Alternative metal insurgents SAUERKRAUT return with “He Is” — a visceral track that dives headlong into themes of nihilism, psychological fracture, and spiritual collapse. Driven by a sense of spiritual rage and psychological disintegration, the track captures the sound of a soul unraveling in real time — a harrowing blend of emotional collapse and apocalyptic fury.
Dark, aggressive, and unrelentingly bleak, “He Is” blends crushing riffs with unhinged vocals and industrial-tinged atmospherics. It’s a sonic exorcism — equal parts catharsis and confrontation — that cements Sauerkraut’s status as one of the most fearless voices in the alt-metal underground.
“He Is” is a track taken from the band’s upcoming album “In Madness”, due for release via Wormholedeath.
Formed in 2019 by veterans of the metal and alt scenes, SAUERKRAUT made their mark with the 2022 debut Bloody Stew — a fierce introduction defined by thunderous grooves, dynamic structures, and raw energy on and off the stage.
Their upcoming album In Madness marks a bold evolution. With the addition of a second vocalist, the band pushes deeper into contrast, intensity, and emotional range, balancing brutal breakdowns with infectious hooks and textured atmospheres.
Blending metalcore, nu metal, and hardcore with fearless experimentation, SAUERKRAUT stands apart through authenticity. Their music is emotionally driven, fiercely executed, and unapologetically real.
Now, with the support of Wormholedeath, In Madness is set to reach a global audience — solidifying SAUERKRAUT’s place as one of the most compelling new forces in heavy music.
Band lineup: Łukasz Jakubus – vocals Łukasz Mularz – vocals Dawid Kiełtyka – bass/vocals Jakub Drzymała – guitar Janusz Surma – guitar Sławomir Miś – drums
THE ANSWER LIES IN THE BLACK VOID, the alchemical collaboration between vocalist Martina Horváth (Thy Catafalque) and composer/multi-instrumentalist Jason Köhnen (Celestial Season, Bong-Ra, The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble), have announced their third full-length album, “Transcendental”, set for release on September 26, 2025 via Lay Bare Recordings.
With the track “The Summoning”, the band has unleashed the first single today. The song is released alongside a brand new video, which you can watch below.
“‘The Summoning’ is the first single from our upcoming album – a bold introduction to the different visions we’re creating. We chose to surprise listeners with an experimental track that sets the tone for how we intend to reshape doom on our own terms, featuring the fierce screams of guest vocalist Laura Brat (Tragic)“, the band comments. “The state of ‘Unus Mundus’-to be one through space and time seems to stay only a fantasy. How could we have a unified reality through cosmos if our society can barely recognise oneself?“
Tracklist:
Deniers
Sine Morbo
Love Is A Dog From Hell
Senkim
The Summoning
Shattered By Wisdom
Deconstructed
Mists Of Krakatoa
Rooted in their shared passion for doom in all its forms, Horváth and Köhnen formed THE ANSWER LIES IN THE BLACK VOID to explore the genre’s emotional and existential depths. Their self-styled Transcendental Metal blends doom’s crushing gravity with elements of folk, ambient and electronica – casting a wide, atmospheric net that captures both sonic weight and spiritual introspection.
Lyrically, the band dives deep into the complexities of the human psyche. Themes of inner struggle, psychological transformation, and the hidden architecture of the soul permeate their songs, giving their music a haunting emotional resonance that moves beyond the typical boundaries of metal. The result is a sound that is both soul-crushing and soul-searching.
Following their critically praised debut, “Forlorn” (2021), and the equally compelling “Thou Shalt” (2023), with their new album THE ANSWER LIES IN THE BLACK VOID continue to explore the depths of the human psyche, captivating listeners far beyond the typical boundaries of metal.
Promising another chapter of introspective heaviness and sonic exploration, “Transcendental” is set for release on September 26 via Lay Bare Recordings and is now available for pre-order at THIS LOCATION
PURPENDICULAR feat. IAN PAICE release “You Better Behave”, the second single from the new studio album “Banned”, out on 10 October at Metalville.
“You Better Behave” is a bold, biting commentary on modern society’s pressure to stay silent, even when truth demands a voice. Each verse journeys through shifting generational landscapes, spotlighting how environmental decline and social conformity have tightened their grip. The song builds to a defiant crescendo, exposing a world led by fools—where dissent is dangerous, and integrity belongs to the brave few left standing. We are still here!
