Category: news

Swedish death metal trio FILTH have unveiled “Sadistic Ways,” the second track from their forthcoming album, Death Exhibition. The band’s sophomore full-length will be released internationally on September 11, 2026, through Me Saco Un Ojo Records and Rotted Life. The new track is currently streaming through the Death Metal Promotion YouTube channel. It follows “Mental […]

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SMOULDER Announces New Album ‘Witch Wife In An Alien World,’ Premieres “Water Wars” Video

Canadian-American epic heavy metal/doom outfit Smoulder has announced its long-awaited third studio album, Witch Wife In An Alien World , due later this year via Cruz Del Sur Music. The band has also teamed up with Decibel to premiere the official video for the album’s first single, “Water Wars.”
The new album is scheduled for release on October 9 in Europe and November 6 in North America .
While Smoulder’s music has always drawn heavily from classic heavy metal, epic doom and traditional metal, Witch Wife In An Alien World finds the band pushing further into darker and more extreme territory. Greek black metal is among the newer influences incorporated into the band’s sound, adding another layer to a style that has never been particularly interested in staying inside one box.
The eight-track album was recorded at Soundwell Studio in Espoo, Finland with Valtteri Kallio and Swift Road Studios in Chicago, Illinois with Vincent Ippolito. Roland Rodas handled mixing and mastering.
The current Smoulder lineup features vocalist Sarah Ann , guitarists Collin Wolf and Shon Vincent , bassist Adam Blake and drummer Kevin Hester .
“Water Wars” opens the new album with a blast of riff-heavy, speed metal-inspired aggression. According to Sarah Ann, the song was deliberately chosen to kick off the record with an immediate jolt.
“You know how Judas Priest kicked off their masterpiece Stained Class with ‘Exciter,’ then jolted into a bunch of ’70s rock bangers?” Sarah Ann explained. “That’s kind of how we felt with starting the album on ‘Water Wars.'”
She continued: “‘Water Wars’ is our most Judas Priestian, riff-laden, speed metal banger yet — with a dark, and frankly increasingly prescient, lyrical theme.”
Sarah Ann also emphasized that the song should not necessarily be viewed as a complete representation of what listeners will find across Witch Wife In An Alien World .
“It opens Witch Wife In An Alien World with a jolt, and isn’t necessarily representative of the album … although no song truly is. It’s a weird record,” she said.
And weird, by Smoulder’s standards, sounds like a pretty good thing.
The lyrics to “Water Wars” tackle the increasingly contentious issue of access to clean water and the role water resources play in global conflicts and environmental crises. Sarah Ann points to attacks on water infrastructure, disputes over water access and the growing demands of technology and industry as inspiration for the song.
“It felt appropriate to address this growing crisis,” she said.
Elsewhere on Witch Wife In An Alien World , Smoulder ventures even further from its traditional epic metal foundations.
One of the album’s most distinctive tracks is “Noitien Loitsu,” the band’s first song to feature both English and Finnish vocals. The track draws directly from Sarah Ann’s Finnish heritage and her current life in Helsinki.
The song celebrates the forest near the home Sarah Ann and guitarist Shon Vincent share in Finland, switching between English and Finnish throughout the verses and even combining both languages in the chorus. The track also features a guest guitar solo from Bootleg Henkka , Smoulder’s live guitarist and a member of Finnish epic black metal band Havukruunu.
The album’s title itself was inspired by Sarah Ann’s experiences living in Finland and the dramatic contrast between the country’s quality of life and the increasingly hostile political and social realities she sees elsewhere in the world.
Smoulder says the record addresses real-world issues while exploring a growing sense of alienation in an era where technology has made global communication easier than ever.
The band’s willingness to explore new territory should come as little surprise. Smoulder has consistently treated epic power doom metal as a starting point rather than a limitation. The band’s musical evolution has also included increasingly prominent black and death metal influences, something that is expected to become even more apparent once the group takes the new material to the stage.
The cover artwork for Witch Wife In An Alien World was created by British fantasy and horror illustrator Ian Miller , whose extensive résumé includes work associated with Warhammer , Magic: The Gathering , Wizards and numerous fantasy and horror publications. Miller has also created artwork for metal acts including Stormkeep and Ulthar.
Unlike Smoulder’s previous two albums, 2018’s Times Of Obscene Evil And Wild Daring and 2023’s Violent Creed Of Vengeance , which featured artwork by legendary illustrator Michael Whelan, the new cover is intended to reflect the darker and more uncomfortable themes explored throughout the album.
With the album completed, Smoulder’s attention is turning toward the live arena.
The band’s current live lineup includes musicians with backgrounds in death and black metal, including guitarist Nigge of Finnish black-thrash outfit Terror Cross. According to Sarah Ann, the goal is to make Smoulder’s live performance heavier, darker and more crushing than ever.
“Having a crushing live show has become priority number one for us,” she said.
She added: “You have choices as a band: you can go the costumes route, go the lightning and props route, or go the lurid and atmospheric and dark. All choices are valid, but for us, the final option resonated.”
Witch Wife In An Alien World will be released through Cruz Del Sur Music in multiple formats, including CD, vinyl LP and digital editions. The vinyl edition will feature a foiled cover, 12-page booklet, poster and download code.
Pre order: https://smoulder.bandcamp.com/album/witch-wife-in-an-alien-world
Witch Wife In An Alien World Track Listing:



