STEFANIA SISTU releases her new single “Illusion” via Volcano Records, accompanied by the official lyric video.
Intense and deeply personal, the song explores the emotional aftermath of injustice, betrayal and disappointment — the kind of wounds that can shake our trust in others and, in moments of greater vulnerability, profoundly affect the way we experience relationships. “Illusion” comes from the need to move through that pain and turn it into a new awareness. Rather than shutting the world out, the song ultimately points toward the importance of putting your own well-being first, learning to rely on your own strength and gradually freeing yourself from the weight of other people’s judgment. Musically, the single moves between rock and metal, creating a powerful and emotionally charged atmosphere that mirrors the introspective nature of the lyrics. The music was written by Daniele Pireddu, musician and composer whose artistic partnership with Stefania Sistu has played a central role in shaping this new project.
A professional singer, songwriter and vocal coach with years of experience in the music industry, Stefania Sistu opens a new chapter in her artistic journey with a project in which rock and metal become a vehicle for exploring emotion, vulnerability and the search for renewed inner strength. The official lyric video for “Illusion” accompanies the release by bringing the song’s words to the forefront and offering a direct way into the emotional core of its story.
Rochester, New York-based trio King Buffalo will issue their seventh full-length, Doomsayer, on December 4th, 2026, as a self-release in North America and through Stickman Records in Europe. Preorders will be available on September 25th via http://kingbuffalo.bigcartel.com and https://www.stickman-records.com. King Buffalo will be touring in support of Doomsayer this fall and winter across North America and in Europe in March of 2027. Find all upcoming dates listed below!
It’s been an unusually quiet few years for King Buffalo as far as records go, but the heavy psychedelic band have been anything but still. After releasing what has become known as their “pandemic trilogy” of records concluding with 2022’s landmark Regenerator, the trio toured heavily internationally in between building their own recording studio. With that work finished last year, the group set to jamming and recording, collecting a group of ideas that would culminate in their much-awaited new album, the upcoming Doomsayer.
King Buffalo have long since created their own standout sound in the psychedelic rock scene, which they have been honing since their inception. Now with the creation of their own recording studio, the band’s exploration and development is evident both on a creative as well as production level.
A first single, “The Slick and the Dead”, is now premiering below:
Doomsayer finds King Buffalo self-recording at a crossroads, reveling in the process with poise and clarity in defiance of turbulent times in songs like “The Slick and the Dead”, and a defined sense of who they are that bleeds through the entirety. They’re still reaching into the unknown sound-wise, still growing, still evolving, but where they’re coming from has changed, and the experience they’ve had on the road is relevant across the album, both in the poise of the material and the confidence of their delivery. They continue to explore, and to find new ground as a result, but they do so in a place they’ve made for themselves, with a maturity they’ve earned one stage at a time. Their own sound.
“Doomsayer originated in early 2026,” says guitarist and vocalist Sean Roa, “out of many hours of jam sessions in our new studio space, playing around and seeing where it took us. We didn’t really have an end goal in mind of what we were going for. We were simply exploring ideas and seeing what ended up speaking to us the most. So much has happened, both as a band and in our personal lives since our last record, that ended up becoming the inspiration to many of the lyrics on Doomsayer. I think as a result, this is some of our most upfront, direct and riff-driven work to date. We are incredibly proud of it, and can’t wait for it to get out into the world.”
