GRAMMY® Award winning bassist David Ellefson (Ex-Megadeth) and acclaimed metal vocalist Jeff Scott Soto have once again joined forces and are set to release their highly anticipated second album “Unbreakable” out on August 15, 2025, via Rat Pak Records. Alongside the album announcement, the duo has unveiled a powerful new music video for the title track “Unbreakable,” giving fans a first taste of the record’s sound.
The duo Ellefson-Soto is joined by Italian guitarist Andy Martongelli and Paolo Caridi on drums and features 11 studio tracks with guest appearances from Tim Ripper Owens (KK’s Priest) and Burning Witches front-woman Laura Guldemond.
Recorded at Rogue Studios in Wembley UK, by Alessio Garavello and produced by Chris Collier (Mick Mars, Korn, Flat Black) “Unbreakable” is a sonic assault packed with catchy riffs, melodic vocals, and thoughtful lyrics that blends their classic metal roots with modern rock intensity.
“This album digs even deeper,” says Ellefson. “It’s heavier, more personal, and shaped by everything we’ve experienced on and off the stage.” Soto adds, “The energy we poured into this one—it’s the sound of two lifetimes colliding in riffs, rage, and redemption.”
Ellefson further comments, “One of the things I like most is I feel like you can hear a real sense of brotherhood on our records, that we’re really in the creative process together as a band. The consistency of our sound has remained intact while allowing us to further build upon each other’s strengths from our debut album. It’s an honest, organic approach that blends well and lets us explore new sounds and musical paths. At the end of the day, I don’t think there is anything that an artist desires more than that!”
“Unbreakable”drops August 15, 2025, and will be available on all major streaming platforms with limited edition autographed Vinyl, CD & Cassette bundles exclusively through Rat Pak Records.
TRACK LISTING
Unbreakable
SOAB
Shout
Hate You, Hate Me
Poison Tears (Featuring Laura Guldemond of Burning Witches)
Ghosts
Vengeance (Featuring Tim Ripper Owens of KK’s Priest)
Having recently signed to Frontiers Music Srl, rising rocker AUSTEN STARR is elated to release her debut single “I Am The Enemy” alongside a music video, available to view below. With this striking debut single, AUSTEN STARR sets the stage for what promises to be an ambitious and emotionally charged musical journey.
AUSTEN STARR comments on signing to Frontiers:
“I’m very excited and very grateful to be working with Frontiers. Despite me being a brand-new artist, they were highly supportive of my vision and they gave me free reign in terms of artistic expression. It’s really, really cool of a label to do that for a debut. Thank you, Frontiers!”
On the new single, she adds:
“’I Am The Enemy’ leans slightly into ‘pop,’ but has been a favorite of everyone involved in the project, and the timing seemed right for a summer release to be this upbeat and deceptively saccharine. The video intends to show the dichotomy that exists around my desire to live within this ‘rockstar’ persona; one side is really tortured about it and the other is excited about it. The version of me that you see on the Viper Room stage is the culmination and resolution of those two parts.”
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 both to hating bad grammar and to 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)
Volcano Records & Promotion is thrilled to announce the release of ‘Faceless God’, the new single by AETHERNA available from today, Friday, July 18 on all digital platforms. The track marks the beginning of a new chapter for the Rome-based band and serves as the first preview of their upcoming full-length album, set for release on November 14 by the Italian label.
With a sound that blends the power of heavy metal with alternative and progressive nuances, ‘Faceless God’ explores the delicate relationship between faith, spirituality, and social manipulation. Humanity, always driven by the need to believe in something greater, has built around religion a rigid system of doctrines and rules, often at odds with the genuine and profound nature of spirituality. Within this system, the divine loses its original face and becomes a strict judge, functional to the power held by the castes that administer the cults. The song is a powerful reflection on this alienation and a clear statement: no one has the right to give a face to what we choose to believe in.
Faceless God is just the first of several releases planned over the coming months, which will lead the band toward the highly anticipated release of their new album.
