Every week the Stereogum staff chooses the five best new songs of the week. The eligibility period begins and ends Thursdays right before midnight. You can hear this week’s picks below and on Stereogum’s Favorite New Music Spotify playlist, which is updated weekly. (An expanded playlist of our new music picks is available to subscribers on Spotify and Apple Music, updated throughout the week.)
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Impureza, the Franco-Spanish pioneers of Hispanic Metal, release a bass playthrough of “Covadonga” today via the Season of Mist YouTube channel. Taken from their third album Alcázares, the video places Florian Saillard’s fretless bass in the foreground of the song that recounts where the “Reconquista” began.
“Covadonga” runs 4:02 and tells of the battle in Asturias whose Astur victory is held to have started the Reconquista. Sung in Spanish, the lyrics climb the sacred mountain with the prophetic king Don Pelayo, set lancers and archers against the Muslim forces, and watch the arrows hide the sun, with the title itself spelled out syllable by syllable as a refrain: CO-VA-DON-GA. The song also carries the legend of the battle, in which the attackers’ arrows turned back on them and rocks broke loose from the mountain to bury them. The fretless bass, one of the band’s signature voices, sits here beside flamenco guitar and orchestral arrangement.
Alcázares, released on July 11th, 2025, via Season of Mist, is a concept album on the Reconquista, the medieval conflict that ran from 722 to 1492. It moves from Covadonga through the legend of El Cid, Templar mysticism, the Inquisition under Torquemada and tales of black magic. The album was recorded and mixed by Sébastien Camhi at Studio Artmusic and mastered by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios.
Alcázares can be stream and order here.
Impureza is a Franco-Spanish metal band formed in 2004 by guitarist Lionel Cano Muñoz from Orléans. Their music is distinguished by a unique fusion of extreme metal and Spanish sounds inspired by Andalusian culture and flamenco, creating an atypical style known as Hispanic Metal. Impureza remains an innovative project in the international metal scene, making it a pioneer of the genre.
The entire concept of the band revolves around the voluptuousness of Latin atmospheres, the ferocity of metal, and Spanish culture and history, explored through a fictional and esoteric aspect. Their compositions feature both clean and guttural vocals sung in the language of Cervantes, flamenco guitar, acoustic fretless bass, extreme metal, and orchestral arrangements that evoke the colors of Spain. The very essence of their music lies in the duality between two seemingly opposed musical genres, which, through clever composition, give birth to a new and avant-garde style.
Their fiery music is literally the union of traditional Hispanic folklore and extreme metal. These metal warriors brandish their Iberian sounds as weapons with pride. This ingenious alliance is matched only by the singular and unprecedented creative originality of its founder, Lionel Cano Muñoz and his compañero Esteban Martín, both of Spanish nationality. Impureza’s conquistadors draw inspiration from their strong identity, which defines the band’s very essence. Often nicknamed the “French Nile” due to their primary influences, combining the complex and brutal lines of death metal with the most ardent and undulating Latin flames.
Impureza‘s members are also influenced by many Spanish artists such as flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía and gypsy singer Camarón de la Isla, as well as bands like Behemoth, Morbid Angel, Krisiun, and Fleshgod Apocalypse, among others.
The post IMPUREZA Releases Bass Playthrough For “Covadonga” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
Revelation Records also have a benefit shirt available.
The post Ex-Sick It Of All Bassist Richard Cipriano Battling Pancreatic Cancer, Fundraising Underway appeared first on Theprp.com.
On third album, Witch Wife in an Alien World, Smoulder sounds confident and uniquely themselves as they wield their brazen wares. On debut Times of Obscene Evil and Wild Daring, the Canadian ensemble delved into epic doom that plodded and pounded with towering riffs and heaving, swollen builds. In 2023, Smoulder released follow-up Violent Creed of Vengeance, which introduced more diverse tempos that stoked the fire and urgency of their compositions. Now three years later, Smoulder returns with Witch Wife in an Alien World, a forty-three-minute platter mixing heavy metal with hard-rocking doom that never lacks for enthusiasm. Back in 2022, some members of Smoulder moved to Finland, and at some point singer Sarah Ann and guitarist Shon Vincent tied the knot,1 providing the basis of experiences on which Witch Wife in an Alien World is built. Tackling topics such as the increasing disconnection between people and feelings of isolation after immigrating to a new country, Smoulder sets out to confront real-world topics through the lens of fantastical fancy. Does their approach set the World on fire?