“Water Wars”
“Shadow Of The Vulture”
“Noitien Loitsu”
“Crush The Neophytes”
“Empathy’s Wrath”
“Their Name Lives On”
“Cathedral Of The Trees”
“Smouldering Remains”

With Witch Wife In An Alien World , Smoulder appears ready to once again prove that “epic doom metal” doesn’t have to mean standing still. The band is taking its traditional heavy metal roots, throwing black metal, doom, speed metal and increasingly confrontational lyrical themes into the cauldron, and seeing what crawls out.
And judging from “Water Wars,” whatever it is, it’s going to be loud.
Watch the “Water Wars” video premiere via Decibel and pre-order Witch Wife In An Alien World through Cruz Del Sur Music. https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2026/08/21/track-premiere-smoulder-water-wars/

Ghost Hounds have released their new single “Pale Horse,” a track from the band’s new album, Justified, out now via Maple House Records.

“Pale Horse” pairs stomping drums with heavy guitar work while continuing a larger narrative that the band began exploring on previous songs “Something Wicked” and “Sinner’s Prayer.”

“If ‘Something Wicked’ is the Prelude, ‘Pale Horse’ is Chapter 1. When Thomas initially brought this song to me and Tyler, following ‘Something Wicked’ and ‘Sinner’s Prayer’, it became clear to me that this project had a clear concept. A story told in books, movies, even TV shows- stories about an Apocalypse and the end of the world as we know it… a story that is rarely put to song and I think that’s made it all the more exciting! Thomas started playing this eerily cool riff, Tyler caught onto it immediately and I listened to the riff and read the lyrics, the melody of the chorus felt like it wanted to be anthemic. ‘Pale Horse’ has quickly become a band favorite but moreover, this song begs the question, are we living in the times the old folks warned us about?” SAVNT said.

The band has also released an official music video for “Pale Horse.”

The song arrives alongside Justified, which finds Ghost Hounds continuing to blend rock, blues, soul and country influences. The album centers on themes of redemption and resilience while expanding the roots-rock sound the group has developed across its previous releases.

Ghost Hounds are fronted by SAVNT, whose influences range from Sam Cooke, Prince and Lenny Kravitz to Willie Nelson, Keith Urban and Brooks & Dunn. He joined Ghost Hounds before the band went on to perform stadium dates opening for The Rolling Stones.

The group also includes founder, producer and guitarist Thomas Tull, guitarist Tyler Chiarelli, fiddle player Kristin Weber, keyboardist Joe Munroe, bassist Bennett Miller and drummer Sydney Driver.

“The way Thomas writes, he knows what the guy in his song had for breakfast that morning. He’s really building a character,” SAVNT said.

Justified is available now via Maple House Records.

The post Ghost Hounds unleash “Pale Horse” appeared first on Blues Rock Review.

