Category: news

Beast In Black Release New Single ‘Fear The Beast’

The beast is back – The BEAST IN BLACK!

After a refreshing festival summer and highly successful North American tour with German metal legends Helloween, BEAST IN BLACK now finally returns with new music!

Prior to striking its sharpened fangs into the heart of Asia where they shall perform in Tokyo, Taipei, Shanghai, and Beijing later this month, BEAST IN BLACK proudly present ‘Fear The Beast’ – their new single, video, and title track for the forthcoming, much anticipated new album!

Anton Kabanen comments: “The song is about Ridley Scott’s 1979 film called ”Alien”. But the main reason to write about it was my fascination with the biomechanical nightmare art of Hans Ruedi Giger. Ever since I was a teenager I’ve seen recurring nightmares about a xenomorph hunting me in dystopian themed environments, yet never quite catching me (thank goodness!). Beside the creature’s downright perverted and extreme appearance I find it sensual, elegant, intense, fierce, horrifying, exotic and mysterious, almost as if it’s a beauty and a beast merged into one. And in a funny way it turned out that it’s I who captured my assailant, the xenomorph, inside a song after all these years!

It was in early 2020 in Turku (a city in Finland), when Roman Ismailov and I were hanging out at a hotel and working on the first sketches for the ”Dark Connection” album cover, then alongside came the idea of making Giger’s art-inspired album cover, if not now then possibly for the 4th album, so here we are.

Though the song is solely based on the first film, James Cameron’s sequel ”Aliens” is equally important to me in terms of an emotional impact. We tried to blend some of the feel from both films into our music video, with Cameron’s influence weighing more on the visual side of industrial elements. Another speciality in the video and on the album cover is the debut of our XENOBEAST, which was, quite obviously, designed by Roman Ismailov. In the video you’ll also see some reptilian-looking embryos which may raise a question: are the reptilians and the Xenobeast actually of the same alien race but shown in their radically different stage of metamorphosis, or is the Xenobeast rather a Cerberus-type of a creature guarding the eggs?

We’re absolutely thrilled about this beautiful cinematic video which wouldn’t have been possible without Katri Ilona Koppanen (director) and Emil Pohjalainen (Nestruction Studios) who pushed their abilities to the extreme and beyond to fight against a juggernaut of challenges! We, the band, salute you!”

With new lead guitarist Markus Venehsalo recently joining the ranks, ‘Fear The Beast’ offers the band’s trademark dance beat-driven heavy metal, instantly memorable riffs and melodies, raw vocal power and fiery solos, perfectly warming you up for this year’s ‘Resurrection’ tour!

‘Fear The Beast’ has been written and produced by Anton Kabanen, features artwork by Roman Ismailov, and the epic video for this banger was created and directed by award-winning director Katri Ilona Koppanen.

TOURDATES

BEAST IN BLACK ASIAN TOUR

19.09.2026 JP Tokyo – Zepp DiverCity
20.09.2026 JP Tokyo – Zepp DiverCity
22.09.2026 TW Taipei – Moondog
24.09.2026 CN Shanghai – VAS Live
25.09.2026 CN Beijing – MAO Livehouse

BEAST IN BLACK AT FULL METAL HOLIDAY

23.10.2026 ES Mallorca – Pool Stage (Full Metal Holiday)

RESURRECTION TOUR
BEAST IN BLACK
SONATA ARCTICA
FROZEN CROWN

26.10.2026 UK London – O2 Forum Kentish Town
27.10.2026 BE Brüssel – Ancienne Belgique
28.10.2026 NL Tilburg – 013 Poppodium
29.10.2026 DE Leipzig – Haus Auensee
31.10.2026 AT Wien – Gasometer
01.11.2026 HU Budapest – Barba Negra
02.11.2026 CZ Zlín – Sports Hall Datart
03.11.2026 PL Gliwice – PreZero Arena
05.11.2026 DE Berlin – Columbiahalle
06.11.2026 DE Hannover – Swiss Life Hall
07.11.2026 DE Ludwigsburg – MHP Arena
08.11.2026 DE Offenbach – Stadthalle
09.11.2026 FR Paris – L’Olympia
11.11.2026 ES Barcelona – Razzmatazz
12.11.2026 ES Madrid – Sala La Riviera
13.11.2026 ES Bilbao – Santana 27
14.11.2026 FR Toulouse – Le Bikini
15.11.2026 FR Lyon – Le Transbordeur
17.11.2026 CH Zürich – Komplex 457
18.11.2026 IT Mailand – Alcatraz
20.11.2026 DE München – Zenith
21.11.2026 LU Esch-sur-Alzette / Luxemburg – Rockhal
22.11.2026 DE Oberhausen – Turbinenhalle
23.11.2026 DE Hamburg – Inselpark Arena
24.11.2026 SE Göteborg – Trädgår’n
25.11.2026 SE Stockholm – Arenan Fryshuset
27.11.2026 FI Joensuu – Unholy Winter Fest*
28.11.2026 FI Jyväskylä – John Smith Frozen*
05.12.2026 FI Helsinki – Ice Hall**

*without Sonata Arctica, Frozen Crown
**special guest The 69 Eyes, support Rabbit Cult

Tickets on sale here: https://beastinblack.com/tour

For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.

