Founded by multi-instrumentalists Nicolò and Federico Vese, Italian progressive metal duo ASYMMETRIC UNIVERSE, are set to release their debut album, A Memory And What Came After, via InsideOutMusic, on August 29th, 2025.
Pre-order now here: https://asymmetricuniverse.lnk.to/AMAWCA-Album
With a week to go before the album is released, the band have launched the track ‘Feather On A Glass’, and you can watch the video now here:
Photo: Fernando Zannini — Artwork: Marcelo Tonidandel
Brazilian heavy metallers BLADES OF STEEL have released the single “Riders Of The Night”, featuring NERVOSA vocalist Prika Amaral. Along with the track, the band unveiled a stunning music video, which you can watch below.
Listen to the “Riders Of The Night” HERE
The follow-up to their acclaimed self-titled debut album ‘Blades of Steel’ (2025), the single is the first taste of their upcoming second album, scheduled for release next year. Produced by Val Santos (Viper), the track features a fuller, more aggressive sound, with a focus on guitar riffs. Regarding the composition, guitarist Jonas Soares comments:
“My idea for the song “Riders of the Night” was to present a song with a lot of riffs, influenced primarily by bass digger and accept, blending classical music in the bridge notes, along with a more emotional and striking vocal line, culminating in a powerful chorus. The second part of the song features a more 80s thrash metal style inspired by bands like Sodom and Destruction, as well as the overdubbed guitar work, based on one of our main influences, Judas Priest.”
Resurgent from a predominantly male scene, Blades of Steel focuses on female empowerment within traditional metal. The collaboration with Prika Amaral further reinforces the group’s purpose and mission.
Vocalist and founder Yara Haag shares the inspiration for “Riders Of The Night”:
“I wanted to create something from the heart, something that captured Prika’s essence: a free, fearless, biker woman who bravely faces the world to achieve her dreams. This song was born that way—as a tribute. It’s about a shared passion: motorcycles, but above all, it’s a tribute to the woman who has truly represented metal for so many years.”
Prika Amaral showcased her vocal talent for new musical styles: “This participation in this song is very special to me, as I recently became a vocalist. It was an incredible opportunity to create art alongside a friend and talented vocalist, and also to discover a new voice within myself for a different style. Furthermore, the song speaks to one of the things I love most in life: riding motorcycles!”
“Riders Of The Night” also marks a new stage for the band, with the new lineup and the maturation of their sound. “Now we have a better understanding of how we want our compositions to be, what truly represents the band, and what productions we’ll pursue from now on,” said Yara Haag.
BLADES OF STEEL continues working on the new album, promising a faster, more intense sound, but without abandoning its roots in traditional metal. “We want to explore new possibilities without losing what defines our identity as a band,” adds Yara Haag.
Blades of Steel is a Brazilian traditional heavy metal band formed with the purpose of honoring and revitalizing the genre’s roots. Their sound is driven by powerful riffs, powerful melodies, and lyrics that evoke themes of courage, resistance, and freedom. Influenced by classic bands such as Judas Priest, Manowar, Running Wild, Accept, and Saxon, Blades of Steel delivers a sound faithful to the old school while forging a unique identity.
In 2025, the band released their highly anticipated self-titled debut album, ‘Blades of Steel,’ produced, mixed, and mastered by Rafael Augusto Lopes (Crypta). The album was released on all major streaming platforms, as well as on CD and cassette, embracing the aesthetics and experience of classic heavy metal.
The release was praised for its authenticity and power, marking a significant milestone in the band’s journey and solidifying Blades of Steel as a rising force in the Brazilian and South American metal scenes.
The band is currently working on the compositions for their second album, scheduled for release in 2026. One of the highlights of the upcoming album is the bonus track featuring a special guest appearance by Prika Amaral (Nervosa), accompanied by a professional music video. This collaboration marks an important step in expanding the band’s reach to new audiences and markets.
Blades of Steel keeps the flame of true heavy metal alive, combining tradition, power, and professionalism at every stage of their career.
