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After twelve years spent carrying one of post-punk’s great catalogues through theatres, festivals, and anniversary tours, Echo & The Bunnymen have reopened the door to the studio. The Liverpool band have announced Apples for Isaac, their thirteenth album and first full-length collection of newly written material since 2014’s Meteorites. The album arrives on September 18th via BMG.

Its first single, “Brussels Is Haunted,” received its initial radio play on BBC Radio 6 Music from Chris Hawkins before appearing on streaming services, accompanied by an animated video directed by Belgian filmmaker Jef De Smet.

Behind the kit is the late Clem Burke of Blondie, whose performance on “Brussels Is Haunted” was recorded before his death in April 2025 and stands among his final studio work. His punchy, propulsive drumming combines with McCulloch’s strummed guitar to give the song its forward motion, while broad sheets of Will Sergeant’s electric guitar supply that unmistakable Bunnymen scale. McCulloch moves through the verses in a slightly gruff, poetic cadence in between the song’s bright, reverbed refrain built around its title. The song’s backing “sha-la-la-las” add a distinctly ’60s pop lift, allowing the chorus to sweep away some of the tension gathered in the verses.

At times its retro contours occasionally point toward sounds that Britpop would later revisit, although Liverpool’s Sergeant and McCulloch had been folding ’60s pop and psychedelia into post-punk years before Madchester went shopping for flares.

As the first glimpse of the band’s next chapter, “Brussels Is Haunted” makes a persuasive follow-up to Meteorites. And to our ears, it lands—by a hare’s breadth—closer to the polished psychedelic pop of their 1987 self-titled album. There is also a pleasing geographical echo to the comparison: portions of that 1987 album were recorded at ICP Studios in Brussels.

Lyrically, McCulloch casts Brussels as a city crowded with the people, places, and events lodged in its collective memory. Waterloo and two world wars share the frame with romance, nightlife, frozen vodka, and Belgian pop eccentric Plastic Bertrand. Private recollection brushes against European history until the capital becomes a civic séance, calling its former inhabitants back to haunt its streets.

De Smet’s accompanying visual extends that idea into an animated portrait of Brussels occupied by its monuments, famous visitors, cultural memory, and accumulated dead. History, art, romance, and war pass through the city as overlapping layers, turning its streets and squares into repositories for lives that have disappeared. The video’s credits acknowledge the use of AI in portions of its imagery.

Watch the video below:

Speaking recently with MOJO, McCulloch attributed part of the long interval between Bunnymen albums to the pandemic. The greater concern was lyrical: he wanted each song to make sense or remain, in his phrase, “cryptically important.” McCulloch also said that Apples for Isaac sounds closer to what he originally heard in his head than any record he can remember making.

Burke’s performance on “Brussels is Haunted” forms part of a larger contribution to Apples for Isaac: the Blondie drummer appears on ten of its eleven songs. Echo & The Bunnymen described their longtime friend as “integral to the making of the album,” closing their dedication with the simple farewell: “Love you Clem X.”

Apples for Isaac will be available on black vinyl, picture disc, signed test pressing, CD, and digital formats, with clothing and tote-bag bundles also available. Orders placed through the band’s store include an exclusive print signed by Ian McCulloch.

Pre-order or pre-save the album here.

Apples for Isaac tracklist:

1. Take Me By The Hand
2. Can’t Be Sold
3. Brussels Is Haunted
4. I’ll Be Your Sunshine
5. Hijacked
6. The Honey
7. Unstoppable Force
8. The Light That Surrounds You
9. Lab Rats Ran
10. Asimov
11. We Prayed In The Dark

Echo & The Bunnymen live dates:

• July 24–26 — Forest Fest, County Laois, Ireland
• August 7 — Fiesta de Begoña, Gijón, Spain
• August 8 — Festival Noroeste Estrella Galicia, A Coruña, Spain
• September 22 — Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London, UK — Sold Out
• September 23 — Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London, UK
• December 20 — Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow, UK
• December 22 — Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow, UK

Find ticket information through the band’s official website.

Follow Echo & The Bunnymen:

• Official website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• X / Twitter
• YouTube
• TikTok

The post Echo & The Bunnymen Announce First Album of New Songs in 12 Years: “Apples for Isaac” — Watch Video for “Brussels is Haunted” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

I wanna run, I wanna hide
When I tried to fix you, it made me die
No joy, only pain
Never asked for much, just what it takes

A burden, a caress, and then nothing more: the title of Hungarian outfit Choke City’s latest EP reduces the course of a damaged relationship to three stark stages. Across these songs, devotion becomes obligation, physical desire offers temporary relief, and familial love reaches the point where survival requires a departure. The Budapest quartet gives each emotional state its own weight, moving between post-punk, shoegaze, and heavy alternative rock while maintaining a remarkably unified atmosphere.

