Centred on the downfall of Númenor in the Second Age of Tolkien’s legendarium, “Akallabêth“, the monumental new album from US duo ANFAUGLIR, is a cinematic Black Metal epic spanning over three millennia of prosperity, conquest and ruin. Over four vast and dynamic tracks, the band weaves a narrative-driven symphonic tapestry which encompasses immortality, spiritual greed and the slow ebb of hope.
Four days ahead of official release, ANFAUGLIR now unveil the full album stream on DMP‘s YouTube channel. Listen here:
ANFAUGLIR relay the inspirations behind “Akallabêth“:
“With “Akallabêth” we go beyond a simple historical recounting of Tolkien’s tales. We explore the characters, speak their language and muse on the existential questions faced. There’s a depth here that can be missed if you don’t peel back the layers. As for our decision to build the concept around Tolkien’s works, the passion was born upon discovering J.R.R. Tolkien at a young age. It was an instantaneous recognition of creativity and world building that initially drew us into Middle-earth and kept us there ever since. It’s such a diverse world to invest one’s time and thoughts, making it the perfect backdrop to create our epic music in.
Since the second wave, Black Metal has had a rich history of dwelling in the agony and ecstasy. The additional orchestral instrumentation allows us to push those boundaries to great distances. Given the source material we’re working with it feels like the right palette to use in our compositions.“
“Akallabêth” is set for release on June 27th on CD and vinyl – including an exclusive DMP vinyl edition – and will be accompanied by a new t-shirt design by Luciana Nedelea. Pre-orders are possible via the label’s EU, US and Bandcamp shops.
ANFAUGLIR was forged by multi-instrumentalists Lord Bauglir and Griss as an exploration in storytelling through epic symphonic Black Metal. Based upon the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, the duo aims to match the scope and grandeur of the source material with their unique and cinematic compositions, transporting listeners to Middle-earth.
ANFAUGLIR are proud to partner with Debemur Morti Productions to bring their full-length album “Akallabêth“, a deluge of symphonic fury infused with discordant aggression and spellbinding tranquility, to light in 2025.
Shying away from traditional song structures, “Akallabêth” is written and arranged in the vein of a traditional symphony. Themes and melodies develop, recur and transform, entwining delicate motifs of rapture with tragedy, throughout the course of the album’s 4 monumental tracks.
Centering on the downfall of Númenor from the second age of J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium, death, immortality and spiritual avarice weave the narrative thread creating a tapestry rich in conflict, emotion and sinking hope. From godly gifts to bombastic wars, the album spans more than 3000 years of prosperity, conquest and upheaval.
Hungarian metal band Heartkiller is set to release their debut album ‘Üdv A Világomban (Welcome To My World)’ on August 15th 2025 via Finnish Inverse Records.
The fourth and last single ‘Életre ítélv’ is released today and music video is available below. LISTEN to Életre ítélv on streaming services: https://push.fm/fl/heartkiller-eletre
Composed by Kis Sándo
Lyrics by Nagy Gábor “Kenny”
ISRC: FI3FC2587803
Single cover by Szabó Loránd and Szabó-Sztelek Renáta
“Hi Guys! Sometimes you find that the person you trusted, the person you planned your future with, the person you wanted to build a new life with, is not really the person you once fell in love with. You try to compromise and please the other person, but sooner or later you realise that, you are denying yourself if you give in, resulting in a bleak, empty life. Instead, stand up for yourself, end the suffering, accept the pain and then, go on your way with your head held high! One way or another, you have to live. That’s what happened to me a few years ago. That’s what this song is about.” -Nagy Gábor “Kenny”
WATCH ‘Hajsza közben’ music video which is a cover of famous Hungarian rock band Prognózis: https://youtu.be/qn7jABUQXEQ
01 – Intro (Üdv a világomban) 02 – Lépned muszáj (Néha fáj) 03 – Életre ítélve 04 – Haldokló belső, halott szív (Pengékkel ágyba hív) 05 – Félelmeiddel (F.E.A.R.) 06 – A szívnek nincs akadály (Küzdj az álmodért) 07 – Most már elég (Élvezd) 08 – Miért érdemlem? 09 – Üdv a világomban 10 – Hajsza közben (Prognózis Cover)
Album cover by Mihályfi-Tóth Alex
Line-up: Scream, vocals and backing vocals – Nagy Gábor “Kenny” Lead guitar – Kis Sándor Rhythm guitar – Szabó Loránd Bass – Gulybán Márton Drums – Csiszár Gábor
Guest appearances on Hajsza közben:
Vocals and backing vocals – Vörös István
Vocals and backing vocals, solo guitar – Arany Máté (Akela)
Summoning thunderous tribal rhythms and indigenous instruments within the fields of modern metal has earned Mawiza recognition from the Chilean Grammys and respected elders like Mercyful Fate, Mastodon and Slipknot. But this band of modern day warriors are still a force of nature when paired down to their rawest form.