German black metal visionaries Der Weg Einer Freiheit are unveiling “Eos” as the lead single from their upcoming sixth album Innern. The song is a visceral meditation on destruction and renewal; it adopts the voice of a fallen soldier, whose final hope is to become one with the earth, a vessel for life rather than a casualty of violence.
Innern comes out September 12th on Season of Mist.
On Innern, Der Weg Einer Freiheit continue their evolution as one of the most emotionally resonant voices in modern black metal. Anchored in existential introspection and produced entirely by the band’s vocalist and guitarist Nikita Kamprad, the album presents six tracks that move from disintegration to reckoning and renewal.
“Eos” stands at the heart of the album’s journey. The song reminds us that from the grave of war, life returns rooted in sorrow, reaching toward light. Its journey begins in restraint, with guitars echoing in mournful dialogue. Then a pulse emerges beneath, a low-end rumble of bass accompanied by the drums’ ritualistic cadence. From this stillness, the track bursts into a maelstrom. Searing guitars and a punishing rhythm come together, presenting black metal at its most unrelenting. Kamprad’s anguished vocals tie the violence to its aftermath, rendering grief inseparable from transformation.
Within Innern, “Eos” functions as both accusation and elegy. The song reflects on nature’s quiet, uncompromising justice. Over time, life stirs in silence; the red, blood-soaked soil gives way to green. The Earth begins to dance once more. During the song’s final act, the war’s architect is overtaken by the same regenerative force, dragged down from his throne and absorbed into the soil.
The video for “Eos” was directed and produced by Paloosa Productions.
Tracklist:
Marter (9:24)
Xibalba (10:07)
Eos (7:30)
Fragment (6:24)
Finisterre III (2:00)
Forlorn (7:44)
Full runtime: 43:12
In light of their introspective new journey, Der Weg Einer Freiheit are embarking on a headlining tour of Europe this fall in support of Innern. Next year, the band will finally make their long-awaited return to the U.S. with their first-ever performance at Maryland Deathfest.
DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT – INNERN FALL TOUR 2025:
September 18 – Dresden, DE @ Chemiefabrik September 19 – Berlin, DE @ Heimathafen September 20 – Prague, CZ @ Rock Café September 21 – Munich, DE @ Backstage September 22 – Leipzig, DE @ Werk 2 September 23 – Salzburg, AT @ Rockhouse September 24 – Vienna, AT @ Szene September 25 – Zurich, CH @ Dynamo September 26 – Geneva, CH @ PTR/L’Usine September 27 – Grenoble, FR @ Ampérage September 28 – Paris, FR @ Le Petit Bain September 29 – Ludwigsburg, DE @ Scala September 30 – Wiesbaden, DE @ Schlachthof October 1 – Hamburg, DE @ Knust October 2 – Tilburg, NL @ 013 October 3 – Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat October 4 – Bochum, DE @ Christuskirche
DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT @ Maryland Deathfest May 21-24, 2026 – Baltimore, MD
With Innern, their sixth studio album, DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT return with their most introspective and compositionally expansive work to date. A meditation on suffering, transformation, and the fragile thresholds of the human psyche, Innern refines the band’s signature blend of black metal intensity and post-metal atmosphere. The title, German for “inward”, anchors the album’s conceptual weight: a turning away from the external, into a realm of personal reckoning,silence, and renewal. Across six meticulously crafted tracks, the band explores cycles of disintegration and emergence, inviting listeners to confront the deep and often contradictory nature of existence itself.
Der Weg Einer Freiheit formed in Würzburg, Germany in 2009, the brainchild of guitarist and composer Nikita Kamprad and original vocalist Tobias Jaschinsky. The band’s early beginnings were humble but explosive: their self-released debut quickly sold out, drawing attention across the underground metal scene. A reissue in 2010 with newly recorded drum parts by Christian Bass(Heaven Shall Burn, ex-Night in Gales) established the band’s first official lineup and led to extensive touring across Germany and Europe. From the outset, Der Weg Einer Freiheit were set apart not just by their technical prowess, but by a philosophical inclination that would become the band’s artistic hallmark.
