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Here are the new releases for April 26th to May 2nd. Releases reflect proposed North American scheduling, if available.

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Upcoming Metal Releases: 4/26/26 – 5/2/26

Spell — Wretched Heart | Metal Blade Records | Heavy Metal | Canada (Vancouver, BC)

Spell is an appropriate name for the band because listening to their music feels like having a dark enchantment placed upon you. Their brand of heavy metal has, over the years, become awash with ornate gothic romanticism and it is absolutely fantastic. Wretched Heart continues to develop these sonic ideas, featuring more dark, occult psychedelia than ever before while also being a heavier album than its predecessor. If a Dario Argento movie were a metal album, it might sound like this.

–Kevin Zecchel

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Devenial Verdict — Old Blood – Fresh Wounds | Transcending Obscurity | Death Metal | Finland (Helsinki)

The latest Devenial Verdict EP updates a few tracks from their Soulthirst EP, released in 2016, alongside newer cuts that demonstrate their development into a streamlined outfit. Old Blood – Fresh Wounds dips its toes into puddles of melodeath, old school death metal, and stupidly groovy breakdowns as if it’s trying to get along with everyone at a party.

–Colin Dempsey

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Malorshiga — Vento | Independent | Black Metal + Death Metal | Slovenia (Istria)

The modern and overblown production on Vento can be initially off-putting because it subtracts the fuzz and grit from the instruments. Fortunately, Malorshiga do not rely on those attributes. Their arrangements are ornate, edging into atmospheric territory and implementing choirs, field recordings, and bagpipes in place of synths. The distinction is subtle but appetizing.

–Colin Dempsey

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Creeping Flesh — God’s Acres Rife with Flesh Adorned | Independent | Death Metal | Sweden (Gothenburg)

Complaining about a death metal band from Sweden that loves Bolt Thrower? Do you also whine when your steak is too juicy and your bread too buttery? Or when a boxing match ends with a knockout? Yeah, that’s what I thought.

–Colin Dempsey

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Lair of the Minotaur — I Hail I | The Grind-House Records | Heavy Metal | United States (Chicago, IL)

Dormant no longer, Chicago’s Lair of the Minotaur are back on the scene with I Hail I, their first full-length since 2010’s Evil Power. The bruising barbarian metal trio now features underground fixture/superproducer Sanford Parker on bass. I Hail I consists of 10 new tracks in just over 30 minutes and will be released on the group’s own label The Grind-House Records. For all of the metallic elements organically incorporated into their sound, the overt hardcore influences were always the most intriguing to these ears. “I Hail I” is a doomy powerviolence-tinged eruption that introduces a new facet of hardcore extremity into the LOTM maelstrom, whereas the queasy twisted “Prowler Twin Sister” sounds like it could’ve been on Morbid Angel’s Domination.

–Dennis J. Seese

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Eveale — Enter the Woodland Realm | Independent | Black Metal | United States + United Kingdom

You would be forgiven for looking at the album name and art and expecting an ambient black metal album with pretty keyboards and barely audible windlike vocals. Enter the Woodland Realm, Eveale’s debut album, is nothing like that. It’s far more focused on blistering riffs and a pounding pace with a hint of lush progressive rock. There are moments of beauty as well, creating a powerful and diverse album that fans of Enslaved and Borknagar should enjoy.

–Kevin Zecchel

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Ashen Horde — The Harvest | Independent | Progressive Death Metal + Progressive Black Metal | United States (Los Angeles, CA)

The “progressive” descriptor supersedes all the other subgenres Ashen Horde dive into on their fifth full-length. Going a step further, the group’s home city is arguably more important than any other adjective. Los Angeles and its tendrils that connect to all manner of art and genre, to the point that it ignores the differences between styles, shaped Ashen Horde, as The Harvest is as true to any fundamental form as an Impossible Burger is to a beef patty. This comes as a relief, dismay to genre gatekeepers as it may be, because it frees Ashen Horde to explore tones, textures, and pitches that would otherwise be scrapped on a black or death metal album.

