Just before Christmas, Austrian thrash/death metallers Darkfall are turning things up one more time! Although plans for an upcoming new album are already quite advanced, the band decided to send out a loud sign of life before the year ends.
Today they release “Only Death Is Real”, a previously unreleased track, as a digital single accompanied by a lyric video on YouTube – giving fans something heavy to bridge the wait for the next album. Check it out!
French dark and melodic heavy metal band The Losts, formed in 2010, released their third studio album ‘Venom Within via Finnish record label Inverse Records on December 19th 2025.
LISTEN to ‘Venom Within’ album on all major streaming platforms: https://push.fm/fl/the-losts-venom-within
About Venom Within:
DGC: “With this new record, we wanted to recapture the extreme edge and darkness that Phil Reinhalter (PUTRID OFFAL, MERCYLESS, NOISE EMISSION CONTROL, …) had brought to Mystery of Depths. We also wanted to push the boundaries of production further. Working with Phil again was an obvious choice—we gave him more freedom to push us to our limits. It was a tough ride, but we’re really proud of the outcome.”
PPG: “This album gave me the chance to bring in my groovy vision of the bass. On the last record, I had just joined the band and the production was already far along, so I couldn’t really express myself freely. Here, thanks to Phil’s work, the bass stands out and adds a unique soul to the songs.”
YGC: “The Losts has always been a playground for the diversity of our tastes and personalities. But with Venom Within, we’ve delivered our most collective work so far—a true statement of music with many faces, forged together into one vision.”
JCR : “The artwork for this new album is the remarkable creation of independent artist Alec Vladski. Together, we envisioned it as a kind of ‘cabinet of curiosities.’ Since the concept of The Losts ultimately questions the very notion of existence, what better way to illustrate it than through the struggle for survival—at every scale of life?”
Track list:
THE LOSTS is a Dark & Melodic Heavy Metal band from the North of France, touring since 2010 in France, Belgium and the Netherlands. It has shared stages with bands such as SERENITY (Austria), DIRTY SHIRT (Romania), ZORNHEYM (Sweden), LONEWOLF (France), WIZARD (Germany), KING HEAVY (Chile), CAPILLA ARDIENTE (Chile), DRAKKAR (Belgium), FIREFORCE (Belgium), DOOMOCRACY (Greece), LOUDBLAST (France), and many more.
The music of THE LOSTS, always led by a melodic side, reflects the tastes of each member. Thus, Hard, Dark, Black, Doom, Thrash, Oriental, even Rock, enrich the Heavy Metal which represents the roots of the band. The band cites MEGADETH as well as ARCTURUS, MERCYFUL FATE, JINJER, THERION or even IMMORTAL for major influences.
All the lyrics and designs are linked by the same concept: the mythology of the “Losts”, a fictional story and a pretext to portray a satire of our societies. Born from nowhere and driven by a thirst for humanity, these characters draw closer to human civilizations. As their story unfolds through the songs, they embody and then question the essence of human nature, its power, and the meaning of existence.
Formed by DGC (guitars), JCR (drums), YGC (vocals/guitars) and GGV (bass), this line-up released its first self-produced EP, “No God, No Devil”, in 2013. This EP received a warm welcome from the musical media (reviews in Metallian and Rock Hard France for example). In 2016, its debut full-length album “…Of Shades & Deadlands” was released in partnership with Ellie Promotion. The artwork was designed by the renowned Stan W. Decker. Thanks to sales and media coverage, the album reached audiences beyond Europe, gaining traction in Asia and South America, with enthusiastic feedback from both the press and fans.
In 2020, during the recording of the second album, GGV left the band. This marked the first lineup change, welcoming PPG on bass — a new member who brought fresh energy and direction to the band. This new formation completed “Mystery Of Depths”, produced by Phil Reinhalter at WaveLight Studio (PUTRID OFFAL, MERCYLESS, NOISE EMISSION CONTROL, HYLDR…) and mastered by Frédéric Motte at Conkrete Studio (LOUDBLAST, ETHS, GOROD, TGOO,…). The cover art was created by American artist Chadwick St John, known for his work with DARKTHRONE. Released in 2021 in collaboration with Ellie Promotion and distributed by Season of Mist, the album received critical acclaim and was included in several “Best of 2021” lists across the international metal press. The band has also appeared on numerous compilations (Howl, Pavillon 666 sampler, Ultraje Portugal sampler, French Metal, etc.).
“Venom Within”, the third album, is once again mixed and mastered by the duo Phil Reinhalter and Frédéric Motte. The 11 new tracks continue the musical exploration that defines THE LOSTS, pushing boundaries while offering a wide playing field where a multitude of vocal “characters” come to life. Released under Inverse Records, the Finnish label that has placed its trust in the band, this new creation is eager to claim its place in today’s musical landscape.
