Blog

"We're not trying to echo the past," stalwart guitarist Steve Howe says. "We're carrying the spirit of Yes forward." Continue reading…

Despite the name, Oathbound are not sword-core like I (and probably you) first assumed, but instead position themselves as a progressive metalcore band. With that utter betrayal of expectations out of the way, Colors in Grey is this Seattle collective’s debut long-player following a popular EP in 2024’s Until It’s Gone. Composed of guitarists Taylor Harper and Viktor Schultz, bassist Steve Schwarz, drummer Travis Morlan, and vocalist Chris Fox,¹ Oathbound already have big tour plans and an established fanbase and are driven by a mission “to offer catharsis, hope and connection through music that speaks from—and to—the soul.” I cannot knock the hustle of Oathbound. I can knock their use of both the American spelling of “colors” and the British spelling of “grey.” But can I knock Colors in Grey?

I’m interested in what Oathbound believe qualifies music as “progressive.” If I were to hazard a guess from my time with Colors in Grey, big synthesizers and noodly guitar leads are the ticket, as Oathbound make ample use of both of these across the album’s half-hour runtime. Sometimes the synths accentuate riffs (“False Ideals”), and sometimes they shape the melody (“Set Adrift”); sometimes the noodling textures a chorus (“Insomniac”), and sometimes it ends a passage (“The Masks We Wear”). But as far as I’m concerned, playing At the Gates riffs between single-string chugs and synth breaks puts Oathbound more akin to Attack Attack! than any branch of the Prog Tree. With just enough hardcore barks and knuckle-dragging riffs to pass as heavy, Oathbound packaged Colors in Grey in a loud, compressed mix and stuffed it with enough Nü metal chugs (“Searching for an Answer”) and bloops (“Misunderstood”) and robo-voiced pop-hook choruses to accommodate radio.² Think less Born of Osiris or Protest the Hero for Oathbound, and more Three Days Grace. Simply, Colors in Grey is SiriusXM bait.

Oathbound have talent, but the production and songwriting woes of Colors in Grey don’t let it shine often. Many of the aforementioned nimble guitar leads are hopelessly buried beneath louder walls of sterile, generic rhythm guitars (“Misunderstood”) or drowned by the vocals placed so far upfront it violates my personal space (“Colors in Grey”). The drums sound big and fake like only metalcore can do, and the bass guitar is an implied presence at best. Nonetheless, Colors in Grey has its moments, like the beefy Amon Amarth stomp in “Misunderstood,”³ the bendy guitar solo on “Searching for an Answer” or the major surprise of “Hold On,” which swaps between punk riffs and spacious, epic doom-worthy leads.⁴ But Colors in Grey is a vocally dominated record with plain bad vocals. While Fox’s screams are a bit grating with his high register and strained delivery, they’re preferable to his cleans constantly reaching for buttrock anthemics and slathered in pitch-correction, rendering them toothless, robotic, and bereft of stank. With the skill Oathbound clearly possess, they could create a truly forward-thinking record. Colors in Grey isn’t it?

Colors in Grey’s most damning quality, however, is that Oathbound built each song around its chorus while making the chorus universally its worst part. Whatever momentum or attitude Oathbound may have established on any given track evaporates at the chorus. Everything from the crushed production to the uninspired instrumentation to the insipid vocals conspires to turn these intended highlights into dull thuds. They’re superficially big but the hooks themselves are usually pretty undynamic and tuneless, not to mention hard to differentiate between each other due to their near-uniform performances. This total dedication to the chorus and to pop structuring deprives Colors in Grey’s verses, bridges and instrumentals the time to progress or develop, killing whatever progressive tendencies Oathbound have before they can take off. As a result, somehow the opening instrumental “Origins” proved to be the best track, because though it’s a basic, mostly-acoustic build-up for “Colors in Grey,” there isn’t a black hole chorus like the rest, and it lets the song build and grow.⁵ Chorus-centric music isn’t necessarily bad; hamstringing your song in favor of a lackluster chorus is.

