Category: news

Static Abyss Announce Third Album ‘The Dying Hunt’

Emerging in the early 2020’s – Static Abyss is a monstrous hybrid of twisted, doom-laden brutal death, comprising of longstanding members of the US metal scene. The band consists primarily of the duo of Deathgrave’s Greg Wilkinson (Guitars/bass) & Chris Reifert (vocals), both also members of legendary American masters of sickness, Autopsy, with Chris also notably starting his career with genre pioneers, Death. The band’s debut, ‘Labyrinth of Veins’ was released in 2022, and their second album ‘Aborted From Reality’ followed in quick succession, surfacing in 2023.

Returning now for Static Abyss’ third studio album, and with the addition of Chad Gailey of fellow death merchants Necrot behind the drumkit for this release, ‘The Dying Hunt’ plummets the listener again into the festering, psychedelic swamps of lunacy, with the spiralling melodies texturing the relentless savage riffs for an effective nightmare-inducing trip through the sonic abyss. Continuously and relentlessly flitting between brutal passages and hypnotic otherworldly craziness, ‘The Dying Hunt’ reflects the ailing world & the unravelling of the psyche of its inhabitants in this darkly dystopian landscape, for a masterful descent into sick Death Metal combined with Crust and Doom elements.

‘The Dying Hunt’ was recorded at Earhammer Studios in Oakland, CA, with engineering, mixing and mastering overseen by Greg Wilkinson himself. Cover art comes courtesy of Jon Santos.

Static Abyss – The Dying Hunt

Skull Blasted – 01:54
Lobotomized at Last – 03:40
The Dying Hunt – 04:04
Wall of Delusion – 01:25
Once a Corpse (Always a Corpse) – 02:54
Bleeding in the Fog – 04:40Sinew Leech – 04:07
Nowhere Forever – 05:02
Defleshed and Forlorn – 01:20
Volcanic Womb – 03:15
Darkness at the End of the Light – 04:32

‘THE DYING HUNT’ WILL BE AVAILABLE ON LIMITED ‘NEKRO FLESH’ VINYL LP, BLACK VINYL LP, CD AND DIGITALLY. PRE-ORDER HERE.

For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.

The post Static Abyss Announce Third Album ‘The Dying Hunt’ appeared first on The Razor's Edge.

Pennsylvania hard rock band Defiant returns with one of its most emotionally charged and hard-hitting releases to date, ‘Seen The End‘, a powerful new single that blends soaring melodies, crushing guitars, and deeply personal lyrics into an unforgettable rock anthem. With a sound that bridges the gap between modern hard rock and the timeless energy […]

The post Defiant Returns With New Single ‘Seen The End’ appeared first on ROCKPOSER DOT COM.

In January, Courtney Marie Andrews returned with Valentine, her first album in more than three years. This week, she’s got another new tune for us.

The post Courtney Marie Andrews – “Carolina Caroline” (Jonathan Edwards Cover) appeared first on Stereogum.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Bay Area Thrash Force Frolic Unleash Legacies of Cybernetica as Banger TV Spotlights Album in Metal Monthly
Technical melodic thrash outfit Frolic continue to push the evolution of the legendary Bay Area sound with their explosive new album, Legacies of Cybernetica, out now via Hectic Records.
Stream & Purchase: https://frolicbayarea.bandcamp.com/album/legacies-of-cybernetica
California’s rising progressive thrash metal powerhouse Frolic officially released their highly anticipated sophomore album, Legacies of Cybernetica , on July 3, 2026 , delivering one of the year’s most ambitious and technically impressive modern thrash records. Released on vinyl through Hectic Records , the album is also available independently on CD, cassette, digital platforms, and select streaming services.
Blending razor-sharp musicianship with futuristic themes and relentless aggression, Legacies of Cybernetica expands upon the classic Bay Area thrash blueprint while forging a sound that is unmistakably Frolic . Fans of Kreator, Exodus, Revocation, and The Black Dahlia Murder will find plenty to sink their teeth into, from blistering riff work and soaring twin guitar leads to intricate rhythm changes and crushing, high-energy performances.
Adding to the momentum surrounding the release, Legacies of Cybernetica was recently featured on Banger Films’ Metal Monthly , where host Blaine Smith praised the album as one of July’s standout metal releases.
During the segment, Smith highlighted the band’s remarkable artistic growth, calling attention to “a big upgrade to the cover art and a big upgrade to the band.” He also praised Frolic for carving out a unique space within the thrash landscape, describing the group as filling “a hole that isn’t really filled” by blending the intensity of German thrash with the technical precision and sci-fi atmosphere of the Bay Area scene.
The review also applauded the band’s explosive songwriting, emphasizing songs that hit listeners immediately with relentless speed and aggression while showcasing originality rarely heard in today’s thrash movement. Smith concluded that Frolic is “doing something fairly original” and performing well above expectations, further cementing the band’s growing reputation within the global metal community.
Formed in the San Francisco Bay Area, Frolic stands as proof that the birthplace of thrash metal continues to produce innovative new voices. Rather than simply recreating the sounds of the 1980s, the band embraces evolution by combining technical death metal precision, progressive arrangements, blackened vocal intensity, and unforgettable melodic guitar work.
Frontman and guitarist Edgar delivers a fierce vocal performance that recalls the venomous edge of classic European thrash while sharing lead guitar duties with Lenny , whose dynamic twin-guitar attack provides soaring solos and memorable hooks throughout the record. The rhythm section is equally formidable, with Zak bringing highly technical, death metal-inspired bass lines and Elijah combining jazz and funk influences into powerful drumming built for maximum mosh pit destruction.
Produced by Ivan Garcia, Ben Bennett, and Andrew Peacock , Legacies of Cybernetica captures the band’s explosive live energy while showcasing a level of songwriting and musicianship that marks a major step forward in Frolic ‘s evolution.
With critical praise already arriving from respected outlets like Banger TV and an ever-growing reputation throughout the Bay Area underground, Frolic are poised to become one of the most exciting names carrying thrash metal into its next generation.
Watch the Banger TV Metal Monthly feature here:

