Hiroe, the new darlings of the American post-rock underground, have revealed their new single ‘Dancing at the End of the World’, taken from their forthcoming debut album, Wield, due 20th June via Pelagic Records.
Both powerfully melodic and heavy, Wield shows the Philadelphia-based quintet mastering their craft, of creating compelling melodies that sound larger than life.
On ‘Dancing at the End of the World’, the group comment: “Though seemingly contrasting, “dancing” and “the end of the world” are brought together to symbolize our shared human capacity to transform pain and vulnerability into something profound and meaningful when facing overwhelming adversity. ‘Dancing at the End of the World’ represents an act of defiant optimism to find hope in the face of hopelessness. It’s a conscious choice to find light in darkness and not be consumed by despair, even when all hope seems lost, even when it feels like the end of the world.”
2022 saw Hiroe burst onto the scene with an explosive debut EP full of soaring anthems and sublime soundscapes. Combining the sonic expansiveness of Deftones with the dynamic heaviness of bands like Isis and Caspian, Hiroe immediately already figured out how to make the most majestic sounding post-rock early in their career. “Our first album, Wrought was a statement of creation,” explains principal songwriter Eric Kusanagi (guitars).
For the recording of Wield, Jill Paslier moved from bass to guitars, with Brian Kong (guitars), Jon Seiler (bass) and Dan Sagherian (drums) joining to complete the lineup. Produced once more by Mario Quintero (Spotlights) Wield capitalises on everything the band learned in the creation of its predecessor, adding to it a new focus on textural intricacies and compositional detail.
“We wanted to show a larger range of musical themes on this record,” continues Eric. “You’ll hear us dive into some synth work, some piano work, some really interesting effects that Mario helped us dial up.” Wield as a resultpacks in a huge range of details, which reveal themselves over repeated listens.
Nevertheless, Wield is still an affair of instant gratification for fans of guitar driven post-rock. From the soaring leads of ‘Tides’ to the epic finale of ‘I’ve Been Waiting For You All My Life’, Hiroe show they’ve upped their game in every department, but especially that which tugs at your heartstrings.
Wield presents the brave new future we all need in these confusing times. A new American frontier on which we can build our wildest dreams and our most daring ambitions.
Hiroe are:
Eric Kusanagi – Guitar Jill Paslier – Guitar Brian Kong – Guitar Jon Seiler – Bass Dan Sagherian – Drums
It’s been a rough, tough, few years for nineties ska veterans Buck-O-Nine – rough and tough, but richly rewarding as they emerge with a new album which, to put it bluntly, is one of the greatest they’ve made.
It’s called Cut Out The Noise. But, of course, they don’t. Because this one’s as noisy as ever! Take a listen to the new single, “I’m Alive,” all buzzsaw punk guitars and classic Buck-O horns, and when frontman Jon Pebsworth says “I feel like we really found our stride and our sound on this one,” one look at your dancing feet lets you know the band are back with a vengeance.
“This one really got deep,” Jon explains. “We had some internal struggles, we had some technical problems, we were in a pandemic, we watched and felt social and political problems unfold and we struggled with our own identity as a band. And, in my case, my own internal struggles. I was in and out of depression, I had a massive heart attack that almost took my life and I moved back to San Diego after working in LA for close to 20 years. These songs are about all those experiences.
“I really dragged the lake of my soul to find the feelings I was having and putting them into words.”
Even with such a dramatic narrative nailed to the music, however, it wasn’t an easy process. Written during the pandemic, the self-produced album had already been completed when the band suddenly decided to scrap it.
“We thought it sucked compared to what we imagined it could be,” Jon continues. “We experimented with new and different ideas and had the time to flesh them out…. to evaluate the songs and make improvements. We made a lot of mistakes and changes… some of them up to the last minute.”
Horn king Dan Albert adds, ”Our years of playing music together made this album happen. The album captures the raw sounds and emotions of the struggles and turmoils we were going through at that time of our lives.”
But the band’s seventh album, following up 2019’s Fundaymental, is not only their most self-aware. It is also their most political; and, while Dan agrees “the making of this album had its lows,” the result was what guitarist Jonas Kleiner describes as “our most beautiful and ferocious album to date.”
