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It’s here! It exists! Way back in March 2025, Erykah Badu revealed that she was working on a collaborative album with rap production giant the Alchemist. This was obviously a big deal, since Badu hadn’t released an album since 2010’s New Amerykah Part Two (Return Of The Ankh) or an album-length work since the 2015 mixtape But You Caint Use My Phone. Badu and Alchemist released a single called “Next To You” last June, and then nothing. Finally, after more than a year, they returned with the single “Witch Doctor” earlier this month, and they announced that the LP finally had a release date. But since it didn’t have a title, cover, or tracklist, there was still some cause for skepticism. Banish that skepticism right now. For the first time in 16 years, we have a new Erykah Badu album today.

The post Erykah Badu & The Alchemist Release New Album <em>Before The World Blows</em> Feat. Steve Lacy, Earl Sweatshirt, Thundercat, & More appeared first on Stereogum.

Boston’s Final Gasp are a breath of fresh air in the underground community. Converging at the intersection of deathrock and hardcore, the Northeast quintet have developed a sound they can call their own. While this year’s powerful offering New Day Symptoms is a wonderful showcase of their ability, it doesn’t tell the whole story. With the help of the Decibel Flexi Series, “Aftermath,” an exclusive track from the New Day Symptoms recording session, is now available to complete Final Gasp’s somber picture for 2026.

The only way you can score a copy for yourself is to sign up for a deluxe Decibel subscription by Monday, August 31 by noon ET. Missing out spells disaster for your collection, so join today!

The post FINAL GASP to Release Exclusive New Song, “Aftermath,” via the Decibel Flexi Series! appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

Metal For Nepal have launched an emergency appeal following the devastating flash flood that hit the country this week.

The flood affected Rasuwa and Nuwakot, causing displacement of families, destruction of houses and putting communities at risk.

Now, Metal For Nepal are mobilising to help deliver relief as much as they can, be that geting emergency supplies and clean water to whoever needs it to putting in plans for longer term rebuilding.

With that in mind, they have set up the appeal for anyone who has the means to help to donate, with the link and any addiitonal information able to be found here.

Flower KC, director of Metal For Nepal had this to say:

“We need to come together exactly like we did after the 2015 earthquake. The heavy metal and tattoo community has always shown up for people in need, and this moment is no different. Every donation goes straight toward getting families and children the support they need right now.” 

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The post Metal For Nepal Launch Emergency Appeal Following Floods appeared first on Rock Sound.

German power metal force Iron Savior share today their new single and official video, “The Creature’s Tale”, the second taste of the upcoming album Deathbringer, out on November 13,2026, via Frontiers Music Srl. Vocalist Piet Sielck said: “Of course the classic Frankenstein story has been told in many ways before, but it appears to never… Continue Reading →

It's part of an upcoming tribute album that also features the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits and more. Continue reading…

Shogun Mojo – an exciting new collaboration between legendary Kiss guitarist Tommy Thayer and acclaimed singer-songwriter Dan Reed of Dan Reed Network fame – debut on Frontiers Music Srl with a self-titled album, set for release on November 6, 2026. The band is also thrilled to unveil the first single, “Under The Gun”, along with… Continue Reading →

DEVIL’S ISLAND featuring iAtlas

Welcome to this weeks edition of Devil’s Island! Every week we maroon a band or artist on the island and see what they get up to, how they cope with being all alone on a small island in the middle of the ocean. It’s not your average desert island and we’ll see just how each person copes with the extreme conditions.

This week when we arrived at Devil’s Island we find iAtlas sat on the beach. The island is far from their home, so how did they end up here and how did they cope with life on Devil’s Island?

Find out now…

Welcome to The Razors’e Edge and our somewhat lovely, warm desert island. Don’t worry about it’s name I’m sure it’s not as bad as that would suggest.

You’re marooned here on this island, but before you ended up shipwrecked you chose one album that you couldn’t live without. Which album did you each chose and why?