Check out the band on YouTube and subscribe: 

Album: Legacies of Cybernetica
Artist: Frolic
Release Date: July 3, 2026
Genre: Technical Melodic Thrash Metal
Label: Hectic Records
For Fans Of: Kreator, Exodus, Revocation, The Black Dahlia Murder

Connect: 
https://merch.frolic.band/epk
Contact: edgars336@gmail.com

Noya Sol is an independent Israeli singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer whose music blends alternative rock, blues, folk, soul, and reggae influences. Inspired by artists such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Bessie Smith, Bob Marley, and Gary Clark Jr., she creates deeply personal songs about faith, freedom, resilience, and the search for light in difficult times. Noya‘s […]

Context matters. And that idea gets ratcheted up in my review of Bones, the follow-up album to the 2023 debut Porta Coeli by Shadow Of Jupiter, this tight–musically and spiritually–quartet from Chicago.

Shadow Of Jupiter – Bones

Release Date: Out Now

Words: Sunil Singh

I interviewed the band on July 7 for an upcoming write-up for MetalTalk. On July 10, Bones was released. I listened to it twice that day. I realised that the magnitude of this album needed an immediate review from me. So, I stopped writing the interview article and instead focused on giving a “stop the presses” kind of urgency to the album review.

Context matters.

The World Cup has taken up all my attention, as it has for over 40 years. Combine that with being an England supporter, my emotional tank gets drained with every victory and subsequently, as history tells us, an always cruel defeat.

It is Sunday. The day after a hard-fought win over Norway. Normally, I would never have mixed feelings about a Knockout win for England in the World Cup. But, I am Facebook friends with three of the members of Kal-El, a Norwegian band that has a global following, and their 2026 album Astral Voyager, Volume 2 was immediately thrown into the ring as Album Of The Year.

Stale Rodvelt, lead singer of Kal-El made this comment on Bones on social media: “Bones is definitely a strong candidate for my AOTY.”

Incoming horrible spoiler alert, it is mine as well.

All my album reviews thus far have been detailed with song-by-song descriptions. It is both a blessing and a curse to have this ‘surgical’ passion to write with individual attention to each song.

However, I am going to go macro on Bones primarily because I had a Sunday morning conversation with Colin Peterson (guitarist) of the band, who made me rethink the value of reviewing the whole album as one experience, in spite of there being so much variety on the album’s seven songs.

Also, we are kind of working backwards here from the album getting the gold standard distinction with AOTY. Anytime I hear that in our scene, regardless of source, because there is an understood democracy of the weight of opinions, I really do not need to hear/read anymore.

The album is going to deliver the goods. How good? Rob Halford would be proud to belt out that deliverance.

You know what [as Sunil thinks in real time], let me loop some interview material that can tease out the vibe of the album. The following four artists represent a response to my opening question to the band. You will have to wait until the interview gets published to see what on Earth the question was that had such unique and varied responses!

