Category: news

International melodic death metal powerhouse Fimbul Winter have officially released their thunderous new single, “Crowned In Ash.” The track marks the latest sonic offering from the group following the success of their 2025 debut EP, What Once Was. Boasting a lineup that features three former members of Amon Amarth – including founding members Niko Kaukinen … Continue reading Fimbul Winter (ex-Amon Amarth) unleash melodic death metal force on new single “Crowned In Ash”

Smirk is the project of Nick Vicario, a Los Angeles musician who’s been making retro-filtered punk rock for quite a while now with albums like 2021’s LP and 2022’s Material. The current live iteration of the band features members of Hotline TNT, Poison Ruin, and Pardoner, but Vicario is Smirk’s sole songwriter. Today he’s announced…

The post Smirk Announce New Album <em>Speculative Fiction</em>: Hear “Dog Years” appeared first on Stereogum.

It leans more into the alternative metal/post-hardcore world.

The post Visitors (Ex-From A Second Story Window, Etc.) Launch Their Debut EP “Fringe” appeared first on Theprp.com.

Posted on May 18th 2026, 6:25p.m.

With The Ember Gone, Gorod returns with a more progressive and ambitious eighth album, in the same vein as the legendary Transcendence. Entirely recorded at Bud Studio by Mathieu Pasca and mixed by David Thiers, the quintet delivers an opus that is, of course, highly technical, but also rich in finely crafted arrangements and captivating atmospheres. Its concept […]

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Heading down that way in October/November.

The post Killswitch Engage & Sylosis Reveal Australian & New Zealand Tour appeared first on Theprp.com.

Today, Iron Bonehead Productions sets June 19th as the international release date for the highly anticipated debut album of the pan-international Nirriti, Dhrupad Anutpada (ধ্রুপদ অনুৎপাদ): Apophatic Ragas Of Non-Origination, on CD and vinyl LP formats. After six years of silence following their inaugural EP, Asuryasparsha (অসূর্যস্পর্শা), Kalikshetra black-noise esoterorists Nirriti reemerge as the embodiment of total negation, wielding the blade of Neti-Neti to […]

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STREAM THE METAL BREAKDOWN DAILY BELOW:

The global obsession with Sleep Token has officially escalated from an underground phenomenon to an outright commercial monopoly. The anonymous British alternative metal sensation has secured a spectacular, concurrent trio of new Gold certifications in the United States. The RIAA confirmed the sweeping accolades, proving that Vessel and his cloaked collective are moving numbers that rival pop superstars while entirely bypassing the traditional music industry playbook.

The RIAA Invasions: Three Singles Pass the Half-Million Mark

This massive new wave of validation shouldn’t catch anyone off guard. The group’s meteoric trajectory exploded to nuclear proportions following the record-shattering release of their landmark fourth studio album, Even In Arcadia, through RCA Records. The critically acclaimed LP initially notched its official Gold status in the U.S. back in January, replicating the identical commercial milestone it conquered in the band’s native United Kingdom.

The RIAA officially verified that all three of the record’s primary singles have concurrently blown past the 500,000-unit sales threshold. The new wave of honors includes the Grammy-nominated breakout track “Caramel,” the ethereal lead single “Emergence,” and the cinematic focus track “Damocles.”

This massive triple-delivery brings the group’s current era to an unprecedented pinnacle. While their historic 2023 standalone anthem “The Summoning” (from Take Me Back To Eden) remains the crown jewel of their catalog—having officially been minted Platinum last month after generating over 1,000,000 equivalent units—this new single-driven triumph indicates that Even In Arcadia is a highly lucrative powerhouse from top to bottom.

Also – Sleep Token Members DECODED: 13 Facts That Finally Explain Vessel, The Cult, and The Real Story

Understanding the Math: How Stream Metrics Fueled the Domination

In the modern landscape, these numbers represent an astronomical amount of fan engagement. The RIAA’s certification formulas calculate more than just traditional physical vinyl or digital downloads. To hit these multi-platinum and gold thresholds, the regulatory board enforces specific multi-platform mathematical conversions:

• Gold Status: Requires 500,000 equivalent units.
• Platinum Status: Requires 1,000,000 equivalent units.
• Digital Sales: 10 permanent track downloads equal 1 unit.
• On-Demand Streams: 1,500 premium audio/video streams from an album count as 1 album unit, while 150 independent song streams directly equate to a single track-equivalent sale.

By dominating on-demand algorithmic playlists across Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube, Sleep Token has weaponized their dedicated, cult-like fan community to systematically trigger these benchmarks at a speed rarely seen in heavy alternative music.

We Recommend – Sleep Token Members: Who Are Vessel, II, III And IV?

FAQ: Sleep Token ‘Even In Arcadia’ Chart Certifications

Which Sleep Token songs went gold?

The RIAA officially certified three singles from Even In Arcadia as Gold: the Grammy-nominated track “Caramel,” the album’s lead single “Emergence,” and the final focus track “Damocles.”

Is Sleep Token a platinum-selling band?

Yes. Sleep Token officially secured their first ever Platinum single certification in the United States for their viral 2023 track “The Summoning” off Take Me Back To Eden.

What record label is Sleep Token signed to?

Sleep Token is currently signed to RCA Records, having officially made the transition to the major label ahead of the global rollout for the Even In Arcadia album cycle.

Also – Every Sleep Token Album Ranked Worst To Best (One Clearly Stands Above The Rest)

Band Bio: Sleep Token

Formed in Bristol, England in 2016, Sleep Token is an anonymous alternative metal collective fronted by the enigmatic vocalist known as Vessel. Combining elements of post-rock, ambient pop, technical djent, and contemporary R&B, the band operates under a complex narrative centered around the worship of an ancient deity called “Sleep.” Known for their ritualistic live performances and total facial anonymity, they have become one of the fastest-growing and most commercially dominant rock acts of the decade.