Released through Budapest’s Corbata Records, Burden. Caress. Nothing More. finds vocalist Richárd Géczi, guitarist Barnabás Kiss, bassist Szabolcs Szűcs, and drummer Gáspár Binder working with density and scale. Their music feels physically imposing, though its force comes as much from accumulated emotion as from volume. Guitars spread across the mix in broad sheets, the bass establishes a dark romantic pull, and Binder’s drums give even the quietest passages a sense of approaching consequence.

“The Burden of Serving You” opens beneath thick drums, strummed chords, and sustained guitar tones. Géczi initially sings with wounded tenderness, describing devotion as something holy that has gradually become unbearable. His repeated admission that serving another person has overwhelmed him gives the song its central conflict: love remains sacred even after it has become a form of submission.

As the arrangement rises, Géczi’s voice gains power and the track expands into a cascade of guitars and percussion. Choke City wisely interrupt that ascent about two-thirds of the way through. A few sparse strokes across the guitar strings leave the singer momentarily exposed, underlining the shame and exhaustion running through the lyrics. When the full band returns, the emotional release feels earned rather than automatic.

“Caress,” featuring St. Martin, begins with a metallic bass melody before drums and droning shoegaze guitars fill the available space. The guitars quiver inside the distortion while the vocal remains close and clear, delivering the song’s invitation with sensual confidence and a trace of alt-rock sleaze. Its language is tactile—silk, honey, closed eyes, hands—and the directness provides a welcome change after the self-sacrifice of the opening track.

The repeated “Believe me” marks a striking turn. The bassline acquires a Cure-like romantic sweep, changing the song’s temperature without disturbing its heaviness. Seduction gives way to surrender, and the caress promised by the title begins to carry its own risk. Desire here offers intimacy, though the music suggests how easily intimacy can become another loss of control.

The closing “Nothing More” begins with distorted guitar that seems to be playing through an old Victrola. That murky transmission soon clears, preserving the same strummed figure as the band opens into a dreamy alt-rock ballad. Géczi’s breathy vocal sits high in the mix while guitar accents pass through the central melody like gusts through heavy rain.

The lyrics shift from romantic entanglement toward a painful confrontation between a son and a parent. The singer recalls trying to rescue someone from what they had become, only to be pushed away and left wondering whether their relationship had ever been honest. His recurring question—whether the other person ever cried as he still does—carries anger, grief, and a final appeal for recognition.

Near the midpoint, a sustained guitar figure intensifies the song’s sorrow before the arrangement swells around it. The instruments grow larger while the vocal remains fragile above them, creating a severe contrast between inner vulnerability and outward force. By the final declaration, leaving has become a necessity. There is no victory in the decision, only the knowledge that remaining would continue the damage.

Choke City describe their current work as a break with their musical past, and this EP supports that sense of renewal. Since 2021, the band have released a full-length album alongside eight singles and EPs, as well as a live set recorded at the House of Arts in Szekszárd. Here, their various influences settle into a focused language of their own. Burden. Caress. Nothing More. traces three forms of surrender, ending at the difficult moment when letting go becomes the last available act of love.

Listen to the Burden. Caress. Nothing More. EP below, and order it here.

Follow Choke City:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Bandcamp
• Linktree

The post “Tell Me If You Ever Cried…” — Budapest’s Choke City Share “Burden. Caress. Nothing More” EP appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

Symphonic metal has always touched me on a deeply emotional and personal level. There is something about the contrast in this genre that feels remarkably close to real life: the darkness and the light, the chaos and the calm, the heavy guitars and the delicate melodies all somehow existing together. Add the themes these bands explore, while still leaving plenty of room for romance, emotion, and a little dramatic suffering, and you have a genre that has given us some truly iconic bands and women who have gifted us memories I will probably carry forever. These are my 10 favourite symphonic metal albums, and yes, this list is very personal.

#10

The Heart of Everything

Within Temptation

This milestone album, which brought us hits like “The Howling,” “Frozen,” and “Hand of Sorrow,” is undoubtedly a highlight of symphonic metal. With Sharon den Adel’s vocals as its cornerstone and the gothic symphonic metal style it helped pioneer, this is the album to turn to whenever you need to feel thoroughly thrilled.

#9

The Wonders Still Awaiting

Xandria

When Xandria announced a new vocalist and shared new music, my first thought was, “Come on, just give up already.” I mean, some bands are great, but simply aren’t meant to last forever. Then I heard Ambre Vourvahis on “Reborn” and thought, “Oh, hold on.” Later, they released The Wonders Still Awaiting to show everyone that, well… the wonders are still awaiting. Ambre Vourvahis’ versatility, along with the powerful ballads and catchy anthems, made this one of my favourite albums in symphonic metal.

