Category: news

Should you desire to catch them.

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Plus numerous opening acts.

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A symmetrical weave of sounds emerges.

Nothing answers the test of time as effectively as longevity, and now with 15 full-length studio albums under their collective belt and about as many lineup changes in a career spanning over three decades, it’s safe to say that Evergrey has made the cut of a seasoned veteran act.

Initially cutting their teeth in the same 90s power/progressive metal explosion that birthed such notable heavy-hitters as Symphony X and Vanishing Point, this Swedish mainstay has often enjoyed favorable comparisons to both aforementioned bands as well as the scene’s obvious forerunner Dream Theater, but these stylistic parallels only tell a small part of the story.

By their breakout third studio opus and debut with InsideOut Music In Search Of Truth, this quintet had carved a uniquely dark and somber auditory niche that featured most of the technical bells and whistles of a progressive approach, yet also a hook-centered songwriting approach that was a tad more accessible than most. Their latest LP, Architects Of A New Weave, bookends a 25-year run with a short interlude in the middle on a decidedly strong yet bittersweet note.

Though generally a pillar of stylistic consistency since the early 2000s, the band behind the sound has often found itself in a state of flux due to a revolving door in its rhythm section. Nevertheless, the core trio of lead vocalist/guitarist Tom S. Englund, keyboardist Rikard Zander, and virtuoso lead guitarist Henrik Danhage has largely endured since 2002 to keep the sonic ship on course through various bassists and drummers, of which Johan Niemann has become a long-term fixture of the fold, and newish drummer Simen Sandnes has seamlessly melded into the fold.

Indeed, the biggest hiccup in Evergrey’s output was a four-year hiatus on the part of Danhage that resulted in the subpar Glorious Collision album in 2011, which has now been sadly reprised with the recent second exodus of the famed shredder from the band, though thankfully not before committing his masterful riff and lick work to their tapestry of emotional depth one last time.

In every meaningful respect, the assembly of earworm anthems with a tall side order of intrigue that rounds out this opus stands as the perfect sendoff for one of its core contributors, striking a heavy chord beneath Englund’s dark and brooding baritone. Following a brief ambient prelude featuring a deep and booming narration in “Welcome To The Pattern”, the metallic grit and edge become palpable courtesy of pummeling riff machines like “The Shadow Self” and title entry “Architects Of The Weave”, exploiting the band’s signature yin and yang contrast of punchy guitars and explosive beats with a dense atmospheric foil from Zander to lay on the dynamic contrast all within the time length of a rock radio banger.

Similarly compact and climactic anthems like “Heaven” and “Chains Of Shame” go even heavier on the thrash-tinged riff work yet still maintain that inescapable chorus hook that commands crowd participation live, spearheaded by Tom’s husky yet soaring upper register. The more straightforward “Leaving The Emptiness” wants for little in the energy department as well, though it tones the progressive detailing down a fair bit for more of a power metal-oriented cooker.

That this collection of songs favors the more kinetic side of Evergrey’s signature style goes without saying, but as always, there is time made for more nuanced fare. The first sign of a mellower blend of rage and melancholy rears its head on the more expansive “The World Is On Fire”, which comes with some swifter moments and an obligatory solo master class out of Danhage, but it spends far more time in a more subdued and atmospheric place.

Things stick to a down tempo march with a somber edge on the heartfelt “The Script”, which also features one of the more crooning and poignant performances out of Englund, while the power ballads “Longing” and album closer “The Prophecy” really go hard on the dreamy atmospherics and tempers them with a forbidding yet more mixed up and nuanced riff assault when things go into heavier territory.

A slight gothic rock tinge crops up on the mid-paced fanfare of “A Burning Flame”, featuring the ocean-deep voice of Dark Tranquillity’s Mikael Stanne alongside Tom’s to really bring home the brooding darkness. But for those who are looking for a full-on plunge into progressive metal brilliance, “Call Off Your Lions” sees the whole band landing the closest to Dream Theater territory they have in over a decade.