–Colin Dempsey

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Ysbrydnos — Welsh Mythical Darkness | Repose Records | Black Metal + Dungeon Synth | United Kingdom (Wales)

Despite being a one-man raw black metal band with dungeon synth framing, Ysbrydnos play like they should be a much bigger affair. Not just in terms of relevance, but that they should be a multi-person operation with maps and extended lore. The epic scope of Welsh Mythical Darkness is a touch rustic and grainy because of the whole solo raw black metal schtick, and that’s for the best.

–Colin Dempsey

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Venom — Into Oblivion | Napalm Records | Black Metal + Heavy Metal | United Kingdom (Newcastle, England)

Newcastle upon Tyne’s finest export, the one and only Venom are making their long awaited return to the global stage with Into Oblivion, the iconic trio’s 16th studio album. The new record, the group’s first batch of fresh material since 2018’s Storm the Gates, is the painstaking result of an arduous creative process Venom paid for in “blood, sweat and tears,” according to Cronos. This prolonged battle with adversity appears to have paid off very well indeed as guitarist Rage characterized Into Oblivion as “astounding,” before stating: “I’m so proud of this record…It feels so different, yet so familiar.” The familiar, yet similar dichotomy was also echoed by Cronos who said: “I think it’s healthy to recognize things from back in the day and bring them into a new setting.” This tension is obviously something that all bands with formidable legacies have to negotiate when releasing new music and it’s sort of refreshing to hear it openly acknowledged. Venom’s pride in the new material seems justified when “Lay Down Your Soul” barrels triumphantly from your speakers that first time, hitting a speedy relentless Motörhead style stride over which a rejuvenated Cronos pledges once more his allegiance to dark unholy rock’n’roll apparitions. “Kicked Outta Hell” conjures up more of ye old metal magick with burly modern production that adds extra density to their still potent roar.

–Dennis J. Seese

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Pentagram — High Voltage – “Live at Spotsylvania ’78” | RidingEasy Records | Doom Metal + Hard Rock | United States (Alexandria, VA)

RidingEasy is unleashing an extremely rare live set from tempestuous American doom legends Pentagram. High Voltage–”Live at Spotsylvania ‘78” is a fascinating, highly anticipated document for numerous reasons. The concert took place in the backyard of then bassist Marty Swaney’s mother’s house in Spotsylvania,Virginia, a reputed all night affair attended by 500 eager heathens. Pentagram’s infamous frontman Bobby Liebling claims: “the show began at 1am on a foggy night and featured rare songs with a raw, powerful performance.” Liebling’s lore provides dramatic context for one of the few surviving aural fragments of what Pentagram devotees refer to as the “High Voltage” era, whenn the band was briefly a five-piece, twin-guitar doom and damnation machine. That line-up’s considerable (but ultimately unfulfilled) potential is on full display during a gloomy grinding rendition of “When the Screams Come,” which sees lead guitarists Paul Trowbridge and Richard Kueht split the misty Virginia night with colossal riffs and tasty shredtastic solos. The surprisingly solid yet still suitably raw audio quality “blends a low-level board mix with ambient mic recording” and was mastered by Nick Townsend.

–Dennis J. Seese

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Gentilesky: Dream                                       Slovenly Recordings Vinyl & Digital Out Now Italian-Turkish punk outfit releases their second album, reclaimed feminine rage front and centre, shortening the gap between 17th-century subversive art and modern radical expression. MK Bennett hosts. […]

The post Gentilesky: Dream – Album Review appeared first on Louder Than War.

Eight songs you need to hear right now, from Foo Fighters, Airbourne, All Them Witches and more

Note: OnlyFans has various uses, but this article focuses specifically on the platform and others like it for selling sexual content.

⚠️Contains strong language

“What a fucking stupid question!”

That is the reaction most people have. How can a platform that sells porn and objectifies women be empowering?

