Category: news

Epic doomers Scald are all set to release a new EP, Relics, on September 4th 2026 via Cruz Del Sur Music. Check out the first streaming single, “Master Of Tundra”, via Bandcamp widget below.
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Posted on June 8th 2026, 4:49p.m.

Now—as summer blasts the Earth into a fly-ridden heath—is when I long most for fall. So I get why Patrik Andersson Winberg’s (Dun Ringill, Doomdogs) new solo project Mirror of My Soul would debut this June with October Is Rising.¹ A folk project empowered with hard rock muscle and gothic gravitas, Mirror of My Soul aims for atmospheric storytelling and organic song structuring. Joined by drummers Pete Campbell (Axe Dragger, ex-Pentagram) and Tobbe Strandvik, keyboardist Per Wiberg (Tiamat, ex-Opeth), guitarist Patric Grammann (Dun Ringill) and a whole host of vocalists,² October Is Rising is poised to be an introspective, moody, and engrossing trek through rustic moods and colder temps. But is this album autumn’s light at the end of the tunnel, or is there no relief from summer to be found here?

October Is Rising is a clinic on complementary musicianship. Working within gothic country, folk, and blues rock, October Is Rising lives in slow, sparse compositions that won’t wow listeners with panache. Songs like “A Good Day to Die” and “The Owl” use simple guitar and banjo parts, respectively, to set the stage for spirited vocal performances, while “October Is Rising” and “Grandpa” utilize particularly minimal instrumentation to highlight their singers’ stories. Mirror of My Soul can rip it when necessary, as heard on the Jethro Tullesque flute riffing on “Mina Fotavtryck” and the slick hi-hat work on “Dancing Slowly on the Porch,” but October Is Rising’s musical prowess lies less in individual performance and more in band dynamics. “Lost in the Red Wine” and “The One Who Sings the Songs” pulse in ways that sneakily build and bounce off their individual parts to sound a lot bigger than their thin instrumentation would imply. Mirror of My Soul is composed of industry veterans, and it sounds like it; these guys bring out the best in each other.

Setting rich moods and storytelling are Mirror of My Soul’s game. They’re pros at it. October Is Rising is a pensive autumnal stroll through gloom with the sort of eerie coziness that at varying times reminded me of Fields of the Nephilim, Current 93, and the Over the Garden Wall soundtrack.³ Soundscapes of pale light and fresh darkness bestow tracks like “The Painter,” “Grandpa,” and “Tree on that Hill” a deeply affecting and melancholic quality, shaped by the aforementioned stark instrumentation and poignant vocals. October Is Rising is littered with pathos-imbued bars delivered with conviction, where phrases as obtuse as “The bad news was a feather from a dead bird” (“The Letter”) hit with the sensitivity of straightforward heart-wrenchers like “The trees showed me how to make it all last. There is no future without a vivid past” (“Tree on that Hill”). Mirror of My Soul bring everything you’d want from a singer-songwriter project musically: bittersweet strolls down memory lane, deep into introspection.

October Is Rising listens like a work of singular vision, but not of one voice. There are no bad singers on October Is Rising, mind you, and the diverse cast can be a boon. There aren’t many records out there that can, in one moment, recall Alice in Chains (“Coyote”) and Peter Gabriel the next (“Tree on that Hill”),⁴ Lou Reed one minute (“Carry Your Soul”) and Johnny Cash another (“A Good Day to Die”). But this committee approach also deprives October Is Rising of singer-songwriter music’s strongest aspect: the intimate conversation between artist and audience. It’s hard to think of Mirror of My Soul as Winberg’s personal exploration of a gloaming Earth when you have to adjust to a new singer every song. October Is Rising still feels cohesive thanks to Winberg’s consistent and compelling songwriting, but I believe one or two good singers would’ve made the record connect that much better.

Mirror of My Soul bring the wistfulness of autumn on October Is Rising. Tight musicianship and smart songwriting carry the listener through Winberg’s stories, sometimes outlandish and always engaging. Though I think one singer would’ve made Mirror of My Soul a more focused entity—or perhaps one singer across every song à la Tobias Sammet of Avantastia—October Is Rising is nevertheless a greatly enjoyable work that I could confidently recommend to anyone interested in gothic rock/country/folk. At the very least, when the upcoming months get hot as balls, it’ll be a good reminder that, in the near future, October Is Rising indeed.

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Rating: Very Good
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: WAV
Label: Majestic Mountain Records
Websites: mirrorofmysoul.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/mirrorofmysoul
Releases Worldwide: June 12, 2026

The post Mirror of My Soul – October Is Rising Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

Ninth Realm from the US play scathing, frenetic, old school-spirited death/thrash with hardcore and even heavy metal influences. It’s quite frankly refreshing to listen to this kind of cathartic music – done this well after so long. Two songs are streaming now, including an official video. Check them out!  Ninth Realm (US) – Damnation’s Veil Ninth Realm from the […]

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Japanese Breakfast leader Michelle Zauner has accomplished a lot of things. She’s an indie rock staple and a bestselling author, and she just earned her first gold record a couple of months ago. (Her album Jubilee also just turned five the other day.) Now, Zauner is about ready to become a mom, too.

