If darkness is the canvas upon which the boldest visions are painted, then Andvake—meaning “Awakened Soul” in Old Norse—marks Afargang’s arrival with a vivid and unrelenting creation. The project’s debut album is released today via By Norse Music.
Listen to the full album here – Order the album via By Norse Music here
At the heart of Afargang is Olav Luksengård Mjelva, the band’s architect and guiding force. A musician whose soul resonates with the echoes of Norway’s past, his mastery of folk music and particularly the Hardanger fiddle, injects a spectral quality into the band’s sonic framework. This is not folk metal as the world has known it, nor is it a simple modernization of ancient sounds. It is a force unto itself, reaching into the marrow of Nordic tradition and twisting it into something new, something untamed.
Olav L. Mjelva comments: “We’re so excited to finally release this album! It’s been a long, but incredibly exciting and creative journey. It took time to find the right people to work with and to figure out how we wanted it to sound—how to incorporate folk elements in a slightly different way than what’s most common. But once we got started, the sound and sonic landscapes came together quite naturally.
We’re really proud of the final result, and it feels like we’ve landed exactly where wedreamed of when we first set out. Now we just hope as many people as possible will listen to the album! We’re looking forward to continuing this musical journey—and album number two is soon in the works!”
Rockshots Records is excited to unveil “Wolves At The Door”, the new single from MARGANTHA, taken from their upcoming debut EP “Blood Moon Sacrifice“, out next June 27th, 2025.
Following the evocative atmospheres of the previous single “Curse Of The Full Moon“, this new track delves into a defining moment of the EP’s conceptual arc.
As the band explains:
“‘Wolves At The Door’ tells the story of when the villagers, isolated beneath the shadow of the mountains, finally come face to face with the horror they’ve feared—not a pack but a single, relentless werewolf. A nocturnal and primal being whose thirst for flesh evokes the terror of an entire horde.”
The song opens with a dark riff laced with exotic nuances, immediately setting a mysterious and foreboding tone. The central section evolves with a powerful melodic death metal influence, introducing new shades of aggression and tension. Balancing speed, melody, and black metal fury, the track offers a powerful and dynamic blend, at once brutal and atmospheric.
“This creature is more than just a legend—it’s a force that devours silence and sows panic. With this song, we wanted to translate the fear of the hunt, the chaos of uncertainty. The riffs alternate between menace and urgency, while the vocals embody both the predator and the prey,” the band continues.
True to MARGANTHA’s creative ethos, the songwriting began with the concept. Each musical decision was guided by narrative intent, prioritizing mood over technicality. The result is a visceral, cinematic experience where no element is superfluous—every note drives the story forward.
“Wolves At The Door” was mixed and mastered by Andy LaRocque (King Diamond) at Sonic Train Studio, whose precise production further intensifies the song’s sharp contrasts and layered textures.
MARGANTHA’s sound lies at the crossroads of Mgła’s atmospheres, Uada’s drive, Gaerea’s emotional weight, and the classic aggression of Venom and Behemoth. With “Blood Moon Sacrifice“, the band delivers a debut that fuses ancestral myth with the raw immediacy of modern black metal.
With this new chapter, MARGANTHA invites listeners deeper into the legend, where every shadow hides a truth and every door could open to a monster.
Bordeaux, France -based Melodic Death Metal act STARLIT PYRE has unleashed another intense taste of the band’s upcoming debut EP, entitled “Veins of Sulfur”, scheduled to be released on July 11. Following the release of the powerful first single “Empire’s Downfall”, today STARLIT PYRE are presenting a lyric video for the brand new track “On my Own”!
The band reveals about the song: “‘On my Own’ is the catchiest and the most ‘easy listening’ song of the EP. Sure, there are plenty of fast riffs and aggressive parts, but this track leans more into melodies, harmonies, and sing-along moments – especially in the chorus and in the two guitar solos. We played our first gig last week in our hometown and we closed our set with this song, to leave a mark on the crowd. According to their reaction, we’ll do this again!”
While STARLIT PYRE seems to be a fresh name on the scene, the individuals within its ranks are seasoned veterans. Formed in early 2024, the band unites musicians from well-regarded French acts including Temnein, Theorem, Bloody Rabbeat, Silicium, Praetorian, and Faded Echoes. This collective experience has clearly forged a focused and powerful sound.
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 suggests a band that respects its roots while forging its own modern path.
Their debut EP, “Veins of Sulfur”, promises a full exploration of this sonic territory. The EP’s impactful sound was shaped by the skilled hands at Conkrete Studio (known for their work with The Great Old Ones and Eryn Non Dae…), with the drum tracks laid down at Bud Studio (home to recordings by Gorod and Ad Patres…). Adding a visual dimension to their music, Ani Artworks has crafted artwork that delves into the mythological and apocalyptic themes woven throughout their lyrics.
