Ferocious, uncompromising, and carved straight from the steel heart of classic thrash—Bastard Skull has officially inked a deal with WormHoleDeath, marking the start of a new chapter for the East Coast-based metal juggernaut.
The band’s self-titled debut album, ‘Bastard Skull,’ will be unleashed as a deluxe physical CD edition including three tracks from the ‘More Dread’ EP. Classic thrash purists and new fans alike can also experience digital streaming with standalone releases:
‘Bastard Skull’ LP drops on October 17, 2025
‘More Dread’ EP follows on November 11, 2025
CD Deluxe Edition – TBA
Born from a chance reunion at a Mercyful Fate show in Brooklyn on November 13, 2022, Bastard Skull unites a crew of seasoned veterans with deep roots in the thrash underground. The spontaneous spark between John Blicharz (Annunanki, Blood Feast, Dusk) and Tom Lorenzo (Blood Feast, Without End) lit the fuse. Joined shortly after by George Kostadimas and Mark Mari (Sneak Attack), Bastard Skull formed like a sonic supernova, driven by decades of pure metal instinct.
The band tracked both the LP and EP at Band Mother Recording with none other than Michael Sabatini (Attacker) behind the board. The final mastering touch came courtesy of legendary engineer Alan Douches (West West Side Music), whose resume reads like a metal hall of fame: Aerosmith, Obituary, Nile, The Ramones, Dying Fetus, and beyond.
Bastard Skull and WormHoleDeath now stand united in a shared mission: to tear through boundaries and bring unfiltered thrash metal to fans around the globe. Get ready.
Their music video for the title track “Bastard Skull” is out now:
Due to unforeseen circumstances, celebrated melodic rockers FM have moved their Newcastle concert to Anarchy Brew on Sunday September 7, 2025. Tickets are available from TheGigCartel.com and FMOfficial.com. Special guest at the Newcastle show is Brave Rival.
To coincide with the news, FM are pleased to announce their new single “Just Walk Away” released on Tuesday August 26th. Watch the official music video on YouTube HERE.
“Just Walk Away” is one of FM’s strongest ballads to date,” says FM’s frontman, Steve Overland. “The song builds from acoustic guitars to an epic ending, tells a great story that has real soul. It’s a favourite for me from the new album.”
On their September 2025 UK tour, FM will perform songs from their past 14 albums including their 1986 debut album Indiscreet, plus Tough It Out, Metropolis, Synchronized, and their highly anticipated forthcoming studio album Brotherhood, plus many more.
Formed in the 80’s by the Overland brothers, FM have become one of the UK’s seminal rock bands. The band features Steve Overland (vocals), Merv Goldsworthy (bass), Pete Jupp (drums), Jem Davis (keyboards), and Jim Kirkpatrick (guitar).
“From our meeting in a Notting Hill pub in 1984 to our “one off” comeback gig at Firefest 2007, it’s great to now tour beyond our 40th Anniversary shows,” says FM’s drummer, Pete Jupp. “Who’d have thought we’d reach such a milestone?”
FM’s special guests are three hotly tipped artists including *Brave Rival, and ***Jack J Hutchinson, and **Rosalie Cunningham.