Genre: Heavy Metal
Label: Metal Relics
Production: Val Santos
Recording: Val Santos
Mixing and Mastering: Val Santos
Lineup:
Yara Haag- Vocals
Rafael Romanelli- Guitar
Jonas Soares- Guitar
Filippe Tonini- Bass
Bruno Carbonato- Drums (video)
Following a series of previously-released singles, modern metalcore outfit HUMANKIND drops their first EP via powerhouse label ROAR, led by focus track “lovely”.
“lovely” is a dramatic reinterpretation of Billie Eilish’s global hit featuring ENEMY INSIDE vocalist Nastassja Giulia.The song shifts between fragile intimacy, raw vulnerability, and massive, heavy emotional intensity, transforming a global pop anthem into a cathartic experience that creates a release that lingers long after the last note. The accompanying music video brings both vocalists together on screen, capturing the song’s raw emotion and chemistry in a way that is impossible to ignore. Watch the music video for “lovely” feat. ENEMY INSIDE here:
Stream the EP now on: https://humankind.rpm.link/lovelyPR
HUMANKIND states: “From our perspective, “lovely” is an artistic, yet honest and dramatic engagement with mental issues or physical diseases that can’t be healed immediately. Sometimes we have to accept the situations we find ourselves in and learn how to live with them until they eventually improve. The decision to realise the song with two vocalists shows that we’re not alone with our struggles and will find comfort and help if we openly vocalise our issues and find others who are fighting similar fights.”
Produced, mixed, and mastered by Christoph Wieczorek (Sawdust Recordings), the four-track EP underlines HUMANKIND’s abilities to fuse modern metalcore energy with emotional depth, firmly establishing themselves among the new modern wave of forward-thinking post-hardcore and alternative rock music acts.
EP track listing:
HumanKind is:
Samuel Scholz (Vocals)
Maria Kimberly Huehn (Guitar)
Simon Keil (Guitar)
Dominik “Doemsen” Stotzem (Bass)
Silas Schué (Drums)
For More Info Visit:
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/HumanKindBandDE
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/humankind_band
TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@humankindband_de
YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_0DaiKu5cYlQ2h-s62EYhQ
Irish progressive metal outfit URAGH return this autumn with their most intense and thematically ambitious work to date. Their new EP ‘Stalemate‘ will be released September 25th, 2025 via digital platforms and limited physical editions. The first single, “Crimson Dove” is out now, accompanied by an official music video.
A searing follow-up to last year’s debut full-length Maelstrom, ‘Stalemate’ delivers four interconnected tracks that explore the darker aspects of institutional control and personal deterioration in modern society. Across its concise runtime, the EP traverses themes of mental health breakdown, societal alienation, and the psychological toll of systemic oppression.
The record builds a compelling conceptual arc, beginning with the mechanical warfare of “Perpetual,” progressing through the circling predation of “Crimson Dove,” the personal grief of “Time Heals Nothing” (featuring guest vocals from Foelicitye), and culminating in the stark institutional imagery of the title track, “Stalemate.”
Lyrically and sonically, URAGH craft a narrative that becomes increasingly intimate and disturbing, employing industrial and predatory metaphors—“vultures watching their selected weary victim,” “white apparel,” “barbed wire,”—to deliver a scathing critique of modern power structures.
“Musically, we really wanted to bottle the energy of our live show this time around,” says guitarist Marcelo Varge. “It’s definitely a step up in intensity from Maelstrom, but the process was also more spontaneous. Time Heals Nothing, for example, was basically built from scratch in the studio. We walked in with a few loose riffs and just let the song find its own way.”
“Thematically,” Varge continues, “we didn’t start with a concept, but the idea of being trapped just kept surfacing. Whether it’s the daily grind in Perpetual, or the feeling of having your dreams picked apart in Crimson Dove, it all points back to this paralysis. It’s why Stalemate felt like the only fitting title.”
With a recurring use of powerful metaphors, war machines, hollowed cityscapes, and clinical confinement, the ‘Stalemate‘ EP paints a bleak yet resonant portrait of how human psychology is shaped, worn down, and ultimately contained by the systems that surround it. The industrial imagery and layered motifs of repetition and inevitability make Stalemate a cohesive and harrowing meditation on modern existence.
