Blog

  • Deftones Shelved 2008 Album Eros and Ohms Demos Reportedly Leak Online

    deftones-eros-leak

    The alternative metal underground has been thrust into absolute chaos following the possible, sudden online leak of heavy metal’s most elusive holy grail: Deftones’ long-shelved 2008 studio album, Eros. In what is rapidly developing into one of the biggest viral internet events circulating on social media, eleven fully tracked demo recordings—featuring the final bass lines of the late Chi Cheng—have been supposedly dropped onto underground message boards alongside the entire unreleased demo sessions for the band’s 2020 album Ohms. (Editor’s note – Please remember to take anything like this with a grain of salt until there is actual confirmation from the band or it’s management team.)

    🎧 STREAM THE METAL BREAKDOWN DAILY BELOW:

    Want an immediate, deep-dive hard rovck and metal news report of what’s going on right NOW in the scene? Host Scott Penfold breaks down the day’s headlines on today’s episode of the Metal Breakdown Daily! Catch the full conversation by streaming directly inside the free Loaded Radio App available on Apple iOS and Google Play.

    DEFTONES: THE HISTORICAL BLUEPRINT OF SCARCE & SHELVED SESSIONS

    The Holy Grail Unsealed: The Shocking Message Board Breach

    The global Deftones fan community woke up to an absolute frenzy on the morning of June 22, 2026. A massive cache of high-quality audio files was unceremoniously dumped onto popular alternative music message boards and quickly syndicated across Reddit and YouTube. The centerpiece of the leak is an 11-track compilation representing the foundational framework of Eros, the experimental studio album the band was actively tracking with legendary producer Terry Date throughout 2007 and 2008.

    The tracking titles circulating within the leak appear to reflect the original working names assigned by the band during production:

    • “Destiny”
    • “Brenda”
    • “Melanie”
    • “Smile” (Previously released by Chino Moreno in 2014)
    • “Margot”
    • “Candy”
    • “Sable”
    • “Electra”
    • “Trempest”
    • “Diamond”
    • “Briana”

    The structural validity of the tracks has sent intense debates through the scene. While some skeptical fans are questioning whether the collection is a highly sophisticated, AI-assisted ruse, longtime listeners have pointed out that the leaked version of “Melanie” matches the exact chord progressions and vocal hooks from the band’s rare 2008 live performances in Los Angeles, indicating a high probability that these are authentic, unmixed, and unmastered studio demos.

    🤘 LIVE & LOUD: Stream the World’s Hardest Radio Station 24/7 Below:

    The Ghost of Chi Cheng: A Bitter Sweet Moment for Fans

    The emotional weight of this leak cannot be overstated. Eros was permanently shelved by Deftones management following a catastrophic November 2008 car accident that left the band’s beloved founding bassist and backing vocalist, Chi Cheng, in a semi-comatose state. The alternative metal icon fought for his life for nearly five years before tragically succumbing to his injuries on April 13, 2013.

    While core listeners are celebrating the opportunity to finally hear Cheng’s heavy, rhythmic bass grooves one last time, a massive faction of the fanbase is expressing serious ethical guilt. Deftones frontman Chino Moreno has consistently maintained that Eros remains largely unfinished, recently reiterating that the band fundamentally preferred to keep the record locked away in the vault.

    If these are indeed the unreleased tracks from the iconic alternative metal band, then it should be noted that a direct breach of these files directly violates the explicit wishes of the creators, who buried the sessions to record Diamond Eyes as a form of collective structural healing.

    We Recommend – Deftones Albums Ranked Worst To Best (2026 Definitive Ranking)

    the-story-of-deftones-white-pony

    The Insider Leak and the Ohms Demo Cache

    Compounding the severity of the leak is the simultaneous distribution of the entire 2020 Ohms demo sessions. This secondary cache includes early, raw studio tracking maps of the band’s critically acclaimed ninth studio album, capped off by a completely unreleased, unheard studio B-side titled “Sensations”.

    As copyright representatives move rapidly across YouTube and file-hosting platforms to deploy aggressive takedowns, fans continue to download and re-upload the materials at a blinding pace. Thus far, Deftones and their management team have yet to issue a public statement addressing the validity of these tracks, or the massive security breach, leaving the community to debate whether this holy grail should finally be embraced by the masses, or left in the dark out of respect for the band’s wishes.