Architects Of A New Weave stands tall among the albums that they’ve put forth with Danhage on lead guitar since his 2014 return to the fold. And given that his signature approach has long remained an integral part of this long-running progressive metal institution, the triumph of this fusion of down-tuned aggression and ethereal atmospheres lands with an especially bittersweet thud for anyone who joined the ride since 2001’s In Search Of Truth.

Those who have caught them live over the past year have already been acquainted with the surgical skill of live turned permanent lead guitarist Stephen Platt, who functions as a fitting replacement for Danhage, but this ultimately marks the end of an era, and does so on an extremely high note, for what it’s worth.

Release Date: June 5th, 2026
Record Label: Napalm Records
Genre: Progressive Metal

Musicians:

• Tom S. Englund / Vocals, guitars
• Johan Niemann / Bass, backing vocals
• Henrik Danhage / Guitar, backing vocals
• Simen Sandnes / Drums
• Rikard Zander / Keyboards

Architects Of A New Weave Track-list:

1. Welcome To The Pattern
2. The Shadow Self
3. Architects Of The New Weave
4. The World Is On Fire
5. Heaven
6. The Script
7. Leaving The Emptiness
8. Longing
9. A Burning Flame
10. Call Off Your Lions
11. Chains Of Shame
12. The Prophecy

Order the album here.

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Unstrapped.

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Invictus Productions is proud to announce July 31, 2026, as the official release date for Crucificial Imprecations, the second full-length album from Miami death metal tyrants HEXORCIST.

Formed in 2019, Hexorcist immediately established themselves as a “total death” entity, channeling the spirit of the early 90s Florida scene with surgical precision. Crucified Imprecations continues this descent into the abyss, offering ten tracks of relentless, blasphemous intensity that eschews modern trends for total sonic warfare.

To coincide with the new album, Invictus will also reissue the band’s long sold-out debut, Evil Reaping Death. This definitive version features exclusive bonus demo material, providing a complete look at the band’s early path of destruction.

Pre-orders for both titles began Monday, June 1st, accompanied by the first single from the new album,”Crucificial Imprecations” which premiered today via Deaf Forever. 

FFO: Deicide, Morbid Angel, Angelcorpse, and Vital Remains.

ORDER YOUR COPY NOW! Or, if you’re interested in wholesale, please contact us directly!

Source: Invictus Productions

I feel like I always start these Singles Club round-ups with some patter about how it’s a mixed bag with something for everyone, but this edition is really pushing that to new levels. For this edition we’re going to every extreme; from a New Norse Radiohead cover to a 17-minute musical wall of bleakness, we’ve … Continue reading Singles Club: Kalandra / Gudewife / SPLIT//BITE / Luna Rosa / Behind The Sun / Calous Faulter

Launching in early September.

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In February 2025, Ben Folds resigned his position as Artistic Advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra in response to Donald Trump taking over the Kennedy Center. It only got worse from there; by the end of the year, it was announced that the historic performing arts establishment was being renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center. Backlash ensued, and just last week a federal judge ordered Trump’s name off the building. Today, Ben Folds shared an open letter regarding the fate of the National Symphony Orchestra.

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So, what’s happening here is Australian symphonic metalers Ana and their debut record, Motivated by Death are set on pioneering a new sub-sub-genre. “Couture metal.” For the blue-jeans-and-band-tees wearers among us, couture fashion is all about expressive, customized statements in clothing, often expensive and always personalized. This is an evident visual influence for Ana, and musically the band cites their style as “a sophisticated, upscale evolution of the craft that prioritizes high-fashion theatricality alongside punishing sonic precision.” Fewer corsets, more spandex. One thing’s for sure, Ana have bought into themselves: they have a series of comics in the works written in tandem with their music,¹ as well as a documentary film titled Watch Me as I Rise.² But what about Motivated by Death? Their album, for their music band? Does it live up to the hoo-ha, or is Ana’s rising star a premature liftoff?