Recorded at JSR Audio earlier this year, the EP saw producer Josh Sid Robinson step into a central role in shaping the band’s evolving sound. The EP’s arresting artwork was created by Georgian visual artist Alex Malakmadze, whose piece echoes the mechanical and institutional tone of the record.
STALEMATE – TRACKLIST
1 Perpetual
2 Crimson Dove
3 Time Heals Nothing (feat. Foelicitye)
4 Stalemate
LIVE SHOWS – IRELAND & UK TOUR
URAGH will support the release of Stalemate with a string of live shows across Ireland and the UK, bringing their formidable stage presence to the following cities:
Sep 26 – Dublin @ Sin É
Oct 3 – Bristol, UK @ The Gryphon
Oct 4 – London, UK @ The Dev
Oct 10 – Cork @ Fred Zeppelins
Oct 11 – Belfast @ Voodoo Belfast
Oct 26 – Limerick @ TBA
Nov 14 – Edinburgh, UK @ The Banshee Labyrinth
Formed in 2022, URAGH have quickly built a reputation for their immersive sound and cerebral lyrical themes. Their 2024 debut Maelstrom saw them appear at Wacken Open Air and take to the main stage at Ireland’s Siege of Limerick, marking a breakout year for the band. Now with ‘Stalemate‘, they venture deeper into territory that is as thought-provoking as it is sonically devastating.
The ‘Stalemate’ EP crafts a dark narrative across four tracks, moving from the mechanical warfare of Perpetual through the predatory Crimson Dove and personal loss of Time Heals Nothing, to the institutional confinement of the title track. Through industrial imagery and metaphors of decay, the EP presents a haunting commentary on mental health, systemic control, and the cyclical nature of human suffering within modern institutional frameworks.
URAGH are:
Craig Murphy – Vocals Marcelo Varge – Guitar Sebastian Sparr – Bass Jason Hodgkins – Drums
https://www.uraghband.com/
https://www.instagram.com/uraghband
https://www.facebook.com/uraghband/
https://www.youtube.com/@uraghband
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5SoZf0kot6FCxBxUoNapxU
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/uragh/1690213345
https://uragh.bandcamp.com/
Still riding on the wave of success caused by their 2025 album “Plague Of Rats” (February 28, 2025 via Reigning Phoenix Music; DE #13, SE #13, AT #41, CH #42, GR #50), Southern German heavy/power metallers BRAINSTORM use the final weeks of the warm season by having a creative stopover at the beach on their way back from the myth-enshrouded Indus world. Today, they present nothing but a metalled-up take on Don Henley’s classic track ‘The Boys Of Summer’ to their fans.
The track was recorded during BRAINSTORM’s “Plague Of Rats” sessions in 2024, and the timing of its release couldn’t be more fitting as the group have entered the final stages of this year’s festival season.
Vocalist Andy B. Franck adds: “Even though ‘The Boys Of Summer’ deals with rather nostalgic themes of ‘summer love’ and the memory of a past relationship, for me – at the time a 13-year-old – it was, beyond the metal anthems of the 80s, a great song that I associated with summer, girls and the corresponding feeling for many, many years. Don Hanley and the EAGLES are simply awe-inspiring. Even today, this song still evokes great memories for me, and since it’s also a song about questioning the past, this track fits perfectly into our times. I’m proud that we recorded it, and maybe it will be part of a show soon. People will love it and then share memories with this, our version!”
Stream ‘The Boys Of Summer’: https://brainstorm.rpm.link/theboysPR
But the metal world doesn’t have to worry – the band are far from resting on their latest laurels: Behind the curtain, BRAINSTORM have been working on extending their 2025/2026 “Plague Of Rats” touring cycle, and the announcement of more live dates following their confirmation for the next edition of Summer Breeze Open Air (Dinkelsbühl, Germany) is really just a matter of time… Stay tuned!