    Also Recommended – 13 Bands Deftones Fans Will Become Obsessed With

    FAQ: Deftones ‘Eros’ and ‘Ohms’ Master Leaks

    Is the leaked Deftones album ‘Eros’ real or AI-generated? While the band has not officially verified the authenticity, extreme music fans state that the unmixed audio characteristics, raw vocal scratches, and structural alignments with known 2008 live performances indicate these are highly authentic studio demos, though some still speculate it could be an AI ruse.

    Why did Deftones originally shelve the ‘Eros’ album? The production was indefinitely halted in November 2008 after founding bassist Chi Cheng suffered severe, life-altering injuries in a tragic automobile accident. The band chose to lock the material away, moving forward with new bassist Sergio Vega to record Diamond Eyes.

    What is the unreleased ‘Ohms’ song that leaked? Alongside the 11 Eros tracks, an unreleased demo session track from the 2020 Ohms recording cycle titled “Sensations” has surfaced online.

    Also – Deftones White Pony: The Volatile True Story Behind the Masterpiece That Killed Nu-Metal

    deftones-albums-ranked

    TL;DR

    • The Massive Breach: Deftones’ legendary, unreleased 2008 studio album Eros has reportedly leaked across public message boards in an unmixed, 11-track demo format.
    • The Sonic Ghost: The leaked material represents the absolute final recorded bass tracks of founding member Chi Cheng before his fatal 2008 car accident.
    • Bonus Leak: The data breach also contains raw demo stems from the band’s 2020 album Ohms, including a completely unreleased track titled “Sensations.”
    • The Dilemma: Fans remain deeply divided on the ethics of listening to the unconfirmed files, which the band has openly preferred to keep shelved.

    The vault has been possibly forced open, and heavy metal history has been rewritten in the dark. While the ethical debate over accessing an artist’s unfinished, deeply personal mourning project will rage on for months, the haunting beauty of Chi Cheng’s final notes is officially out in the wind. Keep in mind, today’s AI capabilities are growing at exponential rates and creating music that sounds like Deftones unfortunately in 2026 doesn’t immediately mean they are actual band’s songs.

    Where do you stand on this monumental leak? Do you believe it is ethically wrong to stream Eros against Chino Moreno’s explicit wishes, or do you view this leak as an invaluable piece of musical history that deserves to be heard by the fans who loved Chi? Sound off with your thoughts, tracking reviews, and respect for the Deftones legacy in the comments section below!

    The post Deftones Shelved 2008 Album Eros and Ohms Demos Reportedly Leak Online appeared first on Loaded Radio.

  • The B-52’s and Devo Share New 2026 Tour Dates

    The new wave pioneers have extended their plans for the year with eight additional concerts. Continue reading…
  • Carly Rae Jepsen Announces New Double Album Day And Night

    Look who’s back! Carly Rae Jepsen, queen of critically acclaimed cult-favorite pop stars, has recently been teasing a return, and it’s about time. Jepsen never stops touring, but she hasn’t dropped a new album since 2022’s The Loneliest Time and its 2023 companion piece The Loveliest Time. She’s back in a few months with a big new double album called Day And Night.

    The post Carly Rae Jepsen Announces New Double Album <em>Day And Night</em> appeared first on Stereogum.

  • Why Gothic Aesthetics Function as Emotional Armor

    Why Gothic Aesthetics Function as Emotional Armor

    Black clothing, dark music, heavy boots, silver jewelry, dramatic makeup, candlelit rooms, melancholic lyrics, and cinematic shadows are often misunderstood as simple fashion choices or theatrical rebellion. Yet Gothic aesthetics frequently operate on a far deeper psychological level. For many people, darkness becomes emotional protection.

    Gothic aesthetics function as emotional armor because they transform vulnerability into visible identity. Rather than hiding sadness, alienation, sensitivity, grief, or introspection, Gothic culture externalizes those emotions artistically. The result is not emotional weakness, but emotional structure.

    Gothic woman in black Victorian clothing standing beneath rain and cinematic shadows beside candles and a raven in a dark Gothic city.

    A cinematic Gothic artwork exploring how darkness, melancholy, fashion, and atmosphere become forms of emotional protection and psychological identity.

    Understanding why Gothic aesthetics feel psychologically protective requires examining how human beings use symbolism, clothing, atmosphere, music, and visual identity to regulate emotion and navigate emotional exposure.


    The Psychology of Emotional Armor

    Human beings constantly construct emotional defenses. Some people rely on humor, social performance, ambition, or emotional detachment. Others use aesthetics themselves as a psychological structure.