“Doomsayer finds that which is most essential in King Buffalo’s sound and pushes it to the forefront, whether that’s Roa’s expansive tone, vocal melodies and growing role as producer/engineer, Reynolds’ warm low end groove or the character in Donaldson’s fills and flows, in songs that capture the dynamic chemistry between the three of them at its most vibrant, breathtaking and viscerally heavy.” – JJ Koczan
Doomsayer Tracklist: 1. Battling The Mystagogues 2. The Slick and the Dead 3. Vagabond 4. Hell or High Water 5. Into the Foundry 6. Ether on the Dark Side 7. Doomsayer
North American Tour 2026 29.10.26 Boulder (US), Fox Theatre 30.10.26 Denver (US), Bluebird Theatre 31.10.26 Salt Lake City (US), Urban Lounge 02.11.26 Portland (US), Aladdin Theatre 03.11.26 Vancouver (CA), The Pearl 04.11.26 Seattle (US), Neumos 06.11.26 San Francisco (US), The Independent 07.11.26 Los Angeles (US), Lodge Room 09.11.26 Solana Beach (US), Belly Up 10.11.26 Phoenix (US), Crescent Ballroom 11.11.26 Albuquerque (US), Sister 13.11.26 Dallas (US), AM/FM 14.11.26 Austin (US), Mohawk 17.11.26 Houston (US), Bad Astronaut 19.11.26 Nashville (US), Basement East 20.11.26 Asheville (US), The Grey Eagle 21.11.26 Cincinnati (US), Woodward Theatre 03.12.26 Detroit (US), El Club 04.12.26 Chicago (US), Thalia Hall 05.12.26 Cleveland (US), The Roxy 08.12.26 Toronto (CA), The Mod Club 09.12.26 Montreal (CA), Theatre Fairmount 10.12.26 Boston (US), Brighton Music Hall 11.12.26 New York (US), Le Poisson Rouge 12.12.26 Philadelphia (US), Underground Arts 15.12.26 Richmond (US), The Broadberry 16.12.26 Durham (US), Motorco 17.12.26 Washington (US), Black Cat 18.12.26 Columbus (US), Skully’s
European Tour 2027 with special guests SPIRIT MOTHER 02.03.27 Hamburg (DE), Grunspan 03.03.27 Antwerp (BE), Trix 04.03.27 Haarlem (NL), Patronaat 06.03.27 London (UK), Scala 07.03.27 Manchester (UK), Gorilla 09.03.27 Bristol (UK), Electric Bristol 11.03.27 Paris (FR), Petit Bain 12.03.27 Essen (DE), Zeche Carl 13.03.27 Cologne (DE), Kantine 14.03.27 Stuttgart (DE), Wizeman 15.03.27 Munich (DE), Backstage Halle 17.03.27 Berlin (DE), Festsaal 19.03.27 Copenhagen (DK), Pumpehuset 20.03.27 Gothenburg (SE), Monument 21.03.27 Oslo (NO), John Dee 21.03.27 Stockholm (SE), Debaser Nova 22.03 – Stockholm, SE Debaser Nova
Brazilian extreme metal force Ophiolatry returns with a new live video for “Jesus Complex,” bringing the disturbing visual world of their 2025 album Serpent’s Verdict from the screen to the stage. Filmed at the Franco do Rock Festival in Franco da Rocha, São Paulo, the performance captures the band’s intense live presence while incorporating the masks and theatrical imagery created for the song’s original music video. Combining aggressive extreme metal with dark, cinematic storytelling, Ophiolatry transforms “Jesus Complex” into a fully immersive live experience, one that blurs the line between performance, narrative, and ritual.
Band shared: “We wanted to take the concept we created for the original video and bring it into the live environment. The masks were specially made for the video, so bringing them onto the stage felt like taking that world and making it real in front of the audience. For us, Ophiolatry has always been about more than just the music. We want to create an experience where the sound, the visuals and the atmosphere become one. ‘Jesus Complex’ gave us the opportunity to turn something that started as a story on a screen into something physical, disturbing and alive.”
More than a conventional live recording, the new clip transforms the visual universe created for the original “Jesus Complex” music video into a fully immersive stage experience. The performance brings together Ophiolatry’s aggressive sound, theatrical elements, dark imagery, and carefully designed stage atmosphere to recreate the unsettling world surrounding the song.
Originally released as the opening track of Ophiolatry’s 2025 album Serpent’s Verdict, “Jesus Complex” explores themes of imposed identity, conformity, manipulation, and the loss of individuality. The original music video developed these ideas through a disturbing visual narrative in which characters exist in a world where everyone wears the same sad Jesus mask, until the protagonist discovers that he, too, has become part of that reality.
