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  • Album Review: Domhain – In Perfect Stillness

    Album Review: Domhain – In Perfect Stillness

    Reviewed by Oli Gonzalez

    It felt only like yesterday when I first laid eyes and ears on Domhain in autumn 2023. This coincided with the release of their 3 track EP “Nimue”, providing us with a glimpse of their melodic post brand of black metal. Since then, the band have toured with the likes of Saor and bagged a slot at the prestigious Fortress Festival, amongst other accolades! Now, they’re on the eve of their latest release “In Perfect Stillness”. A full circle moment for me and a chance to revisit one of the more exciting upcoming black metal bands in the UK.

    Always preferring to do things little and often in this 5 track offering. Why throw all your eggs in one basket in bigger releases though? Especially in today’s music landscape when they can get lost in the shuffle?

    There is certainly an avant-garde Agalloch-esque feel and influence to this album. In particular with the choppy progressive rhythm, and sporadic yet effective cathartic bursts from the guitars. Guitars with a shoegaze like texture at times such is the dreamlike texture.The cleaner soothing ethereal vocals are also reminiscent of Aggaloch. Though Domhain utilise the vocal tandem of both the drummer Anais and bassist Andy, with the result being an epic duet of voices that complement each other wonderfully! ‘Footsteps II’ provides an example of this well constructed harmony. Though the heavier vocals of Andy are utilised to great effect, sparingly used and feeling impactful when deployed.

    Album Review: Domhain - In Perfect Stillness

    The music can ebb and flow between so many edges of the genre with sudden shifts in dynamics and timbres. Forget standard verse-chorus structures too. Instead, Domhain are defying song writing conventions and telling their musical stories on their very own terms. ‘Footsteps II’ features a serotonin sapping gloomy and bleak undertone in a slower doom inspired piece that’s oddly addictive, making escape from its mirky depths quite impossible. It’s a harrowing and immersive journey into the darker depths of your psyche, allowing you to feel emotions you weren’t sure you had previously.

    Whereas ‘In Perfect Stillness’ takes the more route one approach with the blistering blast beats, gnarly growled vocals and more frantic aggression from the get go. Yet they resist the urge to unleash the fully qualified inferno of hell! Instead, it retains a wonderful opulent quality and surprisingly warmer inviting tone. Much like Deafheaven or Alcest would do.

    Domhain go beyond the traditional metal instrumental setup and tools to achieve the sound they want. Tactical deployments of acoustic guitars, cellos, and other traditional percussion instruments to compliment the foundations laid down by the bass, drums, and electric guitars.

    It’s difficult to standout in the fiercely stacked world of black metal. Though Domhain have observed the masses and advanced in the opposite direction. “In Perfect Stillness” is a breath of fresh air in a genre full of cliches and gimmicks, injecting welcome life and novelty into black metal.

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

    The post Album Review: Domhain – In Perfect Stillness appeared first on The Razor's Edge.

  • SeventhString Plunge Into New Sonic Depths With Upcoming Metalcore Single “An Ocean Laced With Glass” – @thebeast

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    SeventhString Plunge Into New Sonic Depths With Upcoming Metalcore Single “An Ocean Laced With Glass”
    Release Date: May 30th, 2026
    https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/seventhstring/an-ocean-laced-with-glass
    Forged in passion and sharpened by sheer determination, SeventhString announces the release of their latest single, An Ocean Laced With Glass , a metalcore powerhouse infused with post-grunge energy. Drawing inspiration from genre heavyweights like Trivium, Killswitch Engage, and Breaking Benjamin, the band delivers a sound that’s both technically precise and emotionally raw.
    Hailing from [City/State if desired], SeventhString was formed by guitarist and frontman Cailen Penner , drummer Samuel Peters , lead guitarist Gavin Funk , and scream vocalist Ryan Peters . What began as a hard rock project has evolved into a ferocious blend of punishing riffs and melodic hooks, marrying the emotional intensity of Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace with the aggression of modern metalcore.
    An Ocean Laced With Glass showcases the band’s latest sonic evolution, exploring themes of inner conflict, resilience, and transformation. Known for tight, immersive live performances, SeventhString channels chaos into catharsis, carving a path that is unmistakably their own.


    “This single is our most honest and aggressive work to date,” says Cailen Penner. “We wanted to capture that feeling of standing in the storm, facing everything at once, and turning it into something that hits hard and stays with you.”


    The track was recorded at Studio 23 , with Jody Hunter as executive producer and produced, mixed, and mastered by Cailen James Penner . Composition credits go to Penner, Peters, and Funk. The release is self-managed and fully independent.
    An Ocean Laced With Glass will be available everywhere on May 30th , and fans can pre-save or stream it now via https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/seventhstring/an-ocean-laced-with-glass
    Heavy. Honest. Unrelenting. This is SeventhString .
    For press inquiries, interviews, or review copies, contact: zach@metaldevastationradio.com
    Check them out on YouTube and subscribe:


    Connect: https://linktr.ee/seventhstringband
    Contact: seventh7stringband@gmail.com

  • “I don’t like the jock atmosphere of the travelling rock’n’roll band. It’s corny, it’s boring and it’s silly.” The story of the rock’n’roll band who aren’t really a band and don’t like rock’n’roll but have sold 50 million records to people who do