Ana are banking on the power of Y2K nostalgia on Motivated by Death. Early-aughts goth, symphonic, and nü metals comprise the core of Ana’s sound, with choruses sounding like Nightwish taking on Evanescence and Evanescence taking on Powerman 5000. Guitarist Josh Mak’s riffs shift between metalcore chugs, nü/alt-rock power chords, and gallops while drummer Andres Osorio and bassist Cody Lamb keep Motivated by Death consistently groovy and moving. There’s a smörgåsbord of synth sounds at keyboardist Mark Shi’s disposal, and when shredding alongside Mak Ana have a surprising knack for showy solos (“Shadow of Life,” “Papa”). Vocalist Anna Hristenko is, predictably, the crux of Ana’s sound, layering Motivated by Death with sultry, classically-inspired but pop-informed bars. She brings gravity to Ana along with unquestionable showmanship, and when Motivated by Death is kicking it recalls not only this millennium’s early rock/metal scene but a time when pop music was more audacious and bombastic.

But Motivated by Death often feels too overly calculated for its own good. Ana make sure to hit all of the beats of a radio hit on Motivated by Death. There’s the booming opener with “Hate Me” followed by the cyber goth panache of “Shadow of Life,” its one-two punch showing listeners that they got both the riffs and hooks they crave. There are two ballads, one power in “You Loved Me More than I Loved Myself” and one Evanescence’s “My Immortal” in “Sick Love” so radio has a choice in what they want play to death. Ana even outsourced a closer by covering System of a Down’s “Aerials,” safely assuring Motivated by Death ends well (in theory). What makes this mathematical approach especially jarring is that Motivated by Death is a very short album, barely hitting thirty-five minutes. Ana just fly through the motions, the listener’s every emotion carefully road-mapped along the way. Motivated by Death feels like a proof-of-concept for Ana, not their debut.

Motivated by Death is also just messy. Ana’s core symphonic sound is imbued with so many Y2K-era rock stylings that there’s hardly enough time spent on one thing to figure out what Motivated by Death is. Its diversity works against memorability; “Eyes of a Child” features a sitar riff in its bridge, and Hristenko breaks out her operatic chops on “Papa,” and yet I forget these things even happen every time. Hristenko is a powerful singer, but clumsy phrasings in the verses of “Sick Love” and “Aerials” leave them feeling awkward, while her declaration of “Listen up you motha fuckeeeeeers!” in “Following the Wind” isn’t aggressive or cheeky enough to land convincingly. Motivated by Death is not helped by Ana’s insistence on loudness and its radio-made production that makes the drums sound like plastic cans and robs any of the dynamics songs like “You Loved Me More than I Loved Myself” and “Aerials” need.³ Motivated by Death sounds like Ana were throwing things at the wall and seeing what stuck. Not enough stuck, and what did doesn’t work too well together.

I fear that Motivated by Death isn’t the statement Ana were hoping for. Ana are a talented, driven bunch, and there’s no doubt there’s a market for what they do. It’s not all bad—”Shadow of Life” slaps and “Sick Love” can be pretty moving at times⁴—but both playing it safe and half-baking your album is a bad combo. Despite its truncated runtime Motivated by Death proves a slog to get through. I could see a world where I stick up for Ana, one where they’re more bold-faced and adventurous, and I’m getting wedgied for liking “couture metal.” Right now, that’s not this one.

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Rating: Bad
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps MP3
Label: Eclipse Records
Websites: anaband.com.au | facebook.com/ana.band.0fficial
Releases Worldwide: May 29th, 2026

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In 2020, just before the pandemic, Kendrick Lamar and his longtime business partner Dave Free launched their “multi-lingual, at service company” pgLang. Officially, pgLang is more than a record label — it’s also a film production company, an ad agency, and maybe more — but it certainly has released records. Thus far, other than jointly…

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