The masks were specially created for the original production, and their return to the stage became a natural continuation of the story.
The original “Jesus Complex” music video was also recognized with a Badge of Honor by the Berlin Music Video Awards 2026, marking an important achievement for the band’s visual work and its commitment to combining extreme metal with cinematic storytelling.
GRAMMY-nominated extreme power metal pioneers DRAGONFORCE announce their tenth studio album, DragonForce, out March 19, 2027 via Napalm Records. Alongside freshly united lead vocalist and frontwoman Alissa White-Gluz and vocalist Alessio Garavello, longtime members Herman Li, Sam Totman, Gee Anzalone, Alicia Vigil and new addition Billy Wilkins together take their biggest step forward, elevating new sides to each of their artistry and virtuosic prowess, while building on all of the elements that have made DRAGONFORCE so beloved for nearly three decades and counting. Harkening back to their formative material, DragonForce promises high energy, relentless speed and heavy, triumphant hooks, all woven in ways unlike anything fans have heard from them before.
With “Hunger of the Beast”, DRAGONFORCE unleash the first single from DragonForce and offer the first taste of their new era. Rapid-fire guitars, driving drums, infectious melodies and the combined energy of two exceptional vocalists meet the virtuosic guitar work of Herman Li and Sam Totman. Written specifically for the multiple dimensions and double-sided skillsets of White-Gluz and Garavello’s ferocious range, the song serves as the first taste of the forthcoming album, immediately showcasing the new dynamic at the heart of the band.
“Hunger of the Beast” is available now exclusively on YouTube alongside its official music video. The song will be released worldwide across all streaming platforms on Thursday, September 24, 2026.
DragonForce consciously brings back some of the raw energy and intensity of DRAGONFORCE’s early records while pushing those elements forward through the new lineup. “Neverending Nightmare” continues the high-speed assault with captivating melodies and virtuosic guitar work, while “The White Wolf” reveals another facet of the new material, combining melodic power metal with explosive instrumentation and monumental guitar work. Produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren, the tenth studio album is driven by the uncompromising musicianship and technical precision that have always defined DRAGONFORCE.
DRAGONFORCE on the new album: “Every time we begin making another album, we just think, ‘Wow – I can’t believe we’re still doing what we love after all these years.’ The approach of the tenth album is as important as the first one, or any of the albums, because the way we look at music is we’re making a piece of art that’s going to be frozen in time,” says DRAGONFORCE co-founder and lead guitarist Herman Li. “We always try to use everything we’ve learned from our years of experience, and put that into the new music. This is unlike any DRAGONFORCE album you’ve ever heard, and unlike any metal albums out there. There’s just nothing like it, and everyone listening will realize that straight away. We’re not trying to be commercial. We’re not trying to be popular. We’re not trying to be famous. We make music because we want to make something that we love to hear and elevate our musicianship to the next level.”
“I have loved the entire process of making music with DRAGONFORCE. It’s great to connect with such elite musicians and work together to really bring out the best of our respective styles.” adds Alissa White-Gluz, who became DRAGONFORCE’s first frontwoman this past spring. “I think this new combo of speed and ferocity is refreshing and exciting. It’s going to be so much fun to perform live.”
With their tenth studio album, DRAGONFORCE bring more than two decades of history into a new era. DragonForce combines the band’s signature high-speed sound with the new dynamic of frontwoman Alissa White-Gluz and vocalist Alessio Garavello, merging their melodic power metal DNA with raw energy, infectious hooks and uncompromising guitar work. The artwork was created by Mark Riddick.