Yes, this is a real thing and you can thank the band Turnstile for making this happen. Continue reading…

Bandleader/songwriter/guitarist Ben Chambert – HighWay   Interviewed by: Anders Sandvall Thanks to Jon Asher – Music Publicist at Asher Media Relations for setting up the […]

The post HighWay – bandleader/songwriter/guitarist Ben Chambert appeared first on Metal-Rules.com.

Proto-metal band Master continue a storied career with Among the Seeds of Death, slated for release on Hammerheart Records. If you liked On the Seventh Day… this release continues that tradition.

The classic Master sound, derived from early punk and 1960s protest rock along with early proto-metal, received an update some time ago with a focus on precision and accelerated tempi, but the essence remains.

Songs follow a modified verse-chorus model with one epic turnaround or double confrontation, with vocal melodies following the riffs and heavy use of cadence and drone, but still deliver an impact of urgency and disillusionment.

The grunge revivalists continue their prolific 2026.

The post Scarhaven’s “Clouds” Music Video Debuts appeared first on Theprp.com.

Denver heavy metal torchbearers Khemmis have unveiled their recent in-studio performance for Seattle’s legendary KEXP, delivering a crushing showcase of the band’s signature blend of doom, melody and classic heavy metal.

Filmed at KEXP’s Seattle studios, the session captures Khemmis in their natural element, bringing the towering riffs and emotional weight of their celebrated live show into one of independent music’s most revered performance spaces.

The performance arrives on the heels of the release of the band’s acclaimed fifth studio album, Khemmis, available now worldwide via Nuclear Blast Records. The eight-song record marks Khemmis” first full-length since 2021’s Deceiver and finds the band channeling more than a decade of evolution into a focused celebration of the heavy music that brought them together.

Featuring the singles “Invocation of the Dreamer,” “Beneath the Scythe” and “Gilded Chambers,” Khemmis further expands the band’s unmistakable sound, balancing monolithic doom, soaring melodies, searing leads, and moments of extreme-metal ferocity across eight tracks.

Khemmis will return to the road next week, joining Swedish doom titans Monolord for a run of U.S. dates beginning August 27th in Chicago. The band will then head overseas in October for the European leg of their Forsake The Light Tour, featuring special guests Celestial Sanctuary on select dates. Tickets and additional information are available here.

After eleven years of albums and global touring, Colorado’s Khemmis have cemented themselves as pillars of modern heavy metal. Yet as they approach their fifth full-length, the band found something newly vital: the simple joy of creating heavy music together. Formed with no expectations, the group’s longevity has become its foundation, with guitarist/vocalist Ben Hutcherson describing the band as a rare source of stability and camaraderie. Since their 2015 debut Absolution, followed by the acclaimed Hunted, Desolation, Doomed Heavy Metal MLP, and Deceiver, Khemmis have built a legacy of towering, spiritual doom that continues to resonate with fans worldwide.

Despite changes—including members relocating and bassist David Small joining in 2022—the band emerged more focused than ever. Recording again at Flatline Audio in Colorado, the lineup of Hutcherson, Phil Pendergast, Zach Coleman, and Small leaned into renewed trust and chemistry, with distance paradoxically strengthening their bond. The addition of Small invigorated the rhythm section and encouraged experimentation, while the band rediscovered the excitement that defined their early days. That renewed energy fueled a collaborative atmosphere rooted in confidence, inspiration, and the shared thrill of simply playing heavy metal.

The resulting self-titled album is both a celebration and reinvention: a conceptually framed ritual of heavy metal that moves from the pounding “Invocation of the Dreamer” to the climactic “Benediction Tones,” balancing galloping aggression with emotionally resonant anthems. The record embraces extremity, catharsis, and joy in equal measure, complemented by new visual direction from artist Christopher Remmers. Through lineup changes, distance, and a shifting world, Khemmis remain unshaken—leaning into the music that defines them. Their self-titled album is available now via Nuclear Blast, capturing the band in their truest and most energized form.

The post KHEMMIS Unveil Powerful Live Performance On KEXP appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Video shot by Fozz Gibson Photography Wacken Open Air has been and gone, this year marking the 35th birthday of one of the worlds biggest and best metal festivals. HEAVY headed along this year for the first time to check out the four day metal marathon, with the goal of chatting with a few of […]

Posted on August 21st 2026, 5:36pm