    Clothing, music, environments, and personal symbolism influence emotional perception far more deeply than most people realize. Psychologists often describe this process through concepts related to identity formation, self-regulation, and symbolic self-expression.

    Gothic aesthetics provide emotional coherence for individuals who experience the world intensely.

    Darkness becomes a controlled emotional language. It expresses sadness, introspection, existential tension, loneliness, romantic melancholy, and psychological complexity without requiring constant verbal explanation.

    By transforming emotional instability into a recognizable visual identity, Gothic aesthetics helps many individuals feel psychologically contained rather than emotionally exposed.


    Why Black Clothing Feels Protective

    Black clothing occupies a central role in Gothic culture partly because black psychologically communicates control, distance, elegance, mystery, and emotional containment simultaneously.

    Historically, black became associated with mourning, religious solemnity, intellectual seriousness, and aristocratic restraint long before Gothic subcultures emerged.

    Within modern Gothic aesthetics, black clothing frequently creates psychological boundaries between the individual and external social pressure. It allows emotional privacy while simultaneously signaling identity.

    For emotionally sensitive individuals, highly expressive fashion can sometimes feel exposing. Gothic fashion instead creates a kind of symbolic shield where emotional vulnerability becomes stylized and controlled.

    This partly explains why many people describe Gothic clothing as emotionally comforting rather than depressing.


    Melancholy as Emotional Honesty

    Mainstream culture frequently pressures individuals to appear emotionally stable, optimistic, productive, and socially adjusted even during periods of grief, anxiety, loneliness, or psychological exhaustion.

    Gothic aesthetics reject that emotional performance.

    Instead of suppressing sadness, Gothic culture often transforms melancholy into atmosphere, beauty, music, literature, and visual identity. This emotional honesty creates psychological relief because individuals no longer feel required to hide emotional complexity constantly.

    Writers such as Edgar Allan Poe, Baudelaire, Mary Shelley, and later Gothic musicians understood that sadness possesses emotional texture capable of producing beauty, reflection, and intimacy rather than simple despair.

    The Gothic aesthetic therefore protects emotionally by validating feelings modern culture often encourages people to conceal.


    Music, Atmosphere, and Emotional Regulation

    Gothic music frequently functions as emotional regulation rather than escapism.

    Darkwave, post-punk, ethereal wave, and Gothic rock create immersive emotional environments through repetition, reverb, minor-key melodies, atmospheric guitars, and introspective lyrical themes.

    Bands such as Bauhaus, The Cure, Cocteau Twins, Clan of Xymox, and The Sisters of Mercy rarely present sadness as emotional collapse alone. Their music transforms loneliness and introspection into cinematic atmosphere.

    Psychological studies surrounding “aesthetic sadness” suggest that melancholic art can help individuals regulate emotion safely because art provides emotional distance while still allowing emotional recognition.

    The listener therefore experiences sadness inside a controlled symbolic environment rather than chaotic psychological exposure.


    The Gothic Self and Social Alienation

    Many individuals drawn toward Gothic aesthetics experience some degree of emotional or social alienation.

    They may feel disconnected from mainstream social expectations surrounding identity, emotional expression, beauty standards, ambition, or optimism.

    Gothic culture offers an alternative emotional framework where introspection, solitude, sensitivity, mystery, artistic obsession, and existential reflection become socially meaningful rather than socially awkward.

    This explains why Gothic communities often feel psychologically protective for people who previously felt emotionally isolated.

    Shared aesthetics, music, symbols, and emotional language create recognition between individuals who might otherwise feel psychologically invisible within mainstream culture.


    Shadows, Architecture, and Emotional Space

    The emotional armor of Gothic aesthetics extends beyond clothing and music into physical environments themselves.

    Candlelight, Victorian interiors, rain, graveyards, abandoned buildings, cathedral architecture, fog, antique objects, and dimly lit spaces create atmospheres encouraging reflection rather than overstimulation.

    Modern urban environments often overwhelm attention psychologically through noise, speed, artificial brightness, advertising, and constant social exposure.

    Gothic spaces instead slow emotional perception down.

    Shadows create intimacy. Darkness reduces sensory overload. Silence creates psychological depth. Atmospheric environments therefore, function emotionally almost like protective interiors separating the individual from external chaos.


    Why Gothic Aesthetics Continue to Resonate

    Gothic aesthetics continue surviving across generations because the psychological needs they address remain deeply human.

    People still experience grief, alienation, emotional sensitivity, anxiety, loneliness, existential uncertainty, and the desire for authentic self-expression.

