Blog

Technical death metal juggernauts PSYCROPTIC present their new single, “No Blade Of Grass.” The track comes off the band’s impending new full-length, and first for Metal Blade Records, The Pulse Of Annihilation, set for release on July 17th.

“This one has a good blend of old-school PSYCROPTIC-style riffage and slightly sludge filled, loosey-goosey sections straight outta the classic death metal era,” remarks guitarist Joe Haley. “The whole thing is brought together with the choral/orchestral chorus. Something for everyone! Going to be a fun one to rip live!”

Bassist Todd Stern agrees, “It’s an unbelievably catchy tune! The main verse is one of my favorite bits on the whole record. Classic riffage, steam rolling the whole song forward with solid momentum all along. Badass.”

Adds vocalist Jason Peppiatt, “I had so much fun with this song as it was the first song that [vocalist Jason] Keyser had written for the band and it was awesome to have someone bring different ideas to the table than what I normally would. Vocally it’s nice and fast and has a real sick flow and groove to vocal parts.”

Watch PSYCROPTIC’s “No Blade Of Grass” video HERE.

Watch PSYCROPTIC’s previously released video for first single, “Gathering A Venomous Herd,” HERE.

Across The Pulse of Annihilation, PSYCROPTIC sounds focused, disciplined, and fully aware of their trajectory. Complexity remains foundational, but it is now guided by compositional restraint and veteran confidence. With this release, the band reaffirm their status not merely as technical death metal stalwarts, but as architects actively shaping its future, proving that mastery, sharpened by time, only grows more lethal.

The Pulse Of Annihilation features cover art by Belial Necroarts (Gaerea, In Aeternum) and will be available on digipak CD and digital formats as well as vinyl in the following color variants:

World Ablaze (Tiger’s Eye) – (US)
Sleepy Hollow (Radioactive Dust) – (US)
180g Black – (EU – Ltd. 500)
Barren Waste (Swamp Green Gold Melt) – (EU – Ltd. 250)
Fires Of Time (Gold Black Splatter) – (EU – Ltd. 250)

Find all preorders at: metalblade.com/psycroptic.

The Pulse Of Annihilation – Track Listing:

1. Ashes Of A New Dawn

2. Gathering A Venomous Herd

3. A Sword Of Me

4. No Time For The Weak

5. Our Pillars Fall

6. Annihilation Pulse

7. No Blade Of Grass

8. To Embrace This Curse

9. Forging The Crown

PSYCROPTIC will join labelmates Rivers Of Nihil for a short run of Australian dates this August with support provided by Growth and Slaughtercult. From there, PSYCROPTIC and Rivers Of Nihil will unite with The Zenith Passage (also on Metal Blade) for four shows in Japan. See all confirmed dates below and stay tuned for additional live dates to be announced in the weeks to come.

PSYCROPTIC w/ Rivers Of Nihil, Growth, Slaughtercult:
8/13/2026 Magnet House – Perth, AU
8/14/2026 Lion Arts – Adelaide, AU
8/15/2026 Max Watts – Melbourne, AU
8/21/2026 Manning Bar – Sydney, AU
8/22/2026 Necrosonic Festival – Brisbane, AU

w/ Rivers Of Nihil, The Zenith Passage:
8/24/2026 Socore Factory – Osaka, JP
8/25/2026 3Star Imaike – Nagoya, JP
8/26/2026 Space Odd – Tokyo, JP
8/27/2026 Space Odd – Tokyo, JP

For over two decades, PSYCROPTIC has operated at the vanguard of technical death metal, defined by instrumental precision, structural intelligence and an uncompromising creative ethic. From their Tasmanian origins to commanding stages worldwide, the band have built a reputation on rhythmic complexity, exacting musicianship, and a refusal to plateau.

At the core of this next phase is guitarist and principal songwriter Joe Haley. Over time, Haley’s compositional voice has evolved from pure technical density into something more architecturally deliberate. On The Pulse Of Annihilation, riff construction feels sharper, transitions more fluid, and thematic motifs more intentional. Haley’s writing demonstrates a seasoned understanding of pacing—knowing when to constrict, when to expand, and how to weaponize silence and space within otherwise relentless arrangements. Experience has not diminished intensity; it has refined its delivery.

The record features the dual-vocal assault of Jason Peppiatt and Jason Keyser (Origin), a partnership that debuted on PSYCROPTIC’s previous full-length, Divine Council. Peppiatt’s commanding growl intertwines with Keyser’s razor-edged articulation, creating a dynamic vocal interplay that adds dimension and contrast to the band’s dense instrumentation. This twofold approach heightens the record’s impact, featuring layered, confrontational elements that remain tightly synced with the band’s intricate foundation.

PSYCROPTIC:
David Haley – drums
Joe Haley – guitars
Todd Stern – bass
Jason Peppiatt – vocals
Jason Keyser – vocals

https://www.psycroptic.com

https://www.facebook.com/psycroptic

https://www.instagram.com/psycroptic_official

https://www.nightshiftmerch.com/collections/psycroptic

https://www.metalblade.com

Source: EARSPLIT PR

Whenever I feel like I keep seeing the same things in our promo pile, something genuinely fresh and unique pops out and tempts me to seize it for long-form analysis. In this case, I’m referring to Shagohod, an independent progressive metal group from Hartford, Connecticut. Founded by longtime friends Drew Bligh and Dave Coffey, Shagohod still functions primarily as a duo, with Adam Schmidt and Ryan Wantroba joining for live performances. Their third full-length album, A Curse That Hides the Door, which is based on classic film depictions of mummies, came to us with some intriguing promises about blending epic prog with saxophone, synthwave, and punk. It sounded like exactly the type of oddball record that I might love, with such an eclectic blend of styles, execution quality would be paramount.

