Wormholedeath is proud to announce the signing of one of Australia’s most commanding underground forces: EVOCATUS. The Hunter Valley-based melodic death metal quintet have inked a deal with the label for the worldwide release of their long-awaited new album, Inevitable Death, on August 29, 2025.
Emerging from the scorched battlefields of New South Wales with a bloodstained banner of thrash, death, folk, and symphonic might, Evocatus wield melody and brutality in equal measure. Their latest sonic campaign, Inevitable Death, marks a monumental leap forward—expanding on the saga outlined in 2020’s Path to Tartarus with an epic, war-scarred offering of blistering riffs, sweeping orchestration, and lyrical odes to fate, myth, and warfare.
Produced once again by Ryan Huthnance at Emissary Studios, Inevitable Death captures the sharpened edge of the band’s evolving sound. Fans of Kreator, Amon Amarth, and Machine Head will find familiar fire here, but with an identity that is unmistakably Evocatus—tight, towering, and unapologetically intense.
“We are beyond thrilled—and admittedly relieved—to finally unleash this beast,” the band declares. “INEVITABLE DEATH is the culmination of five years of blood, sweat, and beers. With WORMHOLEDEATH now standing beside us, we’re honoured to present this album to the world. We raise our horns to you, our friends, family, and fans, for your unwavering support over the years and in making this album possible. Here’s to ‘Inevitable Death’, and the tales of battle, myth, triumph, and death within—be prepared for a journey through the ages!”
Wormholedeath’s Carlo Bellotti praises the album as a bold and singular statement:
“It is very difficult to find precise influences, because the conceptual level of the compositions ranges between various stylistic strands, keeping in a very precise way, centred and very focused on a certain Death Metal with a Melodic vein. The project has a lot of personality, thanks also to fluid writing and an absolutely convincing execution. The experience gained over the years is clearly evident. The album has no weak points thanks to unquestionable compositional skills. This is the decisive union that gives you a unique stylistic imprint that always maintains a high maturity and intensity. The songs as well as the project itself, have their own specific identity that is extremely personal. The vocal work is awesome, as well as all the instrumental parts. Guitars and the rhythm section are powerful, and they do a great job in the composition and arrangements. I haven’t listened to a record of this sound matrix for a long time.”
Tracklist:
Into Everlasting Night
Serpent of Chaos
The River Styx
…and Die in my Name
In Graves Unknown
For Death and Glory
Devoted to Inevitable Death
The Sirens Call
To Live by the Sword
A Fate Worse than Death
Kicking off the announcement is the first single and video, “In Graves Unknown.”
Bordeaux, France-based melodic death metal outfit STARLIT PYRE have unleashed their highly anticipated debut EP, “Veins of Sulfur“. Drawing inspiration from the genre’s pioneers – the Gothenburg greats like At The Gates and Dark Tranquillity, alongside Soilwork and In Flames – STARLIT PYRE also incorporates the more contemporary stylings of bands such as Orbit Culture, Sylosis, and Darkest Hour. This blend showcases a band that respects its roots while forging its own modern path.
Tracklist:
Empire’s Downfall
Solar Rays
Veins of Sulfur
On my Own
Their debut EP, “Veins of Sulfur”, promises a full exploration of this sonic territory. The EP’s impactful sound was expertly shaped at Conkrete Studio (known for their work with The Great Old Ones and Eryn Non Dae…), with drum tracks laid down at Bud Studio (home to recordings by Gorod and Ad Patres…). Adding a compelling visual dimension to their music, Ani Artworks has crafted artwork that delves into the mythological and apocalyptic themes woven throughout their lyrics.
STARLIT PYRE comments: “Here we are, our debut EP is finally out! We’re so proud to present the first result of countless hours of work and dedication. The feedback from the press is awesome so far, we couldn’t be more delighted! We can’t wait to hit the road and play those songs on stage, and we probably won’t wait a long time to work on a follow-up to ‘Veins of Sulfur’!“
“Veins of Sulfur” is out now, self-released by the band, and available for purchase at THIS LOCATION.
