Portuguese gothic metal veterans INHUMAN have officially announced their highly anticipated new album, “GLORIÆ”. The band’s fourth studio album is slated for a November 7 release via Alma Mater Records and marks a powerful return in 2025. Along with the debut single “Conspiratio”, INHUMAN has also released a brand new music video, offering an intense first glimpse of what to expect.
Commenting on “Conspiratio”, the band offers: “Conspiratio navigates the twilight of deceit and despair, where anguish blooms like fire over shattered hopes. Dense, piercing riffs weave with haunting echoes, crafting a soundscape of an imminent, crumbling apocalypse.“
Tracklist:
Absent Glory
Conspiratio
Seed of Ancient Hate
To Reign In Captivity
Illuminate the Pain
Semblance of Reality
Overgone
The Dreariest One
Do Fim dos Dias
Visionary State
Formed in December 1992 in Silves, a historic city in Portugal’s Algarve region, INHUMAN has been a cornerstone of the country’s gothic metal scene for over three decades. From their 1996 debut “Strange Desire” to the seminal 1998 follow-up “Foreshadow”, the band has consistently blended classic influences with a unique musical identity.
Their 2020 album, “CONTRA”, produced by Daniel Cardoso (Anathema, Moonspell, Angelus Apatrida) and released on the label led by Moonspell’s Fernando Ribeiro, marked a significant comeback. The album earned widespread acclaim, re-establishing the band’s status and paving the way for their latest effort.
Inspired by the Latin phrase for “of glory,” “GLORIÆ” is INHUMAN‘s most mature and daring album to date. Written during a challenging period for the band and once again produced by Daniel Cardoso, the new work delves deeply into themes of personal growth, overcoming obstacles, and self-discovery.
Lyrically, the album uses the concept of glory – and its absence – as a metaphor for personal struggles and triumphs. The band has also embraced a minimalist visual aesthetic, focusing on the interplay of presence and absence to invite listeners to interpret the subjective nature of glory.
As INHUMAN explains: “At this stage of our career, we feel the need to strip away unnecessary layers, both visually and conceptually. The focus is clear: the music must speak louder than any image. Our approach with ‘GLORIÆ’ is simple yet bold – let the music be at the heart of our existence.”
“GLORIÆ” is not just an album; it is an artistic manifesto from a band that has stood the test of time, continues to push boundaries, and leaves an indelible mark on the Portuguese metal scene.
SLYTHER return with their brand new single, “Flask N’ Bone”, offering another fierce taste of their upcoming debut album “Chronicles of Despair”, due out October 10th via Time To Kill Records. The track sees the Italian thrashers firing on all cylinders, delivering a whirlwind of cutting riffs, hardcore-fueled aggression and infectious groove.
With “Flask N’ Bone”, SLYTHER sharpen the contrast between razor-edged thrash precision and the wild, unhinged energy of crossover. The single channels the ferocity of Overkill while injecting the irreverent spirit of Municipal Waste, capturing the band’s ability to honor thrash tradition while pushing it forward with a raw, youthful intensity.
“’Flask N’ Bone’ – Remorse, self-destruction, and the emptiness left by a corrupted conscience . Opening the concept album Chronicles of Despair, Flask N’ Bone tells the downward spiral of a corrupt lawyer, a symbol of power wielded without justice or ethics. The turning point comes with the suicide of a mother to whom he denied custody of her child and any means of support, marking the beginning of an emotional collapse where guilt becomes overwhelming. Crushed by the weight of his actions, the protagonist seeks refuge in alcohol and addiction, spiraling into a self-destructive cycle that leads to depression and ultimately suicide. Yet even this final act offers no redemption: he realizes that nothing will erase the harm he has caused. Within the album’s broader narrative, Flask N’ Bone introduces a deeply personal reflection on the abuse of power and the failure to leave behind anything meaningful. The very title “Flask and Bone” becomes a symbol of the emptiness he leaves behind: no values, no legacy, just the physical remains of a life marked by moral decay”.