Tracklist:
Empire’s Downfall
Solar Rays
Veins of Sulfur
On my Own
“Veins of Sulfur” drops on July 11th, self-released by the band, and is available for pre-order at THIS LOCATION.
STARLIT PYRE are: Florian Frandidier: Guitars Nicolas Potiez: Vocals Thomas Darracq: Bass Romain Guillemot-Treffainguy: Drums Mathieu Lopez-Gurria: Guitars
Celebrated bluesman Larry McCray releases his powerful new studio album Heartbreak City, available now on KTBA Records, the label founded by Joe Bonamassa. To mark the occasion, McCray also drops the album’s title track and latest single, “Heartbreak City”—a gut-punch of a song that puts his searing guitar work and gravel-worn vocals front and center.
Produced by Grammy-nominated duo Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith, Heartbreak City is a bold, unfiltered collection that finds McCray at the height of his powers. The ten-track album fuses raw blues with vintage soul, Southern grit, and hard-earned truth, featuring standout contributions from Reese Wynans, Kirk Fletcher, and background vocalists Jade Macrae and Dannielle De Andrea, as well as guest guitar work from Bonamassa himself. It was recorded at Sunset Sound in Hollywood and mixed by Alan Hertz.
STREAM the album “Heartbreak City” Order The Album HERE
Written by Josh Smith, Michael “Harvey” Price, Steve Shepherd, and Dan Walsh, track “Heartbreak City” tells the story of a man lost in a city of sorrow, where heartbreak is the only currency and escape feels impossible. The song’s vivid lyrics paint a cinematic portrait of isolation and despair—“All God’s lonely souls begging, ‘Please just let me die’”—while McCray’s voice channels every ounce of that pain into a cathartic, slow-burning blues performance. His guitar howls and groans alongside him, evoking the decades he spent pouring himself into club stages night after night.
Across the board, critics agree: McCray has delivered one of the standout blues records of the year. Blues Rock Review praised his ability to stay rooted in tradition while continuing to evolve the genre, writing, “McCray dispatches the train with guitar licks played with a feel that even the late great B.B. King would have been proud of.” Rock and Blues Muse called the album “magnificent,” noting its “roaring, goose-bump raising guitar solos” and declaring that “Larry McCray is back in a big way.” Glide Magazine added, “McCray has never sounded better vocally or on guitar,” and affirmed that Heartbreak City “has all the major ingredients for a powerful blues album and then some.” And Raised by Cassettes summed it up best, calling it “not just one of the best blues albums of the year, but one of the best albums all around.”
The album was introduced through two acclaimed singles: “Bye Bye Blues,” a finger-snapping throwback co-written with Charlie Walmsley and steeped in soul tradition, and “Bright Side,” an unreleased gem originally written for Bobby “Blue” Bland that McCray reimagined with swagger and charm.
Across Heartbreak City, McCray leans into themes of loss, resilience, and redemption, drawing from a life spent living the blues as much as playing them. His voice—gritty, weathered, and full of soul—carries the weight of that experience, while his guitar burns with unrelenting purpose. With gospel-tinged harmonies, tight arrangements, and songs that cut deep, Heartbreak City is McCray’s most personal and compelling work yet.
The new album follows McCray’s acclaimed 2022 comeback, Blues Without You, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Blues Chart and was named #1 Blues Album of the Year by Blues Rock Review. In 2024, McCray was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame, cementing his legacy as one of the Midwest’s true blues icons.