A survey by FemMetal reinforces this sentiment. Out of 100 women from all walks of life, including creators, conservatives, and liberals, the response was a landslide. 82 said “No.” 3 said “Yes.” 9 said “It’s complicated,” and 6 did not know. These numbers prove the surface view is clear. OnlyFans looks like a digital storefront for exploitation. While the majority sees a trap, the real debate begins with the nature of the choice itself. Can this platform be a tool for power if a woman enters it with absolute, uncoerced free choice?

To understand the current debate, we must look at the history of pornography. It is necessary to distinguish this from prostitution. While prostitution is a physical act, pornography is the depiction of sex. The two are not the same.

The human interest in sexual imagery is ancient. Beyond the explicit frescoes in Pompeii, historical records show that Roman theaters featured mimes who performed sexual acts for crowds. Even earlier, Paleolithic carvings and Sumerian artifacts depicted the female form in ways that suggest a primal focus on sexual imagery. As technology evolved from stone to the printing press and eventually to film, the objections followed. From early religious bans to modern feminist critiques, the core argument has stayed the same. Does the depiction of sex empower the woman, or does it lead to objectification? This historical tension is the foundation for the discussion today.

OnlyFans is often seen as a modern storefront for these same problems. Critics argue that the platform does not empower women but instead turns them into digital commodities. When a woman’s body is reduced to a monthly subscription fee, she is being objectified. The platform essentially rebrands traditional exploitation for the digital age.

Beyond the optics, there is the issue of survival. Many women enter the platform because they are in financial trouble. If the choice is between selling intimacy and being unable to pay rent, it is not a free choice. It is a survival tactic. This is economic coercion. When a woman is backed into a corner by debt or an eviction notice, the decision to upload content is a desperate response to a broken economy. It is a transaction made under duress. The necessity to survive overrides any real sense of freedom.
There is also the permanent nature of the internet. A digital tattoo can follow a woman for the rest of her life, ruining future jobs or personal safety. For the majority, the financial reward is small, but the personal cost is permanent. The risk is amplified by modern technology. Facial recognition and AI scraping tools mean that a single video can be tracked back to a person for decades. Once content is on the web, it is essentially public property. It can be shared on pirate sites or used by future employers to justify firing or refusing to hire. This loss of privacy is a heavy price to pay for a temporary solution to a financial problem.

While these concerns are real, they must be weighed against the historical reality of the industry. Pornography is a permanent part of human culture. From ancient Roman theater to modern cinema, the production of sexual imagery has always existed and will continue to persist regardless of any single website. OnlyFans did not invent the industry; it simply shifted the power dynamic for the people working within it.

Compared to the traditional porn industry, the platform offers a much safer and more profitable alternative. In the old system, women were often at the mercy of predatory directors and middlemen who dictated their work and kept most of the earnings. On OnlyFans, those gatekeepers are gone. A woman owns her own content and keeps 80 percent of her revenue. She sets her own boundaries and decides exactly what she will do.

This shift also allows for far more inclusivity. Instead of fitting the narrow beauty standards dictated by studio executives, women of all body types and appearances can find success on their own terms. Moreover, even when a creator chooses to film intimate scenes with others, she has total authority over her collaborators and her environment. There is no director forcing a performance; the woman decides who is in the room and what happens. This moves the power from the studio to the individual, providing a direct path to the money and control over the workspace.

So, is OnlyFans a tool for empowering women?

I’d argue yes, but with a gigantic asterisk. If a woman has total control and makes an unforced choice, the platform is a breakthrough for independence. She bypasses predatory middlemen, keeps her earnings, and sets her own safety boundaries. In this scenario, it is a genuine tool for self-reliance. However, if that choice is forced by the threat of poverty or debt, the platform is just a new tool for exploitation. When survival is the motive, the power belongs to the bills rather than the woman. OnlyFans is not a shortcut to liberation; it is a mirror reflecting the circumstances of the person using it.