“Chronicles of Despair” is a powerful and visceral concept album that explores, track by track, the darkest tensions of the human soul and contemporary society. In a world marked by war, corruption, media manipulation, and existential crisis, the album unfolds a journey that moves from despair to inner awakening, tackling pressing themes with raw, direct, and emotionally charged language.
The journey begins with “Flask N’ Bone”, an intense narrative of self-destruction and remorse, portraying a corrupt lawyer haunted by guilt—a symbol of a conscience that finds no peace. From there, the album expands into a collective dimension with “Madness”, a denunciation of nuclear war insanity, and “Shut The Fuck Up”, a rebellious track targeting disinformation and the dominance of media power.
“Violent Fist” gives voice to the blind rage that fuels conflict, while “Visions” pulls the listener into the haunting realm of sleep paralysis—a metaphor for the unconscious fears triggered by global tension. The inner journey turns more intimate with “Memories”, a melancholic instrumental that evokes childhood recollections and lost innocence.
“Awake-4” marks a turning point: a painful awakening from nostalgia, necessary to confront harsh reality. The final chapter, “The Sleepwalker”, closes the album with a powerful allegory of insecurity and illusion, culminating in a clear and resonant message:
“Awake from the lies, pursue the good, and never surrender.”
“Chronicles of Despair” is a scream, a reflection, and a call for awareness. An emotional chronicle of the afflictions of our time, but also an invitation to inner resistance.
Tracklist:
1. Flask N’ Bone 2. Madness 3. Shut The Fuck Up 4. Violent Fist 5. Visions 6. Memories 7. Awake-4 8. The Sleepwalker
SLYTHER is a young thrash/crossover band hailing from Pescara, Italy, and active since 2020. Formed by musicians born between 2005 and 2007, the group delivers a direct, high-energy sound rooted in modern thrash with strong crossover influences.
Since 2022, SLYTHER has been active on the live circuit, performing at major events such as the Day 0 of Frantic Fest 2023 and sharing the stage with well-known names in the Italian underground like Game Over and Fingernails. Among their first releases is the single “Shut The Fuck Up” (July 2023), which has surpassed 10,000 streams and offers a taste of the debut album currently in the works.
Line-up:
Marco Aquino – Vocals, rhythm guitar Federico Pavese – Drums Federico Pistilli – Lead guitar Giovanni De Bonis – Bass
Steve Morse Band have announced details of their brand-new album, Triangulation, which will be released on 14 November via Music Theories Recordings (Yngwie Malmsteen, Ayreon, Paul Gilbert, Vandenberg). To celebrate, they have unveiled the official video for their new track, Break Through.
Break Through is the first new music since the release of 2009’s Out Standing In Their Field. Talking about the track, Steve says, “This may start with a guitar riff, but the bass carries the melody. It’s just a great feel to play over, and a positive vibe to start the album.”
Whenever we think of the greatest guitar players of all time, Steve Morse is a name that’s always in the conversation. This album sees Morse teaming up once again with Dixie Dregs, Steve Morse Band, and Flying Colors bassist Dave LaRue, with Van Romaine [Steve Morse Band/Enrique Iglesias] joining on drums.
Steve beams, “Dave and Van have been the bedrock of this trio, and this recording shows why. These guys are unique and incredible musicians on their own, and together, our chemistry is magical. While making the album, we played together, working through parts, riffing off each other, and collaborating on arrangements. I’d bring an idea, and hear it instantly — and then hear it improved. We made this album together, and you can hear it.”
There are also some stellar guest features, from Eric Johnson’s majestic contributions to TexUS and John Petrucci bringing his inimitable progressive metal thunder and, of course, Kevin Morse joining his father on “Taken by an Angel.”.
