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From seedy Sunset Strip origins to the top of the world. Continue reading…

As AMG readers surely know, death metal and science fiction go together like science and fiction. Foundational and contemporary examples alike confirm that atonal riffing, guttural growling, and machine-gun drumming pair well with spaceships, aliens, and exoplanets. On the surface, Italy’s Into Darkness fit nicely into this milieu—that cover recalls the content of Spheres (Pestilence) and the color palette of The Key (Nocturnus).¹ The band insists, however, that they do not play ‘sci-fi’ or ‘spacey’ death metal. Instead, Into Darkness describe Route to the Outer Side, their long-gestating debut album, as timeless death metal with a focus on ‘divulgative astronomy,’ which translates complex science into accessible language. Death metal, too, constitutes its own specialized language, with experts in the Commentariat ready to evaluate this Italian trio’s contribution to the discourse.

Route to the Outer Side took a while to arrive, but it enters the death metal stratosphere with a bang. Formed in 2011, Into Darkness released several demos, splits, and EPs before their first full-length. Doomed Warrior is the ‘Commander’ of this musical mission, handling vocals, a host of guitar duties (rhythm, lead, acoustic), and bass. Santo is ‘Pilot,’ propelling the Into Darkness ship with his dexterous drumming, while Filippo serves as ‘Mission Specialist,’ mixing more guitars into the melee.² Despite their Italian heritage, Into Darkness claim Dutch death metal as their primary influence. Indeed, the razor-wire tones, thrash-doom fluctuations, and merciless rhythmic assaults recall Asphyx. I’m also reminded of Spiritual Healing-era Death, insofar as Into Darkness illuminates their tried-and-true murkiness with a tech/prog sensibility. For a more contemporary referent, one can cite the elevated nastiness of Horrendous, seeing as the band favors walloping production that isn’t too low-end heavy. The result is a familiar, consistent debut of quality death metal that rips, grooves, and punishes.

The big question is whether its concept elevates Route to the Outer Side. As an exercise in divulgative astronomy, each song emblematizes an object in the outer region of our solar system: the four gas/ice giants, the Kuiper belt, and—of course—little old Pluto. A peek at their lyrics proves that Into Darkness aren’t joking when they describe their songs as ‘divulgative’ (i.e. informative). In opener “Jupiter,” for example, Doomed Warrior shreds a squeal-laden guitar maelstrom while screaming quantitative data about the fifth planet: ‘Its mass alone, heavy might, outweighs what stands beside / Two and a half times the mass of the other planets combined.’ Like much death metal, the lyrics are generally inscrutable; in this way, the lyrics ‘don’t matter,’ as is frequently true in the subgenre. The informative lyrics are unique, however, seeming to map onto melodic shifts and key changes (“Saturn”). This mapping isn’t obvious, though, revealing a potential over-reading on my part.³ Lyrics aside, the songwriting doesn’t quite stick after the mission ends, but each individual journey excites in the moment.

At 41 minutes, Route to the Outer Side comprises a concisely expansive voyage, though it’s hard to see the galaxy for the celestial objects. One might expect the opening quartet of “Jupiter” through “Neptune” to grow increasingly icy; alas, the four giants play out as dynamic yet interchangeable onslaughts. Into Darkness sprinkles black-box-sounding voiceovers throughout, reinforcing the divulgative concept. “Halley” doesn’t feel especially ‘comet-like,’ but “Kuiper Belt” is a nice interlude into “Pluto,” which should be the closer. Its concluding guitar melody (akin to “For Whom the Bell Tolls”) fades out in album-ending fashion, whereas the closing title track is a brief rager that absolutely sounds like liftoff.

Into Darkness have created a debut that should please most fans of death metal. As long as listeners don’t go in expecting it to be cosmic or atmospheric (despite the cover), they’ll be fine. Route to the Outer Side isn’t terribly original, but it’s totally righteous. It also taught me a thing or two about our solar system, which I can’t say is a typical result of consuming death metal. I’ll definitely be looking to the skies for Into Darkness to reappear. Hopefully, the band won’t be like Uranus, taking ‘eighty-four years to reach the end / Of another lone journey.’