Today, Mawiza are releasing an unplugged version of the latest single off the band’s upcoming third album ÜL. Though stripped bare, “Mamüll Reke” still stands in towering defense of their ancestral land.
“Like other songs from ÜL, ‘Mamüll Reke’ was written in a way that everything could be reduced to melody and kültxung, the Mapuche drum”, says Mawiza’s vocalist and guitarist Awka. “The melody and lyrics are strong enough to guide the song on their own”.
When Mawiza are armed with their electric guitars, “Mamüll Reke” soars above the treetops amidst headbanging riffs and piercing flute. But the unplugged version of the band’s latest single feels just as heavy. Brittle acoustic strums scrape against rattling percussion. As Txalkan steadily pounds away like a procession of mourners, with weary resolve, Awka chants for defending the Mapuche’s land no matter the cost.
“Mamüll reke / Lhalu witxan / Afaflen (Just like the tree / that dies standing / chanting the way cry“, he sings with grim determination. “Lhayaiñ ka (We will die too)“.
“We aim for the unplugged versions of our songs to be even heavier and darker”, Awka says. “Without the distortion and loud drums, the message comes through more clearly. It might even be easier to feel our territory”.
To capture the song’s hard-fought message, Mawiza shot this video close to home. Spread along the outskirts near where the band live in Chile, the Panul Forest is Santiago’s last native forest. “It’s a very special place for us”, remarks Awka. “The forest has no protection against encroaching building projects, but the Machi, who’s the spiritual leader of the area, has always invited us to visit, sing, bring joy and share our newen, which means energy in Mapuzugun”. Stirred by its haunting final verse, “Mamüll reke” calls upon the spirits sleeping amidst the trees to reawaken. “Txüfken mew püruan kuyfi nhewen txepeam (I will dance on the ashes to awaken the ancient forces)”.
“We feel this forest is like ourselves, resisting time and the city’s advances”, Awka concludes. “It was the perfect place to record the unplugged version of ‘Mamüll Reke'”.
The video for the unplugged version of “Mamüll Reke” was directed and edited by Andrés Hetzler (@andreshetzler).
Hear Mawiza perform “Mamüll Reke” and other defiant anthems from ÜL this summer when they tour Europe this summer alongside fellow Chilean metalheads Ater.
Immortal Flame 2025 European Tour more dates to be announced! July 16 – Maribor, Slovenia @ Gustaf Pekarna July 17 – Miskolc, Hungary @ Zugivo July 18 – Deva, Romania @ John’s La Cetate July 19 – Targu Jiu, Romania @ Piano July 20 – Sibiu, Romania @ Rock & Bike July 21 – Timisoara, Romania @ Nemesis July 22 – Brasov, Romania @ La Templarie Pub July 23 – Arad, Romania @ Club Flex July 24 – Budapest, Hungary @ Riff July 25 – Szeged, Hungary @ Varosi Club July 26 – Pecs, Hungary @ Vararok July 27 – Ostrava, Czech Republic @ Barrack July 31 – Pinerolo, Italy @ Spazio Nino August 1 – Barberaz, France @ Brin De Zinc August 2 – Ostend, Belgium @ B52
Can’t wait to chant along to ÜL? Hear the whole album a week before it comes out by RSVPing for the band’s upcoming Bandcamp Listening Party
ÜL Bandcamp Listening Party Thursday, July 10 @ 1 pm Eastern Time – RSVP
Tracklist(English Translation) 1. To Decolonize (3:38) [WATCH] 2. Hummingbird Dream (4:29) 3. Western Storm (3:50) 4. Become a Cougar (5:06) 5. Just Like The Tree (4:24) [WATCH] 6. The War of the Sky (6:13) 7. Dead of the Sun (4:08) 8. Let It Die (3:58) 9. The Last Harp Call (featuring Joe Duplantier from Gojira) (4:42)
ÜL means “chant” in Mapuzugun. The album represents the voice of the land, the origin of feeling, the first call to connect with emotions. It is the materialization of a part of the spirit that, for a few seconds, becomes one with the wind—a force we can hear, resonate, communicate with, and return to. ÜL is Mawiza’s indigenous chant, and like smoke, it rises as a message to the skies.