I don’t fault Oathbound for their ambitions towards mainstream attention—get heard, get paid, dudes—but I do fault them for their complete lack of audacity. There’s just not a challenging idea on Colors in Grey. Everything is pristine, calculated, and impossible to connect with. Colors in Grey isn’t bad because it’s completely unenjoyable, but because it showcases a talented band hampering their potential through cliché. And that’s worse than any absence of swords could ever be.

---

Rating: Bad
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps MP3
Label: Eclipse Records
Websites: facebook.com/oathboundband | oathboundband.com
Releases Worldwide: March 3rd, 2026

The post Oathbound – Colors in Grey Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

Out 17 April, 2026 Via Fearless Records Words by: CECILIA PATTISON-LEVI LØLØ (aka Lauren Mandel) is the 28-year-old Toronto-based pop-punk and rock musician who has been causing a sensation in the pop-punk world since her early EP releases and one of 2024’s best albums: the fabulous Falling For Robots And Wishing I Was One. LØLØ […]

Afrika Bambaataa, the hip-hop pioneer who was successfully sued for child sex trafficking later in life, is dead. Bambaataa died around 3 a.m. today in Pennsylvania due to complications from cancer, TMZ reports. He was 67.

The post Afrika Bambaataa Dead At 67 appeared first on Stereogum.

Einar Solberg of Leprous is set to release his upcoming second solo album Vox Occulta, on 24th April, 2026. A bold, heavy and symphonic statement, the album was recorded in collaboration with the much-sought-after Norwegian Radio Orchestra.

Today, Einar is pleased to present a new track titled “Vita Fragilis”, a song created alongside the aforementioned orchestra. The video gives a glimpse behind the scenes at the orchestra recording the parts.

Einar comments: “‘Vita Fragilis’ was done together with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra. A cinematic and progressive track with no normal verse/chorus structure, and the longest stretch of harsh vocals I’ve done in a while. Curious how odd time signatures sound with a full symphonic orchestra?”

As well as the beautiful orchestration, Einar is joined by drummer Keli Guðjónsson (Agent Fresco), violinist Chris Baum (Bent Knee), guitarist Pierre Danel (Novelists), bassist Jed Lingat, as well as guitarists Ben Levin (ex-Bent Knee), and John Browne (Monuments). The album was mixed by Adam Noble (Nothing But Thieves, Biffy Clyro) and co-produced with David Castillo.

The album sees Solberg taking a deeply personal approach, having been an avid fan of classical music and soundtracks for more than 20 years. The lyrics are personal as well, and they make Vox Occulta something of a thematic follow-up to 16. Where Solberg’s solo debut revisited the death of his father and his past struggles with anxiety, this set is a warts’n’all portrait of himself and how he views the world in 2026.

Vox Occulta will be released as a Limited CD Digipak, Gatefold white/black 2LP & a very limited Gatefold transparent red 2LP, as well as digitally. It can now be pre-order now here.

Official merchandise and special collector’s boxes are available here.

The post EINAR SOLBERG Of LEPROUS Shares “Vita Fragilis” Featuring The Norwegian Radio Orchestra appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Dokken’s .

The post Dokken’s album ‘Erase The Slate’ to be issued on vinyl for the first time in the USA first appeared on Sleaze Roxx.

Slo-Mo Neon Luminate Hoverings brings together two giants of modern jazz and experimental music, trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and guitarist Mary Halvorson. The pair will release the record in June via Nonesuch, representing the culmination of sporadic collaborations dating all the way back to 2009. This material specifically was hashed out in January 2025, performed at…

The post Mary Halvorson & Ambrose Akinmusire Announce New Album <em>Slo-Mo Neon Luminate Hoverings</em>: Hear “Soundcheck” appeared first on Stereogum.

Frontiers Records presents the new single “My Guardian Angel,” a new version of the song originally recorded by Place Vendome in 2009. The band featured Helloween and Unisonic vocalist Michael Kiske, Dennis Ward on bass and production, Kosta Zafiriou on drums, Uwe Reitenauer on guitars, from the band Pink Cream 69, and Gunther Werno on keyboards from the band Vanden Plas.