Line-up:
DGC – Lead & rhythm guitars, thrash & backing vocals
JCR – Drums, extreme & backing vocals
PPG – Bass guitars, backing vocals
YGC – Lead & backing vocals, lead & rhythm guitars
https://www.facebook.com/TheLostsBand
https://www.instagram.com/thelostsband
https://thelosts.bandcamp.com
Italian melodic death metal force KARMIAN open a new and uncompromising chapter with the release of their first single, “Beastmaster of the Void”, taken from the forthcoming full-length “Horror Vacui“. The track arrives accompanied by an official visualizer published on the Rockshots Records YouTube channel.
DIGITAL: https://lnk.to/PMCdGh
“Beastmaster of the Void” stands among the album’s most direct and unrelenting compositions – a surge of sharp riffing, relentless pacing, and psychological intensity. Drawing from the real-life crimes tied to the Bestie di Satana case, the song transforms adolescent alienation, obsession, and spiritual distortion into a violent descent through the existential void that defines the entire record. Here, the band channels the chaos, confusion, and moral collapse at the heart of the narrative, turning true events into stark allegory.
The single also offers a first glimpse into the conceptual breadth of “Horror Vacui“: a collection of nine songs, each inspired by a different Italian murderer, revealing how psychological emptiness, social disintegration, and spiritual vacuum mutate into violence. Rather than glorifying crime, the album examines the roots of human collapse – the internal abyss that corrodes empathy, identity, and meaning. Musically, it merges the ferocity of melodic death metal with narrative tension and introspective depth, confirming the band’s distinctive approach to extreme music.
“Horror Vacui” was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Luca Cocconi and Simone Sighinolfi at Audiocore Studio, with artwork and the new Karmian logo created by Sheila Franco. All songs were written by Andrea Baraldi and Nicholas Badiali, with lyrics by Andrea Bertolazzi and arranged collectively by Karmian.
With a career stretching from their early beginnings in 2005 to their present incarnation, Karmian have become one of the most distinctive voices of Italian melodic death metal, known for merging aggression, drama, and conceptual storytelling. Their upcoming full-length marks their most mature and introspective work to date, deepening the psychological and existential focus that has defined their evolution.
For fans of: The Haunted, Kataklysm, Heaven Shall Burn, At The Gates, early Dark Tranquillity, and early In Flames.
New album “Horror Vacui” out March 20th, 2026.
PRE ORDER “Horror Vacui” – https://rockshots.eu/products/karmian-horror-vacui-cd
Track Listing:
1. One Thousand Shining Bubbles – 06:38
2. Beastmaster of the Void – 03:21
3. Gott Mit Uns Nicht – 04:38
4. The Call of the Abyssal Bell – 06:17
5. Black Magical Soap Opera – 03:54
6. Temple of the Fleshless Goddess – 03:23
7. Libido et Mors – 03:40
8. Beyond the Dream Gate of Fear – 04:16
9. Maker of Angels – 04:43
Album Length: 40:50
Karmian Line-Up:
Andrea Bertolazzi: Vocals
Andrea Baraldi: Guitars
Michele Perla: Guitars
Luca Marmi: Bass
Nicholas Badiali: Drums
More info:
https://rockshots.eu/
https://www.instagram.com/karmian_official/
https://www.facebook.com/KarmianBand
After the release of their previous singles ‘Deus Ex’ (feat. Sven of Aborted/Coffin Feeder) and ‘Fat God’, featuring Alan of Distant, the Swabians of Necrotted serve up another treat that may have little to do with spaetzle, but tastes just as good: ‘Zeitenschlächter’.
Stream ‘Zeitenschlächter’ here: https://necrotted.bfan.link/zeitenschlachter
A blackened death anthem with lyrics written in both English and German, it nestles in the ear canal with its melancholic, dark melody and modern brutality. Tearing breakdowns, shredding guitars, infernal blast beats and inhuman screams and roars form a sonic thunderstorm that is more reminiscent of a ritual than a song.
Lyrically, the new release ‘Zeitenschlächter’ is about a godlike, ancient being that exists beyond space and time and has been amusedly watching humanity destroy itself for centuries. Wars, betrayal and suffering are its pastimes. It is neither good nor evil – just the relentless echo of transience itself.
The new single was recorded by Marco Bayati and mastered by Marco Kollenz. Kriss Jakob (Aurora Motion Pictures) is responsible for the music video.
Melodies that stay in the ear, with at the same time merciless speed and brutality and always a clear political message – this is what the modern death metal band Necrotted from Southern Germany stands for now more than 15 years.
