Progressive death metallers THE ZENITH PASSAGE today present their latest single, “Fleshbound Reliquary.” Mixed and mastered by Dave Otero (Cattle Decapitation, Allegaeon, Archspire, Cephalic Carnage) with artwork by Shindy Reehal (Psycroptic, Lamb Of God, Kreator, Angelmaker), the track serves as the band’s first new output from the band since 2023’s critically adored and chart topping Datalysium full-length as well as the first song drummer Maximillian Sepulveda appears on.
Comments vocalist Derek Rydquist, “‘Fleshbound Reliquary’ depicts a world and existence where resources have been so ravaged that we are forced to look towards ourselves as the means of production for what comes next.”
Adds guitarist Justin McKiney, “Musically, the track features a series of tightly interlocked rhythmic motifs executed with laser precision, all within a traditional song structure. The piece is primarily in 3, culminating in a grand, climactic resolution of the main motif that transitions into a powerful 4 feel for an epic close.”
THE ZENITH PASSAGE is currently wrapping up a successful North American tour which began October 30th supporting labelmates Entheos. “We’re honored to be part of Entheos’ first headlining tour,” offers Rydquist, “Our bands go back over twenty years in some form or another – Derek has been playing shows with Entheos drummer Navene [Koperweis] since high school! – and it’s awesome to continue to be part of each other’s success. We’re playing the new song on this run, our brothers in Fallujah are bringing the shred, and our new friends in Tracheotemy are bringing the heavy, so be sure to show up early and get a taste of everything metal can give you in 2025.” See all remaining dates below.
Hailing from Los Angeles, California, THE ZENITH PASSAGE features Justin McKiney (ex-The Faceless), Brandon Giffin (ex-The Faceless, Cynic), Derek Rydquist (ex-The Faceless, John Frum), Chistopher Beattie, and Maximillian Sepulveda. Formed in 2012 by McKinney as a small recording project, the band began turning heads after the release of their debut EP, Cosmic Dissonance and ultimately became a full touring outfit.
After five years of silence, German alternative metal pioneers PYOGENESIS resurface with a striking new collaboration: the haunting single and music video “All I Am Is Bleeding”, created together with horror punk institution THE OTHER.
The track marks the official beginning of a new creative era for PYOGENESIS, who are currently working on their next studio album, scheduled for release in early 2027.
Musically and emotionally, “All I Am Is Bleeding” delivers one of the most intense statements in the band’s career. Dark, melancholic melodies intertwine with dramatic vocal harmonies and a deep sense of vulnerability, framed by a powerful gothic metal backbone. The fusion with THE OTHER adds theatrical darkness and raw emotional weight, turning the song into a stirring anthem of pain, exposure, and survival.
Frontman Flo V. Schwarz comments:
“I wrote these lyrics from a pain that has become part of who I am. It is one of the most emotional songs I have ever written and sung. ‘All I am is bleeding’ is my heart exposed with no skin to protect.”
Accompanied by a visually gripping music video, the single offers a first glimpse into the artistic direction of the upcoming album: deeper, darker, and more personal than ever before.
With “All I Am Is Bleeding”, PYOGENESIS not only break their silence, but reaffirm their place as one of the most expressive and enduring forces in European alternative metal.
More details about the forthcoming album will be revealed in the coming months.
PYOGENESIS LIVE 13.12.2025 (GER) Hamburg, Sporthalle / LordFest
PYOGENESIS are: Flo V. Schwarz – Guitars, Vocals Malte Brauer – Bass Gizz Butt – Guitars Sebastian Michalski – Drums
Sátan, an emerging metal festival in Iceland, is now pleased to reveal the final wave of bands for 2026 and is pleased to present a very special collaboration between Behemoth frontman Nergal and Icelandic black metal visionaries Misþyrming, who will join forces to perform Behemoth’s seminal debut, ‘Sventevith (Storming Near the Baltic),’ in its entirety. The festival also now welcomes Icelandic post-hardcore outfit Gavin Portland, Swedish thrash pioneers The Haunted, and Iceland Music Award’s 2025 “Newcomer of the Year,” Múr!