Like their Mapuche ancestors, Mawiza always look back. ÜL chants to awaken the energies that have fallen asleep in the land, using the power of the great cities to resist the noise of imbalance. In this way, the album becomes another element of nature, a force defending itself, speaking in its own language to keep fighting and condemning those who continue to futilely subjugate their own strength.
With ÜL, Mawiza present themself to the world with a decolonizing and empowering mission. The album proclaims that nature possesses consciousness and spirit. Opening song “Wingkawnoam” emphasizes the importance of indigenous Mapuche thought by following dreams as precise guides for one’s path in life.
“Pinhza ñi pewma” is a dream that Mawiza’s vocalist Awka had during a time when hummingbirds were nowhere to be seen. Their chant was absent and the chilco plant was disappearing. In Awka’s dream, four hummingbirds came to feed on the blood from his fingertips, as if it were nectar flowing from the flowers of the chilco.
ÜL pays tribute to nature and Mawiza’s ancestors. “Ngulutu” recalls ancient battles between the Mapuche and the Spanish in Santiago, Chile. “Mamüll Reke”, “Wenu Weychan”, “Lhan Antü”, and “Kalli Lhayay” are filled with rhythms and sounds reminiscent of the most hermetic rituals of the Mapuche people. They were used by shamans to induce trance and heal the sick, to communicate with and greet the spirits of the mountains.
Closing song “Ti Inan Paw-pawkan” features chants from members of Mawiza’s indigenous community, as well as Gojira frontman Joe Duplantier. It is here, during the album’s finale, that the band stake their claim as both indigenous and urban. The song acknowledges the mission entrusted to Mawiza by Mapuche authorities and by the land itself: to raise awareness about balance on Earth in an empowered way and to call for greater attentiveness to Mapuche territory. Otherwise, the consequences will be dire.
W.A.S.P. add shows in Poland and the Netherlands to the 2025 Album ONE Alive European Tour, along with announcing the availability of VIP packages. The first leg of the European Album ONE Alive Tour is complete with sold out shows in Germany, France and Luxembourg and headline appearances at festivals in Poland and Germany. The Album ONE Alive tour celebrates the 40th anniversary of the release of W.A.S.P.’s first album by playing the debut in it’s entirety.