Founded back in 2008, the band from Abtsgmünd (Baden-Wuerttemberg) has since grown to become a notable force in the scene, constantly thrilling their growing fan base and the music press with both their musical releases and their energetic live shows. In the time of their existence, Necrotted have already released four albums with Anchors Apart (2012), Utopia 2.0 (2014), Worldwide Warfare (2017) and Operation: Mental Castration (2021) and two EPs with Kingdom Of Hades (2010) and Die For Something Worthwhile (2019). In addition, the quintet has played hundreds of live concerts over the years on smaller and bigger stages in various countries.
Their latest album Imperium marks another milestone in the band’s history. The LP is once again designed as a concept album and consistently develops the elaborate storyline of its predecessor in a substantial as well as in a visual way. Also, Necrotted continue to tread experimental parts in a musical way. Their proven recipe of melodic guitar riffs, thundering blast beats and oppressive slams is joined by more and more black metal elements. In the lyrics, which are basically written in English, there are also more and more text passages in the German native language, which are performed as usual in banefully deep growls and strident screams. ‘Imperium’ was released in September 2023 via the label Reaper Entertainment and left a resounding echo in the field of contemporary, diversified death metal.
Necrotted are:
Fabian Fink – Vocals
Markus Braun – Drums
Philipp Fink – Guitars
Koray Saglam – Bass
Johannes Wolf – Guitars
Rising rocker AUSTEN STARR is pleased to share her new single “Read Your Mind,” taken from her upcoming debut album, ‘I Am The Enemy,’ due out on February 13, 2026 via Frontiers Music Srl. The new track arrives alongside an official music video, available to view below.
“Read Your Mind” marks the fourth single released from the upcoming debut following the success of previously released tracks “I Am The Enemy,” “Remain Unseen,” and “Medusa.”
On the new track, AUSTEN comments:
“‘Read Your Mind’ was the first track written specifically for the album. Joel came up with the music and most of the melody, along with the line ‘If I could read your mind / For a day or two.’ I tried to keep his lyrical hook in the lyrics while writing, and I wrote 6 vastly different versions of the song that I hated before finding the words I recorded. The final lyrics were written in a 22-minute zealous dissociation on the train ride to the studio on the day of recording. The image evoked is a freeze-frame of that unfortunate moment within a tumultuous relationship shortly before you realize you should give up on it completely. Everything feels unsteady, you’re blaming yourself without giving the other person any credit for the downfall, and you’re wishing that there was a way to make it better, when ultimately there is no resolution to be found. This video is the last and the simplest of the four singles’ videos, showing clips from my vocal tracking sessions at the studio interspersed between shots of the video musicians playing the track. This track is the wistful one, and while I would hope listeners have been spared that pain, I’m sure many will be able to relate!”
AUSTEN STARR’s debut album, ‘I Am The Enemy,’ delivers a hard-hitting blend of contemporary rock with classic influences, drawing comparisons to artists like The Warning and Halestorm while infusing a more traditional hard rock sound. Featuring powerhouse musicians, the album songs’ have been written by AUSTEN in collaboration with Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake, Revolution Saints, Iconic, Cher, Trans-Siberian Orchestra), who also takes care of all guitars on the album. Other musicians appearing include Chris Collier (Mick Mars, Lita Ford) on bass and drums, Steve Ferlazzo (Hugo’s Voyage) on keyboards and Chloe Lowery (Trans-Siberian Orchestra) on background vocals.
On the upcoming release, AUSTEN shares:
“I’m ecstatic to finally be releasing an actual album! This project has been a long time coming–a lifetime in the making, as cliché as that may be. It’s a really wild feeling to be putting music out into the world after being so afraid to for the duration of my existence, and the fact that the first couple of songs have been received well is completely blowing my anxious, self-deprecating mind. With the release of this debut album, I feel like I’m putting my life in your hands just to see what you’ll do with it. It’s terrifying, exhilarating, and freeing. Thank you so much to everyone at Frontiers, thank you to Joel Hoekstra, Chris Collier, Steve Ferlazzo, and Chloe Lowery, thank you to everyone who has made this project possible, and thank you to everyone who listens to the music. I hope you all enjoy it!”