The third edition of the festival will take place in Stykkishólmur on the Snæfellsnes peninsula from June 4-6, 2026!
Passes for next year are now available at THIS LOCATION.
The complete lineup is as follows:
DIMMA SIGN STRIPSHOW (First Show in 30 years!) NERGAL + MISÞYRMING (performing Behemoth’s ‘Sventevith (Storming Near the Baltic)’) ABORTED THE HAUNTED VOIVOD MISÞYRMING HAMFERÐ SKITSYSTEM CADAVER NECROWRETCH TAILGUNNER POWER PALADIN MÚR DEVINE DEFILEMENT GAVIN PORTLAND BOOTLEGS NEXION CARPE NOCTEM WISTARIA BARNAVEIKI KOOKAVEEN WACKEN METAL BATTLE 2026 WINNERS (TBA!)
The recent 2025 edition was a massive success, integrating an array of alternative genres from hardcore to extreme while showcasing some of the best that Iceland has to offer alongside international legacy acts. Wyatt’s Metal revered the three-day spectacle as “Iceland’s BEST Metal Festival,” for which his detailed review can be seen HERE.
Sátan is a three day metal festival happening in Stykkishólmur on the Snæfellsnes peninsula. The festival focuses on offering a variety of Iceland’s best metalbands as well as a carefully curated selection of international bands.
The organization behind Sátan consists of metalheads and musicians that have been active in the Icelandic scene for up to 30 years and have extensive experience of organizing music festivals and concerts as well as general band related activities.
Everyone is welcome at Sátan regardless of origin, skincolor, religion, gender or sexual orientation and there is only one goal: that everyone, staff, bands and guests, go home smiling after a great festival!
Sátan is committed to zero tolerance against violence and violence of any kind invalidates your ticket!
LORD OF THE LOST goes full opulence with “What Have We Become”, the latest single off their upcoming album, OPVS NOIR Vol. 2, out on December 12, 2025 via Napalm Records! Working with exceptional British electronic music artist IAMX, the fearless kings of versatility build an emotional masterpiece in which Chris Harms and IAMX (aka Chris Corner) duet in an exceptionally moving way, significantly expanding LORD OF THE LOST’s vast musical universe yet again.
Following the recent success of their co-headline tour with FEUERSCHWANZ and last month’s UK tour, LORD OF THE LOST are headed towards their very own festival. The next edition of LORDFEST takes place on December 13, 2025 in their native Hamburg’s Sporthalle. Celebrated the day after next week’s album release side by side with PAIN, SETYØURSAILS, and PYOGENESIS, it will be a special release show. The headliner will also be joined by BEYOND THE BLACK for three songs. Next year, the band will tour across the USA, Canada and Australia, before returning to Europe for the recently announced ‘TOVR NOIR 2026’, with shows in 19 countries.
Chris Harms on “What Have We Become”: “IAMX has been one of my favorite artists for almost 20 years and has been the soundtrack of many significant moments in my life. Chris Corner’s voice and expression are so unique and unmistakable,and the feeling he conveys with every word and every note cried out for a song to be conceived at some point, which was already intended for LORD OF THE LOST and IAMX at its core, in which worlds collide and become one big feeling. The result is ‘What Have We Become’, one of the most moving LORD OF THE LOST songs we have ever produced.”
Following their enchantingly colorful BLOOD & GLITTER, which earned them participation in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 and a #1 chart entry in their native Germany, LORD OF THE LOST reinvent themselves yet again with OPVS NOIR. With OPVS NOIR Vol. 2, another 11 heartfelt songs join the three-part cycle, tying seamlessly into Vol. 1. With OPVS NOIR Vol. 2, the band delves deeper into their melancholic take on unravelling their innermost selves, adding a new hopeful layer to the wonderfully dark panorama already presented in OPVS NOIR Vol. 1.
Get your copy of OPVS NOIR Vol. 2 HERE– first formats are already sold out!