John Piotrowski(singer), Minor Threat – Gorilla Biscuits – Minor Threat (Live 2025)

Colin Peterson(guitarist), Thin Lizzy – Thin Lizzy   The Sun Goes Down

Scott Brakebill, The Grateful Dead – Grateful Dead – Sugaree (Winterland 10/18/74) (Official Live Video)

Adam Kazragyz, Toto – Toto – Hold The Line (Live in Poland) (HQ)

Not what you might have expected from Chicago’s stoner/heavy psych merchants, right? 

That is because this album and the band members have a wide range of influences and personalities. That said, it all comes together, much like when individual ingredients in a soup are elevated to something sublime when they are added in the right amount, proportion, and timing.

Great bands employ the power of the collective, ensuring each member shines. That magical cohesion is flush on Bones.

Having the interview in my rearview mirror, there were far too many reference points for me, as a writer, to latch on to write my review.

First off, many great albums have a collection of memorable songs, but sometimes the order of the songs feels odd, where maybe the pacing of the album was not a strong consideration.

To be honest, I had some doubt if the band could maintain the momentum of the title song, which I rewound several times just after a few minutes to hear all the musical entanglements. I am sure you will find your own, but even in the first 90 seconds, I heard Jane’s Addiction, Soundgarden, The Beatles, and The Doors, all of which give way to a savoury whisper of Middle Eastern tones.

It is also a great video, perfectly capturing the shifting moods of the song.

This exotic bridge is something that is very reminiscent of Southern sludge masters Alabama Thunderpussy’s Struggling For Balance. Just cue up the song around the three-minute mark, and be transported to the deserts that are clearly not North American. 

Not only does the whole album shine beyond the title song, but by the time the album gets to Rumblestrip and Riot Dogs, there is a looseness/swagger that emerges that starts bringing it all home.

The final song, For Heaven Above, sits unapologetically in the Robin Trower/Bridge Of Sighs well.

The whole band is firing on all cylinders, with each member elevating the band’s sound as a synergistic whole. The drumming is so on point. I even hear some Ian Paice-like fills near the end of Riot Dogs.

If the library of rock music was a skating rink, Shadow Of Jupiter is the hockey team that plays on it, gliding from one era to another effortlessly. Sometimes they play with the finesse/tactics of the great Russian teams of the ’70s, and sometimes they play with the goon tactics of The Hanson Brothers, wrapping their knuckles in foil, ready to take on anyone with their hypnotic and swirling doom.

One of the vibes going on here that helps describe their nomadic, even spiritual sound is that of Mind Funk’s second album Goddess, which was released in 1993.

Shadow Of Jupiter draws musical influences from every decade, from the ’60s to the present. If you like your blues/psych/doom soaked in all of that, then this album has to be added to your collection in 2026.

Fully expect this band to have more of a global following with Bones. It is just that fuckin’ stellar!

Shadow Of Jupiter released Bones on 10 July 2026 via Riple Music. For more details, visit lnkfi.re/sojbones. You can find out more at Bandcamp.

The post Shadow Of Jupiter / Bones – A Doom Masterpiece Destined For Album Of The Year first appeared on MetalTalk – Heavy Metal News, Reviews and Interviews.

Rancho Cucamonga, California’s Cold Gawd bring a serious sense of confidence to their heavy shoegaze, and we’re about to get another dose of it. We picked Cold Gawd’s 2024 full-length I’ll Drown On This Earth as an Album Of The Week, and they followed it with the singles “Golden Postcard” and “Bomb Pop.” Next month, they’ll drop a new EP called Glory2 on us.

The post Cold Gawd Announce New EP <em>Glory2</em>: Hear “Grease” appeared first on Stereogum.

Katerina Nicole is a Canadian-Greek metal artist blending crushing nu metal and metalcore with haunting melodies, powerful screams, and emotionally charged songwriting. Since the release of her debut EP, Serene in Violent Oceans, her sound has evolved into something darker, heavier, and more aggressive, all the while maintaining a cinematic, melodic edge. Katerina has recently […]

– July 14th, 2026 –

Photo by Sondra Kelly

The Hidden Hand is the stunning new full-length from instrumental post-rock sensations IF THESE TREES COULD TALK, out now on Metal Blade Records!

The Hidden Hand boasts nine stellar and plainly provocative songs with the band focusing on capturing sonic power. Utilizing three guitars to cover different areas of the spectrum, the IF THESE TREES COULD TALK experience feels like a slow, wordless conversation between the inner and outer world best consumed like the score to a cinematic picture or a space for meditation, healing, and clarity.

