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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
STALEMATE OF WILLS UNLEASHES CRUSHING DEBUT ALBUM EXISTENCE DENIED | “TWO WORLDS” DELIVERS DOOM-LADEN HEAVINESS FOR A WITHERING WORLD
DIY release through Fight for the Cause Records showcases Pittsburgh trio’s uncompromising blend of Doomcore and Sludge Metal
PITTSBURGH, PA – If you’re searching for riffs heavy enough to shake foundations and lyrics that reflect the weight of the modern world, STALEMATE OF WILLS have arrived with exactly what the underground has been waiting for. The Pittsburgh-based trio officially unleashed their debut full-length album, Existence Denied , on April 26, 2026, through their own imprint, Fight for the Cause Records .
Built on massive grooves, suffocating atmosphere, and emotionally charged songwriting, Existence Denied delivers a relentless journey through themes of despair, resilience, and the slow collapse of the world around us. Every track reinforces the band’s mission statement:
“Heavy riffs for a withering world.”
Building on the momentum of their debut, STALEMATE OF WILLS previously earned recognition from Metal Injection , where Existence Denied was featured in the publication’s Weekly Injection: New Releases Out This Week alongside releases from Sevendust , The Claypool Lennon Delirium , -(16)- , Cage Fight , Health , Cognizance , Infected Dead , and Spell . The band now continues its promotional campaign with a renewed spotlight on the album and its crushing single, “Two Worlds,” bringing their brand of Doomcore and Sludge Metal to an even wider audience.
Leading the charge is the standout single “Two Worlds,” a crushing slab of Doomcore that perfectly captures the band’s identity. Thick, down-tuned guitars, thunderous rhythms, and haunting vocals collide to create an unforgettable introduction to STALEMATE OF WILLS’ uncompromising sound.
Listen to the full album here:
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/stalemateofwills/existence-denied

Stream the single “Two Worlds”:
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/stalemateofwills/two-worlds
Drawing influence from legendary acts such as Crowbar , Kingdom of Sorrow , and Down , STALEMATE OF WILLS blend classic sludge and doom influences with a modern, emotionally driven approach that feels equally punishing and cathartic. Rather than chasing trends, the band focuses on writing honest, riff-driven songs that hit with both weight and purpose.
The lineup features:
Derek Frustration – Guitar / Vocals
Jake Morris – Bass
Bob McSherry – Drums
The album was produced, mixed, and mastered by Eric Klinger , whose production captures every crushing riff and dynamic shift while preserving the raw intensity that defines the band’s sound.
With Existence Denied , STALEMATE OF WILLS have delivered more than just a debut album. They’ve established themselves as one of the rising names in today’s Doomcore and Sludge underground, proving that devastating heaviness and genuine emotion still go hand in hand.
For fans of Crowbar , Kingdom of Sorrow , and Down , this is an album that deserves a place on your playlist.
Genre

Doomcore | Sludgecore | Doom Metal | Sludge Metal
For Fans Of

Crowbar | Kingdom of Sorrow | Down
Listen Now

Listen to the full album here:
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/stalemateofwills/existence-denied

Stream the single “Two Worlds”:
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/stalemateofwills/two-worlds
For press inquiries, interviews, review requests, or promotional opportunities: zach@metaldevastationradio.com

Check out these videos: 
“Purveyor of Lies” –
“Corrode” –
“Let It Be Known” –
“Subside” –

  Follow STALEMATE OF WILLS:
https://stalemateofwills.com
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089514490476
https://www.instagram.com/stalemate_of_wills_pgh/
https://stalemateofwills.bandcamp.com/music
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0MtYfRDOat5ltNfpeqRNfB
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/stalemate-of-wills/1611800967
https://music.apple.com/us/album/two-worlds/1822116707

The Green Day road-trip comedy looms ever-closer. The band worked with Live Nation to produce Nimrods, a new movie about a punk band who goes on a desperate trek to open for Green Day, who naturally appear as themselves. We posted the trailer a little while ago, and the movie hits theaters next month. Today, Green Day announce the Nimrods soundtrack, and they share a new song the they recorded for the picture.

The post Green Day – “I’m Never Gonna R.I.P.” appeared first on Stereogum.

Album Review: Slow Goat – Where The Wisest Fear To Tread

Reviewed by Matthew Williams

It’s only after the brief opening chimed bells of “Downward” do you get to hear what Portland, Oregon’s Slow Goat are all about. As second track “Fallen Child” comes to life around the minute mark, it makes you wonder why they needed the opening at all, as they generate enough heavy fuzzed out guitar to keep the listener entertained.

The quartet are led by Rosie Peterson on vocals, and this debut album has taken shape and been refined over the last four years. The band have commented that the album draws on “personal experience and a compulsion to look inward” but they want the listeners to look for their own meanings behind the songs. Next track “Visions/Fell Ritual” has a long and winding melody with a beautiful guitar sound from Daniel Black that really sets the mood and tone for what follows.

They delve into that wonderful doom/stoner rock intensity and blend it with a psychedelic edge to compliment the ethereal vocals, which don’t appear until much later but the rhythm of drummer Eric Bllombaum and bassist Adam Carter, take full control of this song as it flows effortlessly. “Love Like Water” has more power behind it, with that desert rock swagger as the bass crunches all over the composition and gets my head moving along in no time. You can sense that raw, gritty edge which lies behind their music and this is a big, powerful song.

Across their music you get a variety of vocal ranges from Peterson, and on the initially slower paced offering “Dark Procession” you get a softer presence, almost sinister at times, but it doesn’t overpower the solos and riff that are pouring out of the Black’s guitar. The pace picks up in the middle section to create a meandering song before it slows back down and leads into “Wilting”, which kicks off with a simple, but pleasing guitar tone and follows a similar pattern with a strong vocal over a hard-hitting rhythm.