Opening with dark yet catchy “The Fall From Grace”, LORD OF THE LOST immediately showcases their way with grand ballroom choruses weaved into grave melodies that will continue to sit enthroned on all the varied tracks until the last note of the ballad “Sharp Edges”. Joining in are guests ranging from scene favorites to top-tier musicians outside the metal genre. First up is INFECTED RAIN’s Lena Scissorhands, who refines the pitch-black “Would You Walk With Me Through Hell?” with the full range of her fierce, yet fragile vocals. Similarly, Anna Brunner of rising melodic metal stars LEAGUE OF DISTORTION and symphonic metal band EXIT EDEN lends her energetic voice to “Please Break The Silence”, inducing goosebumps – every talent is an important scene in OPVS NOIR’s grimly colorful movie for the ears. Unexpectedly, yet fittingly, Finnish rap artist KÄÄRIJÄ, runner-up at Eurovision 2023, turns “Raveyard” into a dancefloor with a mix of industrial, gothic, and Finnish rap—as if heralding the dawn of a new genre. The most moving collaboration is the opulent “What Have We Become”, in which experimental artist IAMX meets Chris Harms for a cathartic duet.
OPVS NOIR Vol. 2 tracklisting:
The Fall From Grace
Would You Walk With Me Through Hell? (& Infected Rain)
DARK WINTER TOUR – USA & CANADA 2026 Co-Headliner Tour w/ The Birthday Massacre Special Guest Wednesday 13 19.01.26 US – Baltimore, MD / Baltimore Soundstage 20.01.26 US – Philadelphia, PA / Theatre of Living Arts 21.01.26 US – New Haven, CT / Toad’s Place 23.01.26 US – New York, NY / Webster Hall 24.01.26 US – Worcester, MA / The Palladium 25.01.26 CA – Montreal, QC / Beanfield Theatre 26.01.26 CA – Toronto, ON / Phoenix Concert Theatre 28.01.26 US – Cleveland, OH / House of Blues 29.01.26 US – Cincinnati, OH / Bongart’s 30.01.26 US – Detroit, MI / St. Andrews Hall 31.01.26 US – Chicago, IL / Concord Music Hall 02.02.26 US – Minneapolis, MN / First Avenue 04.02.26 US – Denver, CO / Summit Music Hall 05.02.26 US – Salt Lake City, UT / The Complex 07.02.26 US – Los Angeles, CA / The Fonda 08.02.26 US – San Francisco, CA / UC Theatre
Australia 2026 19.02.26 AU – Brisbane / Crowbar 20.02.26 AU – Melbourne / Max Watts 21.02.26 AU – Sydney / Crowbar 22.02.26 AU – Adelaide / Lion Arts
TOVR NOIR 2026 Special Guests: AD INFINITUM [∞] DOGMA [†] LEAGUE OF DISTORTION [x] 12.03.26 NO – Oslo [∞] 13.03.26 SE – Gothenburg [∞] 14.03.26 SE – Stockholm [∞] 16.03.26 FI – Tampere [∞] 17.03.26 FI – Helsinki [∞] 19.03.26 EE – Tallinn [∞] 20.03.26 LT – Vilnius [∞] 21.03.26 PL – Warsaw [∞] 22.03.26 PL – Kraków [∞] 24.03.26 AT – Vienna [∞] 25.03.26 HU – Budapest [∞] 27.03.26 GR – Athens [∞] 28.03.26 BG – Sofia [∞] 29.03.26 RO – Bucharest [∞] 09.04.26 NL – Amsterdam [†] [X] 10.04.26 FR – Paris [†] [X] 11.04.26 FR – La Roche-sur-Yon [†] [X] 12.04.26 FR – Toulouse [†] [X] 14.04.26 ES – Madrid [†] [X] 15.04.26 ES – Barcelona [†] [X] 17.04.26 FR – Lyon [†] [X] 18.04.26 BE – Durbuy Rock [†] [X] 24.04.26 DE – Hexentanz [†] [X] 25.04.26 CH – Pratteln [†] [X] 26.04.26 IT – Milan [†] [X] 06.05.26 CZ – Prague [†] [X] 07.05.26 DE – Herford [†] [X] 08.05.26 DE – Cologne [†] [X] 09.05.26 DE – Stuttgart [†] [X]
LORD OF THE LOST are: Chris Harms – Vocals, Guitar Pi Stoffers – Guitar Benjamin “Benji” Mundigler – Guitar, Synths Klaas Helmecke – Bass Gerrit Heinemann – Piano, Synths, Percussion Niklas Kahl – Drums
French doom metal band CARCOLH have released a new music video for “For Every Second…”, a track from their 2025 album “Twilight of the Mortals” (Sleeping Church Records).