STARLIT PYRE are: Florian Frandidier: Guitars Nicolas Potiez: Vocals Thomas Darracq: Bass Romain Guillemot-Treffainguy: Drums Mathieu Lopez-Gurria: Guitars
Leaning on their paleontological concept album series Phanerozoic, Berlin-based The Ocean (Collective) have announced the “end of an eon… and the beginning of a new“, following the departure notes of long-term vocalist Loïc Rossetti and guitarist David Ahfeldt.
Founding member and primary songwriter Robin Staps comments:
“Needless to say, 2024 was a tumultuous year. While playing the best shows of our career, we had reached a dead end. Loïc has been in the band since 2009, Paul since 2014, Mattias since 2015, and David since 2017.
“Touring takes a heavy toll on body & mind. It can be the best thing in life, but it can also be draining. It’s a huge commitment. We have played over 120 shows per year since the end of the pandemic, and counting studio time & travel days, that’s far more than half of our lives. From that angle, the fact that we’ve been able to do this together, with a firm group of committed people for more or less a decade against the odds of life, is pretty incredible.”
Vocalist Loïc Rossetti comments:
“Over time, our visions and creative paths naturally drifted. Without diving too deep into it, I’ve realised I’m no longer meant to be part of this particular dynamic. No drama, just heading in different directions.
“The Ocean will carry on, and I wish them well. I’m proud of what we’ve built. Big thanks to Robin, my bandmates, every crew member, my wife and family and everyone who helped make this journey possible.”
To celebrate this recent incarnation of The Ocean’s lineup, an Audiotree session is being released today, recorded in Chicago last summer as part of their From Nothing series.
Four songs from four different albums from the past 15 years, it is a homage to the individuals that were the faces behind the live silhouettes of The Ocean Collective for the past decade, and to be seen as a proper send-off to close this recent chapter of the band’s (much longer) history.
Freak Valley Festival and Hellfest at the end of June were the final shows with the current lineup – and also the first shows with new drummer Jordi Farré.
The Ocean continue to work on new material – the writing process of the collective’s upcoming 11th studio album is now complete, and the band will enter the studio later this year to record.
The band confirm:
“Rest assured: this band is far from dead. The Ocean Collective will begin a new chapter in 2026. We would like to thank you all for being a part of our journey throughout all these years, it means the world to us. We are looking forward to this next chapter, and can’t wait to share new music with you.”
It starts with a longing… You build a castle in a dream, and before you know it, you’ve moved in…
Gothenburg-based alternative metal band Dream Drop is back with new music. After releasing the album ACNE SUPERSTAR at the end of 2023, the band has been working intensely on their next project. Now they’re releasing their EP blackcastle pt.1, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter.
Dream Drop is a band that’s exciting to experience, both live and online. Their explosive stage presence has earned them spots alongside bands like Blood Command, Smash Into Pieces, and STARSET. With a strong online presence and a distinct graphic style, they know how to captivate fans on every platform.
The new songs, combined with cool visuals and an unstoppable energy, marks the beginning of Dream Drop’s strongest era yet.
The EP takes shape in the borderland between dream and reality. A first step into a larger, interconnected world. We move through liminal spaces where time has stopped, where everything is still yet charged with movement. It’s a place that feels familiar, yet not. A nostalgic dissonance. A skewed sense of safety.
6x Platinum and 8x Gold-certified, record-breaking Finnish rock outfit THE RASMUS has today (July 11, via Better Noise Music and Playground Music) released “Love Is A Bitch,” described by lead singer Lauri Ylönen as a “wildcard” track for the band. Known for their musically dark atmospheres, the band subversively merges catchy modern pop stylings with stadium-sized guitar crunch in this sardonic song about relationships.
“‘This song was always a wildcard,” says singer Ylönen. “It never fit with the rest of the songs. Still, we thought it was a fun song to play and I’m glad we decided to put it on the album. Lyrically, it’s about someone who’s treating you like shit but is too good in bed to let go.”
“Love Is A Bitch” is taken from the album WEIRDO. It arrives September 12, marking THE RASMUS’ 11th studio album and first for Better Noise Music. Listen to “Love Is A Bitch” HERE and watch the video on the band’s official YouTube page HERE. Pre-orders and limited-edition merchandise bundles are available now HERE.