Executive producer Bill Evans noted, “The compositions are among Steve’s best. And audiences can finally hear every detail of Van and Dave’s performance…the band’s collaborative musicality.” Steve added, “Brian captured me brilliantly, and Carl Roa created more sonic and performance clarity than we’ve ever had.”
Morse started his career in the mid-1970s, playing mind-melting jazz-rock with The Dixie Dregs, which earned him multiple Grammy nominations in the process. The following decade, he formed the Steve Morse Band, grabbing an additional Grammy nod, and joined arena heavyweights Kansas, before being recruited by rock and roll originals Deep Purple in 1994. And despite being in one of the world’s biggest bands, he continued to innovate in other projects like Living Loud, Angelfire, and Flying Colors – as well as guitar supergroup G3 – showing the world just how much versatility there was in those magic fingers. He announced his departure from Deep Purple in 2022, choosing to care for his wife, who passed away in 2024, by that point having become their longest-serving guitarist.
Naturally, the last few years have been the most personally traumatic of his life, which is perhaps why this year’s creative comeback with the new Steve Morse Band album Triangulation embodies the spirit of a master returning to do what he does best. Its nine tracks are a thrilling ride through the mind of a musician who seemingly knows no bounds, crossing over into a cornucopia of sounds and styles from funk and blues to classical and metal.
“The album title Triangulation comes from the concept of aviators, navigators, and sailors looking at two points to pinpoint their exact location at a specific moment in time,” says Steve. It’s a geographical concept that also applies to human life on a broader level, and given the journey Morse has been on in recent years, it’s only natural that he’s been on a path of self-discovery and reflection.
Perhaps the most poignant of the nine tracks is “Taken By An Angel” – a tribute to Steve’s beloved wife Janine. Steve left the music world behind to care for her, remaining by her side until her final days.. “That song is new territory for me,” explains Morse. “It was put together for my late wife’s memorial service, with my son Kevin playing along. It brought tears to many folks’ eyes because Janine was a huge part of my life and career. People knew her from the Steve Morse Band tours. She was the smiling face opening CDs for me to sign, selling t-shirts, listening to people’s stories in the crowd, and taking photos for VIP visits.”
After all the heartache and anguish of the last few years, you can’t help but feel grateful Morse is once again ready to share his creative genius with the world around him. Given his stature among the guitar community – often lauded as ‘your hero’s hero’ in the same way people spoke about Jeff Beck – his creative return marks a new phase of inspiration and brilliance. In that sense, you can tell the release of this record means a lot to him.
Track listing 1. Break Through 2. Off the Cuff 3. TexUS (ft. Eric Johnson) 4. The Unexpected 5. March of the Nomads 6. Ice Breaker 7. Tumeni Partz 8. Triangulation (ft. John Petrucci) 9. Taken by an Angel (ft. Kevin Morse)
While they’ve blazed through folk, prog, pop and alternative rock following their first sip of doom metal, after 15 years, Stoned Jesus are still reaching new creative peaks. On the latest single from the band’s mind-melting new album, Songs to Sun, the heavy progressive rockers rose above personal lows by doing something they’ve never done before: blast beats and harsh vocals.
Today, frontman Igor Sydorenko is releasing a new video that shows how to play and how he wrote “Low”. Thanks to a simple riff and instant chemistry shared between Sydorenko and his new rhythm section, the band stopped worrying about pleasing people and blasted out the heaviest song in Stoned Jesus’ wide-ranging discography.
“This is probably the happiest I’ve been creatively in Stoned Jesus”, Sydorenko says. “With both Andrew and Yuri now in the band, we can experiment as deep as we can.
“Even though, we are currently working on the darker follow-up to Songs to Sun“, he continues, “the three of us are constantly laughing all the time”.
Watch Igor Sydorenko explain how to play and how he wrote “Low”:
Songs to Sun comes out September 19, 2025 on Season of Mist.