In other words, Cut Out The Noise is still fresh out of the pressing plant. But already Dan is adamant. “Keep those ears open for the next one!”
From the outside, Nuremberg’s metal scene may appear tranquil. But this impression is very deceptive, because what has developed there in the shadow of superlative-ridden Munich is quite simply a hidden Mecca for rockers and metalheads who want to take a break from the sometimes exhausting spiral of louder, harder, faster, bigger. Instead of huge halls full of anonymous crowds, people in the Nuremberg scene like to focus their eyes and ears on what defines rock and metal, even away from high-performance musical sport: the warmth, the soul, the groove and all of this best enjoyed with good friends – in the melodious living room atmosphere of one of the numerous live clubs.
And right from the heart of this bustling yet easy-going grassroots movement of rock bars, music clubs, and bands comes the video single Faraway by STIGMA, announcing the release of their new album Second Chance, scheduled for June 4th.
Founded in 2021 by singer Gerald Zinnegger and guitarist Markus Mantau and quickly joined by René Chlebnitschek on bass and Bernd Paptistella on drums, Stigma’s new album is the logical continuation of a journey that began with the two EPs Last Order (2022) and First Call (2023). Initially still heavily influenced by acts such as Alice Cooper or the later Metallica, the quartet quickly found their own compositional approach: They neither wanted to lay down fashionable accents nor bury what should ultimately matter – the pure song itself – under musical frills and glitter. From the first to the last note, everything compositional is therefore subject to the strict dictation of remaining honest, glare-free, and appropriate to the song without compromising the fun in rock.
Following this premise, Second Chance revolves around the central existential questions of working people at the heart of society in an almost metal-atypical way, proving the meaning of existentialism through simple stories of common life with well-dosed detours into philosophy.
Shouter Gerald, who delivers the lyrics with an intense baritone, sums up the diversity of themes on the new record: “Second Chance is an album about resilience, transformation, and duality. It explores the highs and lows of human experience, relationships and social challenges. The title speaks of the possibility of growing stronger through adversity and complements the trajectory we set out on with our first two EPs.”
With the brand new single Faraway, the first single from Second Chance, the band is also taking a rather unusual route and prefacing the smash hits to come with a calmer, yet impelling track: “Faraway, our lead single, is a powerful yet introspective song deeply rooted in themes of regret, longing, and resilience,” explains Gerald. “The raw, gritty verses reflect the harsh reality of being trapped, while the upbeat, melodic chorus symbolizes hope and liberation.”
Stigma will of course be celebrating the release date for Second Chance on June 4th in style: With a big release party at the Hirsch in Nuremberg. The popular venue, which was recently voted Germany’s best live club by the readers of Rock Hard magazine, will be a hotbed of activity, as celebrated metallers RANDOM will also be there, taking the opportunity to introduce their new guitarist Angelo Schilirò (ex-Kingdom Come).
The new album Second Chance will be out on June 4th via Music Mania Live and is ready for pre-save here: https://stigma.lnk.to/newalbum
Tracklist:
The Signs Glorious Victory Blaze of My Heart Faraway Monster Corrupter Broken Friendship Pirate Foul Play Through the Night World without Hope Your Guide
Stigma live: May 30, 2025 – Rockcafé Brown Sugar – F.A. King (Czech Republic) June 4, 2025 – Release Party – Hirsch Nuremberg (Germany) June 12 – 14, 2025 – Motobrani – Máchovo jezero, 472 01 Doksy (Czech Republic)
Like a smoke signal, over the past decade, Mawiza have risen as a guiding force for indigenous metal. By incorporating native instruments, shamanic chanting and tribal rhythms into their contemporary influences, the band represent both the ancestral and modern sides of Mapuche culture. Their fresh yet timeless take on groove metal has won them a Chilean Grammy along with the respect of scene elders like Mercyful Fate, Mastodon, Slipknot and Joe Duplantier from Gojira, who’s featured on their upcoming new album.
Today, Mawiza are officially announcing their third full-length ÜL by releasing a stunning video for the album’s lead single and opening track. “Wingkawnoam” marches to an industrial beat, but this band of modern-day warriors are guided by the dreams of their indigenous land.