Their 2012 sophomore album, Unstille, expanded on their debut’s melodic harshness, while introducing a deeper emotional weight. It also marked the first appearance of drummer Tobias Schuler, whose intricate and expressive playing would become central to the band’s identity. Though vocals on Unstille were still performed by Tobias Jaschinsky, he would leave the band shortly after its release. Kamprad took over vocal duties in the months that followed, stepping into the role of frontman in time for the writing and recording of their next album.
Stellar, released in 2015 via Season of Mist, solidified the band’s stature within the modern black metal landscape. Drawing from post-rock and progressive influences, the album embraced wider dynamics and cinematic structures,aligning them with the likes of Wolves in the Throne Room and Deafheaven, without sacrificing their own Germanic rigor and introspection.
In 2017, Finisterre signaled a conceptual leap forward. It confronted themes of isolation, personal dissolution, and spiritual finality across sprawling arrangements and stark tonal shifts. This period saw further lineup changes, with the departure of guitarist Sascha Rissling and bassist Giuliano Barbieri, and the arrival of Nicolas Rausch and Nicolas Ziska. Finisterre also marked their first chart placement in Germany and set the stage for increasingly ambitious live performances.
A live album, Live in Berlin (2019), captured the raw power and cathartic energy of the band’s concerts, affirming their reputation for immersive, emotionally charged performances. But it was Noktvrn, released in 2021, that truly redefined what Der Weg Einer Freiheit could become. Inspired by the ambiguous state between wakefulness and dreams, and drawing influence from classical composers such as Chopin and Arvo Pärt, the album saw Kamprad experiment with clean vocals and subdued textures. It was both a thematic and sonic breakthrough and was received by critics as their most refined and contemplative release to date.
Now, with Innern, Der Weg Einer Freiheit move even deeper into the abyss. Produced, mixed, and mastered by Kamprad in his own studio, the album is an intensely focused work.”Eos,” the album’s lead single, contrasts war and renewal, imagining a post-human earth fertilized by sacrifice and reclaimed by nature.”Marter” follows as a searing portrayal of inner torment and emotional release—suffering not only as a source of agony, but as a path toward transcendence. “Xibalba” then confronts the machinery of fear—media,propaganda, and spiritual fragmentation—urging a return to our collective essence through introspection and clarity. And with “Forlorn,” the band delivers their most vulnerable statement yet: a delicate plea for emotional refuge, sung in English to underscore its universality. The album also marks the studio debut of bassist Alan Noruspur, whose presence brings anew emotional and personal depth to the band’s sound.
Musically, Innern leans into contrast and contradiction. Kamprad and Rausch’s guitar interplay oscillates between searing aggression and elegiac restraint. Noruspur’s basslines pulse with warmth and gravity, while Schuler’s drumming remains as meticulous as ever-bridging technicality with emotional nuance. The album’s production captures a sense of immediacy and live energy, yet remains rich in detail and atmosphere. It is not merely a refinement of past styles, but are invention—one that places the listener in direct confrontation with the void.
Der Weg Einer Freiheit stand now at the peak of a fifteen-year evolution.Their music is as concerned with silence as it is with sound, as shaped by introspection as by fury. As they prepare to bring Innern to European stages in autumn 2025, they do so not as provocateurs of extremity, but as artists navigating the fragile space between collapse and clarity. In a genre often defined by spectacle, Der Weg Einer Freiheit remain committed to vulnerability, transformation, and truth.
Lineup
Nikita Kamprad – Vocals, Guitars
Nicolas Rausch – Guitars
Alan Noruspur – Bass
Tobias Schuler – Drums
Production Credits Recorded, mixed & mastered in Würzburg, Germany by Nikita Kamprad. Drums recorded separately at Studio Weißmann, Würzburg, Germany.
Swiss heavy metal act BURNING WITCHES have shared a new track taken from their forthcoming studio album, entitled Inquisition, which is slated for release on August 22, 2025 via Napalm Records!
Following the previously released album title track, this second single brings a powerful mix of classic heavy metal riffs and hard rock grooves to the band’s signature witch-themed metal offerings. “High Priestess Of The Night” features a memorable chorus as well as a tasteful and melodic ’80s-style guitar solo. One can be sure, the band is set to perform this and many other new tracks on their upcoming live dates that can be found below!