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What are your thoughts on the subject? Tell us down below.

The post OnlyFans: A Tool for Empowering Women? Or a Tool for Exploitation? first appeared on FemMetal – Goddesses of Metal.

Over the weekend, Korn headlined the first night of Sick New World in Las Vegas. It was the culmination of a huge day of music and entertainment, but it also served as a chance to fans to catch the iconic nu metal band playing some classics and some newer tunes throughout the night. But about half way through their set, they broke out something new they released just last Thursday — “Reward The Scars.”

You may recall that few days ago Korn dropped the aforementioned brand new track in conjunction with the impending release of Blizzard’s Diablo IV: Lord Of Hatred expansion. It’s their first new song since they put out 2022’s Requiem.

During their set, frontman Jonathan Davis addressed the crowd before launching into the new track:

“We’ve been out touring and shit a little bit, but we’ve been stuck in the fucking studio for, like, five years. We’ve been working hard, we had some good shit, we got rid of that, and we made some badass shit! Would you guys like to hear that song? Do you want to hear some new Korn shit?!”

Looking at their setlist, it seems like if you were a fan of Korn, you got one hell of a show. Featuring songs from all four of their first albums, as well as A Look In The Mirror and others, they also performed “Proud” for the first time since 2011. It was also the first time playing that song with guitarist Brian “Head” Welch in the fold since 1999.

You can check out the “Reward the Scars” live footage below.

The post Watch: Korn Played Their New Track “Reward The Scars” Live at Sick New World appeared first on MetalSucks.

Just when the rock world thought the book was closed on Godsmack’s studio career, Sully Erna has officially ripped up the script. After adamantly stating that 2023’s Lighting Up The Sky would be the band’s final “full body of work,” the departure of original members Tony Rombola and Shannon Larkin has triggered a massive creative rebirth. Erna has confirmed that a brand-new Godsmack album is officially in the works, effectively launching “Godsmack 2.0.” But the bombshells don’t stop at the music—Sully has also taken his high-profile romantic relationship with hard rock powerhouse Dorothy public, confirming that the two are “best friends in love” and ready to dominate the road together.

The Godsmack 2.0 & Romance Cheat Sheet:

• The Reversal: Despite a 2022 retirement vow, Sully Erna confirms a new Godsmack record is planned for an early 2027 release.
• The Lineup: The “New Chapter” features drummer Wade Murff and guitarist Sam Koltun (of Dorothy’s band).
• The Romance: Sully Erna and Dorothy are officially a couple, with Dorothy recommending “falling in love with your best friend.”
• The Collaboration: The couple will release a new song together titled “Set Me Free” ahead of a massive summer tour with Stone Temple Pilots.
• The Future: Erna suggests Godsmack 2.0 could run for another 10 years.

From Retirement to “Godsmack 2.0”: Why Erna Changed His Mind

For the last three years, Sully Erna and Robbie Merrill have been telling fans to treat Godsmack as a “legacy act.” The plan was simple: play the hits, skip the studio. However, the exit of Rombola and Larkin in early 2025 changed the internal chemistry of the band. Speaking with Billboard, Erna admitted that the new blood brought in—Wade Murff and Sam Koltun—has recharged the battery.

“Definitely there’s gonna be a new record—I just don’t know when it’s coming,” Erna revealed. “I’m starting to noodle on new songs, but it’s a little too soon to say.”

Erna explained that he and bassist Robbie Merrill contemplated retiring the band entirely when the original lineup fractured. “We were just like, ‘We don’t really want to stop yet. We feel like we have some gas in the tank. We love what we do.’” By returning to the core duo that started the band in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Erna feels the pressure is off, allowing them to capture the same “no expectations” magic that led to their multi-platinum success in the late 90s.

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A Hard Rock Match Made in Heaven: Sully and Dorothy Go Public

While rumors have been swirling through the industry for months, the relationship between Sully Erna and Dorothy is now officially public knowledge. Dorothy recently told Eddie Trunk on Trunk Nation that she has “never laughed so much in my life,” describing Erna as a “good, solid man” who makes her feel safe.

