DISHEARTENED (feat. Nikita Kamprad/ Der Weg Einer Freiheit) is the first single from A SECRET REVEALED’s upcoming fourth album THE RUIN I SUMMONED FORTH, out October 16th on Lifeforce Records.
The title of the fourth full‑length by A SECRET REVEALED already serves as a dark omen: “The Ruin I Summoned Forth” sounds powerful, oppressive, and inescapable. And that very weight permeates all eight songs of the album. The band from Würzburg crafts a sonic landscape defined by immense emotional force, urgent intensity, and a density that feels almost impossible to contain. Their wall of sound is never an end in itself, but the foundation of an existential expression that hits immediately and resonates long after.
Stylistically, the quintet moves within the tension field of post‑metal – a sound that doesn’t deny its core roots, yet highlights more clearly than ever their affinity for black metal, melodic death metal, and modern, forward‑driving heaviness. Time and again, fragile, searching passages open up, giving the massive sound room to breathe, occasionally interwoven with subtle, almost folkloric accents. Fittingly, the opener ‘Disheartened’ sets an early exclamation mark: with Nikita Kamprad of Der Weg einer Freiheit as guest vocalist, the track gains additional depth and sharpness.
“The Ruin I Summoned Forth” marks the band’s third release on LIFEFORCE RECORDS, following “Sacrifices” (2019) and “When The Day Yearns For Light” (2021). Their debut “The Bleakness” was released in 2015 via Bastardized Records. Across all four records, a clear narrative thread emerges: A SECRET REVEALED consistently strive to craft strong thematic arcs and a massive, uncompromising sound that grips listeners from the very beginning and leaves a lasting impact. Once again, the band presents a cohesive work in which individual elements rise into an overwhelming whole, until, in the end, the inevitable unfolds: “The Ruin I Summoned Forth”.
Pulling back the curtain with a wink, Texas-bred and North Carolina-based alternative pop provocateur BRAKE has signed with Better Noise Music and serves up a cheeky and catchy new single entitled “swingin,” which is out now.
Listen to “swingin” here. Watch the music video here.
The track layers his breezy, butter-smooth vocals over sun-kissed guitar and a head-nodding West Coast beat. Pulling no punches and hinting at what comes next, Brake immediately sets the scene —“Butt ass naked by the pool.” He flexes his dynamic range on flirty verses until the feels and fire overflow during the refrain as he recognizes, “Something in the way I’m swingin’ with you.”
The accompanying visual projects this energy on the screen. Brake personally wrote the treatment, while Graham Bishop directed it. You can practically see his words play out in the NSFW visual as he pulls up to a pool party (sans pants) and enjoys the warmth of a summertime bacchanal. In between, he performs flanked by a lingerie-clad backing band and groove-steady drummer.
It opens up his wild world and invites everyone in.
About the song, Brake says, “I wrote ‘swingin’ about an eye-opening experience I had at a swingers club in Vegas. I wanted to make a song that fully embraced the free love and body positive lifestyle that I experienced there. This song isn’t necessarily about sex, but was written to open the door of acceptance and let people feel free to have an open and expressive mind even beyond their own fears and insecurities.”
Better Noise Music Director of A&R Lexie Viklund states, “We’re thrilled to welcome Brake to the Better Noise Music roster. From the moment we heard his music, it was clear he was bringing something different. He’s an incredibly talented songwriter and performer, but what really stood out was his authenticity. His music is infectious, his artistry feels timeless, and he has a way of connecting with people that’s impossible to fake.”
Viklund continues, “At Better Noise, we love working with artists who are not only exceptional at what they do, but who are genuinely great people. Brake is exactly that kind of artist. He has an authentic voice, a fresh perspective, and the kind of personality that makes this business fun. Those are the artists who remind us why we do what we do.”
This summer, Brake is utilizing the new artist-first concert platform PlayHouse to host and headline backyard and pool party performances. Created by Tyson Ritter of The All-American Rejects, the platform connects artists, fans, and space hosts to set up intimate, pre-sold, and ticketed shows in alternative spaces like backyards, lofts, and rooftops. Artists list a target number of ticket sales needed before committing to a physical venue or touring blind, and attendees are charged once the minimum demand threshold is met. In partnership with PlayHouse, Brake will perform in Tiki Island, TX on August 16. See more details here.
Brake has also built an incredible online presence for himself and is recognized as a top verified Snapchat creator. He often partners with the platform for social takeovers at events like the Welcome To Rockville festival in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which he did earlier this year!
Brake has also forged an unexpected and unlikely yet creatively fruitful friendship with actor and musician Russell Crowe, which was sparked by a TikTok connection, where Crowe publicly praised Brake’s song “Cigarettes & Black Lipstick Stains” and the two further connected. It lead to both musical collaborations and a live performance together at Crowe’s Indoor Garden Party at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney.
Brake has also been working as an artist ambassador for Muff, which is Crowe’s liquor brand with Ed Sheeran. Look out for more from the partnership.
Want to see Brake live? Purchase Tickets. Host A Show. Or Vote For Your City here.