BURNING WITCHES comment:
“We chose this good-vibed yet still heavy-themed, catchy mid-tempo song as a second single. This will be an ear catcher and a hip shaker for sure at live shows. This song is a must for everybody… it’s simple but it’s also the way of every Metalhead. If you are a Metalhead, you will like High Priestess Of The Night!”
On their sixth studio offering, the band returns with a darker, more thunderous brew — diving headfirst into the themes of medieval persecution, religious oppression, and the unbreakable spirit of resistance. Featuring 12 brand-new tracks, the album marks a bold new era: forged in the flames of power/heavy metal, sharpened by anthemic songwriting and epic instrumentation.
When BURNING WITCHES takes the stage, the world trembles beneath their firestorm of heavy metal might! Following the classic heavy metal tones of their previous record, The Dark Tower (2023), Inquisition delivers tight production and an unrelenting onslaught of burning riffs, crushing drums, and vocal sorcery, driven by producers Damir Eskic (Destruction) and V.O. Pulver (Little Creek Studio, Pro-Pain, Destruction), and shaped by the songwriting of founding guitarist Romana Kalkuhl.
With Inquisition, BURNING WITCHES unleashes their most focused and ferocious album yet, honoring classic heavy metal roots while diving into darker, more powerful territory. From mystical ballads to breakneck shred-fests, the album channels both the sacred and profane, the melodic and the menacing—a testament to a band unafraid to evolve, fight, and enchant!
“As we celebrate our 10 Year Anniversary in 2025, I am very happy as well to announce our sixth album with pride and satisfaction. I am extremely happy to start the next chapter of our metal journey with my girls. The album Inquisition is for those of you who are into legends like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Slayer. Full of power, melodies, double bass drums, heavy riffs and speedy guitar solos, Inquisition is not only our style and lifestyle, it’s our life! From the beginning to the end, it’s the best of us,” Romana Kalkuhl comments.
“We and our label Napalm Records are a huge supporter of Vinyl records, so with passion and joy we chose some great editions to add to your collectables. Now it’s your time to pick your Inquisition!“
US Tour 08/30/25 – Pompano Beach – FL – Piper’s Pub 08/31/25 – Clearwater – FL – Road House 09/02/25 – Atlanta – GA – Masquerade 09/04/25 – Covington – KY – Madison Live 09/05/25 – Westland – MI – Token Lounge 09/06/25 – Columbus – OH – The King Of Clubs 09/07/25 – Cleveland – OH – Beachland Ballroom 09/09/25 – Pittsburgh – PA – Crafthouse Stage & Grill 09/10/25 – Harrisburg – PA – Club XL 09/11/25 – Philadelphia – PA City Winery 09/12/25 -Teaneck – NJ – The Debonair Music Hall 09/13/25 – New Bedford – MA – The Vault 09/14/25 – Hampton Beach – NH – Wally’s 09/17/25 – Annapolis – MD – Rams Head On Stage 09/18/25 -Virginia Beach – VA – Elevation 27 09/20/25 -Sanford – FL – West End Trading Co
Europe: Witches And Kings Tour Support: Hammer King
09.01.26 Milano – Legend Club IT 10.01.26 Obertraubling – Airport DE 11.01.26 Zlin – Masters Of Rock Cafe CZ 13.01.26 Rubigen – Mühle Hunziken CH 14.01.26 Brugg – Salzhaus CH 15.01.26 Basel – Sudhaus CH 16.01.26 Langenthal – Old Capitol CH 17.01.26 Zug – Galvanik CH 18.01.26 St.Gallen – Grabenhalle CH 19.01.26 Glarus – Kulturzentrum Hölastei CH 20.01.26 Monthey – Pont Rouge CH 21.01.26 Wetzikon – Kulturfabrik CH 23.01.26 London – The Dome UK 24.01.26 Birmingham – The Asylum UK 25.01.26 Manchester – Academy 3 UK 27.01.26 Kortrijk – DVG Club BE 28.01.26 Paris – Backstage By The Mill FR 29.01.26 Essen – Turock DE 30.01.26 Kaiserslautern – Kammgarn DE 31.01.26 Aschaffenburg – Colos Saal DE 01.02.26 München – Backstage Halle DE 03.02.26 Nürnberg – Hirsch DE 04.02.26 Leipzig – Hellraiser DE 05.02.26 Hannover – Musikzentrum DE 06.02.26 Hamburg – Logo DE 07.02.26 Uden – De Pul NL 08.02.26 Heerlen – Nieuwe Nor NL 10.02.26 Lyon – Rock N Eat FR 11.02.26 Barcelona – Salamandra ESP 12.02.26 Murcia – Garaje ESP 13.02.26 Madrid – Revi Live ESP 14.02.26 Vitoria – Urban Rock ESP