Appreciation for Witch Wife in an Alien World hinges entirely on whether listeners embrace Sarah Ann’s distinctive vocal stylings. Where Violent Creed’s mix allowed her performances to blend with the instrumentation, Witch Wife puts her brash swagger front-and-center, which is guaranteed to turn heads. Her deliveries ooze with conviction, but sometimes erupt into heavy-handed pomp that distracts rather than fostering the sword-swinging bravado that (I assume) Smoulder seeks. “Shadow of the Vulture” supplies an early example of these theatrics, which bluster with ardent gusto. From a technical standpoint, Sarah Ann leans heavily into her vibrato, often pulsing quickly between frequencies that seem a far cry from her performance on Times. There are also moments scattered throughout Witch Wife where the notes and pitches we hear don’t mesh with what the songs demand, surprising me given this was a strength on previous albums.
The songs that bookend Witch Wife in an Alien World prove the album’s strongest cuts. Opener “Water World” bounces with vim and vigor, exploring nifty riffing, artful bass grooves, and deft kitwork in an intricate web of instrumentation that illustrates Smoulder’s maturation of layered songwriting. “Shadow of the Vulture” does the same while adding a rowdy gang chorus that evidences a band doing whatever they want and thoroughly enjoying it. Speaking of gang choruses, closer “Smouldering Remains” fumes with a simple refrain that sticks like gum in hair, leaving me humming it for hours afterwards. Longtime guitarists Shon Vincent and Collin Wolf impart epic leads that gleam like iron and steel while bassist Adam Blake rumbles with a low-end heft that keeps Smoulder anchored in rhythm. Meanwhile, drummer Kevin Hester propels the album along with a restless performance that lends a simmering velocity throughout Witch Wife. Even Smoulder’s live guitarist Henkka (Havukruunu) pops in to unleash a solo on half-English, half-Finnish track “Noitien Loitsu.”
Though Witch Wife’s bookends enliven Smoulder’s latest, the middle of the album sags under the weight of more uniform pacing. To be fair, mid-paced songs with gang vocals define my favorite moments on Witch Wife in an Alien World, so it’s not as if these moments intrinsically decelerate the album. It’s just that the lack of fiery leads and more diverse tempos that made Violent Creed of Vengeance so much fun are in short supply. “Crush the Neophytes” slinks through fun and creative moments, but they don’t provide enough fodder to sustain its seven-minute runtime. Similarly, “Empathy’s Wrath” and “Their Name Lives On” occupy similar sonic spaces, and stringing these tracks together stifles momentum through Witch Wife’s middle. Revising the track order or adding a snappy change-of-pace during this run may have alleviated the mid-record doldrum.
Witch Wife in an Alien World finds Smoulder offering a conglomeration of slick licks and doom-addled atmospheres that imbue the arrangements with one-of-a-kind amusements. The songs don’t always click with me, but when they hit, they do so with righteous thunder. Throughout, Smoulder sounds trve to themselves and Witch Wife never feels like it compromises on what the band set out to make, and I respect the hell out of that. All told, Smoulder evinces a band following their dream of crafting metal they love, and anyone that wants to follow is welcome. So go ye faithful, venture forth into Witch Wife’s Smouldering domain and see what awaits.
Rating: Mixed
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Cruz Del Sur Music
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: October 9th, 2026
The post Smoulder – Witch Wife in an Alien World Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.
Twin Temple vocalist Alexandra James has revealed how making the band’s new album Doomed Lovers rescued her from the pits of “soul-crushing depression”.
The Los Angeles band’s follow-up to 2023’s acclaimed God Is Dead, was produced by Shooter Jennings at LA’s legendary Sunset Sound studio, and is released today, October 9, on the duo’s own Pentagrammaton Records label. The record’s emergence is an extra special cause for celebration for husband and wife team Zachary and Alexandra James as, for a time, the pair weren’t at all sure if they’d have the opportunity, or indeed desire, to make music together again.
“Making this record, we were at a really low point in our lives,” Alexandra tells Metal Hammer. “I’d lost someone really special and close to me, my Halmoni [the Korean word for grandmother], who was my second mother, she raised me. We also had a bunch of health issues that knocked us on our ass. We lost our beloved dog of 16 years. We were dropped by members of our team. We finished God is Dead in 2020 and were completely iced by the label, just got caught in industry hell,and couldn’t even put it out for four years after the record was completed. When you literally are legally not even able to put music out, there’s a soul-crushing depression.