Heartbreak City by Larry McCray 1. Try To Be A Good Man 2. Heartbreak City 3. Bye Bye Blues 4. Bright Side 5. Everything Falls On Me 6. I Know What I’ve Done (feat. Joe Bonamassa) 7. Keep On Loving My Baby (feat. Kirk Fletcher & Josh Smith) 8. Hangman 9. Stop Your Crying 10. Crazy World
Tour Dates August 24 – Marshfield, MA – North River Blues Fest September 15-21 – Seattle, WA – Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea Alaska
Devon Allman’s Blues Summit Tour** August 7 – Baton Rouge, LA – Raising Cane’s River Center August 8 – Lake Charles, LA – The Rosa Hart Theatre August 9 – Pensacola, FL – Saenger Theater August 10 – Montgomery, AL – Montgomery Performing Arts Center August 12 – Nashville, TN – Fogg St Lawn Club August 13 – Union Hall, VA – The Coves August 14 – Hopewell, VA – The Beacon Theatre August 15 – Norfolk, CT – Infinity Music Hall August 16 – Jordan, NY – Kegs Canalside August 17 – Kingston, NY – Ulster Performing Arts Center August 20 – Atlantic City, NJ – Mardi Gras AC @ Kennedy Plaza August 21 – Cranston, RI – The Park Theatre August 23 – Nashua, NH – Nashua Center for the Arts September 4 – Phoenix, AZ – MIM September 5 – Las Vegas, NV – Big Blues Bender September 6 – San Juan Capistrano, CA – Coach House September 9 – Santa Fe, NM – The Lensic September 10 – Beaver Creek, CO – Vilar Performing Arts Center September 11 – Parker, CO – The Pace Center September 12-13 – Telluride, CO – Telluride Blues & Brews Festival ** Features Devon Allman, Jimmy Hall, Larry McCray & Sierra Green
About Larry McCray Blues singer and guitarist Larry McCray was born in Magnolia, Arkansas, and raised in Saginaw, Michigan, where he developed a searing guitar style and emotive voice that would earn him comparisons to the genre’s greats. A pioneer of modern blues-rock, McCray helped shape the genre throughout the ’90s with albums on Virgin’s Point Blank label and through collaborations with legends like B.B. King, Albert King, and Buddy Guy. After years of grinding it out on the road and surviving personal struggles, McCray has emerged with a renewed sense of purpose—and a voice that’s deeper, richer, and more powerful than ever. With Heartbreak City, he cements his status as a timeless torchbearer of the blues.
From the depths of the unhallowed night emerges ‘The Whore’, the latest ceremonial offering from Swedish black metal stalwarts Lord Belial‘s forthcoming album Unholy Trinity. The new album will be released on 27th June via Hammerheart Records.
Lord Belial comment on the track: “‘Antichrist’ is a ferocious invocation of the dark messiah, channeling the ancient forces of chaos and rebellion against the dying light of the divine. With ritualistic power and apocalyptic grandeur, the track summons the cursed and the despised to embrace the rise of the Unholy Trinity. This hymn stands as a testament to Lord Belial’s unrelenting devotion to the black arts and the eternal spirit of defiance.“
Swedish black metal legends Lord Belial return in 2025 with their tenth studio album, Unholy Trinity, a fierce continuation of their legacy, set to push the boundaries of extreme music even further. Formed in 1992, Lord Belial has been a cornerstone of the Scandinavian black metal scene for over three decades, known for blending raw aggression with haunting melody and atmosphere.
Following their triumphant 2022 comeback with Rapture, hailed as one of their strongest works to date, Unholy Trinity sees the band sharpen their sound to deadly precision. Where Rapture reasserted Lord Belial’s dominance, Unholy Trinity takes it a step further; darker, more extreme, yet deeply rooted in the band’s signature melodic sensibility.
Once again working with legendary producer Andy LaRocque (King Diamond, Death) at Sonic Train Studios, Lord Belial deliver a relentless assault that is both savage and sophisticated — a masterclass in modern black metal.
Since their 1995 debut Kiss the Goat, Lord Belial have built a revered discography, including cult classics like Enter the Moonlight Gate, Unholy Crusade, and Nocturnal Beast. Often compared to genre-defining acts such as Dissection, the band has earned its place among the elite of extreme metal, seamlessly merging blackened ferocity with death-infused melody.
With Unholy Trinity, Lord Belial prove once again that their flame still burns strong and colder than ever. Expect nothing less than a powerful, immersive journey into the heart of Swedish black metal.
Tracklist: 1. Ipse Venit 2. Glory to Darkness 3. Serpent’s Feast 4. Blasphemy 5. In Chaos Transcend 6. The Whore 7. Scornful Vengeance 8. The Great Void 9. Antichrist
Line-up: Thomas Backelin – Vocals, guitars Niclas Pepa Green – Guitars Micke Backelin – Drums
Emerging from the shadows of industrial decay of Łódź, Poland, autoscopy is a visceral new force in the realm of heavy music. Fusing crushing electronic beats, cinematic soundscapes, and metallic aggression, the band conjures a sound that’s both haunting and hypnotic. With influences rooted in darkwave, post-metal, and EBM, autoscopy explores themes of identity, inner conflict, and the uncanny — inviting listeners to peer into the mirror and confront the reflection that stares back.
This is not just music; it’s an out-of-body experience, so step into a world of distorted dreams and digital shadows.
The album “the third man factor” was mixed and mastered by Kuba Sawicki at Phi Studio, whose portfolio includes collaborations with Averme, Fallen Prophet and Christian Woochuck. The graphic design was done by Bartosz Hervy (Blindead). The debut album was released on June 13, 2025 on CD (order at Bandcamp) and all popular digital platforms (here).
This is how the band comments their album: “The Third Man Factor is an album announcing a new phase of musical madness. It’s a way to face your inner demons and start a new path of reality“.
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 ) 