Featuring Maestrick’s vocalist Fabio Caldeira, the new track is part of the upcoming XXX Anniversary Compilation, a special project celebrating 30 years of passion, creativity, and unforgettable music. The record is set for release on May 22, 2026, and will be available only on CD on the label’s webstore.

Fabio Caldeira comments: “Participating in Frontiers’ 30th anniversary is already something truly special, but being chosen to perform a song originally sung by Michael Kiske – one of my greatest vocal heroes – makes it an even greater honor. I sincerely hope you enjoy it.”

Starting from an idea of Serafino Perugino, the XXX Anniversary Compilation brings together some of the greatest melodies and voices from the world of melodic rock. This special release celebrates the label’s rich legacy by revisiting iconic tracks from the Frontiers catalogue, reimagined with dynamic new performances from an extraordinary lineup of guest vocalists.

Each track has been recorded exclusively for this anniversary project and showcases the powerful reinterpretation of beloved Frontiers classics through the voices of today’s standout rock artists.

Aldo Lonobile, Head of A&R Europe at Frontiers Label Group and producer of the record, comments: “Producing the 30th anniversary record for Frontiers Records has been both an honor and a responsibility. This label has built a legacy on passion and vision, and, with this album, we wanted to celebrate that history in a meaningful way. Having a mix of established and new generation of Frontiers artists reinterpret the iconic tracks that shaped our identity is more than a tribute – it’s a bridge between eras.

“With a tracklist discussed together with the Frontiers President Serafino Perugino, this record is a celebration of where we come from, and a powerful statement of where we’re headed”, he continued.

Under the expert production of Lonobile – who also performs part of the guitars on the album – the performances are backed by a stellar lineup of musicians: Alessandro Mammola (guitar), Andrea Arcangeli (bass), Cristian Timpanaro (bass), the keyboards team – Alessio Lucatti & Antonio Agate, Alfonso Mocerino, and Fortunato Grillo on drums, delivering powerful new arrangements that bring renewed energy to these fan-favorite tracks.

XXX Anniversary Compilation isn’t just a compilation – it’s a tribute to 30 years of rock excellence, a heartfelt thank you to the artists, fans, and collaborators who have been part of the Frontiers Records story.

Pre-order XXX Anniversary Compilation here.

The post FRONTIERS RECORDS Presents Cover Of PLACE VENDOME’s “My Guardian Angel” Featuring FABIO CALDEIRA appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Redress the wrongs you’ve suffered
Distance growing deeper still
For all that hangs upon it
A procession for the death of your will 

The UK’s Reliquia boast the kind of name that sounds like it ought to be carved into a crypt wall with a stolen hunting knife, and on their new single Bone and Shale, they make good on that promise with a performance so steeped in graveyard glamour and bodily collapse that you can almost smell the dust rising off the chapel floorboards. This is a band with a feel for excess in the old, righteous sense, where every element is pushed until it glows red at the edges, yet the song never buckles under the weight of its own black coat.

Bone and Shale drags doom metal’s solemn stomp into the badlands of gothic rock and lets the two stalk each other. You can hear the bloodlines clear enough: Fields of the Nephilim in the dust-coated vocal grandeur, The Sisters of Mercy in the low-slung bass drive, the folk, dusk, and decay of and also the trees. a touch of The Mission in the grand ache, maybe even a little of The Cult’s scorched mysticism hanging over the rafters.  From those dark legacies, Bone and Shale earns its place as a sepulchral centerpiece. It has scale, drama, danger, and a certain doomed dignity.

Gregg Neville is the ringleader here: one minute, he sounds like he is clawing his way through mud and memory, the next, he lifts into something stately and severe, with that faint Bowie-like gleam and Carl McCoy corrosion giving the song a flash of strange elegance amid all the ruin. Tobias Gray and George Kal lace the track with arpeggiated guitars that circle like carrion birds, then open the gate for those twin-lead harmonies that come charging in with a glorious flash of heavy-metal pageantry. Karim Nashar’s drumming gives the song its spine, steady and forceful, keeping the procession moving even as everything around it seems ready to split apart.