Can’t wait to hear Stoned Jesus’ mind-melting new album? Hear all of Songs to Sun before it comes out during the band’s upcoming listening party on Bandcamp.
Songs to Sun Bandcamp Listening Party – RSVP Tuesday, September 16 @ 1:30 pm CEST / 7:30 pm CEST
Songs to Sun is the first album in a forthcoming trilogy that once complete, will stand as the pinnacle of what’s been a decades-long trip for Stoned Jesus. While picking up where the band’s last album, Father Light left off, Sydorenko and his new mates still nod to their early classics Seven Thunders Roar and The Harvest. But by merging metal’s fiery intensity with mind-melting grooves, vintage prog and their catchiest choruses yet, they bring the many distinct phases of Stoned Jesus to a bright, burning head.
The video for “Shadowland: how to play it & how I wrote it” was written and filmed by Igor Sydorenko. It was edited by Radion Yakumenko.
Tracklist 1. New Dawn (8:53) 2. Shadowland (4:38) [WATCH] 3. Lost in the Rain (7:49) 4. Low (4:09) [WATCH] 5. See You on the Road (5:45) 6. Quicksand (9:52)
Hear Stoned Jesus perform “Low”, “Shadowland” and other new songs off Songs to Sun during their upcoming European festival appearances and tours of Australia and Latin America.
2025 European Festivals September 13 – Crest, FR @ Bridge To Hell September 20 – Bilbao, ES @ Kristonfest November 8 – Bochum, DE @ Tombstoned Fest November 14 – Magny-Les-Hameaux, FR @ Foud Rock November 15 – Eindhoven, NL @ Helldorado
2025 XV & Debut Australian Tour September 28 – Perth @ The Rosemount October 1 – Canberra @ The Baso October 2 – Sydney @ The Underground October 3 – Brisbane @ Soapbox Beer October 4 – Melbourne @ The Leadbeater October 5 – Adelaide @ The Crown & Anchor
2025 Latin American Tour October 21 – Rio De Janeiro, Brazil @ Rock Experience October 22 – Porto Alegre, Brazil @ Gravador October 23 – Florianopolis, Brazil @ Desgosto October 24 – Curitiba, Brazil @ Beveldere October 25 – Sao Paulo, Brazil @ Jai Club October 26 – Belo Horizonte, Brazil @ Caverna October 28 – Buenos Aires, Argentina @ Uniclub October 29 – Santiago, Chile @ Club Ambar October 31 – Mexico City @ Sangriento [FIRST-EVER SHOW IN MEXICO]
Since 2009, Stoned Jesus has served as one of Europe’s leading forces in heavy rock. Igor Sydorenko, a veteran of the Ukrainian underground music scene, started it as a solo project after stumbling upon some heavy and angry riffs that would become the song “Occult.” He fed off his Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin influences and was soon turned onto Electric Wizard and Sleep, two bands who mastered the art of bold, lurching heaviness, thus creating a sonic template to abide by.
The Kyiv-based project was initially dubbed “Stoned Jesus from the Outer Space” but shortened to the much crisper Stoned Jesus. The name was trimmed down out of necessity — Sydorenko wanted to legitimize the band immediately. “I realized that this may cause some problems,” he told Psychedelic Baby in 2010. “Some people wouldn’t take our music seriously, then. I don’t mind jokes and having fun, but music is always the most serious thing for me.”
Two demos ensued before Stoned Jesus’s debut LP, 2010’s First Communion. Recorded with the first line-up in two hours, First Communion was a promising offering that dove headlong into the world of heavy stoner rock, with three songs going over the 10-minute mark for hypnotic effect. The album eventually saw a proper reissue in 2020, introducing it to a new group of fans. The first change of rhythm section brought Seven Thunders Roar in 2012, which included “I’m the Mountain,” a 13-minute epic that has since become a live staple. The album also introduced a bevy of acoustic guitar and softer vocal approaches from Sydorenko.