BRAKE’S SWINGIN’ SUMMER TOUR DATES: 8/16 — Tiki Island, TX
WITH GNASH: 9/15 — Dallas, TX — House of Blues Dallas — Cambridge Room 9/16 — Houston, TX — Warehouse Live Midtown 9/20 — Nashville, TN — Exit/In 9/22 — Charlotte, NC — The Underground
Stay tuned for more music and news from Brake coming soon.
ABOUT BRAKE: Raised in Texas and currently based in North Carolina, Brake creates a unique blend of bluesy country warmth with a look that can be described as what an “emo dude” would wear in the 1970s. Influenced by Motown and classic rock heroes, the vocalist and musician also known as Blake Bidigare channels thoughts and energy into songs that capture life’s highs and lows with a laid-back, relatable style. Brake’s journey as a musician has been about staying true to individual expression and capturing moments as they feel right. In 2023, this mindset helped his single “Cigarettes and Black Lipstick” achieve global success, landing on Billboard charts and becoming a viral TikTok sound. His live performances have evolved from acoustic shows in Texas to a nationwide tour with Skizzy Mars and Moonlander in 2026. Meanwhile, he has previously ignited festivals stages such as So What?! Music Festival. Stepping into a new artistic chapter, Brake returns with his single “Swingin” and much more on the horizon.
German dark rock band UNZUCHT releases ‘Neon Dom (The Dark Remix) / Krieger (Triggerpoint Remix)’
“Neon Dom (The Dark Remix)” and “Krieger (Triggerpoint Remix)” round off the four-part remix series for the album NEON DOM, giving the original tracks a new, powerfully dark edge.
You can listen to both songs here:
With their new studio album ‘Neon Dom’, UNZUCHT herald a new era of musical darkness – without giving up the search for redeeming light.
The work combines brutal intensity with deep black emotionality, creating a soundscape that challenges, overwhelms and fascinates at the same time.
The songs lead like a controlled fall into a world permeated by shadows: carried by powerful guitars, uncompromising rhythms and the new voice of frontman Timm, who transforms pain, anger and unshakeable strength into pure energy.
‘Neon Dom’ is more than an album – it is a liberating blow. ‘Darkness is followed by light and I burn all bridges,’ says Feuerregen. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, UNZUCHT rises anew: a musical monolith that only reveals its true power when you are ready to face your own demons.
Thematically, the album explores the boundaries of human existence: inner conflicts, a battlefield of fears and the disintegration of supposed certainties – and yet the tireless search for hope in a world that is increasingly slipping away.
Neon Dom breathes darkness in all its forms — no turning back. Or: Here begins the journey into the heart of darkness — no turning back.
Created from the shards of human fragility, reforged in the fire of an unyielding will.
TRACK LISTING
1 – Katharsis 2 – Neon Dom 3 – Feuerregen 4 – Krieger 5 – Chaos 6 – Nie mehr zurück 7 – 1000 Scherben 8 – Gegen die Zeit 9 – Koloss 10 – Apokalypsis 11 – Nachtschatten 1 12 – Nachtschatten 2
LINE UP Vocals – Timm Hindorff Guitar, Vocals, Programming, Electronics – Daniel De Clercq Bass – Don Canone Drums – Toby Fuhrmann
DISCOGRAPHY 2012: Deine Zeit läuft ab (EP) 2012: Todsünde 8 (Album) 2013: Rosenkreuzer (Album) 2014: Venus Luzifer (Album) 2015: Schweigen/Seelenblind (EP) 2016: Kettenhund (EP) 2016: Neuntöter (Album) 2017: Widerstand (Live Album) 2018: Akephalos (Album) 2020: Jenseits der Welt (Album) 2022: Chaosmagie (Best Of Album)
Finnish three-piece groove metal band ILL GEARED released their first full length album “To Dust” on August 7th 2026. The album consists of 10 songs and includes also previously released singles released singles, “To Dust”, “The Wasp” and “Abyss”. The songs in the album present Ill Geared’s groove metal style mixed with doom metal influences. Raw, heavy, melodic at times and including some old school vibes. From faster songs with blast beats (Delirious, Abyss…) to slower, almost full doom metal songs, such as “Valley of Death”.
Songs tell about nightmares, nature predators, real life incidents and imaginary stories.
Track list: 01. Abyss 02. Solar 03. To Dust 04. Victim Three 05. Wasp 06. Delirious 07. Signals 08. Valley of Death 09. Taste of Demons 10. Dead End Maze
–All music & production by Ill Geared –Mixing: Niklas Piispala / Norppa Audio –Mastering: Tide Studios London –Album cover by Cem Karakaş
Full album can be heard live on 28.8.2026 @ Hard Rock House. Helsinki.
BIOGRAPHY:
Ill Geared is a metal band from Helsinki – Finland. Formed in 2023, Ill Geared combines influences from groove metal to doom and beyond. The band’s sound has been described as unique by music magazines and listeners alike. The music includes variety of aggressive vocal styles, and bit of old school grip. Ill Geared has made two releases, a two song demo and EP (Ill Beginning’s) in 2025. LP called “To Dust” is to be released August 7th 2026. Three singles from the album have been previously released. The band is actively playing live shows and booking more shows continuously. Ill Geared is currently unassigned and looking for a record label to work with.