“ÜL means ‘chant'”, Mawiza says. “The album represents the voice of the land, the origin of feeling, the first call to connect with emotions. It is the part of the spirit that, for a few seconds, becomes one with the wind. It’s a force we can hear, resonate, communicate with and return to”.
While they’ve shared the stage with metal’s most influential acts, Mawiza draw from their indigenous roots. Even the lighting strikes of distortion on the lead single from ÜL are conducted through the natural wood of Toki guitars. “Wingkawnoam” marches to an industrial beat, but it’s pounded out on a Mapuche ceremonial drum. “Kultxung is a sacred instrument for Mapuche people”, says drummer Txalkan. “When a shaman plays this drum, they take the energy of the sky and pass it down to the earth”.
ÜL calls for the protection of Mapuche territory. “Milla milla milla rayen Txemfulu pelom lolen püle / Golden flower, You used to grow on the illuminated side of the ravine“, Awka chants in his native language Mapuzungen. Despite developers encroaching on Wallmapu territory, Mawiza continue to honor their ancestor’s unwavering resistance. In English, “Wingkawnoam” means “To Decolonize”. The song’s bounding rhythm mirrors the way a deer dances while eluding its predators.
“When a wemul (deer) is running, it makes a false step to distract what’s chasing it”, Awka says. “We chose a more progressive rhythm for this song as a way to confuse the colonizer”.
Mawiza are a force of nature on ÜL. With sky-scraping riffs and earthshaking grooves, the album’s nine chants awaken the fiery spirits of their homeland. But like their ancestors, the band look to the spirit world for guidance. “Mapuche people believe that dreams are messages from our ancestors”, says Awka. “Wingkawnoam” recounts three separate nocturnal visions – of a mysterious tree, a cemetery-guarding cougar and a bloodthirsty hummingbird – all of which long for reconnection with the natural world.
“Ngillangillatumekeiñ ñi pewmayaetew / We are begging for what was once dreamed“.
The video for “Wingkawnoam” was filmed on location in a Mapuche community outside of Santiago, Chile. “That was really important”, Mawiza says. “We come from the Mapuche, but not enough people recognize that our communities are still very much here”. After a long day on set, the band gathered inside the same ruka that appears on the back cover of ÜL to pray, cook and hear stories from their elders. “It’s important to meet these communities with humility. By not talking a lot and just listening, you’re showing respect. You’re not imposing your own ideas”.
The story captured by the video also comes from the Mapuche. “I read about this Catholic priest in the Pascual Coña, which is a book that compiles the experiences of a Mapuche elder”, Awka remembers. “As a colonizer, the priest was not welcome by the Mapuche and taken prisoner, but members of the community couldn’t agree on his punishment. So his fate was decided by a game of palin”.
In reality, the priest was allowed to go free. But “Wingkawnoam” dares to imagine an alternate ending. Fanned by the flames of the ruka, with one last defiant scream, Mawiza bring his story to a truly headbanging conclusion. Not only does the priest die in the end. The Mapuche steal the colonizer’s power by eating his heart.
“History is normally written by the colonizers”, Mawiza says. “We have to show the indigenous vision”.
Mawiza would like to thank our Mapuche community Ngillatuwe Maipu for welcoming them during the video shoot for “Wingkawnoam”. Their guidance was essential.
The video for “Wingkawnoam” was directed by Andrés Hetzler (@andreshetzler).
“I have been working with Mawiza for several years,” Andrés says. “It’s always an honor to continue our collaboration. Their message deserves a strong and powerful visual.
“For this video, the band wanted to bring the history of the Mapuche people to a new audience. It shows how important political decisions were resolved in Mapuche culture through a game of palin.
“I proposed to integrate the band around the bonfire of a ruka, as a symbol for oral storytelling, as this is where Mapuche people gather to remember their history”.