The W.A.S.P. Blackie Lawless VIP Experience includes:
Exclusive VIP Experience Meet and Greet with Blackie Lawless
Personal Photo with Blackie
Two Personal Items Signed by Blackie – No Guitars, Pick Guards or Instruments
Signed VIP Tour Laminate
$50 Credit at W.A.S.P. Online Store
Set of 3 Blackie Lawless 2025 Tour Guitar Picks
Q&A with Blackie with all VIP’s after all Photos and Autographs
See some of Blackie’s classic guitars
Photo with “Elvis” – Blackie’s Incredibly Unique and One of a Kind Microphone Stand
All tour dates, tickets and VIP packages are available at WASPnation.com/tour
2025 Album ONE Alive Tour, remaining shows:
07/10 Area 53 Festival – AUSTRIA 07/11 Belgrade, SERBIA – LOW TICKETS 07/12 Midalidare Rock in the Wine Valley – BULGARIA 07/14 Rockwave Festival – GREECE 07/16 Milan, ITALY 07/18 Sun And Thunder Festival – SPAIN 07/20 Norwich, ENGLAND *** 07/22 Dublin, IRELAND *** 07/23 Belfast, N. IRELAND *** 07/25 Glasgow, SCOTLAND 07/26 Steelhouse Festival – WALES 07/27 Nottingham, ENGLAND – LOW TICKETS 07/29 Riddes, SWITZERLAND – SOLD OUT 07/30 Zurich, SWITZERLAND 08/01 Skogsröjet Festival – SWEDEN 08/02 Wacken Open Air – GERMANY – SOLD OUT 08/03 Munich, GERMANY – SOLD OUT 08/04 Stuttgart, GERMANY – LOW TICKETS 08/06 Leyendas del Rock Festival- SPAIN 08/08 Alcatraz Festival – BELGIUM 09/26 Newcastle, ENGLAND * 09/27 Manchester, ENGLAND * 09/28 London, ENGLAND * 09/30 Utrecht, NETHERLANDS – NEW SHOW 10/01 Hamburg, GERMANY 10/03 Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC 10/06 Copenhagen, DENMARK ** 10/07 Oslo, NORWAY ** – SOLD OUT 10/08 Lund, SWEDEN ** – SOLD OUT 10/09 Oslo, NORWAY ** 10/10 Gothenburg, SWEDEN ** 10/11 Örebro, SWEDEN ** 10/12 Stockholm, SWEDEN ** 10/14 Falun, SWEDEN ** – SOLD OUT 10/15 Östersund, SWEDEN ** 10/17 Oulu, FINLAND ** – LOW TICKETS 10/18 Helsinki, FINLAND ** – SOLD OUT 10/19 Tampere, FINLAND ** – SOLD OUT 10/21 Tallinn, ESTONIA ** 10/23 Warsaw, POLAND – NEW SHOW 10/24 Wroclaw, POLAND – NEW SHOW 10/25 Zilina, SLOVAKIA
Support: *Armored Saint **Battleborn ***Tailgunner
Formed in 1982, W.A.S.P. is set to bring this universally acclaimed “classic” album to life. Lead vocalist Blackie Lawless says, “It was an angry record made by an angry band. It was a record that not only reflected the attitude of the band members who made it, but also a record that reflected its time.” This record became a central piece of the 80s metal scene and remains one of the best metal debut albums of all time.
Along with bassist Mike Duda and lead guitarist Doug Blair, whose tenures in the band are 29 and 26 years respectively, W.A.S.P. is joined by long-time drummer extraordinaire Aquiles Priester.
Lawless and company will deliver the ultimate incredible spectacle, bringing W.A.S.P.’s most colorful history to life by performing this revered album in its entirety… ONE more time… ONE last time… Album ONE Alive!
W.A.S.P. Bonus Tracks and B-sides was released on February 13th on digital services. The 7 Savage boxset and is available now at https://waspmadfish.lnk.to/7_Savage_CD
About W.A.S.P.
Few Bands in the history of Rock N’ Roll have ever incited the love, the hate, the raw emotional effect this Band has had on the world. From the very beginning, in the small venues of Los Angeles California, and later to the numerous countries worldwide that banned these Winged Assassins from performing live, the Band’s unique style of Shock and Rock caused Religious organizations, Local City Councils, Parliaments, and the Washington D.C. Senate to hold hearings in an effort to bar this group from selling records and trashing stages everywhere they played.
The band’s founding member, frontman Blackie Lawless, has led the group as its lead vocalist and primary songwriter since its beginning. His unique brand of visual, social and political comment took the group to worldwide heights and sold millions of records alongside a legacy of sold out shows across the globe for 4 decades.
Progressive metallers Jack The Joker are thrilled to announce that they will release their debut album “The Devil To Pay In The Backlands” on August 22, 2025, via Frontiers Music Srl.
Pre-Order “The Devil To Pay In The Backlands” HERE
Following the first two singles “Denied” and “Sun”, the quartet share the new track “Between The Sky Lines”, along with an official video.
“Between The Sky Lines” is a gaze beyond the blinding glow of our cities, a song for the forgotten skies observable from the countryside. It’s a reminder of how small we are, in a world that still breathes, suffers, and endures beyond the edge of our comfort”, the band commented.