“Love Is A Bitch” is the follow-up to “Break These Chains,” released May 16 along with the “Break These Chains” video, which has since garnered over 508k views, while “Creatures of Chaos” arrived March 28, with the video racking up over 771k views. The album’s first single, “Rest In Pieces,” was rolled out on October 25, 2024, paired with a lyric video which now has amassed over 620k views.
Most of the songs on WEIRDO were written by Lauri Ylönen, Desmond Child (who contributed to the band’s BLACK ROSES and RISE albums and has worked with Bon Jovi, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, among countless others) and Marti Fredriksen (Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne, Black Veil Brides) in Folegandros, Greece. That’s where Lauri and Desmond met up to work on material that Lauri brought. THE RASMUS then did full band demos of all the tracks in Finland in July 2023, with production led by Frederiksen and Child.
Later, they finalized the songs and recorded the album with the whole band in Marti Fredriksen’s Sienna Studios in Nashville. Some of the tracks were mixed by Fredriksen in Nashville, assisted by Evan Fredriksen, while other mixes were done by Chris Baseford (Nickelback, Shinedown, Daughtry) in Vancouver, Canada and by Claudius Mittendorfer (Panic! At The Disco, We Are Scientists) in London, and Joseph McQueen (Bad Wolves, As I Lay Dying, From Ashes To New) in Los Angeles. Additional production by McQueen injects a fresh intensity into tracks like “Creatures of Chaos” and “Break These Chains,” while Ylönen himself takes the helm on “Rest in Pieces” alongside Alex Mattson.
“I find it comforting that our 11th album, WEIRDO, has pretty much the same message as on our first album released in 1996,” says Lauri. “It is to defend and praise the ones who are different from the masses and proudly being themselves as they are. It has been our philosophy from the very beginning.”
Ylönen explains the power behind being a “weirdo.” “In this society I’ve always felt that I’ve had to prove myself for being the way I am or doing the things I do. I’ve always felt like an outsider not fitting the norm. I’ve been called a weirdo, misfit and a freak. That used to make me angry—but not anymore. It’s become my source of strength and confidence. I’ve realized the power of it. All the people I find exciting and inspiring are somehow strange. We, the Weirdos, unite and feed off people’s judging attitudes. The fact is they’re just afraid of us. Afraid of our capability to create new and change the future. Are you a Weirdo? Join us…”
THE RASMUS will bring their unforgettable stage show to audiences worldwide in 2025 on the “Weirdo Tour,” shows for 2026 are starting to be confirmed. They recently concluded a month-long U.S. trek with The Funeral Portrait and their own North American headlining tour. Tickets are on sale now for its European leg (9/12 – 12/6), while tickets for their 2026 shows will go on-sale July 17; see the full dates listed below.
Melodicmag.com described last month’s tour stop in Boston as having, “…a special energy throughout the night, as the band mentioned many times how happy and fortunate they felt to finally be playing in Boston…It is safe to say The Rasmus gifted their loyal fans with a jam-packed show that is sure to be unforgettable.”
Meanwhile, The Rasmus will play a charity concert in Ukraine on July 19 as the headliner of the Atlas Festival, as the only foreign artist at the event. The band wants to do their part to help Ukraine. Over 60,000 people are expected to be in attendance, and there will be a comprehensive security system and evacuation plan for the audience and performers in just a few minutes if necessary. Last year, the festival raised over two million euros for charity. The artists can choose to direct their charitable funds to any Ukraine-related cause, such as supporting children’s hospitals, purchasing ambulances, or helping combat medical personnel.
“It’s scary to play in the middle of war, but we want to show our support for the Ukrainian people,” says Lauri Ylönen. We have a massive fan base in Ukraine and we’ve also previously done a joint song with the Ukrainian Eurovision winner Kalush Orchestra.”
With their new album WEIRDO, THE RASMUS once again proves why they remain a force to be reckoned with in the rock world. In their native Finland, where they are the reigning #1 rock band, THE RASMUS stands at #1 on Spotify, YouTube, Instagram and Deezer as far as followers, views, likes and streams. It is often said that the best bands are the ones which keep surprising you time and time again, in the most thrilling of ways. This is something that the 6x Platinum and 8x Gold-certified band have been doing since their major label debut and a creative responsibility they take great pride in. If you’ve listened to any of their albums, you’ll be able to hear a kaleidoscopic collage of heavy guitars against futuristic electronics, as well as pop hooks that can find their way into the heart of any kind of music fan. As a direct result, they’ve become one of Finland’s greatest musical exports, selling millions of records worldwide and winning award after award.