In the hot summer of 2024, the band decided to write their fourth album in a remote village high in the mountains near Porto, Portugal.
The concept was agreed on the first night but that concept took a twist when the devastating fires took place that very evening, putting the lives of the band in grave danger.
The band were rescued off the mountain from their villa, too a safer option and to an alternative accommodation where they spent the night watching the fires rage on the veranda.
It was here titles and more ideas came to fruition, to add to the already conceptual theme of BANNED which summarises todays sensitive culture, in that the slightest wrong word can get you banned, adding the pun Banned with last two letters before the last D in the word being crossed out equaling the word BAND.
With all this in mind and the whole band in agreement, it was then decided to add an autobiographical theme also, telling the story of events as they unfolded that treacherous night where many people lost their lives and homes.
The final recordings of the album were completed in Italy, Poland and UK. The record is produced by Alessandro Debiaggi and Robby Thomas Walsh. It is a fresh modern look back at the 70s! It is advised to play this Record very loud!
TRACK LISTING Inferno Beast The Escape Blood Red Moon You Better Behave Banned Too Hard To PLease Seventies Kid The End
LINE UP
Robby Thomas Walsh (Ireland) – Vocals (Roger Glover, Tony Carey, Joe Lynn Turner)
Ian Paice (UK) – Drums (Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Gary Moore)
Narcotic Wasteland, fronted by ex-Nile guitarist/vocalist Dallas Toler-Wade along with drummer Joseph Howard (Fields of Elysium, Neuromorphic) and bassist Kenji Tsunami (Ontogeny), will be hitting the road for the “Annihilation of Wasteland Tour” (dates listed below). On this tour, they will be celebrating the 20-year release of “Annihilation of the Wicked”, in which Dallas will perform two of the songs he wrote for the album: “Lashed to the Slave Stick” and “The Burning Pits of the Duat”, giving Nile fans the unique opportunity to hear these tracks played live by the original voice and composer. Narcotic Wasteland will also be performing fan favorites and new material, including such tracks as “Barbarian”, “Sex, Lies and DNA”, “Introspective Nightmares”, “Coastal Killings”, “The Best Times Have Passed”, and more!
To mark the launch of their tour, the band is unveiling the official music video for “Introspective Nightmares” today, exclusively on Bravewords HERE.
Narcotic Wasteland is a relentless force in the metal scene, delivering a crushing blend of technical precision, unyielding aggression, and raw energy. Fronted by Dallas Toler-Wade—renowned vocalist and guitarist best known for his work with Nile—he brings his signature technical prowess and intense energy to the band.
On drums, Joseph Howard unleashes a torrent of precision and power, driving the band’s pummeling rhythms with thunderous intensity. His dynamic performance creates the perfect foundation for the band’s heavy and often dark sonic atmosphere.
Kenji Tsunami commands the low end with inventive, hard-hitting bass lines that add both depth and texture, solidifying the band’s signature wall of sound. His stage presence and musicianship bring an extra dimension to Narcotic Wasteland’s live assault.
Together, Dallas, Joseph, and Kenji forge an unstoppable musical unit—one that captivates audiences with high-octane performances and uncompromising compositions. With unmatched technical skill and a shared vision for pushing metal’s boundaries, Narcotic Wasteland stands as a true powerhouse in today’s extreme music landscape.