SPECIAL GUESTS: *BRAVE RIVAL, **ROSALIE CUNNINGHAM, ***JACK J HUTCHINSON
Grimsby, Docks Academy Thursday 4 September ***Special Guest: Jack J Hutchinson Tickets: The Gig Cartel The Church, King Edward St, Grimsby DN31 3JD https://docksacademy.com
Barnsley, Birdwell Venue Friday 5 September ***Special Guest: Jack J Hutchinson Tickets: The Gig Cartel Sheffield Rd, Birdwell, Barnsley, S70 5UY https://birdwellvenue.com
Edinburgh, Liquid Rooms Saturday 6 September *Special Guest: Brave Rival Tickets: The Gig Cartel 9C Victoria St, Edinburgh, EH1 2HE http://www.facebook.com/TheLiquidRooms
Newcastle, Anarchy Brew Sunday 7 September *Special Guest: Brave Rival Tickets: The Gig Cartel Benfield Business Park, Unit A1, Benfield Road Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 4NQ http://www.anarchybrewco.com
Bristol, The Fleece Thursday 11 September *Special Guest: Brave Rival Tickets: The Gig Cartel 2 St Thomas St, Redcliffe, Bristol, BS1 6JJ https://thefleece.co.uk
Cardiff, The Globe Friday 12 September *Special Guest: Brave Rival Tickets: The Gig Cartel 125 Albany Rd, Cardiff, CF24 3NS http://www.globecardiff.co.uk
Gloucester, Guildhall Saturday 13 September ***Special Guest: Jack J Hutchinson Tickets: The Gig Cartel 23 Eastgate St, Gloucester, GL1 1NS http://www.gloucesterguildhall.co.uk
Colchester Arts Centre Sunday 14 September *Special Guest: Brave Rival Tickets: The Gig Cartel Church Street, Colchester, Essex, CO1 1NF http://www.colchesterartscentre.com
London O2 Academy Islington Thursday 18 September **Special Guest: Rosalie Cunningham Tickets: The Gig Cartel 20-22 Highbury Corner, London, N5 1RD http://www.thegarage.london
Wolverhampton, KK’s Steel Mill Friday 19 September **Special Guest: Rosalie Cunningham Tickets: The Gig Cartel Starworks Warehouse, Frederick Street, WV2 4DU http://www.kkssteelmill.co.uk
Manchester Club Academy Saturday 20 September **Special Guest: Rosalie Cunningham Tickets: The Gig Cartel Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PR http://www.manchesteracademy.net
Leeds, Old Woollen Sunday 21 September **Special Guest: Rosalie Cunningham Tickets: The Gig Cartel Sunnybank Mills, 83 85 Town St, Leeds, LS28 5UJ https://oldwoollen.co.uk/home
Chester, The Live Rooms Saturday 27 September ***Special Guest: Jack J Hutchinson Tickets: The Gig Cartel 1 Station Road, Chester, CH1 3DR http://www.theliverooms.com
Polish band Insidius presents its third full-length album, Vulgus Illustrata, set for release on November 7th, 2025, CD/LP Digital via Swedish label Black Lion Records.
The album is the result of intense collaborative work, merging classic death metal with modern elements—drawing inspiration from genre pioneers while maintaining Insidius’s unique identity. Recorded in 2024 under the guidance of Filip Hałucha at Heinrich House Studio, the band spent countless hours rehearsing and tracking to ensure each of the eight compositions is both relentless and expansive. The songs balance furious, driving riffs with brooding, atmospheric passages, capturing the raw aggression of death metal while weaving in hypnotic depth.
The album features appearances that elevate the song’s impact: Piotr “Peter” Wiwczarek (Vader) delivers a crushing vocal cameo, adding epic weight, while Moyses Kolesne (Krisiun) tears through a technically flawless, blazing guitar solo that contrasts perfectly with the track’s punishing backbone.
Formed in 2012 in Olsztyn, Poland, Insidius has steadily established itself as a formidable force in the death-metal underground. Their previous releases include Shadows of Humanity (2016, self-released) and Infamia (2018, Ermland Production). The band has shared stages with luminaries such as Vader, Marduk, Azarath, Witchmaster, Nervosa, Trauma, Vesania, Grave, and Antigama.
Vulgus Illustrata will be released worldwide on November 7th, 2025. Further details on formats and availability will be revealed in the coming months.
Track list 1. The Perfect Slave 2. Orgiastic 3. A Darkness That Divides 4. Destroy the Priests 5. Censure 6. Doom Accelerator 7. Abyssful of Echoes 8. Forge of Our Hatred
O.Y.D. presents the new single “End of Lies”. Their new single has just been released and is available on all digital platforms as well as in Lyric Video format on YouTube.
Fans at Tauron Arena were treated to a special moment on August 19th when Wacław “Vogg” Kiełtyka, guitarist of Polish death metal titans DECAPITATED, joined French metal juggernauts GOJIRA on stage. Vogg stepped in for a blistering performance of GOJIRA’s classic track “From The Sky.”
The collaboration electrified the audience, who erupted as the two forces of modern metal united in Kraków. GOJIRA, known for their crushing riffs and atmospheric intensity, welcomed Vogg with open arms, marking a powerful meeting between two of the most influential bands in contemporary heavy music.
“This was a truly unforgettable night,” said Vogg after the show. “I had the unimaginable pleasure and honor of performing ‘From The Sky’ with my dear friends from the mighty Gojira. It was one of the most unforgettable and epic moments of my entire music life. I am still blown away by how amazing the time was with them in my hometown of Kraków. I will never forget this day.”
GOJIRA’s performance in Kraków was part of their ongoing tour, bringing their acclaimed sound to audiences across Europe with support from KERRY KING. The addition of Vogg highlighted the band’s close ties with the global metal community and underscored their mutual respect for one another’s artistry.