The “progressive metal” descriptor is apt, but also woefully inadequate to encapsulate Shagohod. Whereas the previous record, Tin, Gold, Lead & Blood, was something like Caligula’s Horse in an Old-West setting, A Curse That Hides the Door is closer to the artsy prog rock of The Dear Hunter. Traces of many other disparate artists are strewn throughout. “Swashbuckle Up” marries nimble Opeth guitar progressions with the jaunty spirit of Wilderun’s Olden Tales & Deathly Trails. “Scavengers” and “IV. The Book of the Living” are reminiscent of Coheed and Cambria from an instrumental perspective. “Tomb” ducks into brooding and vaguely grungy Audioslave territory. Several tracks feature the string quartet Invoke, pairing especially well with the Gunship-esque synthwave in “II. Crimson Rain.”

On paper, this wild diversity of musical styles should clash unpleasantly, but Shagohod makes them work together peaceably. Even the more non-conventional genre fusions contain progressive metal fingerprints, which help maintain a common sense of identity. The disorderly punk rock chords and pissed-off rapping in “Sycophant” briefly accommodate a prog salad of organ, saxophone, and piano in a way that feels inexplicably natural. Further, the pairing with the subsequent song “The Rakehell,” which is significantly informed by raucous punk-pop, makes the transition from “Sycophant” smoother. Perhaps most importantly, the components that Shagohod works with are lush and enjoyable at an individual level. I particularly appreciate where the bass sits in the mix, perfectly poised to bolster the guitar melodies (“In Linen, Entwined,” “Swashbuckle Up,” “The Rakehell”).

Still, a few compositional choices cause A Curse That Hides the Door to stumble. The most glaring weakness is an overreliance on lone piano or saxophone outros that are totally disconnected from their respective songs and feel more like an afterthought. Interestingly, both of these instruments are integrated much more seamlessly in concluding track “IV. The Book of the Living,” which starts with bright piano keys and later slides into a smooth jazz bridge section. The 11-minute “III. A Curse That Hides the Door” does the least to maintain my attention, even though its length necessitates the opposite. The flow feels somewhat jerky as this song shifts between movements, which is puzzling given the polished progression of the other longer track, “Swashbuckle Up.” Although Shagohod has improved at self-editing, this 55-minute record would likely have been much more potent with some additional trimming.

But when zooming out, it’s easy to admire A Curse That Hides the Door as a whole. Shagohod skillfully executes their strategy of breadth over depth to create a brilliant, kaleidoscopic mosaic. This approach will undoubtedly work better for some listeners than others, appealing more to those who are open to being tossed around between various musical genres. The long-form songwriting is somewhat hit or miss, but Shagohod has written plenty of fun, immediate tunes. Anyone with an affinity for quirky prog—or even those simply looking for something different—should give A Curse That Hides the Door a try. You might just find that you fit in this niche.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: FLAC
Label: Self-Release
Websites: shagohodofficial.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/ShagohodBandOfficial
Releases Worldwide: April 24th, 2026

The post Shagohod – A Curse That Hides the Door Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

What Lies Below will be opening the mini-tour this August.

The post Haste The Day & Still Remains Announce ‘The Midwest Metalcore Tour’ appeared first on Theprp.com.

Edited by Anselm Anderson

Emerging from Kolding, Denmark, KINETIC bridges the gap between technical progressive metal and cinematic storytelling. Their new album Liminal takes listeners on an existential journey through space and time, marking the band’s official debut on the Eclipse Records roster and solidifying their place as a must-watch modern metal act. Kinetic is René Hougaard (lead vocals), David Thing (guitar, backing vocal), Christian Filskov Heitmann (bass), Marcus H. Levin (synth), and Rune Görlitz (drums).


Arriving on October 16, 2026, via Eclipse Records, Liminal is a development on their well-received 2025 debut EP, Sentience, the band draws inspiration from the Kardashev Scale, a theoretical framework proposed by astrophysicist Nikolai Kardashev that measures the technological advancement of a civilization based on the amount of energy it can harness. KINETIC focuses heavily on cinematic arrangements and long-form compositions. This deliberate stylistic choice allows the music to evolve dynamically, ensuring that the sonic landscape mirrors the immense scientific and philosophical themes of the narrative. Liminal was produced, engineered, mixed & mastered by Frederik Uglebjerg (Galge, MØL, Trold, Isbjörg) and the album cover art was created by Lasse H. Görlitz & Marcus H. Levin. It is scheduled for release on October 16, 2026.

Pre-Save or Pre-Order Liminal at this location.




Art coverwork courtesy of Görlitz and Levin

Liminal track listing
01. Beginnings
02. Evolution
03. New Frontiers
04. Type 0.75
05. Fermi
06. Progress to One
07. Dyson
08. Journey to the Stars
09. Digital Mind
10. 2 to Five
11. Omega

The elaborate setup sports a fake oversized cassette tapes shouting out classic albums from the worlds of metal, hip-hop, trip hop, punk and more.

The post Limp Bizkit’s Latest Stage Production Pays Tribute To Classic Albums From Metallica, Primus, Tool, Beastie Boys, Nirvana & More appeared first on Theprp.com.

Delivering a 20-song set.

The post Pro-Shot Footage Of Napalm Death’s 2026 ‘Hellfest Open Air’ Set Available appeared first on Theprp.com.

Source