And what a lovely procession of misery it is. This song understands grief as private damage turned outward. The lyrics carry a real sense of spiritual abrasion, of a self being stripped down to raw nerve and then called toward some unseen threshold. The arrangement keeps widening as it moves, letting synths gather like storm weather while the bass locks the track to the earth with iron intent.

A gorgeous black and white video of the band’s live performance is below, filmed by Aidan Jones, Finlay Cronshaw-Hardy, and Kieran Marc at Aatma, Manchester.

Listen to Bone and Shale below and order the single here.

Catch Reliquia live:

• April 4th: The Fenton, Leeds, UK
• May 30th: Rock Metal Camp Festival, France
• July 3rd: The Spinning Top, Stockport, UK
• July 24th: Blaqkholesun Festival, Morecambe, UK
• September 11th: Aatma, Manchester, UK

Follow Reliquia:

• Spotify
• Facebook
• Instagram
• TikTok

The post “Wounds Like a Funeral Wreath” — North UK Outfit Reliquia Unveil Video for Sepulchral Gothic Rock Single “Bone and Shale” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

PRE-ORDERS AVAILABLE NOW: https://orcd.co/warning-ritualsofshame

PIONEERING DOOM BAND’S FIRST NEW MUSIC SINCE 2006’S WATCHING FROM A DISTANCE

Warning return with Rituals of Shame, their first new album in 20 years, due June 19 via Relapse Records. The band’s 2006 album, Watching from a Distance, has become one of the most revered releases in doom metal, with Pitchfork noting it “stands among the high water marks of the genre,” and Stereogum declaring it the “greatest doom record of all time.”

“It’s my privilege to be able to present to you the first track released from Rituals of Shame,” Patrick Walker shares as “Stations” (https://youtu.be/x49aT-WREO0) is now available. “Whether you’re among those who have been waiting for this for twenty years, or whether you’re new to my music, it is with great pleasure and some relief, that I can finally give you a taste of the album that will follow later in the year. I wrote and recorded the entire record throughout 2025. This is the year I shall have the honour of sharing it with you.”

Walker, who also leads 40 Watt Sun, began work on Rituals of Shame in January 2025, writing seven days a week over three months as he turned his full focus back to Warning. The album was recorded at The Arch Studio, a 140-year-old former church in Southport, U.K., with recording and mixing handled by Chris Fullard (Idles, Sunn O))), Ulver).

The decision to make a new Warning album emerged from a transformative period in Walker’s life. Reluctant to explain his lyrics, he acknowledges only that the work reflects a deeply personal present moment, with the collection echoing the themes that have long defined his writing: longing, separation, and most of all, love.

Rituals of Shame also reflects a range of Walker’s longstanding influences, from the expansive melodic structures of Marillion to the restraint and clarity of June Tabor. He also cites John Brenner of Revelation as a formative influence, particularly in shaping his approach to articulating emotion through heavy music.

The collection is available now for pre-order (https://orcd.co/warning-ritualsofshame) on various vinyl variants and other physical formats, as well as digital pre-saves.

Rituals of Shame track listing:

1. Rituals of Shame
2. Stations
3. Night Comes Down
4. Landing Lights
5. Teacher

Warning tour dates:

April 16 to 19 Tilburg, NL Roadburn Festival
July 10 to 12 Pleszew, PL Red Smoke Festival
July 29 to August 1 Bergen, NO Beyond The Gates
August 13 to 15 Francavilla Al Mare, IT Frantic Festival
August 13 to 16 Carhaix-plouger, FR Motocultor Festival
September 4 Helsinki, FI KULT
September 12 to 13 Leon, MX Candelabrum Metal Festival
November 7 Nuremberg, DE Sonus Obscura Festival
November 13 Athens, GR An Club

Warning hail from Essex, U.K., emerging from the British doom scene in 1994. The band released two albums in their initial run, The Strength to Dream (1999) and Watching from a Distance (2006). The band reunited in 2017 for a limited number of live performances including an appearance at Roadburn Festival. Warning is Patrick Walker (vocals/guitar), Wayne Taylor (guitar), Marcus Hatfield (bass), and Andrew Prestidge (drums).

Warningband.com

Instagram.com/warningdoom

Facebook.com/Warningdoom