Headlining Shows: 9/03 – Madison, WI – The Annex 9/04 – West Chicago, IL – WC Social Club 9/05 – Flint, MI – Flint Local 432 9/06 – New Haven, IN – Carl’s Tavern 9/07 – Cleveland, OH – The Foundry 9/08 – Rochester, NY – Photo City Music Hall 9/09 – New Bedford, MA – The Vault 9/10 – Raleigh, NC – Chapel of Bones 9/11 – Spartanburg, SC – GroundZero (Special Guest to Crypta) 9/12 – Chattanooga, TN – JJ’s Bohemia 9/13 – Wallingford, CT – Cherry St. Station 9/14 – Dunbar, WV – Live at the Shop 9/15 – Charleston, SC – Tin Roof 9/17 – Orlando, FL – Conduit 9/18 – Fort Pierce, FL – Tipsy Tiki 9/19 – Tampa, FL – Brass Mug 9/20 – Long Beach, MS – Trax Bar & Grill Special Guest to Filth: 9/21 – Atlanta, GA – Boggs Social & Supply 9/22 – Pensacola, FL – Handlebar 9/23 – Shreveport, LA – Strange Brew 9/24 – Amarillo, TX – The Atomic Yellow 9/25 – Denver, CO – Black Buzzard at Oskar Blues 9/26 – Greeley, CO – Moxi Theater 9/27 – Casper, WY – Wyoming Hardcore Festival 9/28 – Colorado Springs, CO – Vultures 9/29 – Lincoln, NE – Witches’ Brew 9/30 – Nashville, TN – The End
Ukrainian blackened death/doom metal unit 1914 return with unrelenting power on their fourth studio album, Viribus Unitis, Latin for “With United Forces.” More than just the personal motto of Franz Joseph I, the former emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, this title directly speaks to the band’s resilience through war, loss, and upheaval – a powerful symbol of survival and solidarity. Out on November 14, 2025 via Napalm Records, Viribus Unitis builds on the band’s acclaimed conceptual approach, reaching new emotional depths and musical intensity.
Continuing their chronicle of World War I, 1914 shifts their focus from the raw portrayal of death and destruction, to exploring themes of camaraderie, endurance, and the emotional landscapes of those who endured the horrors of trench warfare. While previous releases like The Blind Leading the Blind (2018) and Where Fear and Weapons Meet (2021) centered on the futility and finality of war, Viribus Unitis exemplifies the interpersonal bonds forged under fire and the strength of those warriors who made it home: broken, changed, yet still alive.
Alongside the album announcement, they reveal their first single: “1916 (The Südtirol Offensive)”, a despairing blackened doom anthem of defiance, recounting the brutal Battle of Asiago in grim, poetic detail. With thunderous riffs and crushing walls of sound, 1914 make the Austro-Hungarian attack on Italy tangible, bringing another piece of history to life through sound, relentlessly and uncompromisingly.
k.u.k. Galizisches IR Nr.15, Gefreiter, Ditmar Kumarberg about “1916 (The Südtirol Offensive)”: “From May 15 to June 10, 1916, the Italian Front saw one of its most intense clashes: the Battle of Asiago, also known as the Trentino Offensive. The Austro-Hungarian army launched a massive surprise attack, hoping to crush Italian forces and break into the Venetian plains. Nearly 200 battalions and 2000 guns, including 280 heavy artillery pieces, were amassed in Trentino. The Italians, caught off guard, were pushed back – but held the line with fierce resistance. The combined toll of 230,000 casualties on both sides underscores the staggering human cost of the campaign. A brutal reminder of the mountain warfare that defined this front.”
Musically, 1914 remain true to their identity – a brutal mixture of blackened death metal, slow-burning doom, and ambient war soundscapes. This time, however, their sound gains a broader dynamic range, with soaring melodic leads, orchestral textures, and haunting clean vocals that provide dramatic contrast to the crushing heaviness.
1914 about Viribus Unitis: “Viribus Unitis is about shared strength and the idea that true power lies in unity. Alone, one may fall – together, we can prevail and achieve our goals: Defeat the enemy, escape captivity, survive, and return to your family. We return with a new story. A story of life and military valor of a soldier who encountered the Great War in his native city of Lviv and went through it all. Side by side, with joint efforts of Ukrainians, Poles, Hungarians, Slovenes, Czechs, Slovaks, Jews, Croats, Bosniaks, Germans – all the peoples who made up the vast Austro-Hungarian Empire. Empires did not count people – they threw them into meat grinders where survival was only possible through unity. By helping one another. By sacrificing yourself for the sake of your loved ones and comrades.
This is a story of being blinded by war and the grandeur of the empire, of the heat of battle, realization and acceptance of reality, awakening, changing values, captivity, and liberation. It is a story of unbreakable will to live and hope amidst a terrifying and bloody war. It is a story of a new little life that changes all the rules and forces one to see the familiar from a different perspective. It is a story of love. It is a story of loss and death. Viribus Unitis is when pain, death, loss, loneliness, and fear encircle you. But you’re still unbroken!”