Dorothy doubled down on the news over the weekend via her Instagram stories, telling her followers: “I highly recommend falling in love with your best friend, 10/10.”

The couple isn’t just sharing a life; they’re sharing the stage. Their upcoming collaboration, “Set Me Free,” is expected to drop before they head out on a massive North American co-headlining tour alongside Stone Temple Pilots.

The Road Ahead: 2025-2026 Tour Dates

Godsmack is hitting the road with a vengeance, balancing massive US amphitheater dates with a heavy European festival run. If you want to see “Godsmack 2.0” in action, you can grab tickets here and catch them on the following dates:

Godsmack with Stone Temple Pilots & Dorothy:

• 05/07 Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome To Rockville
• 05/10 Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
• 05/14 Charlotte, NC – Truliant Amphitheater
• 05/17 Columbus, OH – Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival
• 05/29 Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater
• 06/21 Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
• 06/27 Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
• 07/02 Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
• 09/17 Anaheim, CA – Honda Center

The band will also spend July and August hitting major European stops, including the Tallinn Rock Festival in Estonia and the Motocultor Festival in France.

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The Final Word from Loaded Radio

Sully Erna has always been a “heart on his sleeve” kind of guy, and this latest pivot proves it. While some purists might struggle with a Godsmack that doesn’t feature Larkin or Rombola, Erna is betting on the brand and the vocals to carry the torch. With a new romance fueling his creative fire and a fresh lineup that he claims is “honoring the music perfectly,” the second chapter of Godsmack might just be their most interesting one yet. We’re calling it now: “Set Me Free” is going to be the rock anthem of the summer.

TL;DR:

The Bottom Line Sully Erna has officially reversed his decision to stop Godsmack’s studio output, confirming a new album is in the works with the band’s new “2.0” lineup. Simultaneously, Erna and Dorothy have confirmed their romantic relationship, with a new collaborative single and a massive North American tour with Stone Temple Pilots set to kick off this May.

The post GODSMACK 2.0: Sully Erna Reverses Retirement Vow, Confirms New Album and Romance with Hard Rocker Dorothy appeared first on Loaded Radio.

Dave Mason earned his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction as a founding member of Traffic. It was well-deserved, yet it’s only a fraction of his contribution to rock history. You can find his fingerprints on records by Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney—a first-call contributor to some of the […]

Death metal ensemble Scordatura is ready to unleash their fourth long player, Led Into Oblivion, on June 19th via Everlasting Spew Records. The 10-piece outing was recorded and mixed by Malcolm Abbou. Mastering was handled by Korentin Mens. Check out also a video clip for the first streaming single-opening track.
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Up until this week, Christopher Nolan’s 2023 film Oppenheimer had the most lucrative opening weekend of any biopic in history. There’s plenty to debate about the way Oppenheimer told the story of its subject, and the film’s decision to omit any depiction of the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki remains controversial. But Oppenheimer represents an honest attempt to reckon with the legacy of a subject who caused a great deal of suffering in the world. It earned great reviews, won the Oscar for Best Picture, and became a cultural phenomenon, especially coming out on the same weekend as Barbie. This past weekend, the Oppenheimer record was shattered by the Michael Jackson movie Michael, a biopic that pointedly refuses to reckon with anything negative that Jackson might’ve ever done in his life.

The post Michael Jackson Movie Breaks Biopic Opening Weekend Record appeared first on Stereogum.

Real Farmer – Two Wrongs Don’t Make A Right (Strap Originals) DL available here May 1 2026 A feisty record full of hooks and social anger and also one where Groningen’s Real Farmer stretch their sonic portfolio with some enticing changes in sound and approach. Change, and decay in all around I see… Well, yes […]

The post Real Farmer: Two Wrongs Don’t Make A Right – Album Review appeared first on Louder Than War.