So there is three; quite aptly Marcus chooses Navigating by Way of Stars by Sieges Even to try and get us off this island.

Andre chooses the first Rage Against the Machine album (that should knock out those coconuts from the tree) and lastly Dougy’s choice is Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin, as there is plenty of sand and beach art to be had whilst waiting for the next passing ship.

Just behind that palm tree is a shack for each of you to sleep in, with enough space for you to put up a poster on the wall of one album cover. What album cover do you each chose and why?

Dougy chooses Country Life by Roxy Music to keep the old man sane; Andres choice Future Past by Duran Duran cos he forgot his sunglasses and this cover will make the view all feel quite normal; Marcus chooses the Banana Album cover by Velvet Underground to remind him that there is more to life than coconuts

There’s also a bar on this here island. But alas each of you only get to choose one drink for the entirety of your stay. What’s your tipple of choice?

Andre’s drink of choice being T total likes those green smoothies full of leafy goodness and tropical frog spawn. Marcus chooses a fruity ale, something light and amber in colour to match the sunset. Dougy likes a dark stout with a good head and under the taste of dried crab meat.

Your suitcases were lost when your ship sank, but you each managed to salvage one item of band merch. What’s the merch and for what band?

Dougy’s choice is an iAtlas scarf to wave down the next passing cruise liner or space vehicle. Andre chooses a hat which is useful to catch death’s head moths for midnight snacking episodes. Marcus grabs a T-shirt to forget the deserted island and remind himself of the urban environment with the many far-flung cities we toured during 2026.

You’re sat on the island thinking “I’m stuck here on this island with my bandmates for eternity”… who would you rather have been shipwrecked with?

Doug says, that would have to be a fat Ray Mears cos if he doesn’t eat then he’d end up on the barbi.

There’s a walkman in your pocket, on the tape inside is the recording of the one live show that stands out for you. It could be any show, from any band, anywhere in the world. What show is on that walkman?

1990 London, Justice for All tour Metallica

You’re getting desperate, you decide the only course of action is to put a message in a bottle and hope someone finds it. Your message could be to any member of any band, but should be the most suitable for a rescue attempt. Who is it?

Bruce Dickinson being an air pilot could manoeuvre a tight descent and catch all three of us as we head on our way back to civilisation.

You’ve been stuck here a while and food supplies are running low. There’s only one thing for it… which fellow band member gets sacrificed to help the others survive?

That would be our youngest member Marcus, less gristle and would make good crackling, slowly being roasted over a log fire.

Finally, when the ship sank you each managed to save one person from the wreckage. That person is the one musician that has influenced your career the most, shaped your way of thinking and your outlook on life. Who did you save?

Robert Plant has had a huge influence with vocal technique and lyric writing. His love of nature, Nordic legends, magic of Celtic lands such as Wales remains part of my life.

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

The post DEVIL’S ISLAND featuring iAtlas appeared first on The Razor's Edge.

Here are the new releases for August 23rd to 29th. Releases reflect proposed North American scheduling, if available.

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New Metal Releases: 8/23/26 – 8/29/26

Black Door — Shadows of a Funerary Gleam | Wolves of Hades | Black Metal | Netherlands (Amsterdam)

Despite operating out of Amsterdam, Black Door bears strong similarities to the Los Angeles black metal scene, with fuzzy, melodic riffs and vampyric vocals. Their latest record, Shadows of a Funerary Gleam, cultivates its atmosphere through direct action. You could say it’s “raw,” but that better describes how vicious it is rather than its production quality.