“In the midst of all that, Shooter was like, ‘It doesn’t fucking matter. Come to Sunset Sound and make music.’ We were like, How and why? We’re not going to be able to put it out. No one is behind this. No one’s putting our records out. We’ve had every door slammed in our face. He’s like, ‘Because just do it. Just get out of bed.’
“Honestly, the process of making the record really healed my depression because I had a reason to get out of bed in the morning, and I found myself getting excited again.”
Alexandra’s appreciation, admiration and respect for the band’s producer, the son of country music legend Waylon Jennings, shines through in every word she speaks, and it’s clear that his support and encouragement meant everything to the duo.
“Every morning that we went to Sunset Sound felt like Christmas,” she enthuses. “It made me realise that having a great producer is so much beyond finding sounds. It’s having someone to help shepherd you through these really insanely brutal periods, because the music industry is a rough ride. It’s a wild ride. I’ll never forget, we were deep in the midst of all these going through so much, and him and [his wife] Misty went on vacation to Mexico for a week, and they straight up fucking gave us the keys to Sunset Sound and said, ‘Go make music.’ It meant so much to us. Seriously, I don’t think I would’ve gotten out of the depression without this record and their friendship and support.”
The fact that Twin Temple overcame so much to complete the record makes Doomed Lovers particularly meaningful for the pair Alexandra says.
“It speaks to the power of what music is, and what it can do,” she explains. “After seeing the really shitty side of the industry, it was sort of like that’s the beautiful side of it and what keeps us coming back for more. She’s a cruel mistress, but when she’s on your side it’s a beautiful thing.”
“The most fundamental and important thing for us is to do this, because to us, this is like breathing,” she concludes. “This is what we need to do. Birds need to fly. We need to just do this for life. When it was taken away, it felt like I was dying.”
The Mars Volta has shared today “Voice in My Knives / Poseedora De Mi Sombra,” the third track unveiled from their forthcoming album Lucro Sucio; Unfinished Business, arriving November 20.
Rooted in performances captured throughout the band’s landmark 2025 tour, the album reimagines the material of Lucro Sucio; Los Ojos del Vacío in a unique expressive way. The project also featured an interactive element driven directly by the band’s fanbase. Through an online listening and voting portal on The Mars Volta‘s website, listeners were invited to hear live excerpts and vote on the specific performances that ultimately shaped the album. This single combines fan-favorite performances from Brooklyn, Miami, and San Diego into a cohesive listening experience.
“Voice in My Knives / Poseedora De Mi Sombra” follows the September release of “Reina Tormenta / Enlazan Las Tinieblas.” The announcement comes on the heels of the group wrapping their North American tour, which included several sold-out stops across the country alongside stadium performances and major festival appearances.
Up next, The Mars Volta will return to Mexico for a series of highly anticipated dates at Tecate Comuna on November 28th in Puebla, MX and will perform a headline show at Pepsi Center WTC in Mexico City on November 29th.
“Voice in My Knives / Poseedora De Mi Sombra” is available now across all digital streaming platforms. Lucro Sucio; Unfinished Business releases on November 20. It can be pre-order here.
The post THE MARS VOLTA Returns With “Voice In My Knives / Poseedora De Mi Sombra” From Upcoming Album “Lucro Sucio; Unfinished Business” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
The bright, engaging young Irish band Florence Road released the one-off single “7563” in August, and they just finished a North American tour last week. While they were in LA, someone broke into their tour van and stole their gear, but they still finished the run after supporters like Eddie Vedder lent them equipment. Today, they share the sharp, exuberant new single “Wish Upon You.” As always, Lily Aron’s huge and expressive voice is at the center, but my favorite part is when the full-band harmonies turn into a scream just before the chorus. Here’s what the band says about it:
The post Florence Road – “Wish Upon You” appeared first on Stereogum.
Could Tobias’ rumored death metal project be a resurrection of Repugnant?
The post Ghost’s Tobias Forge Has Resurrected His Death Metal Band Repugnant With A Member Of Watain For ‘V/H/S/Mixtape’ appeared first on Theprp.com.