The night will be remembered as a milestone for Polish fans, witnessing a rare and monumental collaboration on home soil.
About DECAPITATED:
Across eight studio albums, DECAPITATED grew from the adolescent dream of teenagers from a small Central European town to one of the leaders of the metal genre. Each successive album further expands the band’s sound with genre-bending authenticity and integrity. As Metal Injection rightfully observed, “any self-respecting death metalhead knows the name well.”
DECAPITATED’s music is a weapon forged by four young men from a historic medieval-fortified town in Poland, which catapulted them to the top of a worldwide subculture. Like a rose in the devil’s garden, the DECAPITATED story builds triumph from tragedy. The gleeful grotesquery of extreme metal imagery and rifftastic bludgeoning beckons listeners to uncover broader truths.
Upon the release of 2017’s Anticult, Metal Hammer declared DECAPITATED “a serious successor to the likes of Pantera and Lamb Of God – a band who can draw new legions into the metal world as its new champions.” Their diverse follow-up, 2022’s Cancer Culture, delivers on that promise. Jinjer vocalist Tatiana Shmayluk and Machine Head frontman Robb Flynn make guest appearances.
Vogg and his younger brother, drummer Witold “Vitek” Kiełtyka, co-founded DECAPITATED in 1996. The rule-breaking ferocity and invention of their first four albums reinvigorated death metal. Sadly, this era came to a shocking end in late 2007, when the band’s bus collided with a large truck near the Russian border with Belarus. Vitek tragically passed away from his injuries. He was just 23.
Vogg summoned the courage to continue, in honor of his brother and what they created, and returned with a new incarnation of DECAPITATED and the fiercely adventurous comeback album, Carnival is Forever (2011). Blabbermouth declared Blood Mantra (2014) “perhaps the most poised and gutsy” DECAPITATED album, adding “its courageous bends make it a turbulent but pleasurable ride.” Anticult (2017) increased the musical diversity without sacrificing their signature sound.
The devoted supporters who traveled to see DECAPITATED on international tours with the likes of Lamb Of God, Meshuggah, and Soulfly over the years will recognize the ever-present pummeling backbone of Cancer Culture (2022). Driven by Vogg’s passion and integrity, the dual emphasis on invention and skill maintains DECAPITATED’s stature as genre-leaders in 2025 and beyond.
Brazilian death-thrash metal powerhouse 4BanneD is set to bring their critically acclaimed album Sanatorium to stages across Europe for the first time with the “Sanatorium European Tour 2025”.
From November 6th to 27th, 4BanneD will perform in Portugal, Spain, France, Luxembourg, Germany, and the Netherlands, delivering a relentless onslaught of crushing riffs, neck-breaking thrash, and uncompromising death metal. This tour promises more than a concert—it’s a battlefield.
Tour Dates:
06/11 – AVAILABLE – Portugal 07/11 – Viseu Death Fest – Viseu/PT 08/11 – Neverlate – Covilhã/PT 09/11 – Soma – Braga/PT 12/11 – AVAILABLE – Spain 13/11 – Buril – Sarria/ES 14/11 – Los Bancos de Atrás – Unquera/ES 15/11 – Lleida Metal Fest – Lleida/ES 16/11 – Sala Creedence – Zaragoza/ES 19/11 – B16 – Bessèges/FR 20/11 – KJBI – Montpellier/FR 21/11 – MK Bar – Belval/LUX 22/11 – Tudo Foda Fest – Brackenheim/DE 23/11 – The Cave – Amsterdam/NL 27/11 – Bier Professor – Eindhoven/NL
Formed in 2015, the metal band 4BanneD features Alex Maramaldo (vocals, guitar), Icaro Cavalcante (guitar, backing vocals), Hewerson Freitas (bass, backing vocals), and Bosco Larcerda (drums). Drawing inspiration from Death and Thrash Metal pioneers like Sepultura, Testament, and Vader, their music blends aggression with thought-provoking, English-language lyrics.
Their debut album, “Sanatorium,” explores dark themes such as depression, schizophrenia, war, and oppression. Produced by Rafael Augusto Lopes (Crypta, Torture Squad) and Andre Zaza Hernandes (Angra, Andre Matos), the album was recorded at Casanegra studio in São Paulo, Brazil.
THE ROCK ALCHEMIST – Italian Rock Band from Turin with a strong sonic identity that blends modern rock with progressive, hard, alternative, and pop elements!
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video