The Harvest came next in 2015 with a new drummer, deftly transitioning Stoned Jesus into the new terrain, with more alternative and progressive rock leanings. This is a credit to Sydorenko’s evolving songwriting style and desire to never allow Stoned Jesus to repeat itself. “It works brilliantly for the likes of Motörhead or AC/DC, but we’re not that legendary yet,” he told Outlaws of the Sun in 2015. “So, let’s experiment, shall we? Let’s play with the genres, the sound, the song structures, the melodies, the time signatures — yes, my favorite trick!”
With another change of the drummer, the fourth LP, Pilgrims, arrived in 2018. A bold and experimental record, it showed the growing maturity of both musical and lyrical sides of Igor’s ever-progressing songwriting. After a year-long The Pilgrimage Tour and yet another year on the road celebrating the band’s 10th anniversary with the greatest hits setlist, Stoned Jesus’ original plans were to record its follow-up in 2020. That, of course, was sidelined by the pandemic. The band then entered Spivaki Records in Kharkiv in July 2021 to record nine songs at 75 minutes. Two-thirds of the material was mixed and mastered before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, leaving the final run-time of six songs at 43 minutes.
The result was Father Light, the band’s first for Season of Mist, which caught Stoned Jesus in full bloom. The foundational elements of Stoned Jesus’s sound remained (fuzzed-out rock, driving bass lines and maximum groove), once again augmented by the combination of Sydorenko’s gentle clean vocals and hook-laden chorus choices, along with an array of ornamental guitar melodies. And, in true Stoned Jesus fashion, the journey is often the reward. The cuts on Father Light expand and shift — all the while, the band’s trademark heaviness serves as the guide.
Mother Dark, the gloomier introspective twin of Father Light, while partially recorded was shelved due to Igor’s dissatisfaction with the working dynamics of the latest Stoned Jesus line-up. Dissolving said line-up was a difficult decision to make, but Igor’s relocation to Europe brought a surprising reunion with his old friend Yurii, a talented drummer Igor had known even before writing the first Stoned Jesus song. Adding bassist-vocalist Andrew Rodin to this new line-up solidified its reliability, and now, after the whole year of relentless 25th Anniversary Tour schedule, the reinvigorated Stoned Jesus is more than ready for their next chapter.
Songs to Sun is the first album in a forthcoming trilogy that once complete, will stand as the pinnacle of what’s been a decades-long trip for Stoned Jesus. While picking up where Father Light left off, Sydorenko and his new mates still nod to Seven Thunders Roar and The Harvest along the way. But by merging metal’s fiery intensity with mind-melting grooves, vintage prog and their catchiest choruses yet, they bring the many distinct phases of Stoned Jesus to a bright, burning head.
Lineup Igor Sydorenko – Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keyboards Andrew Rodin – Bass, Backing Vocals Yurii Ciel – Drums, Backing Vocals
Production Credits Produced by Igor Sydorenko Recorded by Ignancy Gruzecki Mixed and Mastered by Karl Daniel Lidén at Studio Tri-Lamb, Sweden
Hallowe’en is less than six weeks away and you know what that means! It’s time for the stores to start putting up their Christmas decorations, and that bloody Paul McCartney song is already playing on repeat in the local drug store.
But do not despair, for The Dead Boys are here with some festive cheer of their own, a seething cover of The Ravers’ 1977 classic “(It’s Gonna Be A) Punk Rock Christmas.”
The Ravers themselves were intended as a joke, a parody punk band dreamed up by members of Daddy Maxwell, an American group best remembered today for their sterling contribution to the UK’s Junkshop Glam obsession, 1973’s “Rave’N’Rock.” And the song’s lyrics did not disguise its intentions.
Even Santa’s gonna be A Sex Pistol for a day All those Christmas trees swinging safety pins from their leaves
A few of the original’s lines do feel dated today… so Cleveland’s finest have changed them. Now it’s the King, not the late Queen, who will sing “Anarchy in the UK,” and the little boy’s Christmas list includes a subscription to Vive Le Rock, and the new single by the Dead Boys. Sensible lad.
