It all started with one riff. In a recent interview, former Edge Of Sanity mainman Dan Swanö said that the sessions for his band’s fifth album, Crimson, began with him wanting to get more out of a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it guitar part he’d used in his goth rock project Nightingale. From those humble origins came a masterpiece: a 40-minute, one-song labyrinth that remains a benchmark for progressive death metal – even if it never quite found the mass adulation it deserved.
For those who don’t know, Edge Of Sanity were formed in 1989 by singer, guitarist and future multi-instrumentalist Swanö, plus co-guitarist Andreas Axelsson. The two would remain the outfit’s key tandem for much of the time between their founding and their 2003 disbanding, but that stability belies the musical experimenting they did. After kicking off as a straight-ahead death metal act, they pulled influence from the developing prog metal, black metal and melodeath movements: sounds Swanö engaged with by producing Katatonia, Dark Funeral and more in the early-to-mid 90s.
When it first came out in April 1996, Crimson marked the apex of Edge Of Sanity’s ambition. Swanö had the year prior produced Orchid, the debut album from Swedish prog-death icons Opeth, and was wowed by their canon of Rime Of The Ancient Mariner-scale epics.
“I was so blown away that I barely knew my own name,” he later remembered, “and I wanted to do something that was quite similar.”
Writing for Crimson also consisted of improvised jams with all five Edge Of Sanity members present – a stark change from their usual modus operandi of Swanö composing in isolation. As a result, from the one riff Swanö had in his back-pocket, Crimson naturally grew and grew. The band leader at one point toyed with going down a full, unfettered and “vibey” prog metal direction, before Axelsson pulled him back to reason. “When are we going to stop with this Pink Floyd stuff and start playing some death metal?” he asked.
That push-and-pull is audible throughout Crimson. The winding odyssey’s opening minutes establish the extremes, darting from bullheaded oomph, spearheaded by Swanö’s screams, to ominous, proggy arpeggios. From there, the album is the sound of a band unchained.
As Swanö says: “We were all so thankful that we didn’t have to write 10 choruses, 10 cool intros and 10 cool verses and find 10 cool titles. We just had that one piece, and anything goes! You could go from a blast beat part with black metal vocals and straight into a doom part with the deepest vocals ever and just be extremely adventurous.”
Yet, Edge Of Sanity also had the restraint to include melodies and motifs that stopped them from veering off the deep end. Amid Crimson’s gallop of genre-splicing pieces, they revisited pivotal riffs, while Swanö’s spotless production and the band’s already ambitious back-catalogue made even the boldest tangents still feel somewhat logical. The sense of grandeur was hoisted even higher by Opeth singer/screamer Mikael Åkerfeldt, who leant every shade of his voice to the album, as well as some lead guitar licks.
Upon release, Crimson was hailed by many fans as Edge Of Sanity’s defining achievement, but its status as a one-song opus offered little in the way of broader appeal. Also, the band imploded within months of it coming out: Swanö left Edge Of Sanity in 1997, then they broke up, then they came back to make Crimson II before once more disappearing just as quickly. As a result, where the similarly avant-garde likes of Opeth won their audiences through decades of craft, these forward-thinkers sadly fell by the wayside, despite how intensely they’ve been clung to by their cult audience.
In a just world, Crimson would be one of the first things that comes to mind when your average metalhead thinks “death metal masterpiece” – up there with the likes of Blackwater Park, Altars Of Madness and Heartwork. But we do not live in a just world. Until we do, those who know get to treasure a defining, essential statement that makes 40 minutes feel like less than half the time.
A remix of Crimson came out on June 6 via Century Media.