#8

Aspiral

Epica

Aspiral is probably Epica’s best album, technically speaking. It only sits this low on my list because of the emotional connection I have with the albums that come later. With every release, Epica proves that they have the master recipe for creating the perfect symphonic metal album, and that they’re still working on improving it.

#7

Pirates

Visions of Atlantis

The current Clémentine Delauney–Michele Guaitoli era of Visions of Atlantis is one of the most underappreciated things happening in symphonic metal. Aside from being a near-perfect vocal duo, they both have that special kind of voice that carries an atmosphere of discovery and adventure, fitting the themes Visions of Atlantis sing about perfectly. Pirates took this to a whole new level. Don’t believe me? Go listen to “Master the Hurricane”.

#6

Oceanborn

Nightwish

This used to be my favourite album featuring Tarja’s vocals (you’ll find out later why it isn’t anymore). Oceanborn set the standards for symphonic metal. It showed us that symphonic metal is not an orchestra playing alongside metal, but an interplay between the two, a dance between two sounds, all carried by the soaring vocals of Tarja Turunen.

#5

A Fortress Called Home

Seven Spires

Adrienne Cowan can sing serene melodies capable of making dead trees grow green again, then follow them up with harsh vocals powerful enough to cause an earthquake. This album shows just how brilliant she is at both. With songs like “Almosttown” and “Love’s Souvenir”, alongside its wonderfully versatile approach, this album places Seven Spires comfortably in the middle of the great symphonic metal bands for me.

#4

Decipher

After Forever

When you listen to this album today, it feels almost like a blueprint for great things to come later. Those great things came with other bands, sure, but this album remains one of my favourites because of the mastery in its songwriting, the rawness of its presentation, and its willingness to experiment with new elements. Then you have the sheer complexity of songs like “Zenith”, and it is honestly impossible not to appreciate just how far ahead of its time this album was.

#3

Imaginaerum

Nightwish

Nightwish had already established themselves as the kings and queens of symphonic metal long before this album. This album came along to say, “We haven’t even started yet.” Nightwish put every colour on their musical palette to use and weren’t afraid to put colours never used before in metal on their dark canvas. And Anette Olzon? What a queen. Anette’s voice is an atmosphere all on its own.

#2

Frisson Noir

Tarja

I’ve been talking about this album to literally everyone I meet. I even played a song for my grandmother, hoping to recruit her into the ranks of Tarja fans despite her advanced age. She asked me to turn down that ungodly thing. It’s fine. She makes excellent lemon cake. Back to Tarja’s Frisson Noir, this album went from being my favourite Tarja solo record to becoming my favourite thing she has ever done. Sorry, Nightwish fans, but facts are facts. There is something about this music that reaches straight into my heart, and “At Sea” is one of my favourite songs of all time, if not the favourite. Simply put, a masterpiece.

#1

Design Your Universe

Epica

Epica’s 2009 fourth studio album is a landmark in symphonic metal and, for me, the album that defined the genre. With the 13-minute epic “Kingdom of Heaven,” the iconic “Unleashed,” and the captivating “Martyr of the Free Word,” Design Your Universe brings together death metal aggression, epic orchestration, and grand choirs in a way that still makes it my all-time favorite symphonic metal album. This is the album I go to when I’m happy, sad, annoyed, rejoiced, free, or busy. Basically, this is my period album.

The post V-Thoughts | 10 Symphonic Metal Albums That Own My Heart first appeared on FemMetal – Goddesses of Metal.

You get out of the cycle again
You get worn out before it begins
You get out alive it all starts again

Cure For Youth is a Los Angeles outfit whose post-punk carries the bodily intelligence of hardcore. Scott Savarie’s bass and Nicolas Sturz’s drums push against time, giving the song the clipped momentum of a crowd beginning to move. Connor McKenna’s guitar widens the frame with chorus and delay, while Catarina Teles’s synthesizer hangs over the arrangement like fluorescent weather. The track is spacious without becoming vague, melodic without relaxing its grip.

Savarie’s vocal performance gives that disorder a center. He sings with the cool restraint associated with early-eighties post-punk, but the reserve is less theatrical than protective. The song’s lineage — Joy Division’s severity, Ceremony’s sharpened velocity, the rougher romanticism of The Men — is audible, though Cure For Youth avoids the deadening effect of impeccable reference. Their sound is persuasive because it seems lived in: phrasing learned in small rooms, atmosphere added later, once the band knew exactly how much space it could afford.