Pre-Order ‘I Am The Enemy’ HERE
‘I Am The Enemy’ Track List:
1. Remain Unseen
2. Medusa
3. I Am The Enemy
4. Read Your Mind
5. Get Out Alive
6. Effigy
7. Running Out Of Time
8. All Alone
9. Not This Life
10. The Light
11. Until I See You Again
About AUSTEN STARR:
AUSTEN STARR is a reluctant Bostonian with a penchant for self-induced misery. A natural contrarian, she was raised in a household where being a musician was the last thing she was encouraged to do—so, of course, AUSTEN recorded an album with the help of some heavy-hitters from Frontiers and beyond. While AUSTEN considers herself to be an “anxious wreck,” she’s channeled her inner turmoil and contradictions into a compelling musical statement. AUSTEN’s penchant for hypocrisy is almost as defined as her narrative voice. After all, she admits to both hating bad grammar and using it in one of her own songs because it fits the meter. When she’s not rocking out on stage or recording, AUSTEN is learning guitar, embracing “emo karaoke nights,” and forging ahead with a relentless, albeit trepidatious, determination to carve out her place in the music world.
BAND LINE UP:
Vocals: Austen Starr
Guitars: Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake, Revolution Saints, Iconic, Cher, Trans-Siberian Orchestra)
Bass/Drums: Chris Collier (Mick Mars, Lita Ford)
Keyboards: Steve Ferlazzo (Hugo’s Voyage, Avril Lavigne)
Background Vocals: Chloe Lowery (Trans-Siberian Orchestra)
Icelandic metal collective POWER PALADIN returns with force, steel and fire as they present their brand-new single “Sword Vigor”, the first taste of their upcoming studio album Beyond The Reach Of Enchantment, due out on March 27, 2026 via ROAR – A Division of Reigning Phoenix Music!
“Sword Vigor” delivers classic heavy metal spirit wrapped in epic power metal form, driven by galloping riffs, soaring melodies and a strong sense of heroism. The track continues the band’s fantasy-driven narrative universe and serves as the next chapter in an ongoing saga of trials, destiny and triumph. Fans of GLORYHAMMER, TWILIGHT FORCE and DRAGONFORCE will feel right at home.
The band comments: “‘Sword Vigor’ is a roaring NWOBHM-inspired power metal anthem — the blazing sequel to the saga begun in Kraven the Hunter. When all hope seems lost for our hero, salvation descends from the heavens: a warrior who has mastered the ancient and furious art of Sword Vigor.”
Accompanying the single is an official music video that captures POWER PALADIN’s love for classic heavy metal, combining a tongue-in-cheek attitude with a straightforward, no-frills approach.
Stream / Download “Sword Vigor”: https://powerpaladin.rpm.link/swordvigorPR
And if you’ve ever wondered how power metal bands come up with these epic lyrics, POWER PALADIN have the answer – and it involves a healthy dose of humor. To find out what rhymes with fire – and where hobbits come into play check out the following video the band just posted on their Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/p/DSSEYXcjKVU/
With their new offering Beyond The Reach Of Enchantment, POWER PALADIN take the next step in their musical journey. The album features eight epic tracks, each unfolding like a chapter in a sweeping saga of power, mystery and adventure.
Building on the success of their debut With the Magic of Windfyre Steel, the band delivers a more mature and refined sound while fully retaining the energy and spirit that defined their early days. The album was mixed by Haukur Hannes (AUÐN, DYNFARI) and mastered by Frank de Jong (BLEEDING GODS), resulting in a production that is both powerful and crystal clear.
Once again, POWER PALADIN pay homage to their influences – IRON MAIDEN, DIO and HELLOWEEN – while confidently carving out their own place in the modern power metal landscape. The album artwork, created by James Child (Astral Clock Tower Studios), perfectly captures the adventurous and fantastical essence of the record.
Pre-Save / Pre-Order Beyond The Reach Of Enchantment here: https://powerpaladin.rpm.link/enchantmentPR
Beyond The Reach Of Enchantment Tracklist:
About POWER PALADIN
Formed in Iceland, POWER PALADIN emerged from a shared passion for classic heavy metal, soaring melodies and fantasy-driven storytelling. Since their inception, the band has blended the spirit of traditional power metal with the raw edge of NWOBHM influences, forging a sound that feels both nostalgic and fresh.
Their debut album With the Magic of Windfyre Steel quickly established POWER PALADIN as a rising force in the international power metal scene. With Beyond The Reach Of Enchantment, the band further expands their musical and lyrical universe, proving their dedication to epic songwriting, strong hooks and timeless metal values.
POWER PALADIN is:
Atli Guðlaugsson (vocals)
Bjarni Þór Jóhannsson (guitars)
Ingi Þórisson (guitars)
Einar Karl Júlíusson (drums)
Bjarni Egill Ögmundsson (keyboards)
Kristleifur Þorsteinsson (bass)
More on POWER PALADIN:
Website: https://www.powerpaladin.is/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/powerpaladinice
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/powerpaladinice/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@powerpaladin
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PowerPaladinOfficial
Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 