BRAINSTORM remain a vital force in the metal scene, seamlessly blending traditional elements with modern influences in their latest work, “Plague Of Rats.” Drawing inspiration from the rich and mystical narratives of ancient Indian civilisation, this album delivers an energetic line-up of tracks devoid of slow songs or ballads, fully embodying the band’s dynamic and robust metal style. Expertly crafted with the collaboration of Sebastian “Seeb” Levermann (ORDEN OGAN, ANGUS McSIX) for mixing and mastering at Greenman Studios, and featuring striking artwork by Gyula Havancsák (DESTRUCTION, KREATOR, GRAVE DIGGER etc.) and photography by Alex Kühr, “Plague Of Rats” offers ten compelling new tracks that transport listeners to the captivating worlds of India and beyond.
Order/stream “Plague Of Rats”: https://brainstorm.rpm.link/plagueofratsPR
More from “Plague Of Rats”:
‘Garuda (Eater Of Snakes)’ OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giLwrNqQpTQ
‘Beyond Enemy Lines’ OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuSBlOfFDPQ
‘The Shepherd Girl (Gitagovinda)’ OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H54C3lR4yhU
‘Crawling’ OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ids2tik6It0
BRAINSTORM live:
24.08.2025 PT Pindelo dos Milagres – Milagre Metaleiro Open Air
30.08.2025 AT Graz – Metal on the Hill NEW
20.09.2025 DE Schrobenhausen – Metal im Woid NEW
29.11.2025 DE Bonn – Harmonie NEW
12 – 15.08.2026 DE Dinkelsbühl – Summer Breeze Open Air NEW
More dates to be announced very soon…!
About BRAINSTORM
BRAINSTORM look back on an unparalleled career: since their 1997 debut “Hungry,” the band have continued to develop and to consolidate their position in the international metal scene with albums like “Metus Mortis” [2001], “Soul Temptation” [2003], “Liquid Monster” [2005], and most recently “Midnight Ghost” [2018] and “Wall Of Skulls” [2021]. They have toured worldwide and achieved impressive chart positions in recent years, but instead of resting on their laurels, they are more determined than ever and setting new milestones with their current album “Plague Of Rats.”
BRAINSTORM are:
Andy B. Franck | vocals
Torsten Ihlenfeld | guitars
Milan Loncaric | guitars
Dieter Bernert | drums
More on BRAINSTORM: brainstorm-web.net | Facebook | Instagram | X | TikTok | RPM
New Jersey experimental metal collective TOMBS is now unveiling a haunting new single, “The Sun Sets” which can be heard at THIS LOCATION.
TOMBS bassist Drew Murphy comments, “I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished on the album. I’m particularly proud of this song. It’s definitely a standout track in my opinion. When I listen to this song I feel like it takes me on an epic journey that ends with being stranded in the middle of a very angry sea. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as we do.”
“The Sun Sets” is taken from the band’s upcoming studio album, ‘Feral Darkness,’ which will be released on October 17, 2025 via Redefining Darkness! The title track from the offering was previously released and can be heard HERE.
The band is not only returning with a new label, but also with a new sound! While ‘Feral Darkness’ still embraces TOMBS’ black metal roots, it also explores the band’s gothic, death rock side, creating the band’s darkest and most haunting record to date!
Pre-orders for ‘Feral Darkness’ are now live via Bandcamp as well as via the Redefining Darkness store.
The cover artwork was created by Seldon Hunt.
Tracklist:
Formed in 2007, New Jersey-based experimental metal outfit TOMBS blends bleak, post-punk minimalism with the ferocious attack of sludge and haunting goth rock. TOMBS have established themselves as an act that’s as committed to consistency as it is to growth, developing smoothly (but never predictably) over the course of their career.
TOMBS Lineup:
Mike Hill – guitar / vocals / synth
Justin Spaeth – drums / guitar
Andrew Murphy – Bass / guitar / vocals
Dan Higgins – guitar
Guest Musicians:
Sera Timms – vocals on “Nightland” (Black Mare, Black Math Horsemen, Ides of Gemini)
Recording and Mixing: Justin Spaeth
Mastering: Andreas Rosczyk
Photos: Mike Goncalves
For Fans Of: Fields of the Nephilim, Samhain, Mayhem, Goatwhore
More info: Bandcamp – Facebook – Instagram – X – Spotify – Apple Music – YouTube
Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 