    Modern culture changes technologically, but emotional vulnerability remains constant.

    Gothic aesthetics endure because they transform emotional fragility into beauty, atmosphere, symbolism, identity, and artistic coherence rather than denying its existence.

    The darkness therefore, becomes protective not because it removes emotional pain, but because it transforms pain into something visible, structured, survivable, and emotionally understood.


    Wear the Darkness

    Explore Edgar Allan Poe apparel, Gothic aesthetics, noir-inspired fashion, and psychological darkness inside the official Edgar Allan Poets Noir Store.

     

    Graphic showcasing Edgar Allan Poe gothic t-shirts and noir apparel from the official store

     


    Join the Noir Newsletter

    Receive Gothic literature, noir psychology, cinematic darkness, and atmospheric storytelling directly inside your inbox.


    Enter the Noir Atmosphere

    Explore Gothic music, cinematic tension, psychological darkness, and immersive noir atmosphere through the official Edgar Allan Poets playlist.


    Frequently Asked Questions

    Why do Gothic aesthetics feel comforting?

    Gothic aesthetics often feel comforting because they transform sadness, introspection, loneliness, and emotional complexity into visible artistic expression rather than forcing emotional suppression.

    Why do Goths wear black?

    Black clothing symbolizes emotional control, mystery, introspection, elegance, and psychological distance. Many people experience Gothic fashion as emotionally protective rather than negative.

    What is emotional armor psychologically?

    Emotional armor refers to symbolic or behavioral strategies people use to protect emotional vulnerability and regulate psychological exposure.

    Why does melancholic music help people emotionally?

    Melancholic music can help regulate emotion by creating safe psychological distance where listeners recognize sadness through art without becoming overwhelmed by it directly.


    The post Why Gothic Aesthetics Function as Emotional Armor appeared first on Edgar Allan Poets – Noir Rock Band.

  • Who Will Rise as This Week’s Champion on the MDR Battle Of The Bands?? 06/22/26 – 06/26/26 – @thebeast



    🔥 Who Will Rise as This Week’s Champion on the MDR Battle Of The Bands? 🔥
    And who will dominate next month as Band of the Month on Metal Devastation Radio?
    Last month’s winners, TRIVAN  , crushed the competition with a staggering  6,396,074 VOTES , claiming the title of Band of the Month on Metal Devastation Radio! You can check them out HERE !
    This is the weekly championship edition of the Band Of The Month – Battle Of The Bands that we host every month on MDR!
    How does it work?
    Every Monday, we launch a new poll featuring bands that submit music each week on metaldevastationradio.com. Voting runs until Friday at 9PM EST .
    Each Friday night , at the start of The Zach Moonshine Show , I’ll be spinning the Top Six weekly winners , and announcing the #1 band of the week live on air — getting thousands of listens on Mixcloud !
    At the end of the month , all weekly votes are added up, and the band with the highest total votes becomes our Band of the Month !
    Winning Band of the Month gets:
    A featured post on our Facebook page, reaching thousands of fans
    A front-page spotlight on metaldevastationradio.com , which pulls in hundreds of thousands of views every month
    A free PR email blast from Metal Devastation PR, hitting 40,000+ contacts including labels, zines, stations, and more
    Airplay every hour during general rotation
    Tons of social media shares and exposure across our network
    If you want the world to know who your band is, this is the easiest way to make it happen!
    💥 Want in on the next battle?
    Comment below with your band name and we’ll add you to next week’s poll — or email me at zach@metaldevastationradio.com with “Battle Submission” in the subject line.
    Bands can compete as many times as they want , and if you enter multiple weeks in the same month, your votes combine toward the Band of the Month title!
    👇 Click on the bands below to vote as many times as you like, or add your own! Poll closes Friday, June 26th at 9PM EST!




    Who Will Rise as This Week’s Champion on the MDR Battle Of The Bands?? 06/22/26 – 06/26/26

  • Clive Davis Dead At 94

    Clive Davis, one of the most successful and iconic executives in the history of the record business, has passed away. Over decades in the business, Davis pushed the careers of stars like Barry Manilow, Whitney Houston, and Alicia Keys, as well as signing dozens of others. The New York Times reports that Davis passed away at home in Manhattan today, after a recent hospitalization for respiratory problems. Davis was 94.

    The post Clive Davis Dead At 94 appeared first on Stereogum.