With its uncompromising vision and unapologetic message, WEIRDO is poised to be THE RASMUS’ most ambitious and impactful album yet. Here’s the album’s track list:
Creatures of Chaos
Break These Chains
Rest in Pieces
Dead Ringer
Weirdo
Banksy
Love Is a Bitch
You Want It All
Bad Things
I’m Coming for You
THE RASMUS “WEIRDO TOUR” 2025 DATES: 9/12 Tampere, FI – Tavara-Asema 9/13 Turku, FI – Logomo 9/19 Kuopio, FI – Sawohouse Underground 9/20 Oulu, FI – Tullisali 9/26 Seinäjoki, FI – Rytmikorjaamo 9/27 Jyväskylä, FI – Lutakko 10/03 Lahti, FI – Möysän Musaklubi 10/04 Joensuu, FI – Kerubi 10/17 Helsinki, FI – Tavastia 10/18 Helsinki, FI – Tavastia 10/23 Limassol, CY – Monte Caputo 10/25 Athens, GR – Floyd 10/27 Dubai, UAE – The Agenda 10/29 Tashkent, UZ – Palace of Alisher Navoy 10/31 Astana, KZ – Grand Hall by Wyndham 11/1 Almaty, KZ – Bakshasaray 11/3 Tbilisi, GE – Elektroyard 11/4 Baku, Az – Heydar Aaliyev Palace 11/6 Istanbul, TR – IF Performance Hall 11/8 Belgrade, RS – MTS Dvorana 11/11 Hamburg, DE – Markthalle 11/12 Berlin, DE – Metropol 11/13 Warsaw, PL – Stodola 11/14 Brno, CZ – Sono Centrum 11/15 Budapest, HU – Barba Negra 11/16 Vienna, AT – Simm City 11/17 Munich, DE – Technikum 11/18 Milan, IT – Alcatraz 11/20 Zurich, CH – Komplex 457 11/21 Karlsruhe, DE – Substage 11/22 Saarbrucken, DE – Garage 11/23 Frankfurt, DE – Batschkapp 11/25 Cologne, DE – Live Music Hall 11/26 Utrecht, NL – Tivoli 11/27 Antwerp, BE – Trix 11/28 Paris, FR – La Cigale 11/30 Glasgow, GB – SWG3 Galvanizers 12/1 Manchester, GB – O2 Ritz 12/2 Cardiff, GB – Great Hall 12/4 London, GB – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire 12/5 Southampton, GB – 1865 12/6 Nottingham, GB – Rock City 12/10 Guadalajara, MX – Auditorio Telmex 12/12 Monterrey, MX – Auditorio Banamex 12/13 Mexico City, MX – Velodromo Olimpico
Hot off the heels of the Machines Vs Monsters tour with Static-X, Gwar & Dope; A Killer’s Confession released the third single, “Facts” from their new forthcoming album Victim 2 (out September 19th via MNRK Heavy).
Stream/download: here – Check out official lyric video below.
To kick off the release of the new single, the band will be performing at three Festivals this month:
July 16 – Cadott, WI @ Rock Fest July 19 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Upheaval Fest July 20 – Mansfield, OH @ Inkcarceration
Victim 2 will be available in a variety of formats and orders can be placed at this location.
A Killer’s Confession bio:
As the frontman and mastermind for A Killer’s Confession, Waylon Reavis has delved into the light and dark sides of mankind on albums like The Indifference of Good Men and Unbroken. But it is his current Victim trilogy where he delves deeper into that concept and which truly lives up to the band’s name. The new Victim 2 (MNRK Heavy), the group’s fifth album, continues the story of a serial killer who wants to bring horrific criminals to justice. But, as he’s learning, there are consequences for his misguided deeds, even if he thinks they are the right thing to do.
“I write this stuff for people to understand that we all have these thoughts,” Reavis says. “Like the devil’s advocate – you’ve always got that devil on your shoulder, or that impulse, that little scratch on the side of your head that says, I want to do that. I’ve always been intrigued with that.”