Line-up: Cem Karakaş – Vocals & Bass Tatu Virta – Guitars, Backing Vocals Jani-Petteri Polo – Drums
SHINING have unleashed their new single “NORTH,” a ferocious collision of industrial metal, distorted screams, punishing riffs and the band’s unmistakable shrieking saxophone. The song is emboldened by a distinctive Nordic saxophone riff that will freeze your blood to ice.
“’NORTH’ is a salute to the ice-cold North—its darkness, its harsh winters and the defiance of the people shaped by them,” says SHINING founder Jørgen Munkeby. “At its core, it’s a song about Northern perseverance and ‘The Northern Way’: that stubborn, self-reliant spirit that has driven SHINING from the beginning.”
True to spirit, SHINING took complete control of the song’s creation; the band wrote, recorded and mixed it themselves in their own studio before travelling to drummer Simen Sandnes’ cabin in the Norwegian mountains to shoot the official video.
November 3rd — Stengade, Copenhagen, Denmark November 5th — dB’s, Utrecht, Netherlands November 6th — Backstage By The Mill, Paris, France November 10th — O2 Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom* November 11th — SWG3, Glasgow, United Kingdom* November 12th — The Academy, Dublin, Ireland*
*With Igorrr and Otto Von Schirach
SHINING are currently working on a new album, expect more new music soon.
About SHINING:
Led by saxophonist, singer, composer and producer Jørgen Munkeby, SHINING began as an acoustic jazz quartet before repeatedly and deliberately mutating into new musical forms. That evolution reached a violent breakthrough with ‘Blackjazz,’ an explosive fusion of free jazz, blackened industrial metal and progressive extremity that established the Norwegian band as a singular force in heavy music.
SHINING continued their transformation through 2013’s streamlined and confrontational ‘One One One,’ 2015’s ‘International Blackjazz Society’ and 2018’s hook-driven rock reinvention ‘Animal.’ The latter’s title track has surpassed 13 million streams on Spotify, while the album increased the band’s monthly listenership tenfold.
In recent years, SHINING have revisited ‘Blackjazz’ through a series of selected anniversary performances, including an explosive show before 15,000 fans at Hellfest (France) in 2024. Their August 7, 2026 appearance at Bloodstock Festival (UK) continues that celebration—but “NORTH” makes it clear that the band’s next chapter has already begun…
One of Brazil’s leading independent heavy metal promotion channels, Metal com Batata, is celebrating 10 years of dedication to the underground scene with a special edition of the Metal com Batata 10th Anniversary Online Festival.
The event will be streamed live and free on August 21st, 2026, beginning at 8:00 PM (Brazil time) on the official Metal com Batata YouTube channel.
Founded on July 15th, 2016 by Brazilian radio host Cristiano “Batata” Oliveira, Metal com Batata has become an important platform for promoting independent bands from Brazil and around the world. Over the past decade, the project has featured hundreds of interviews, introduced thousands of new songs, and built strong relationships with musicians, record labels, radio stations, promoters, and fans worldwide.
To celebrate this milestone, the festival will feature 25 artists from eight different countries, highlighting the diversity and strength of today’s underground metal scene.
Brazilian Artists
The festival will showcase performances and exclusive appearances by:
Dunkell Reiter, Losna, Sacrifix, Stout Inc., Shitai, Siegrid Ingrid, Drowned, Exkil, Dorsal Atlântica, Armadilha, Headspawn, Galo de Briga, Scum Noise, Magnolia, LoSS, Daniele Krauz and Dinnamarque.
International Artists
The international lineup includes:
Noord – Belgium
Castelnuovo Rancore – Italy
Riccardo D’Attis – Italy
Frostmorner – Italy
Parallel Minds – France
Bastard Skull – United States
Active Intersection – United States
Crimson Day – Finland
In addition to the musical performances, viewers will enjoy exclusive video messages from artists, record labels, promoters, and media partners who have supported Metal com Batata throughout its ten-year journey.
The event also celebrates the international partnerships established over the years with record labels, PR agencies, and radio stations from several countries, helping connect Brazilian audiences with underground metal from around the world.
According to Metal com Batata founder Cristiano “Batata” Oliveira:
“For the past ten years, our mission has always been to give independent bands a voice, regardless of their size or country of origin. This festival is our way of saying thank you to every musician, label, promoter, media partner, and especially to the audience that has supported Metal com Batata since 2016.”
With free worldwide streaming, the Metal com Batata 10th Anniversary Online Festival promises to unite heavy metal fans from around the globe in a celebration of independent music and underground culture.
EVENT INFORMATION Metal com Batata 10th Anniversary Online Festival Date: August 21st, 2026 Time: 8:00 PM (Brasília, Brazil – UTC -3) Watch Live: www.youtube.com/METALCOMBATATA Free Online Event
Ten years supporting independent metal. Ten years bringing Brazilian underground music to the world—and the world to Brazilian metal fans.
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 ) 