STAY LOUD: Catch the full breakdown of today’s stories on the Loaded Radio Daily Podcast with Scott Penfold, or crank the hard rock and metal 24/7 on our live digital stream at LoadedRadio.com.

TL;DR:

Masked alternative metal stars Sleep Token have scored a trio of new RIAA Gold single certifications for ‘Caramel,’ ‘Emergence,’ and ‘Damocles,’ expanding the massive chart success of their album ‘Even In Arcadia.’

Is Sleep Token’s historic chart dominance proof that the future of heavy metal belongs to genre-fluid, masked collectives, or is this a viral lightning-in-a-bottle moment that won’t be repeated? Let us know where you stand in the comments section below.

The post The Sleep Token Takeover Is Absolute: Masked Band Urgently Rewrites the Record Books with Triple Gold RIAA Blitz appeared first on Loaded Radio.

That run will launch in September.

The post Beartooth Announce European/UK Headlining Tour With Silverstein & Kingdom Of Giants appeared first on Theprp.com.

Canadian metal maverick Devin Townsend recently announced the long-awaited release of his ambitious, orchestral-metal opus ‘The Moth’, out 29th May 2026 via InsideOutMusic.

Today he is pleased to reveal another part of The Moth narrative in the shape of the visceral and heavy double-single ‘Prepare For War / The Big Snit’. Watch the video, directed by Studio Sparks, here: https://youtu.be/wdhwXKtVBR0

Devin comments: “This is a track that essentially acts as a ‘soundtrack for an unmade movie’ …if you think of it as a ‘song’ it’s not really going to work, but if you think of it as a cinematic ‘experience’ that is representative of the final moments before a ‘fundamental change’, it’s a cool adventure.

Either viewed from the lens of the ‘war’ being that of two warring factions whose actions have culminated in a ‘final battle’, or the same thing being essentially a metaphor for an internal struggle, it works in the same light. The battle itself can be representative of a decision, loss, change, or whatever. But sitting with the difficulty of life and our natures can often be violent work, so ‘the fastest way out is through’ and this piece of music represents that process. The ending is meant to be a representation of a sort of personal awakening.

The name ‘The Big Snit’ was taken from a short cartoon from the Canadian national film board by the same name I grew up with. If you get a chance, look it up on YouTube … I guess my version here is simply a kind of heavy metal version of that :)”

Stream the single here: https://dvn.lnk.to/PrepareForWarTheBigSnit

An album over a decade in the making, it existed in the back of Devin Townsend’s mind as his “life’s work”. Then, about six years ago, after an acoustic show in Amsterdam, Townsend was approached by the head of the North Netherlands’ Orchestra and Choir with an offer; and with that moment The Moth stopped being an idea and began to become a reality.

The Moth constitutes 3 distinct parts across its release. In addition to the main album, The Moth – The Afterlife highlights the grandeur of the orchestra & choir, in what might be considered a more pure version of The Moth experience. The Moth – The War is a recording of the live musical debut that took place in March 2025 in The Netherlands, showcasing the raw emotion of performing The Moth for the very first time.

The Moth will be available on several formats including Ltd Deluxe 3CD+Blu-ray Artbook that includes the album on CD1, ‘The Moth – The Afterlife’ on CD2 & ‘The Moth – The War (Live)’ on CD3. The Blu-ray includes the full ‘The Moth – The War’ live film, as well as Dolby Atmos & High Resolution Stereo Mixes of the ‘The Moth’ and ‘The Moth – The Afterlife’. It will also be available as Limited 2CD Edition (including ‘The Moth-The Afterlife’ on CD2), Standard CD Jewelcase and as Gatefold Triple-Gatefold 180g 2LP & Fold-Out LP-booklet, as well as digitally.
Pre-order now here: https://dvn.lnk.to/TheMoth

The full track-listing is as follows:
1. Semi-prologue
2. War Beyond Words
3. The Moth
4. Ode To My Eye
5. Enter The City
6. Covered By Causes
7. Lexin
8. Runaways
9. A Proxy For God
10. The Mothers
11. Orion
12. Stay There
13. Home At Night
14. Intermission
15. Lexin Returns
16. The Clergy
17. Prepare For War
18. The Big Snit
19. Silver Princess
20. A Life in Review
21. Metamorphosis
22. Stained Hearts
23. Let Go
24. We Don’t Deserve Dogs

If The Moth has a central gravitational theme, Townsend names it plainly: true self-acceptance. Something sturdier than slogans, closer to a practiced willingness to face what is uncomfortable without turning away. As Devin explains: “The most obvious metaphor for change within the concept of this project was a moth: from caterpillar to an entirely different creature—one so drawn to the light that it burns itself away. What remains is immutable—only the spirit.”

At the hardest moments, when abandoning the project might have seemed rational, Townsend points to the team as the decisive factor. A host of incredible musicians and contributors participated throughout the course of this process, as well as the North Netherlands Orchestra & Choir and orchestrators Joseph Stevenson & Niels Bye Nielsen. Long time band members Darby Todd, Mike Keneally, James Leach played a huge part, as well as guests including the Steve Vai, Anneke van Giersbergen, Lynn Wu (Ou), and artists Travis Smith & Eliran Kantor, plus key creative consultation from Mike St-Jean. The technical teams that worked tirelessly included co-mixer Chris Edrich, recording engineers Ben Searles & Jacob Hermann, Atmos mixer Ron Searles, Mastering engineer Troy Glessner, choirs in various countries throughout the world, and peripheral individuals that helped land this behemoth of a plane.

The post Devin Townsend launches new double single “Prepare For War / The Big Snit” from ‘The Moth’ appeared first on The Prog Report.