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Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Dying Victims Productions
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: July 24th, 2026

The post Into Darkness – Route to the Outer Side Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

Melodic hardcore band IN SCHWERER SEE has officially dropped the lead single from their highly anticipated debut full-length

And now, the end is near, and so we face the final day of 2000Trees 2026. It’s been beyond a blast, but it’s not over yet: we’ve got new favourites, old friends and one heck of a headliner to mark the close of the biggest little festival in the world!

Words: Kate Allvey // Photos: Penny Bennett and Paul Lyme

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Frozemode

“Chill, It’s Frozemode!” – The shoutout is doubly ironic considering it’s hot enough to cook an egg on your laminated clashfinder today, and Frozemode are anything but mellow. They’re a starting pistol for the day, with hiphop bars and ska beats heard on ‘Stick That’. ‘Vermin’ bring catchy melodies, a carnival atmosphere and a packed-out field of festival-goers ready to get dancing. 

Battlesnake

The power-metal iconoclasts who may or may not have murdered the Devil (at least according to their track ‘I Killed Satan’) are leading a crusade against seriousness. ‘The Battlesnake’ rocks by way of Led Zep and Spinal Tap via the planet Arrakis, and ‘I Am The Vomit’ proves the Aussie world-builders are the scourge of boredom, a source of endless entertainment. 

Heart Attack Man

The Hammy Army are out in force for the sarcastic millennial punks. ‘Pitch Black’ brings the nihilism and arcade guitar, but it’s ‘Spit’ that drags us to the front for the “seasoned veterans” of 2000Trees. Who cares about the UV Index when Heart Attack Man are dropping ‘Like a Kennedy’ or providing a surreal juxtaposition with the fancy dress circle pit during ‘Lay Down and Die’? 

Dead Pioneers

Unflinching and uncompromising, Dead Pioneers are impossible to ignore. The indigenous hardcore punks light a torch with ‘No Kings’, a song which blazes with righteous fury against the systems of oppression. Uninhibited, dissenting street poetry gives way to a Roger Miret energy on ‘Never Alone’, and their unique voice reminds us that the personal is not only political, but also very pit-able.

High Regard

Over at the Forest Stage, the atmosphere is infinitely more serene as High Regard create chaos, only to then rise above it. Their prickly guitar lines and shady sentiment flourish among the trees, and when breakout single ‘Dead To Me’ drops, we’re hypnotised into a compact yet joyful slam as water pistols fire above. Delicacy and fury are delivered with a spin and a smile, and we’re eager to see where they’ll go next. 

Mouth Culture

If we’re talking about bands whose momentum never slows, look no further than Mouth Culture. They “played here two years ago at 11am” and now they’re leading a circle pit around a cartoon shark on the main stage. When they go heavy, they’re brilliant, but today it’s the mellow summertime melancholy of ‘Happier’ that has Mouth Culture at their best. “It’s the first time we’ve played a main stage,” explains Jack Voss, and based on the moody, striking ‘Regret 101’, it won’t be the last.

As Everything Unfolds

As Everything Unfolds provide a hefty dose of heaviness that’ll make you nod in affirmation throughout a tense set. They deliver lightning-sharp crashes on ‘Set In Flow’ that are punctuated with beachballs to a packed-out Axiom. We’ve got big jumping numbers, rare treats like ‘Twilight’ and euphoric vocals on ‘Let Me Go’, all in a show that speaks to everyone across the Trees spectrum.

Marmozets

‘A Kiss From A Mother’ provides a punchy start for the crowd waiting for Marmozets. New song and anti-ballad ‘Closer To You’ sends our hands waving after ‘Play’ provides mighty garage guitar and rebel energy. “I’m the happiest woman alive right now” vocalist Becca Bottomley shouts, and we’ve got to be coming in as a close second due to the sheer joy of seeing Marmozets live on the biggest stage.