The instrumental odyssey was so named because of a “fascination with the unexplained and unknowable especially in the areas of influence, control, and guidance,” says drummer Zack Kelly, who co-founded the band with drummer-brother Cody Kelly in 2005, “symbols and signs hidden in plain sight only available to those who are looking.”

Longtime fans and newcomers alike will thrill to tracks like “Blurry Creatures,” which embodies the raw nature of IF THESE TREES COULD TALK via unrelenting riffs with epic highs and lows, ambient syncopated delays and a battle chant that stimulates the senses. “Sea Of Glass” offers a smooth optimistic post-rock landscape guided uplifting clean guitars and heavy chorus hooks which pay off with a haunting and explosive resolution. The seventh cut on The Hidden Hand, “Metonoia,” has 1980′s vibes pulsing with progressive delayed guitars, pounding drums and a soaring guitar solo reminiscent of vintage David Gilmour.

The Hidden Hand is available now on CD and digital formats as well as vinyl in the following color variants:

Lava Red Marble (US)
Solar Flare Marble (US)
Purple Galaxy Marble (US)
180g Black (EU – Ltd. 1000)
Tropical Sunset Marble (Orange/Purple/White) (EU – Ltd. 500)
Orange Oxblood Merged (EU – Ltd. 250)

Preview/purchase the record at: metalblade.com/ifthesetreescouldtalk

Watch the band’s previously released video for “Blurry Creatures” HERE and “Sea Of Glass” video HERE.

The Hidden Hand Track Listing:
01. Archons
02. Moon Machine
03. Sea of Glass
04. Blurry Creatures
05. Silence Between Mountains, Pt. 1
06. Silence Between Mountains, Pt. 2
07. Metanoia
08. Flim
09. Endlessly Connected

“Almost a decade since their emblematic The Bones Of A Dying World, IF THESE TREES COULD TALK have returned with an album that’s both instantly familiar and demonstrably evolved.” – Decibel Magazine

“…in a world that is often loud and cold, Hidden Hand serves as a welcome oasis of calm…” – Rock Hard

“…the perfect album for closing your eyes and drifting away.” – Metal Hammer

“…a captivating instrumental album that speaks volumes without saying a word.” – The Prog Report

“…a dark, monolithic achievement and an absolute must-listen for anyone who loves the orchestral heaviness of post-metal.” – Earshot.at

“The music is uplifting and bright yet carries an emotive heart that allows it to avoid feeling superficial or superfluous. There’s enough shading in the music to allow for engaging atmospheres, and a darker side that balances the overall positivity well.” – Wonderbox Metal

“…a flawlessly executed post-rock album…” – Metal.de

“…The Hidden Hand offers up… a deep-seated spirituality and emotional connection… a long overdue triumphant return from IF THESE TREES COULD TALK.” – Maximum Volume Music

“The band knows what they do well and they’ve done it again, with slightly more resolution in the emotional arc than their previous records. Whether that reads as maturity or restraint probably depends on what you came looking for. Either way, the wait was worth it.” – Front Of The Stage

“…when it comes to emotion and hooks, The Hidden Hand is a near-perfect destination. Without ever feeling intrusive, the quintet once again imprints this sublime blend upon the listener… ” – Powermetal.de

“… one of the most active and forward creations from IF THESE TREES COULD TALK with each of these nine tracks ripping our eyes wide open such that we have no choice but to look upon the collective choices of our species. For years it has been clear that post-rock was lifted up to its greatest embodiment so long as this band had anything to say about it, and it’s the sheer existence of The Hidden Hand that shows us the brilliance that still resides within the forces of IF THESE TREES COULD TALK. Influenced by the machinations of hidden societies and secrecy amongst humankind, it’s with The Hidden Hand that this band steps out into the open with power and vision the likes of which are a breath of fresh air in a world that oftentimes chokes on ash.” – Head-Banger Reviews

IF THESE TREES COULD TALK:
Cody Kelly – guitar
Zack Kelly – drums
Tom Fihe – bass guitar
Jeff Kalal – guitar
Mike Socrates – guitar

https://www.instagram.com/ifthesetreescouldtalk
https://www.facebook.com/treescouldtalk

Buy iTunes Artist Page Artist News

Abide is a nu metal band based in Marseille, France. Formed by Tom Ungerer (bassist for Sam Fender), the band draws influence from System of a Down, Deftones and Slipknot, combining angular riffs, heavy grooves and emotionally driven songwriting. Abide has just released its third single, done, through Moth Lake Records, which sees the band […]