The post Japanese Breakfast Debuts Baby Bump At Gov Ball appeared first on Stereogum.

Prior this Friday’s new album release Epitome Of Carnage, death metallers Fleshcrawl stream a video clip for another new track in preview “Blood Dominion”.
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BAALZAGOTH is a blackened death metal band from Kostrzyn nad Odrą, Poland, combining the brutality of death metal with the dark atmosphere of black metal. Drawing inspiration from bands such as Morbid Angel, Incantation, Immolation and Hate Eternal, the group delivers heavy, uncompromising and intense compositions with an anti-religious edge. The new album “No God, No Savior” is the band’s most […]

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OLA ENGLUND’S NEW SINGLE “THE EMBER SAGA” EARNS STRONG MEDIA SUPPORT FOLLOWING RELEASE
Swedish guitarist, producer, and metal innovator Ola Englund is already generating significant attention with the release of his new single and video, “The Ember Saga,” the first offering from his forthcoming solo album, The Neverending Story , due out October 15, 2026.
Since its release, the track has been featured by numerous respected metal media outlets, including BraveWords , Burn , Lambgoat , Metal Anarchy , Metal War , Eternal Terror , The Metal Mag , and The Metallist , helping introduce the song to metal fans around the world.
Among the early reactions, The Metal Mag praised the upcoming album as “a masterpiece that will leave a trace in music history,” highlighting the track’s powerful riffs, melodic depth, and world-class musicianship. The publication also noted the album’s impressive lineup, including guest appearances from Jeff Loomis, Johan Niemann, and Jon Skäre.
Inspired by classic fantasy adventures, retro gaming, cinematic soundtracks, and heavy riff-driven metal, “The Ember Saga” showcases the ambitious direction of The Neverending Story and offers fans a taste of what promises to be one of Englund’s most exciting solo releases to date.
“The Ember Saga” is available now on all major streaming platforms.
Check out the new video: 



“Inspired by classic fantasy adventures, retro gaming, cinematic soundtracks and heavy riff-driven metal, ‘The Ember Saga’ sets the tone for what is by far my biggest and most ambitious solo album to date.”
— Ola Englund



The Neverending Story Tracklist

The Ember Saga
Game Over
The Astral Gate
Dogma Progma
The Guillotine
Means to an End
World Rift
The First of its Kind
Artax Reborn
Sun & The Moon Part 2
Beyond his solo material, Englund continues shaping modern metal through multiple creative avenues. He is the founder of Solar Guitars and has performed with influential acts including The Haunted , Six Feet Under , and his own project Feared .
His reputation in the global metal community has also placed him among elite company in recent years, including a Grammy nomination and being shortlisted as a potential guitarist for the Pantera reunion, further cementing his status among the genre’s most respected modern players.
Outside traditional band work, Englund has built a massive digital presence through his YouTube channel, where gear demos, reviews, and his trademark humor have helped make him one of the most influential guitar personalities online, pulling in hundreds of millions of views worldwide.
He has also collaborated and toured with acclaimed modern musicians including Accept , Bernth , Mike Dawes , and Charles Berthoud as part of the Escape The Internet project.
ESCAPE THE INTERNET PART 2 TOUR (2027)

The Escape The Internet tour returns in 2027 featuring Ola Englund, Bernth, Mike Dawes, and Charles Berthoud, combining live performance, jaw dropping musicianship, and interactive fan experiences across Europe.
VIP packages will include meet and greets, exclusive merch, early venue access, and artist hangout experiences.
Pre-orders for The Neverending Story and limited vinyl editions are available through the official Ola Englund store.
About Ola Englund

From viral content creator to global touring guitarist and gear industry innovator, Ola Englund continues carving his own lane in modern metal. Blending old school musicianship with modern digital era influence, his reach spans stages, studios, and screens worldwide.
“The Ember Saga” marks the next chapter. Bigger riffs, darker tones, and absolutely no brakes.

Connect with Ola:
https://olaenglundshop.com/
https://www.facebook.com/olaenglund
https://www.instagram.com/olaenglund

Polish atmospheric black/doom metal project Divine Sovereign returns with the lyric video for “Pledge,” a track taken from the forthcoming album Autaxia Chronicles: A House Divided. Following the debut “Autaxia Chronicles: Dawn of the New Age”, the new record continues the unfolding narrative of Autaxia—a world shaped by conflict, belief, and the slow erosion of power. Where independence once marked a […]

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Singer-songwriter and Euphoria season-two star Dominic Fike is currently having a big career moment, thanks in part to his 2018 song “Babydoll” going TikTok-viral and shooting up the Hot 100. Over the weekend, Fike played New York’s Governors Ball festival. During his set, he debuted a new song called “AI,” promising the crowd, “It’s not what you think.” The song, it turns out, is a lightly funky reminisce, and the title is an Allen Iverson reference: “Nappy cornrows with them baggy jean shorts, had you looking like AI.” Watch below.

The post Dominic Fike Debuts “AI” At Gov Ball, Challenges Fans To Knock Him Out If They Run Into Him appeared first on Stereogum.