–Colin Dempsey

…

Mastodon — Marrow Deep | Loma Vista Recordings | Progressive Metal | United States (Atlanta, GA)

Marrow Deep, the long-awaited follow-up to 2021’s Hushed and Grim and perhaps one of the most portentous album titles in recent memory, sees the grizzled band writing a new chapter in their storied history after the acrimonious break-up with and subsequent tragic death of guitarist/talisman Brent Hinds in 2025. Marrow Deep marks the introduction of new guitarist Nick Johnston and keyboard player Joao Nogueira, both of whom instill a renewed sense of vitality and purpose within Mastodon’s battered core. Heavy and emotional can’t even begin to describe the aura saturating “Your Ghost Again,” a haunting, relentless Iron Maiden-on-steroids ode to the familiarity of sorrow and loss in addition to a few poignant messages for their fallen comrade. “Snakes for Dinner” is a kaleidoscopic ripper that features a doomy vocal coda from Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme. In addition to Homme, Marrow Deep also boasts heavyweight cameos from Geezer Butler, Randy Blythe and Clutch’s Neil Fallon. The depths beckon.

–Dennis Seese

…

Hesperia — Picenum (True Marchigian Black Metal Renaissance) | Hammerheart Records | Black Metal + Folk | Italy (Marche)

Long gone are the days when Hesperia album covers would feature ancient Roman maidens and would-be emperors in corpse paint. The one-man act has seemingly nailed their combination of cinematic folk and Immortal-revering black metal. Picenum runs for nearly 90 minutes and covers the history, folklore, and geography of Hesperia’s home region. It’s plenty to take in and best heard in one sitting, welcoming the farm animals and synth digressions that accompany it.

–Colin Dempsey

…

Exumer — Death Mask Messiah | Metal Blade Records | Thrash Metal | United States (New York, NY)

Exumer have now been back longer than they were broken up, and their sixth album Death Mask Messiah is as cynical and sharp as you’d expect from them.

–Colin Dempsey

…

Russian Circles — Nine | Sargent House | Post-Metal | United States (Chicago, IL)

Somehow, Russian Circles still sound imposing nine records and two decades into their career. Their foundation of gargantuan bass, earth-swallowing riffs, and the absence of vocals holds strong, with any developments only evident to those already deeply familiar with the band. Your body will feel Nine before your ears do.

–Colin Dempsey

…

Static Abyss — The Dying Hunt | Peaceville Records | Death Metal | United States (Oakland, CA)

The third record from Greg Wilkinson and Chris Reifert’s not-quite-Autopsy-side-project benefits from bringing Chad Gailey into the fold on drums. Fundamentally, Static Abyss are the same, crossing the streams of OSDM, d-beat, and psychedelic rock in as tight a package as possible. While that sounds lofty, The Dying Hunt never goes too far into experimenting. Hell, it barely even tries to transition between styles, and that gives it a sense of unpredictability.

–Colin Dempsey

…

Cardinal — Nocturne | Sonorous Night | Symphonic Black Metal | United States (San Francisco, CA)

Taking this right from Caylen Darling’s Instagram story, in which they write: “This is the best black metal you’ll hear all year. Posers and tourists fuck off and die this is not for you.” Cardinal’s full-length debut pairs venomous black metal with none-so-subtle synths. Depraved opulence is the motto here.

–Colin Dempsey

…

Sturgill Simpson might have a complicated, contentious relationship with the Nashville country music industry, but he’s not going to let that stop him from playing a wild surprise show in the town. Earlier this year, Simpson, working under his Johnny Blue Skies album, released the horny, exultant country-rock-disco-funk party album Mutiny After Midnight, which is now on streaming (with a bonus Eddie Murphy cover) after only being available on physical editions for a while. Next month, Simpson and his band Johnny Blue Skies & The Dark Clouds will head out on an arena tour. On Wednesday night, they warmed up for that run by playing a surprise gig in a small Nashville room.

The post Sturgill Simpson Makes Surprise Live Return With Latest Johnny Blue Skies Album, Talking Heads Cover appeared first on Stereogum.

Levi the Poet was originally published on HM Magazine by Nao Glover.

Levi Macallister, known by the moniker Levi the Poet, has gifted the world another offering in his new book, Pay Attention, You’re Alive. Unlike past releases, this one was not planned but presented itself nonetheless. In its unexpected becoming, the book strikes a beautiful balance of raw and refined; not the signs of writing that’s […]

Levi the Poet was originally published on HM Magazine by Nao Glover.