And let’s not overlook that their members also boast Motörhead, Scorpions, and Death on its collective resumes.
Lex Legion’s eponymous debut album is a single-minded, future-facing throwback of world class hard rock/metal distinguished by tasteful, less-is-more arrangements, virtuoso musicianship, and relentless melody and harmony.
“Lex Legion is totally written the way we thought in the ’80s,” said Mikkey Dee. “We wrote what we wanted, and if you liked it, that was a great bonus. If you didn’t like it, that was fine with us, too!”
Lex Legion was formed by Blakk and Dee, and completed by Patino, alongside La Rocque (a King Diamond constant since 1985, who also played on Death’s seminal ‘Individual Thought Patterns’), and finally, Rue.
This is music for hard rock/metal fans, but also with a freshness and sense of excitement that only a debut album can capture. Lex Legion’s members find themselves more musically accomplished than ever before, but now free of the egos of youth; and with friendship that comes with careers spanning more than forty years.
Despite their impressive resumes (Dee is also a Grammy winner and both La Rocque and Hal Patino are nominees) and busy individual schedules, Lex Legion is a serious passion project that’s been gestating for a quarter century, until the time was right.
Lex Legion’s self-titled debut will be released by MNRK Music Group in June of 2026, with possible touring beginning the following year. And the band states its case within the first few seconds of its album opener and first single “Sleep Eternally,” which drops on March 31st.
“It has elements of everything on the album,” said La Rocque. “The right tempo and the right kind of vocals, starting out like a fist in your face!” Rue’s soaring pipes and ominous harmonies are framed by Dee’s unmistakable powerhouse drumming, imaginative leads from both guitarists, Patino’s melodic basslines, and shifts of pace and tempo that will satiate fans of more progressive sub genres.
The second track and follow-up single “Gypsy Tears” (which arrives in May) seals the deal – eerie, rapturous, otherworldly, propulsive and evocative, but also, straight-up driving, melodic metal.
“This is totally unique. No one is writing this kind of music and there’s a big hole for us to fill,” Blakk concluded. “Welcome to our new journey of friendship and hard rock!”
‘LEX LEGION’ TRACK LISTING:
1) Sleep Eternally 3.56 2) Gypsy Tears 3.57 3) When The Stars Align 3.52 4) (I Am) The Resurrected 4.27 5) Lost Inside 3.33 6) Dreams of Darkness 4.28 7) Saviours 4.03 8) Life Eternal 3.25 9) Far Away 2.58
Sleep Eternally Music Video:
Watch the band members introduce themselves and talk about this exciting next chapter as Lex Legion:
A shroud of sound and shadow is set to descend upon Europe this late spring, as ABIGAIL WILLIAMS (US) announce their long-awaited return to the continent for a series of live performances across May and June. Renowned for their evocative blend of black metal and cinematic intensity, the band will once again bring their immersive sonic landscapes to audiences across the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe.
Following years of refining their sound into something increasingly expansive and haunting, ABIGAIL WILLIAMS continue to stand as one of the most distinctive voices in the modern extreme metal landscape. This upcoming run of dates promises to channel that evolution into a live setting, offering audiences an experience that is as enveloping as it is unrelenting.
For the European mainland leg of the tour, the band will be joined by Dutch act SHAGOR (NL), whose raw and obscure take on black metal will provide a fitting counterpoint, deepening the atmosphere of each night. Together, the two bands will shape a sequence of performances steeped in darkness, tension and intensity.
Divided into two distinct chapters, the tour will first traverse the UK and Ireland with a select run of exclusive ABIGAIL WILLIAMS performances, including an appearance at Fortress Festival. The journey will then continue across mainland Europe, where SHAGOR will join as main support for a series of carefully selected dates, culminating in a final gathering in the Netherlands.
The Itinerary of Ruin
UK & Ireland (Abigail Williams only) 31/05 • Fortress Fest, Scarborough, UK 03/06 • The Pavillion, Cork, IRL 04/06 • Sound House, Dublin, IRL 05/06 • Voodoo, Belfast, IRL 06/06 • Dolans Kasbah, Limerick, IRL
European Mainland (w/ Shagor) 08/06 • De Verlichte Geest, Kortrijk, BE 09/06 • Music House, Graz, AT 10/06 • Venster 99, Vienna, AT 12/06 • Zappenduster Festival, Münster, DE (Abigail Williams only) 13/06 • Hall of Fame, Tilburg, NL
Audiences are invited to step beyond the veil and gather in the gloom as The Great Darkness once again takes form. Tickets are available now through all standard outlets.
Cardinale Italo Martire (Black Flame, Adversam, The Catechists) introduces Imperium Omega, a project conceived many years ago and finally brought to life with the debut album “Somewhere Along The Way”.
Blending dark ambient, black metal and industrial elements through a distinctly cosmic lens, IMPERIUM OMEGA takes shape as an immersive sonic experience that deliberately avoids categorization. Rather than a collection of tracks, the album unfolds as a journey into the void – meant to be experienced in a single breath as a complete work.
The album is structured in phases, each reflecting a specific mental state experienced during its creation. The result is a chronological pathway through the artist’s mind, where music and personal experience merge into a continuous, non-linear flow.
IMPERIUM OMEGA is an entirely intimate and self-contained project: Cardinale Italo Martire handled all instruments, recording and artwork himself, deliberately avoiding external collaboration in order to preserve the project’s artistic integrity and vision.
The release comes under the Vox Cardinalis banner, an imprint founded by Cardinale Italo Martire to support future artistic developments and parallel projects.
A new album is already scheduled for release in 2026.
photo by Julia Nikiforova – JN Lightning Photography
HateSphere will release “The Sickness Within” (2026 remaster) on April 17 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.
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!
remaster 2026 by Tue Madsen + 3 bonus tracks taken from “The Killing” EP (2005)
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” (2026 remaster) will be re-released in the following format: jewel case CD
“The Sickness Within” (2026 remaster) 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 12 You’re The Enemy (CD bonus track) 13 The Will Of God (CD bonus track) 14 Trip At The Brain (CD bonus track)
Line-up (2005): Jacob Bredahl – vocals Peter Lyse Hansen – guitar Henrik Bastrup Jacobsen – guitar Mikael Ehlert Hansen – bass Anders Gyldenøhr – drums
In other news, HateSphere is currently working on the follow-up to the acclaimed “Hatred Reborn” album (2023).
HateSphere 2026: Mathias Uldall – vocals Peter Lyse Karmark – guitar Kasper Kirkegaard – guitar Jimmy Nedergaard – bass Mike Park Nielsen – drums
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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
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