One of the album’s highlights is a collaboration with Aaron Stainthorpe of My Dying Bride and High Parasite on “1918 Pt. 3: ADE (A Duty to Escape),” whose mournful voice adds a solemn, almost liturgical quality to this elegy of grief and brotherhood on the front lines. Viribus Unitis deepens 1914’s commitment to historical authenticity, both lyrically and conceptually. Told through real events and personal accounts of a Ukrainian soldier in the K.u.K. Army, the album traces a timeline from 1914 to 1919, painting a grim journey through the war’s rise, climax, and hollow aftermath. From the brooding opener “War In” to the bleak closer “War Out (The End?)”, each track captures a moment in time: the brutal “1914 (The Siege of Przemyśl)”, the frostbitten “1915 (Zwinin Ridge)”, the crushing Alpine combat of “1916 (Südtirol Offensive)”, and the madness of “1918 Pt. 2: POW (Prisoner of War)” featuring Christopher Scott of Precious Death. The album ends with “1919 (The Home Where I Died),” featuring Rome’s Jerome Reuter, a haunting portrait of a soldier who survived the war, but not its shadow. This emotional song deals with the soldier’s will to live and his family values, seeing him escape from captivity to finally return home to embrace his wife and daughter. 1914 fuse blackened death metal, doom, and atmospheric textures with dramatic flourishes and guest vocals, creating their most dynamic and emotionally resonant record to date.
Viribus Unitis tracklisting:
War In (The Beginning of the Fall)
1914 (The Siege of Przemyśl)
1915 (Easter Battle for the Zwinin Ridge)
1916 (The Südtirol Offensive)
1917 (The Isonzo Front)
1918 Pt 1: WIA (Wounded in Action)
1918 Pt 2: POW (Prisoner of War)
1918 Pt 3: ADE (A duty to escape)
1919 (The Home Where I Died)
War Out (The End?)
1914 Live 2025: 30.08.25 AT – Graz / Metal On The Hill 13.12.25 MX – Mexico City / Heavy Metal X’Mas
Australian melodic metal four-piece DARKER HALF recently announced the upcoming release of their brand-new album, “Book Of Fate,” scheduled for August 29, 2025 via Massacre Records.
Today the band unveil the second single ‘Another Day Another Nightmare.’ The song is a powerful exploration of existential dread and the struggle to find meaning in a seemingly indifferent world.
Drawing inspiration from timeless folklore — particularly the stories of the Pied Piper of Hamelin and the Wizard — “Book Of Fate” promises to deliver an epic narrative set to the band’s trademark heavy and melodic soundscapes.
While not being a concept album, these were themes the band came back to regularly during writing sessions. The new lineup infused the album with a newfound energy, resulting in a faster paced release that harks back to earlier days of the bands roots. Meanwhile the anthemic choruses the band has become known for remain prominent.
Produced by DARKER HALF’s drummer Dom Simpson at Elephant Sounds Studio, Australia, the album was mixed by Chris Themelco at Monolith Studios and mastered by Thomas Plec Johansson at The Panic Room. The stunning cover artwork was created by Karim Konig.
This epic odyssey in sound and story called “Book Of Fate” will be released as Ltd. Vinyl LP, CD Digipak, and Digital. Pre-orders are available HERE: https://save-it.cc/massacre/book-of-fate
Track Listing: 1. Introduction 2. The Golden Path 3. From Disaster 4. Are You Listening 5. Another Day, Another Nightmare 6. Something Sinister 7. Somebody Else 8. Faded Glory 9. Nightfall 10.Book of Fate 11. From Disaster (Live in Maastricht 03/11)
Recently the band offered fans a fierce taste of their upcoming album, by releasing the first single, ‘From Disaster.’
Formed in Sydney in 2005, DARKER HALF has earned a reputation for electrifying performances and an unapologetically heavy sound that blends power metal ferocity with thrash metal precision. Their lyrical and instrumental depth has propelled them to tour extensively across Australia, New Zealand, the USA, and Europe. Over the years, they’ve shared stages with metal titans such as Queensrÿche, Edguy, Sonata Arctica, Accept, Helloween, and many more, solidifying their place in the global metal community.
DARKER HALF are: Vo Simpson – Vocals, guitars Danny Ritz – Guitars Jimmy Wynen – Bass Dom Simpson – Drums
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
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 