And let’s not forget the most alarming vision of them all: “Johnny Rotten will sing ‘Jingle Bells’ out of his bottom.”
Mark Thorn
“It’s rare for Christmas to arrive in September any year,” says Cheetah Chrome, “but the way this year has been going, all is out the window, up is down and honesty is no longer respected. Not in this case, though. Dead Boys are truly proud to have Mark Thorn as our new singer and this is yer first chance to hear him on record doing a Christmas song in Sept, with myself, Clem Burke [Blondie – RIP] and Glen Matlock [SexPistols, Rich Kids] backing him!”
For many of us, this will be our first opportunity to hear this new line-up in action, and it doesn’t let us down. Above an archetypal Dead Boys roar, Thorn unleashes his most perfect mock-Cockney yowl, while Cheetah sounds as young, loud and snotty as he ever has.
Thorn admits, “I hadn’t heard this buried treasure before, and it’s such a great fun and cool song… ‘cool’ not being an adjective usually associated with a Christmas record! But ultimately, it’s just a great Punk Rock number that just happens to have a Christmas theme.
“I had a whole lotta fun getting to grips with it and putting my own twist on it, taking the liberty of adding a few lyrics of my own for good measure, to the point of making my own Christmas wish list for Santa! There’s a cool humour to it and I can’t wait to road test it. It’s gonna be a whole lotta fun to play live and yeah, Christmas definitely came early this year and with bells on!”
Indeed, on this evidence, the band’s 50 year legend remains in the very best hands it could hope for. And there’s plenty more to come, not only in the form of the Dead Boys now-swiftly gestating new album, but also their upcoming West Ghost west coast tour… our chance, at last, to truly welcome Mark to the fold, alongside the present line up of Cheetah, Tony Garza, Chris Alaniz (The Turkish Elvis!) and Monk Burris.
So yes, maybe it does feel a little early to be jingling bells and saying “ho ho ho,” But someone’s got to start the ball rolling, and who would you prefer? The Dead Boys sounding as ferocious as ever? Or… [exit stage left, singing “simply having a wonderful Christmas time.”]
Hammerheart Records have announced the reissue of two D.B.C. thrash metal classics, Dead Brain Cells (1987) and Universe (1989), which will see the light of day on 14th November, 2025.
1987 was a big year for Canadian thrash. Bands like Voivod, Razor, Piledriver and Sacrifice had already done the groundwork over the previous few years but 1987 would be the year that saw the local scene taking the next step in its evolution with a new generation of bands making their initial forays into the world of recorded music.
D.B.C. had only formed in February of the previous year but had wasted no time in delivering their self-titled debut album in partnership with well-respected New York metal label Combat Records who had already made quite a name for themselves in the underground scene. Combat brought in experienced campaigners Steve Sinclair & Randy Burns to handle the production & engineering duties; each possessing some imposing resumes. It almost sounds too good to believe for a young Canadian band that had yet to make a name for themselves but such was the scenario D.B.C. saw themselves in when they made their way into the studio for the first time.
This is some top notch thrash right here which sees Dead Brain Cells and Universe sitting very comfortably under the ‘undiscovered gem’ banner.
Track-list: 1. Deadlock 2. Monument 3. Lies 4. Power And Corruption 5. Tempest 6. Public Suicide 7. Negative Reinforcement 8. Outburst 9. M.I.A. 10. Terrorist Mind 11. The Vice 12. Trauma X 13. Final Act
Track-list: 1. The Genesis Explosion 2. Heliosphere 3. Primordium 4. Exit the Giants 5. Rise of Man 6. Estuary 7. Humanity’s Child 8. Phobos and Deimos 9. Threshold 10. Infinite Universe
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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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Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 