The video includes live footage captured during the band’s performance at Seisach Metal Night VI, combined with visual material from Jean Epstein’s short film The Storm Divide. The film’s thematic elements and imagery were chosen by the band for their connection to the atmosphere and lyrical content of the song.
The band states: “We had the chance to get the video captation of our show at Seisach Metal Night VI and we made a clip for our track ‘For Every Second…’ Extracted from our last album, ‘Twilight Of The Mortals’, released in 2025 through Sleeping Church Records. The film images are taken from a short film by Jean Epstein, ‘The Storm Divide’, which I discovered thanks to the Tumatxa podcast by Peio Cachenaut, and whose magical themes and magnificent shots of raging sea perfectly convey the atmosphere and the lyrics of the track.”
Hailing from Bordeaux/Herbignac, France, CARCOLH emerged in 2016, birthed from the ashes of Marble Chariot. With a lineup forged from experienced musicians, including members of renowned bands like Oyabun, Hexenjäger, and Dead Toys, CARCOLH has solidified their place in the doom metal scene.
The group introduced their approach on their debut “Rising Sons of Saturn” (2018) and refined it further on “The Life and Works of Death” (2021). Their current album, “Twilight of the Mortals”, recorded and mixed by Raph Henry at Heldskalla Studio and mastered by Drudenhaus Studio, continues this trajectory with a focus on expressive songwriting and a consistent, cohesive sonic identity.
With the release of the “For Every Second…” video, CARCOLH offer another perspective on a key track from their latest album.
Released in vinyl LP, CD, and digital formats through Sleeping Church Records, the album is available for purchase at THIS LOCATION
Desertfest Berlin turns up the heat once more. After a string of early announcements, the festival now drops another heavy hit of news: Portland’s finest riff dealers RED FANG are back! They will be rolling into Desertfest Berlin 2026 with the full package – massive stoner-rock grooves, hook-loaded sludge anthems, and that unmistakable RED FANG swagger that’s carried them from DIY basements to global festival stages.
Please also welcome: from Oslo, HÅNDGEMENG. These dudes crash in with their explosive fusion of hardcore punk, stoner metal and icy Norwegian chaos – a band that turns every stage into a riot. Berlin’s ROTOR follow with their trademark instrumental powertrip of hypnotic grooves and desert-driven momentum. SKLOSS, Space gaze duo from Austin, Texas. UK desert-rock veterans STEAK with riffs thick as concrete and a catalogue that’s been shaking festival dust worldwide and THE DHARMA CHAIN – Psychedelic daydreamers spinning shimmering, sun-dazed jams that feel like drifting into a parallel universe.
The latest additions crank the line-up to the next level, joining a line-up that already boasts heavy-hitters like RUSSIAN CIRCLES, HERMANO ft. JOHN GARCIA, THE SWORD, KING BUFFALO, ACID KING, TRUCKFIGHTERS, NEBULA, EARTHLESS, BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT, FUZZ SAGRADO (ex Samsara Blues Expieriment), Thrash Metal powerhouse ZERRE and many more!
From May 14–16, 2026 at Columbiahalle & Columbia-Theater, DESERTFEST BERLIN will turn the German capital into a heavy riff sanctuary, with more names and special suprises to follow. Time to plan, the Day Splits, Tickets and Venue Sleep Over options are now available at: www.desertfest-tickets.de
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 ) 