Swedish Band, M.ILL.ION have announced a 2027 Tour in conjunction with Towerrok Band Management And P.R. Greg from TowerRok Band Management says: “We are proud to welcome Swedish melodic hard rock legends M.ILL.ION to our roster for a special run of UK dates across June and July 2027. With their signature blend of powerhouse vocals, razor-sharp […]
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“What is the correct number of people to have in a rock band?” I have precisely one memory from my high school chemistry class, and it’s debating that question with a fellow loser in terms that were as precise as they were subjective. I don’t recall the chemical makeup of Cadmium, but I can vividly recall our enthusiastic agreement that Aerosmith’s need for two guitarists and a dedicated singer was embarrassing. There’s no way you needed five guys for “Angel.” Three, obviously, was the coolest and most noble band configuration and four was highly context dependent (acceptable if the singer also played guitar but suspicious if he didn’t). Because this great meeting of the minds took place about 18 months before The White Stripes’ hit our sliver of the suburbs with “Fell in Love with a Girl,” young Plato and Aristotle never even thought to discuss the merits of duos.
A young David Fonseca and his sparring partner amid a debate in which they embarrassingly fail to consider Darkthrone, Iron Maiden and even Steely Dan.
After spending a bit of time with French tag team Iron Slaught and their sophomore effort Metallic Torments, I’d like to rectify that. Two is, indeed, a very magic number.
Release date: July 10, 2026. Label: Independent.With the obvious caveat that everyone’s experience of playing in a band vastly differs, I’ve always felt that coming to a consensus in any configuration larger than a trio is roughly as pleasant as finalizing plans for a mixed use condo development as part of an urban zoning committee. Meanwhile, shepherding a solo act is probably the closest modern equivalent to life as a deposed dictator running out his time in a locked bunker.
But two? Two’s nice. Two feels less like a power struggle and more like a dialog between equals.
So, what’s the topic of conversation for Iron Slaught’s Nikrass (Bass) and Iron Jérémy (Guitars)? Heavy Metal, natch. Beyond those general specifics is where the band’s unique character as a duo, and the true quality of their conversation, is revealed. For me, the revelation hits around track four, “Soldier of Fortune.” After an opening trio of tracks based in rough n’ ready but mostly respectable thrash with a dash of death (in the vocals), I was ready to write off Metallic Torments as a loving but disposable riff dispenser.
But “Soldier of Fortune” is where I start to sense that the band is talkin’ their talk. In contrast to the first three tracks, which are all through-composed thrashers, this one’s pure NWOBHM, which means we get the catchiest, most Maiden inspired riffs of the album (so far), a chorus that struts into the spotlight more than once and powerful clean vocals. This is where I started to conceptualize Iron Slaught as making duo music; this type of mid-album change-up gets nixed in committee, and the singular vision of a solo artist probably wouldn’t allow it. This kind of freedom is simply the product of a really good bullshit session.
And so it goes on track five, “Condamné pour l’Éternité,” and six “Charme Funeste.” The former sports a death-thrash body and a heavy metal heart, while the latter dips its toes ever so lightly into the prog-pool. Check out those cheeky guitar jangles and how they abruptly transition back into burly, overdriven gallops.
What a foolish little thing to try! It’s the kind of thing you might struggle to get three people to agree to, but something two fellers might just convince themselves they can pull off. A fun side-effect of this quirky set of tracks is that it kind of casts the opening trio in a new light. Reflected against the rollicking “Charme Funese,” the instrumental intro “Harbinger Of Afflictions” now sounds like an overture previewing the scope of Iron Slaught’s ambition, and track two, “The Executioner,” feels a little less po-faced and monochromatic and little more like the blunt object in Iron Slaught’s widely varied arsenal.
Some listeners might experience a bit of the wrong kind of whiplash on their tour thought Metallic Torments. This isn’t Mr. Bungle or anything, but Iron Slaught switch up riffing and vocal styles in way that will charm some (count me among them) but annoy others seeking to lock into a more consistent vibe. To the latter group, I’d recommend embracing the band’s freewheeling nature as their defining feature, rather than fixating on it like a pesky bug.
Heading back to chemistry class for a moment, my fellow loser and I didn’t just waste time in class Talmudically prescribing the correct number of players for a rock band, we also spent a season of life trying to start a band of our own. Like most high school bands, we struggled to retain a consistent drummer and our practice time mostly consisted of poorly executing a cover of “Ace of Spaces” and watching skate videos. We weren’t much of a band, but we were pretty good friends. Iron Slaught actually nail both, and thus I recommend them to you, the lover of heavy metal music.
Hello, friends.