Jack The Joker is a modern progressive metal band with a twist, hailing from the Northeast of Brazil. The band consists of Raphael Joer (vocals) Felipe Faco and Lucas Colares (guitars), Gustavo Pinheiro (bass), and Vicente Ferreira (drums).
What sets Jack The Joker apart is their ability to incorporate traditional cultural influences from their homeland, infusing elements of maracatu, forró, baião, and frevo into their sound. Their music draws inspiration from the iconic Brazilian novel of the same name, navigating the metaphysical backlands where human will clash with the raw forces of nature.
Their instrumental approach mirrors this thematic landscape, using regional rhythms as a foundation for dense, complex arrangements and layered compositions that fuse tradition with the intensity of progressive metal.
The band has already made a name for themselves in the modern prog scene with their 2024 singles, generating buzz with their blend of cultural authenticity and musical innovation.
Produced by Adair Daufembach (Angra), “The Devil To Pay In The Backlands” is an ambitious, genre-blending journey that will delight fans of technical metal, groove, and melody alike. Jack The Joker bring a fearless and refreshing perspective to the progressive metal genre.
“The Devil To Pay In The Backlands” Tracklist:
1. Devir 2. Between The Sky Lines 3. Denied 4. XV 5. Neblina 6. Sun 7. You Where I Belong 8. Thousand Witnesses 9. Cabaret 10. Saudade 11. Hope
Line Up: Vocals – Raphael Joer Electric/Acoustic Guitars – Felipe Facó e Lucas Colares Bass Guitars – Gustavo Pinheiro Drums and Percussions – Vicente Ferreira
RECORRUPTOR have unleashed “Bearing the Befouled Spawn”, the second single from their forthcoming album “Sorrow Will Drown Us All”, due out July 18th, 2025 via Time To Kill Records.
With this new track, the Michigan-based death metal unit doubles down on the crushing weight and surgical precision that define their sound. “Bearing the Befouled Spawn” is a relentless assault – dark and sharpened to a lethal point -showcasing the band’s evolved approach to brutality and atmosphere. Fuelled by blistering riffing and unyielding aggression, the single offers a punishing glimpse into the abyss RECORRUPTOR are prepared to drag listeners through.
Stream “Bearing the Befouled Spawn” now and witness the next chapter in their descent.
“‘Bearing the Befouled Spawn’ is Recorruptor’s sick and twisted tale of a most vile, disgusting birth – a woman forced to birth a vicious, man-eating hellspawn that wreaks havoc upon the unsuspecting public. A conscious, spiteful nod to the current climate of Christian ideologies sending the world into a downwards spiral, so too does this fictitious public face an ultimate doom as a result of their religious beliefs”.
Tracklist:
1. Bathe in the Ashes of Heaven 2. Sorrow Will Drown Us All 3. Bearing the Befouled Spawn 4. Within the Vault 5. Urn of Verglas 6. Envenoming 7. An Unnatural Lust 8. Devoured by Centipedes 9. Insidious Rot 10. Putrid Aberration of Malevolent Divinity 11. Death at the Hands of His Image 12. Scourge of Prometheus (Ft. Enrico H. Di Lorenzo of Hideous Divinity)
Born from a relentless need for speed and a commitment to preserving pure, unfiltered riff-driven death metal, RECORRUPTOR has carved out a name for themselves through explosive live performances and unflinching intensity. Since their formation in 2016, the Michigan-based band has released two full-length albums — “Bloodmoon” (2017) and “The Funeral Corridor” (2020) — both of which paved the way for extensive regional touring and support slots alongside genre titans such as Cannibal Corpse, The Black Dahlia Murder, Suffocation, Morbid Angel, and Cattle Decapitation. Refining their sound with each release, RECORRUPTOR entered the studio in 2023 to record what stands as their most focused and ferocious effort to date: “Sorrow Will Drown Us All”. A culmination of years spent sharpening their craft, the new album captures the band at their most precise, punishing, and unapologetically extreme.
For fans of: Aborted, Cattle Decapitation, Suffocation, Carnifex
Line-up:
Clint A. Franklin – Vocals Seth Earl – Guitar Isaac Marier – Guitar Alex Schmidt – Bass Josh Moore – 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 ) 