Additional production credits Producer/Art Director – Unai García Cinematography – Soledad Gatica 1AC – Alejandro Courbis 2AC/Gaffer – Simón Jorquera Focus Puller – Josefina Berenguela 1st Assistant Director – Carlos Elgueta Production Assistant – Beatriz Cañas Photography by Samantha D. Silva & Kata Ulloa Makeup/Styling by Polvimkp
Ñizol Palife – Ricardo Herrera, Kurra Patiru – Rodrigo Rojas Kona – Pablo Ramírez
Pu Palife Gómez Ricardo Herrera Esteban Nahuelcheo Héctor Olivares Mathias Ferreyra Fabían Flores Marcos Soto Diego Díaz Tell Vicente Díaz Tell Pedro Parra
“This was a profound experience”, says photographer Kata Ulloa. “Photographing this video shoot allowed me to reach a place, in a personal way, that I might never have known. I would like to thank the Mapuche community for opening their doors to me, welcoming me so warmly and allowing me to get to know their culture from the inside. I would also like to thank Mawiza for trusting my aesthetic and vision for their album cover. I deeply love the band’s honesty and character, as subtle as it is expansive”.
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) 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.
Warrant was formed in 1984 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, and experienced success from 1989 to 1996 with five albums reaching international sales of over 10 million. The band first came into the national spotlight with their double platinum debut album Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich (1989) and one of its singles, “Heaven”, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The band’s success continued in the early 1990s with the double platinum album Cherry Pie (1990), which provided the hit song of the same name.
In 1992, Warrant released their third album, the critically acclaimed Dog Eat Dog. The record achieved only moderate commercial success compared with the first two albums but still sold over 500,000 copies reaching Gold status and charting at No. 25 on the US Billboard charts. The band’s fourth album Ultraphobic produced by a returning Beau Hill (Alice Cooper, Ratt, etc…) was released in March 1995 and, featured the singles “Family Picnic”, “Followed” and the ballad “Stronger Now”.
Watch “Family Picnic” here:
Now to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Ultraphobic it has been remastered and will be released on vinyl for the first time, along with an accompanying CD. The vinyl will be 180g available in both Orange Swirl and Black. There will be a limited amount of CD/LP bundles with a signed print by original members Erik Turner and Jerry Dixon while supplies last.
Metal Hall of Fame inductee Blaze Bayley (Iron Maiden singer 1994-1999) is featured as special guest vocalist on the new single ‘Atlas (War Between the Gods)’, released 2nd May by Manchester (UK) hard rock / melodic metal band Absolva.
The single is the fourth taken from Absolva’s upcoming album ‘Justice’ which is set for release on 16th May. The band members have worked with Bayley for many years principally as his backing band in the live arena since 2013 and also for studio albums since 2016’s ‘Infinite Entanglement’ trilogy.
Absolva frontman Christopher Appleton says “We’ve talked about asking Blaze to do a guest vocal for us but always wanted to wait until the right song came along. With ‘Atlas…’ as soon as it was written, we knew immediately this was perfect for Blaze. The style, his voice, and the subject matter are all just right and despite knowing him as friend and colleague for so many years, it’s still a genuine honour to have him singing on our album’
There is an accompanying animation music video with ‘Atlas (War Between the Gods)’ which can be seen here.
Other guest vocalists featured on the album are Ronnie Romero (renowned for his work with Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group and Elegant Weapons), Stu Block (formerly of Iced Earth, more recently with Annihilator) and David Marcelis (Lord Volture / Thorium). Each brings a distinctive style which melds beautifully with the trademark Absolva big harmony guitars and infectious choruses. Separate from the ‘Atlas…’ track the album carries a theme based around the blockbuster Western movie ‘Tombstone’.
Absolva have been touring heavily again this year on tours with Blaze Bayley, with Ronnie Romero and also Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons.
Several more shows/festivals are booked for later in the year. Fans can stay updated on the latest news and tour information by visiting the band’s official website www.absolva.com and social media channels.
About Absolva: Absolva is a British hard rock / melodic metal band, formed in 2012 by Christopher Appleton (lead vocals, lead guitar). Known for their powerhouse performances and mesmerising lead guitars, the band has gained a loyal following worldwide, not least by a hungry attitude & commitment to touring. The band has been equally consistent with its recorded output; the upcoming studio release is their seventh & they also have two live albums to their name. Luke Appleton (guitar & backing vocals), Martin Mcnee (drums) and Karl Schramm (bass) who recently left for personal reasons, complete the line-up on the latest album.
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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
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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
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