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Alabama metallic hardcore wrecking crew NO CURE have officially released their long-awaited debut full-length, It Is Going To Get Dark, available now via SharpTone Records. To celebrate the album’s arrival, the band has also unveiled a new music video for the crushing standout track, Brain Matter Displacement, which you can check out below.unpeople have revealed the dates of their biggest ever UK headline tour, celebrating the release of their upcoming debut album ‘we are unpeople’.
That album is set for release on October 09 via SharpTone Records, so with the tour taking place three months after that, there is plenty of time to be prepared for the carnage.
Here are all the dates you need to know:
JANUARY 2027
18 – DUBLIN Grand Social
19 – BELFAST Voodoo
21 – BRISTOL The Fleece
22 – LEEDS The Key Club
23 – MANCHESTER Rebellion
25 – GLASGOW – King Tut’s
26 – BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute 2
27 – NOTTINGHAM The Bodega
28 – LONDON Electric Ballroom
Tickets for the tour will be on general sale from July 17 at 10am.
And to get you firmly in the mood, here is latest single ‘Friends’:
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Viib Slide tap into the spirit of ’90s alternative rock with Hard on Yourself, a guitar-driven anthem that pairs towering riffs with infectious melodic hooks. Thick walls of fuzz, driving rhythms, and dynamic songwriting give the track an undeniable sense of urgency, while the expressive vocal performance brings emotional weight to its introspective message. Balancing raw energy with polished production, the song captures the timeless appeal of loud, hook-laden alternative rock without feeling dated. Powerful, melodic, and packed with attitude, Hard on Yourself is a confident statement from a band with a clear identity and plenty of momentum.
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Mastodon have announced the details of their first full-length in five years, one that represents a whole new chapter in their untameable story in more ways than one.
Titled ‘Marrow Deep’ it is set for release on August 28 via Loma Vista Recordings. It’s the band’s first output to feature guitarist Nick Johnston and signicant contributions from keyboardist João Nogueira.
The artwork looks like this:
Whilst the tracklisting is like this:
1. Barbarians Blood
2. Poisonous Weapons
3. Your Ghost Again
4. Snakes For Dinner
5. Out Like a Lamb
6. In the Ruins
7. They’re Coming For You
8. Golden Spires
9. Moth and Bone
10. A Vampire’s Demeanor
11. The Vanishing
12. The Three Fates
The band have also shared a new taste of it, with a very special guest. That is ‘Snakes For Dinner’, a spiralling, fiery, thrilling piece of progressive genius that represents as much of who the band has been in the past as who they clearly want to be now. It also features none other than Josh Homme of Queens Of The Stone Age, who adds a slick layer of devastating energy to the back end of the track, a match made in Heaven.
Here it is:
In preparation for the album, the band have also shared a very special and very emotional documentary titled ‘The Mastodon In The Room’, where they go into their relationship with former guitarist Brent Hinds who passed away last year.
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Saint Bagny masterfully blends dark synth, alternative pop, and atmospheric electronica on Virage, crafting a brooding yet emotionally uplifting meditation on change, surrender, and personal growth. Pulsing synths, cinematic textures, and understated rhythms create an immersive sonic landscape, while the expressive French vocals add intimacy and emotional depth. The collaboration with Harmo Draüs introduces a beautiful dynamic, enriching the track’s reflective atmosphere without disrupting its hypnotic flow. Balancing shadowy electronic aesthetics with memorable melodies, Virage is an elegant and emotionally resonant composition that showcases Saint Bagny’s refined artistic vision.
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Simon Gabriel transforms the wonder of space exploration into an immersive electronic voyage with ISS, a mesmerizing blend of chill synthwave and cinematic electronica. Smooth analog textures, soaring melodies, and a gently pulsating rhythm evoke the perpetual motion of the International Space Station, creating a sense of effortless weightlessness. Richly layered yet remarkably restrained, the production balances emotional warmth with technical precision, allowing the track’s subtle evolution to unfold naturally. Both contemplative and uplifting, ISS is a beautifully crafted instrumental that captures the awe of looking beyond Earth’s horizon while showcasing Simon Gabriel’s refined compositional vision.
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