After his booking agent Andrew Goodfriend planted the seed of the album’s concept in his mind, Reavis found further inspiration in the 2001 horror movie Frailty, in which the “God’s Hand” serial killer murders people that he believes to be demons and that he is doing God’s will. The antagonist of the Victim trilogy follows a similar path. In Victim 1, he went after people who had committed one of the Seven Deadly Sins, particularly those preying on young, innocent victims. In this sequel, he is reveling in his murder spree too much and faces a crisis of conscience. The new song “Hand Of God” addresses this quandary and references Reavis’ movie inspiration.
Victim 2 kicks off in bristling fashion with “Hopeless Grey” and “In Case Of Emergency,” but as the story progresses the collection of songs explores different musical territory. Victim 2 shows how A Killer’s Confession likes to blend genres, notably on the track “Hollow.” While the song may have an aggro guitar sound, there’s a pop hook in the chorus, while EDM and trap sounds lurk just below the surface. That makes sense, given the fact that Reavis loves and is influenced by Maynard Keenan’s vocals, and he also appreciates Freddie Mercury and Phil Collins. He admires singers who can do things he cannot and who inspire him to aspire to something greater. He also keeps his ears open to new sounds.
“I love EDM, I love trap, dubstep, industrial,” Reavis declares. He likes mashing up electronic and downtuned 7-string guitars into a new industrial mix. But at the same time, he doesn’t sing like an industrial frontman. “I sing some pop stuff, but I’m doing what the song tells me. The melody speaks to me off the bat. I’m not trying to just be all blood, guts, and horror. I’m actually trying to show that I might have a little bit of talent, but also wrap it up with the lyrics that you can really dig deep into.”
Throughout Victim 2, the dark inner voices plaguing the murderous vigilante emerge in pitch-shifted fashion to distinguish them from his “normal” self. The unexpected cover of Nirvana’s “Heart Shaped Box” halfway through the album signals a turning point for the killer as he starts re-evaluating his humanity. The closing track wraps things up in an epic, melodic fashion.
“I wanted to end Victim 2 on a big number, on something that pulled on your heartstrings,” Reavis explains. “I really want you to connect with what I was saying and actually feel bad for the guy, even though he’s done terrible things. I want you to understand this was a good person, and he did what he thought was right. But he didn’t do it to anybody that didn’t deserve it. He wasn’t a monster.”
Don’t let that statement come off as an endorsement for what transpires during the Victim trilogy. With the forthcoming final chapter, which he is already assembling, Reavis wants to lay bare the consequences of letting one’s dark side take over.
“This time the spine grew and became a little more grotesque,” he says of Victim 2. “By the next time he is going to be fully engulfed, and you really are seeing a demon. He became what he hated. I think the moral is don’t fall into your needs that much because you’ll become exactly what you tried not to be.”
The subject matter of a man going after child abusers and like-minded miscreants is personal for Reavis. In 2016, he worked with children in a residential treatment facility for many months, an experience he found enlightening and personally healing. He has worked with victims of child trafficking, and for the last 9 years he has also organized and performed at an annual Toys For Tots concert. This year he hopes to raise another $15,000.
In a way, Reavis is channeling his anger at adults who destroy child purity through a story about a man who delivers retribution in the way he would not. He does not encourage anyone to step into Victim’s moral gray areas. Victim 3 will find the vigilante facing justice – ironically, harsher than the sentences he thinks his victims deserve – and coming to terms with his actions and transformation.
Like the psyche of this album’s antagonist, the sonic realm of A Killer’s Confession is also split into two different worlds, but for artistic reasons. Guitarist/drummer Dusten “Dusty” Boles and vocal producer Evan McKeever are Reavis’ studio songwriting partners, while his touring band features different members. The frontman likes to oversee everything in the creative process of the band from the studio to the stage, and he works with the people he think will thrive in each environment and deliver the best work to the musical project.
“I don’t like doing the same thing over and over,” Reavis admits. “I like to experiment. I like to try to invent something new, take something that you know and mix it with modern metal. I’m not trying to create a new genre, but I like to be challenged and hear new things. If it rings in the ears and it makes you bob your head, it’s good. It don’t matter what style it is. I think a true artist should be interested in expanding themselves and where they can do anything they want. That’s where AKC really excels.”
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 ) 