  • Gig Review: Preyrs / Merys – Voodoo Bar, Belfast (19th June 2026)

    Voodoo Bar isn’t shy about being a second home to the rockers of Belfast. Tonight Voodoo is the host for the highly anticipated Preyrs. It’s their first hometown gig after touring Europe extensively in support of New Model Army, celebrating their debut album The Wounded Healer. Upstairs, the Voodoo Bar was opening from 7pm and … Continue reading Gig Review: Preyrs / Merys – Voodoo Bar, Belfast (19th June 2026)
  • OZZY OSBOURNE’s Throne Will Be On Display At Birmingham Museum Exhibition

    The throne that became closely associated with Ozzy Osbourne‘s final live appearance will soon be added to the Ozzy Osbourne: Working Class Hero exhibition at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.

    Beginning July 1, 2026, visitors will be able to see the black gothic-style throne that was most recently used during the “Back To The Beginning” concert at Villa Park on July 5, 2025. The piece was originally created for Ozzy Osbourne‘s induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2024 before becoming a central feature of his last performances, including Black Sabbath‘s farewell show.

    Featuring details inspired by Ozzy Osbourne‘s career and imagery, including bat-wing designs, the throne arrives at the museum as fans prepare to mark one year since his passing on July 22, 2025.

    The display is part of an exhibition dedicated to the Birmingham-born singer’s life, career and influence on rock and heavy metal. Alongside the throne, fans can view personal items, photographs and awards collected throughout his decades-long career. The exhibition traces Ozzy Osbourne‘s path from his early years in Aston to worldwide recognition as one of rock’s most recognizable figures.

    Developed by Central BID Birmingham and Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery in partnership with the Osbourne family, the exhibition has proven highly popular since opening in June 2025. After two extensions and more than 640,000 visitors, it is now scheduled to run through September 27, 2026.

    Sharon Osbourne commented: “As we approach the one-year anniversary of ‘Back To The Beginning’, it feels fitting that Ozzy‘s throne, which has now become synonymous with his final performance, would be placed in the museum, where it can be seen by the fans who loved him.”

    Birmingham Museums Trust co-chief executives Sara Wajid and Zak Mensah stated: “We are delighted to be able to display Ozzy‘s throne at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. This extraordinary object is instantly recognizable to fans around the world and represents a powerful final chapter in Ozzy‘s remarkable career.

    “As we mark the first anniversary of his passing, it offers visitors a special opportunity to come together, remember Ozzy and celebrate the legacy of a true Birmingham legend.”

    Sam Watson, chair of Central BID Birmingham, discussed the effort to return the throne to the city: “Since the momentous ‘Back To The Beginning’ gig last year, Central BID has been working closely with the Osbourne family to bring Ozzy‘s throne back to Birmingham, so fans can see it up close and feel the spirit of Ozzy is still with everyone.

    “We were determined to bring this iconic throne back to Ozzy‘s home city first, a place he loved so much and for his fans to be able to visit, and we are grateful to Sharon and her family for allowing us to make this happen.”

    Birmingham City Council Cabinet Member for Culture Councillor Deborah Harries added: “Ozzy Osbourne is one of Birmingham’s most foremost cultural figures, and it is only right that we continue to honor his extraordinary legacy here in the city where his journey began.

    “The return of his iconic throne to Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery gives fans and visitors a powerful new way to connect with his story at what is an emotional moment, marking a year since his passing.

    “This exhibition has already welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors and demonstrates the global pull of Birmingham’s musical heritage. We’re proud to support this collaboration with Birmingham Museums Trust and partners, which not only celebrates Ozzy’s life but also brings people into the heart of our city.

    “Working closely with partners, we will be promoting other Sabbath-related activity to experience in the city over the summer.”

    Ozzy Osbourne: Working Class Hero is presented by Central BID Birmingham, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, and Sharon Osbourne Management, with support from Birmingham City Council, Aston Villa FC, and additional sponsors.

    Following Ozzy Osbourne‘s death, official records revealed he died from a heart attack. The documentation also noted coronary artery disease and Parkinson’s disease as contributing conditions.

    A private funeral was held on July 31, 2025, at the Buckinghamshire estate purchased by Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Osbourne in 1993. Around 110 relatives and close friends attended, including fellow Black Sabbath members as well as Robert TrujilloRob ZombieZakk WyldeMarilyn Manson and Corey Taylor.

    One day before the funeral, thousands of fans gathered throughout Birmingham to honor Ozzy OsbourneSharon Osbourne, together with Aimée, Kelly and Jack Osbourne, joined those paying tribute to the late heavy metal icon.