Penultimate song “Sisyphus” has a more raucous feel about it, well, as raucous as a doom ladened riff can get I suppose. It adds more weight and heaviness to their overall sound, and is probably my favourite song on the album, before they end with “Under The Glass” as the brooding sound builds into a heavier, more evil sounding track. There’s a ghostly, yet soft and appealing vocal presence over the beastly bass and pounding drums. It’s another example of them mixing their styles extremely well and they’ve produced a great song to finish off their debut album with.

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

The post Album Review: Slow Goat – Where The Wisest Fear To Tread appeared first on The Razor's Edge.

It’s been almost six years since Told Slant released Point The Flashlight And Walk, our Album Of The Week. Now, Felix Walworth is back with the announcement of a new record endearingly titled What’s Up. The lead single, “Manhattan,” is out today.

The post Told Slant Announces New Album <em>What’s Up</em>: Hear “Manhattan” appeared first on Stereogum.

Album Review: Nine Pound Hammer – Too Outlaw For Outlaw Country

Reviewed by Matthew Williams

As soon as I saw the word Cowpunk typed in the Genre box attached to the promos, I was genuinely intrigued by what this and wanted to review it. I was completely unfamiliar with the genre and had no idea what to expect from the long running Kentucky hard rockers Nine Pound Hammer.

Digging deeper into their biography, the quintet released their demo back in 1987, and I’ve seen one of them live before many years ago, Blaine Cartwright of Nashville Pussy fame, so I was even more curious about what lay before me. They have 4 new tracks, written by Cartwright and vocalist Scott Luallen, alongside two covers as the singer commented that “we were sick and tired of the so-called outlaw music and wanted to call out the Jellyrollization of our beloved genre”.

It begins with the album title track, as a swinging country guitar gets fired out and you can’t help but nod along to it. The drum beat from Josh Love is simple and straightforward but gives the song some umph and the guitars from Cartwright and Earl Crim swing back and forth. Across the album there’s further input from John Haywood (fiddle, banjo, vocals), Ian Thomas (pedal steel) and vocalist Sheri McGee, as “Burn The Whole World Down” see the country kickers continue their accomplished style and my feet are tapping along in no time.

Next up is their version of Billy Joe Shaver’s “Black Rose” and it has a splintered, rockier riff that just comes at you, before the rhythm gets your head moving. Whatever you might think of country music, this is nothing but fun to listen to and I’m enjoying the simplicity of it all. I really like the vocals on “Tonight I Let The Bottle Down” as it’s got nice harmonies before the guitar solo intercepts and drives the whole thing forward.

With these songs, you still get that hard rock attitude seeping into their alt-country soundscapes and “Out of My League” is the perfect hoedown music with a great solo and humorous lyrics that will make you smile. The rhythm section keeps ticking along, with bassist Mark Hendricks doing a great job and they end with “Little Ole Wine Drinker Me”, a cover of the Hank Mills and Dick Jennings song, and is a little ripper of a track, that zips along with ease. Maybe this “cowpunk” genre is worth a further investigation after all!!

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

The post Album Review: Nine Pound Hammer – Too Outlaw For Outlaw Country appeared first on The Razor's Edge.

The Slipknot frontman talks about finding his peace and being able to separate that from the rage he exudes onstage. Continue reading…

In April, Nation Of Language released a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Tougher Than The Rest” for a limited edition 7″. Now, the Brooklyn synthpop trio is finally sharing the B-side, an unreleased track called “The Conversation.”

The post Nation Of Language – “The Conversation” appeared first on Stereogum.

Where they from?
Germany. I have now reached that point of the offseason where I am starting to yearn for the NFL season to return. It’s like that Office meme where Michael says he is ready to be hurt again. I cannot wait for the new and hideous ways for the New York Jets to disappoint me this year.

Why the hype?
Eastwood (the band, not Clint Eastwood) have been putting out some high level grind for a while now, combining the shapeshifter hyper ferocity of France’s Warfuck with the pure velocity and intensity of U.K. powerviolence. The riffs slither and contort like a snake hunting its pray and the drumming is powerful and precise. All of this is packaged in clear and modern production that only emphasizes the batshit zaniness of the band’s output.

Latest release?
Alle gegen alle, Loner Cult/Lixiviat Records. Here the band covers Assück’s classic ‘Salt Mine,’ a song that has been covered numerous times by numerous different grind outfits. I think it should be standard that every band covers this song on every album they do, for all eternity. Would love to hear what the Jonas Brothers do with that insane breakdown into those wretched blast beats. Heads would roll.

The post Blast Worship: Eastwood appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

It’s time for another jangly banger from Wishy. “All The Rage” is the newest single from the beloved Indianapolis band’s upcoming record Nature’s Pill, which sadly doesn’t arrive until October. But this great track should hold fans over for a bit.

The post Wishy – “All The Rage” appeared first on Stereogum.

Right now, Rosalía is on a global arena tour behind her staggering 2025 album Lux. The reports from the shows have been rapturous, and thanks to the way Rosalía showcases her fellow famous folks, the tour dates regularly made the news. Before singing “La Perla,” Rosalía takes a confession from a different guest. At past gigs, she’s brought out people like Karol G, Marcello Hernández, and Lola Young to tell personal stories; a Maggie Rogers bad-date narrative went especially viral. On Monday night, Rosalía played the Oakland Arena, and her guest was Chappell Roan.

The post Chappell Roan Makes Confessional Appearance At Rosalía’s Oakland Show appeared first on Stereogum.