DRAGONFORCE LIVE 13.11.26 US – San Diego, CA / The Observatory North Park 14.11.26 US – Anaheim, CA / House Of Blues 15.11.26 US – Phoenix, AZ / The Van Buren 17.11.26 US – Dallas, TX / The Cambridge Room At House Of Blues 18.11.26 US – Houston, TX / House Of Blues 20.11.26 US – Lake Buena Vista, FL / House Of Blues Orlando 21.11.26 US – Tampa, FL / The Ritz Ybor 22.11.26 US – Atlanta, GA / The Masquerade (Heaven) 24.11.26 US – Charlotte, NC / The Fillmore 25.11.26 US – Silver Spring, MD / The Fillmore 27.11.26 US – Worcester, MA / Palladium 28.11.26 US – Philadelphia, PA / The Fillmore 29.11.26 US – New York City, NY / Palladium Time Square 01.12.26 CA – Montreal, QC / MTELUS 02.12.26 CA – Toronto, ON / HISTORY 04.12.26 US – Chicago, IL / Rivieira Theatre 06.12.26 US – Minneapolis, MN / The Fillmore 08.12.26 US – Denver, CO / Fillmore Auditorium 09.12.26 US – Salt Lake City, UT / The Depot 11.12.26 US – Sacramento, CA / Ace Of Spades 12.12.26 US – Berkely, CA / UC Theater 13.12.26 US – Los Angeles, CA / The Wiltern
Festivals 29.-31.07.27 DE – Wacken / Wacken Open Air Further dates to be announced
DRAGONFORCE is: Alissa White-Gluz – Lead Vocals Herman Li – Guitar, Backing Vocals Sam Totman – Guitar, Backing Vocals Alessio Garavello – Lead Vocals Alicia Vigil – Bass, Backing Vocals Billy Wilkins – Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals Gee Anzalone – Drums, Backing Vocals
New York’s alternative metal legends PRONG are back — and with their triumphant Napalm Records debut. Their pummeling new single “Fear The Sun” honors their home city, inciting classic pit violence of the CBGB variety. Legendary frontman Tommy Victor’s lyrics are forked and biting. After countless world tours and becoming mainstays at seminal festivals like Wacken and Brutal Assault, PRONG’s legacy is undeniable, carrying the banner for the genre.
About “Fear The Sun,” Tommy states: “I think we went back into time on this song. It’s a modernized version of the groove metal basics PRONG laid a foundation for back with Beg To Differ. Lyrically ‘Fear The Sun’ reflects upon living with no seasonal changes, metaphorically.”
As the band’s mission statement, Prong incorporates the well of styles their legacy is built on. Blistering thrash sections open into lush choruses on the opening anthem “The Banner”, before somehow pushing the intensity even further on “New Commission”. “The Uprising” reintroduces the band’s industrial edge, weaponizing textured synths over a pulsating two-step, before “Uncertain Truth” flexes its melodic chops, offering a transcendently sweet hook. Immediately, the band dropkicks listeners in the chest with the pummeling “Fear The Sun,” inciting classic New York Hardcore pit violence. Iconic vocalist and guitarist Tommy Victor’s chops come out in full swing on “Proportionate Response”, a smoldering incitement of retaliatory justice, before the blistering kicks of “Simulated Drowning” propel us forward. Album closer “Our Continuance” brings things to a cataclysmic close with its menacingly methodical pulse and pummelingly discordant breakdowns, tied together with a lush chorus amplified with swelling synth textures.
Mixed and mastered by Andy Sneap, the album sounds crisp and punchy; Victor’s biting lyrics are confrontational and infiltrating, driving listeners to contemplate complex matters like the validity of truth, self-inhibitors, and altruism. Dynamically bold, ideologically driven, and melodically infectious, Prong honors their legacy, reminding us why the band has had such a successful longevity.
Prong Tracklist: 1 The Banner 2 New Commission 3 The Uprising 4 Uncertain Truth 5 Fear The Sun 6 Commonsense Resolution 7 Doomed World 8 Proportionate Response 9 Transgression 10 Simulated Drowning 11 Our Continuance 12 Out of Body (Bonus Track) 13 Cruel Summer (Bonus Track)
The album will come in a myriad of formats, including a Black LP, Inkspot Cristallo/Red LP, White Label LP, digital album, and a CD, which will come with two bonus tracks, “Out of Body” and “Cruel Summer”, the latter of which is a cover of the Bananarama classic. Additionally, there will be two T-shirt bundles, one for the CD and one for the LP.