Ho9909

The duo promise us a death cult, and they might just get one. Every song thoughout Ho9909’s set feels like a welcome rainstorm, or a portal to another world where the boundaries between hardcore and rave mean nothing. Just when we’ve got a handle on their majestic and complicated beats, they trick us with cheesy nineties samples, but that’s why we’re rammed into the Axiom for Ho9909: the sense of the dark, unknown and fantastic.

The Xcerts 

Let’s calm ourselves down with a rock party that sounds like the clouds parting to reveal a ray of sunlight. The Xcerts beam out ‘I Do It To Myself’ before the rippling guitars of ‘wow” explodes with sensitive lyrics and riffs that sooth like aftersun. Their welcome and genuine emotion is only outdone by how pristine their white t-shirts are.

Glassjaw

Glassjaw give us a set which challenges then inspires from the very start. ‘Tip Your Bartender’ makes us feel like we’re a Rubik’s Cube that they’ve mixed up, and whether you’re tumbling in the pit or picnicking at the top of the hill, you’re enthralled. The clattering whirlpool of ‘Mu Empire’ sucks us in with it’s twists and turns, making Glassjaw one of the most thrilling acts of the weekend.

Dinosaur Pile-Up

Another incredibly full tent plays host to another set that makes us realise how far we’ve all come since the wallflower days of our youth. ‘Bout To Lose It’ shoots grunge prom vibes into the air like confetti before the retro, Ramones-influenced ‘Punk Kiss’ and ‘Stupid Heavy Metal Broken Hearted Loser Punk’ booms out over the nodding heads and inflatable bananas. “This is fucking crazy!” Matt Bigland yells, but it’s only what Dinosaur Pile-Up deserve.

Neck Deep

“True fucking unity” is what Neck Deep are aiming for, and they achieve it. While they’ve graciously adopted their label as “generic pop punk”, the second Welsh headliners of the weekend offer us so much more. Their 90-minute performance, despite protestations that they’d rather be watching the football, is a perfect goodbye that brings together every single corner of the Trees site into one glorious manifestation of the joy of pop punk. 

‘When You Know’ or ‘A Part Of Me’ might be the love songs of the weekend, and ‘Lowlife’ cements them as the successors Blink-182 should acknowledge, but when Neck Deep drop a banger like ‘More Bricks’ or ‘Where Do We Go When We Go’, there’s a enchantment that can’t be replicated or bettered as a goodbye to Trees. We’re feeling the unity through ‘December’ (because why not drop a Christmas song in the middle of July?) before the band take a bittersweet final jump through ‘In Bloom’, because Neck Deep throw a farewell party that hits the right note across the board. Or, rather, across the field. 

Kate Allvey

Six-piece Portland indie rock outfit The Exploding Whales are bringing their signature wry wit and garage rock grit

Emerging from the neon-soaked gutters of East London, dance-punk outfit O Cursa has officially arrived with their feverish

Alternative rock outfit Open Up has returned with a delightfully surreal new single, “Taking Drugs In Space,” released

Underground Muscle Shoals punk outfit The Dismals have officially released their long-awaited debut full-length album, Stability In Motion,

Ren, Chris Webby and JP On Da Track have been dripfeeding components of their collaborative project Inpatient over the last couple of months. Now, the full release is here.

Titled ‘Asylum’ it is 15 tracks, and 15 visuals, that traverse any sort of label, genre or pre-conceived notion about who or what an artist should be. From old school hip-hop to ska-flecked punk, storytelling pop to straight up British culture clashes, it is the sort of record that defines a time and a place, whilst also pushing against everything that is considered safe.

In a partner, Ren has found the perfect counterpart to his vast creative mind in Chris Webby, matching every bar, beat and bold admission to a tee, and pulling even more out of the pot than he ever would have on his own. And that is saying something.

You can listen to the record in full below:

Or you can experience it visually through the various different forms of media that have been created to accompany it:

The post Ren And Chris Webby Release Collaborative Album ‘Asylum’ appeared first on Rock Sound.

“Sparking Waterfalls” is the deeply moving new single from Garrett Anthony Rice, serving as the latest preview of