25.04.26 Reinhardshagen – Wezer Metal Meeting DE 03.05.26 Diest – Hell Open Air BEL 09.05.26 Rautheim DE Rock In Rautheim DE 26.06.26 Oschersleben – Rock & Metal Dayz DE
BURNING WITCHES are: Romana Kalkuhl – Guitar Laura Guldemond – Vocals Courtney Cox – Guitar Jay Grob – Bass Lala Frischknecht – Drums
Just days before returning to the holy grounds of Wacken Open Air, modern metal sensations ENEMY INSIDE are proud to announce the digital release of their haunting track ‘Innocent’ alongside its visually striking official music video. Previously only available as part of the physical edition of their acclaimed current album “Venom” (February 28, 2025 via Reigning Phoenix Music), both the track and video are now accessible worldwide on all major streaming platforms and YouTube.
Being a fan favourite since its original release, ‘Innocent’ dives deep into the shadows of human morality. With its cinematic soundscapes, thunderous guitars, and the emotionally-charged varied vocals of singer Nastassja Giulia, the new single continues the band’s signature blend of heavy riffs and dark elegance that has earned them international attention. The supporting video is a visual metaphor for inner conflict and moral duality, complementing the track’s lyrical themes with bold, provocative imagery while solidifying ENEMY INSIDE’s status as one of the most exciting acts in the modern metal scene.
The band adds: “It’s a song about guilt, hypocrisy, and the human tendency to judge others while ignoring our own flaws. Inspired by the biblical quote ‘Let he who is without sin cast the first stone,’ it’s a reminder that before we point fingers, we should take a hard look at ourselves.”
Following prestigious appearances at John Smith Rock Festival (FI) and Wacken Open Air (DE), ENEMY INSIDEwill play a series of Spanish headline show in September before the group will close their 2025 live chapter at Full Metal Holiday (ES). All dates & ticket info can be found below!
ENEMY INSIDE live:
17.07.2025 FI Laukaa – John Smith Rock Festival 30.07.2025 DE Wacken – Wacken Open Air SOLD OUT (Signing Session: 5.30PM – 6.15PM) 16.08.2025 CZ Moravský Krumlov – Rock Castle
16.09.2025 ES Madrid – Revi Live 17.09.2025 ES Barcelona – Sala Estraperlo 18.09.2025 ES Vitoria-Gasteiz – Urban Rock Concept 19.09.2025 ES Vigo – Revoltallo 20.09.2025 ES Valladolid – Sala Porta Caeli
13 – 20.10.2025 ES Mallorca – Full Metal Holiday SOLD OUT
ENEMY INSIDE have quickly distinguished themselves in the metal scene with their powerful thematic content centred around combating the ‘inner enemy,’ culminating in their celebrated current album “Venom.” Their energetic, melodic, and emotionally charged music has earned them a loyal fan base which has streamed their infectious tunes more than 20 million times on Spotify and viewed more than 5+ million times on YouTube. ENEMY INSIDE graced major stages on festivals like Wacken Open Air, Full Metal Cruise, Dynamo Metal Fest, Nummirock, M’era Luna, Rockharz Open Air and many more and have toured extensively across Europe.
ENEMY INSIDE are: Nastassja Giulia | vocals Evan K | lead guitars Dave Hadarik | rhythm guitars Dominik Stotzem | bass Hanno Kerstan | drums
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
Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 