PRONG Live 2026
Uprising Euro Tour 2026: 13.11.26 DE – Rheine / Level 14.11.26 NL – Eindhoven / Helldorado 15.11.26 BE – Kortrijk / DVG Club 16.11.26 DE – Hanover / Musikzentrum 17.11.26 DE – Essen / Turock 18.11.26 DE – Herford / Kulturwerk 19.11.26 DK – Copenhagen / Hotel Cecil 20.11.26 DK – Aarhus / Voxhall 22.11.26 GR – Athens / Gazarte
Connecticut dark sludge outfit When the Deadbolt Breaks are heading to Europe for the first time in the band’s 20-year history. The band will play 12 European dates as direct support for David Ellefson’s Bass Warrior Tour, beginning December 3 in Rome, Italy, and concluding December 19 in Zagreb, Croatia.
The upcoming tour marks a major milestone for a band that has spent two decades operating on its own terms. Alongside the European dates, When the Deadbolt Breaks are also announcing the return of two older albums through Argonauta Records, as well as a new limited-edition cassette through FuzzTown Records.
Originally recorded between 2008 and 2009 and released in 2010, The Last Day of Sun was recorded almost entirely using analog equipment. The band has spent the past few months revisiting the album, remixing and remastering it from the ground up. “The result is almost an entirely different beast. Same songs. Same era. Different life”
Also returning is Drifting Toward the Edge of the Earth, which will be available again in its original form. Both albums have been sold out for some time, and the band is excited to see them return under the Argonauta Records banner. The band will also release a limited-edition cassette, The Weight We Carry, through FuzzTown Records. The tape features 10 songs spanning the history of When the Deadbolt Breaks and will be accompanied by a limited run of tour shirts. These items will be available specifically during the European tour, with any remaining copies eventually becoming available through the band’s Bandcamp. Earlier this year, When the Deadbolt Breaks also contributed to the Cathedral of Smoke tribute to Sleep. Their latest full-length, In the Glow of the Vatican Fire, was released in 2025.
Regarding their first European trip, the band says: “After 20 years of doing this, we’re finally crossing the Atlantic. We’re looking forward to plugging in, playing these songs in places we’ve never been, meeting new people, experiencing new cities and cultures, and seeing where this thing takes us” They add: “It’s a pretty massive undertaking for a band that has always operated on its own terms, but we can’t think of a better way to celebrate 20 years of When the Deadbolt Breaks” The band also thanks Mindsnap, David Ellefson and everyone involved in making the tour possible, as well as Argonauta Records for continuing to support the band and helping bring its older records back into the light.
20 years in. Still loud. Still strange. Still moving.
WHEN THE DEADBOLT BREAKS – EUROPEAN TOUR 2026:
October 24 – 10 Selden Woodbridge Connecticut USA October 31 – Henniker Brewing Henniker New Hampshire USA November 15 – Tampa Doom & Gloom Fest 2026 Tampa Florida USA November 28 – (Tour Kick-off show) Cherry Street Station Wallingford Connecticut USA December 3 – Kill Joy, Rome, Italy December 4 – Rock N Roll, Rho, Italy December 5 – Del Vino, Orchamps-Vennes, France December 7 – Music on the Hague, The Hague, Netherlands December 8 – Metropool, Enschede, Netherlands December 9 – Iduna, Drachten, Netherlands December 10 – Burghof Hühnerstall, Frankfurt, Germany December 12 – Stary Dom, Domecko, Poland December 13 – The Barrel Venue, Drogheda, Ireland December 15 – JS Retro, Nitra, Slovakia December 18 – Fest Club, Belgrade, Serbia December 19 – Hard Place, Zagreb, Croatia
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