The post Beast In Black Release New Single ‘Fear The Beast’ appeared first on The Razor's Edge.

“Tales From The Pusciverse #4: Assimilation” is available now via Puscifer.com. The Synth Whisperer finally cracks the code

Album Review: Space Chaser – Razorblade Bay

Reviewed by Garth Pugh

Losing a key member is always a difficult crossroads for any band, but when that member is the vocalist, it can hit home even harder. That is exactly the scenario that has occurred for German Thrashers Space Chaser, following Siegfried Rudzynski’s departure, for reasons I’m not clear about, but instead of drafting in a new member and altering band relationships, rhythm guitarist Leo Schacht has stepped forward to handle the lead vocals, which were showcased on last year’s standalone single ‘Ignite the Skies’, which sadly (and oddly) isn’t included on this new full length.

Anyone who was a previous fan will have noticed that the band have ditched practically all of the power and most of the classic metal leanings they had previously and have leaned almost fully into their thrash influences. The harder, faster, more aggressiveness that was highlighted on ‘Ignite the Skies’ is continued in a blur of Teutonic thrash that rushes past in a mere ten tracks and just over thirty two minutes. This darker and more aggressive sound still has melody, but it’s slightly pushed to the rear.

Starting with the blistering title-track with its choppy riffing and catchy chorus, it sets the scene for the rest of the album, as all energy and German efficiency. ‘Mind Melting Machine’ is all about pace with its piss and vinegar attitude. ‘No Gods, No Dawn’ is a longer track at just over 4 minutes, and although not exactly of epic proportions, it is one of the brief moments when the band slows down for a few moments and allows the listener to breathe with its chunky intro riff, but fear not it soon picks up speed and has a very strong singalong chorus. ‘8 Minutes’ and ‘Blade Serpents’ both mix relentless strumming and pummelling percussion, to great effect, while penultimate track ‘The Coffin’ harks back to past releases and ramps the thrash back a little and adds a lovely solo into the mix. The album ends on a reprise of the title-track and is a fun finale to a solid album.

Fairplay to Space Chaser for pushing on after such a game changing loss, and ‘Razorblade Bay’ is a really solid, enjoyable thrash album, but, and there is a but, without that unique selling point, for me it fails to surpass their previous works, and I can’t see myself returning to this one as much as their earlier albums, but I still recommend giving it a spin, as its good, but just lacks that X factor to make it stand out from the rest of the thrash crowd. 

For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.

The post Album Review: Space Chaser – Razorblade Bay appeared first on The Razor's Edge.

Album Review: Harlott – Exsequiis

Reviewed by Gareth Pugh

When Mortal Sin put Australian thrash on the map back with their sophomore album, the rather excellent ‘Face of Despair’ back in 1989, it didn’t exactly open the flood gates, but it did start a an interest in metal from down under, and when the new wave of thrash metal started in the mid 2000’s, it started a new stream of talented underground bands, Mason, In Malice’s Wake, Desecrator, to name but a few, and of course Melbourne’s Harlott, which formed back in 2006 and are about to release full length number five “Exsequiis”.

So, it’s been six years since the superb ‘Detritus of the Final Age’ and I must admit I thought the band might have gone the way of the Dodo, but thankfully that is not the case, and these things just takes time. After a brief atmospheric intro; ‘Incipiam’ first track proper ‘Void’ is a smorgasbord of technical discordant riffing and precise bludgeoning, with main man Andrew Hudson (guitars, lead vocals) spitting out the lyrics with fervent venom, the solo section has to be heard to be believed, with its melodic background chord work. That’s definitely something that Harlott does differently to others, the riffs are not only the heart of the song, but nothing is off limits, sometimes it’s like something from brutal technical death metal, and the next it’s a lick that wouldn’t be out of place on a hard rock track. It’s this variety that keeps the songs fresh, together with near damn flawless musicianship and relentless aggression, tempered with hooks and melodies.

While the first three tracks fly by in a blur of speed and unbridled violence, first single ‘The Joyful Strain’ is a bit of an outlier, with it’s groovy riffage, with no speed to speak of, but it’s certainly something a bit different with an earworm of a hook. The band leave the best ‘til last with the astounding title-track; ‘Exsequiis’ itself, which means funeral procession or honours (in this case mankind), which by the way is beautifully captured by Shaun Farrugia’s distinctive cover art, starting with ominous acoustics, and building the tension with huge chords, before breaking out into a twisting mass of disturbing riffs and time changes.

This year has seen a plethora of excellent thrash releases, with Flotsam & Jetsam, and Exumer both releasing excellent new albums in the last few weeks, and “Exsequiis” is equally as good if not better, in fact I would go as far to say if you only want one thrash album this year, “Exsequiis” is the one I would recommend, it’s not the easiest of listens at first, but the rewards are worth it, this an album that just keeps giving and giving. 

For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.

The post Album Review: Harlott – Exsequiis appeared first on The Razor's Edge.

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