    The post OZZY OSBOURNE’s Throne Will Be On Display At Birmingham Museum Exhibition appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

  • Gold Spire – Steps into Shadow Review

    Detective Fairway pushes through his office door, dragging the cold, rain‑soaked night with him. He drops his coat and hat, slumps into his chair and pours a drink, wishing he were anywhere but stuck on this dead-end case. Lighting a cigarette, he watches the smoke rise as he exhales while rain taps the window. It’s the only sound cutting through his thoughts. Needing a spark, he finally turns to the dusty turntable, hoping music might offer a temporary escape. Placing the needle on Gold Spire’s Steps into Shadow, the sweet sound of dark jazz melodies begins to fill the room. He pours another drink and leans back in his chair, ready to let the music take hold. Now why did I regale you with a horribly stereotypical—and frankly shitty—blurb from an ’80s detective flick? Because it’s all I picture when listening to Gold Spire’s sophomore record and I’m totally here for it.

    While Steps into Shadow can evoke a doomy, dark jazz take on the Lethal Weapon soundtrack, its premise is far more somber. As guitarist Påhl Sundström (ex-Usurpress) explained in an interview, Steps into Shadow draws on the 1931 events in Ådalen, Sweden, when Swedish troops opened fire on striking workers, grounding it in themes of labor struggles and societal decline. This weighty backdrop aligns with the record’s outright brooding and haunting moods, where tracks like “Liberation at Dawn” and the title track blend post-metal and black metal elements with Gold Spire’s half doom, half Kenny G convention. Magnus Kjellstrand’s saxophone once again assumes center stage on cuts like “The Mire”, “Starvation,” and “Truth is an Empty Fortress,” while Erik Sundström’s sauntering rhythms and brother Påhl Sundström’s mechanical guitar flourishes, crystalline arpeggios and harmonic leads swirl and churn around the brass, creating a layered and immersive sound.

    Where Gold Spire’s self-titled debut felt more disjointed and meandering, Steps into Shadow shows a much stronger sense of flow and cohesion. Meant to be experienced as a whole while still allowing each track to stand on its own,1 Steps into Shadow features more purposeful songwriting that feels like it’s actually leading somewhere. The record opens on a mellow, evocative note, with Sundström’s gently picked guitar and Petter Broman’s prominent bass complemented by Kjellstrand’s sax and flute on “Starvation.” “Liberation at Dawn” brings tension and dissonance, underpinned by uneasy melodies and off-beat flourishes, before “The Mire” shifts again into more subdued post-rock textures that provide contrast while maintaining the album’s gradual build. This song tends to meander more than I’d like—a characteristic also shared by “A Clarion Call” later—but it’s a flaw that the Swedish quintet has otherwise addressed since their debut. “Crown of Disfigurement” increases the intensity with chunky riffs and driving double-bass grooves, fusing a plodding death metal feel with layered atmospherics. It’s a worthy payoff that sets the tone for Step into Shadow’s back half, crescendoing with the cascading rhythms of “Drag Us Under,” and the suspenseful and crestfallen closer “Truth is an Empty Fortress.”

    Taking over vocal duties is Arvid Sjödin of Floating, replacing Heval Bozarslan (Third Storm) after his departure. Sjödin brings a fresh, blackened edge to Gold Spire’s sound, centering on a deep, bellowing growl with a gravelly timbre that carries plenty of menace while remaining clear enough for the lyrics to stay audible. He adds tension during the album’s more dissonant moments, and he maintains a consistent presence, layering in higher rasps and the occasional gang roars. While his approach can feel somewhat repetitive over time, his evil-sounding delivery more than compensates, elevating Steps into Shadow above its predecessor in yet another material way.

    Steps into Shadow takes the product Gold Spire foreshadowed on their debut and buffs it into something far more polished. Where the self-titled record often meandered and felt clunky, Steps into Shadow is a clear step forward. It’s more cohesive, more confident, and more mature. I’ll be the first to admit that the use of sax in metal has been well overplayed by now, but there’s no denying that Gold Spire make it work in their own unique way. What they’re doing here is genuinely cool as hell, and if they tighten a few loose ends and stay on this trajectory, then greatness is right on the horizon.


    Rating: Very Good
    DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
    Label: Awakening Records
    Websites: awakeningrecordscn.bandcamp.com/album/steps-into-shadow | facebook.com/goldspire.ua
    Releases Worldwide: June 19th, 2026

    The post Gold Spire – Steps into Shadow Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.