    Steely Dan: An enigma in search of perfection

  • ESCAPE THE CONSTRUCT UNLEASHES DEBUT SINGLE “FALLOUT” WITH CYBERPUNK VISUALIZER – @thebeast

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    ESCAPE THE CONSTRUCT UNLEASHES DEBUT SINGLE “FALLOUT” WITH CYBERPUNK VISUALIZER
    Single and Visualizer Out 27 February 2026 via All Streaming Platforms
    Pre-Save / Listen: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/escapetheconstruct/fallout
    Nottingham, UK — Emerging from the crucible of global tension, Escape The Construct drops their debut single “Fallout” on 27 February 2026 , accompanied by a dystopian cyberpunk-themed visualizer. The track fuses modern metal precision with industrial grit and electronic textures, crafting a sonic assault that reflects the pressures of our present-day reality.
    “Fallout is our warning and our mirror — a sonic and visual look at what happens when the construct goes online and we stop asking why,” says vocalist SVART:H4CKR .
    About the Single
    “Fallout” blends chunky, mechanical riffs with cybernetic synth layers and aggressive vocals, anchored by precise rhythmic percussion and hints of melody. The song sits comfortably for fans of Fear Factory , Sybreed , and Architects , merging mechanized aggression with modern melodic sensibilities. Lyrically, it examines the fallout of technology gone unchecked — humanity now faces the consequences of the construct going online.
    Visualizer and Production
    Crafted by SVART:H4CKR, the accompanying visualizer plunges viewers into a cyberpunk nightmare, merging original performance footage with distorted, manipulated FX. Wires, flesh, and the embodiment of the “demon in the machine” drive the narrative, making suffering the centerpiece of a story about humanity’s uneasy fusion with technology.
    The track was written and produced by TK672 and SVART:H4CKR , with lyrics by SVART:H4CKR, music by TK672, and production/sound engineering handled jointly by the duo.
    Label: Self-Released
    Pre-Save / Listen: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/escapetheconstruct/fallout

    Connect: 
    https://www.facebook.com/escapetheconstruct
    https://www.instagram.com/escapetheconstructband/
    Contact: escapetheconstruct@yahoo.com

  • BANISHED TRUTH Unleashes Debut Album Exilium Veritatis – @thebeast

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    BANISHED TRUTH Unleashes Debut Album Exilium Veritatis

    Out Now | Self-Produced Death Metal Manifesto
    Rising from the underground with fire in his veins and distortion in his soul, Banished Truth has officially released his debut full-length album Exilium Veritatis . Self-produced and independently unleashed, this death metal statement is a fierce blend of aggression, melody, and unapologetic lyrical depth.
    Conceived, written, and produced entirely by Indian guitarist and lifelong metalhead Vikas D, Exilium Veritatis stands as a one-man war machine fueled by the spirit of classic death metal and the blistering shred heroes of the 80s and 90s. This is not a watered-down nostalgia trip. It is a battle cry.
    Drawing inspiration from the intensity of Children of Bodom , the blasphemous ferocity of Deicide , and the relentless precision of Vader , Banished Truth forges a sound that balances raw fury with technical finesse. Razor-sharp riffing collides with soaring melodic leads, while socio-political and existential themes cut just as deep as the guitars.
    “This album aims to balance aggression and fury with melody and instrumental craft with socio-political and existential lyrics,” says Vikas D.
    Every track on Exilium Veritatis reflects a commitment to authenticity. No shortcuts. No compromise. Just pure, old-school-driven death metal energy delivered with modern precision. Produced and engineered by Vikas D himself, the album captures the grit and intensity that made the genre legendary in the first place.
    While Banished Truth currently operates as a solo studio project, the vision is expanding. The search is on for dedicated musicians to complete the live lineup, including a lead guitarist, bassist, and drummer. This is a call to arms for those who live and breathe metal and are ready to carry the banner forward.
    If you have been waiting for death metal that respects the roots while carving its own path, this record deserves your attention.
    Exilium Veritatis is now available for streaming and download at:
    https://banishedtruth.bandcamp.com/album/exilium-veritatis
    For the love of metal.
    Check them out on YouTube and subscribe:


    Connect with the band:
    https://www.instagram.com/banished_truth
    https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587546511266
    Contact: vikas.dharamsattu@gmail.com

  • WORM SHEPARD: Dawn Of The Iconoclast

    Out 19 February, 2026 Via Unique Leader Records Words by: Liam Hedges From the outset of this EP with the first track The Omen, Worm Shepard are out for blood, demonstrating both their ability to craft vast soundscapes and the sheer immense brutality of their breakdowns. An atmosphere is quickly created with the clean guitars […]

  • Bringing The Discovery Down Under With CAMERON LOSCH From BORN OF OSIRIS

    After years of anticipation,Born of Osiris are finally set to return to Australia this month and for drummer Cameron Losch, the excitement is doubled. While the band last toured the country six years ago, Cameron himself hasn’t performed on Australian soil for roughly a decade due to an injury during their previous run. “I am […]

  • “You Can Dance or You Can Die” — Warsaw Post-Punk Project Undertheskin Releases Third LP “N E V E R | R E T U R N”

    In the cold of the night

    In the dark of your life

    You can dance or you can die 

    History hums in straight lines. A bassline. A drum pattern. A voice placed slightly forward in the mix, as if stepping out of a still-developing photograph. Undertheskin, the long-running project of Warsaw’s Mariusz [Void] Łuniewski, has spent a decade refining that hum into something disciplined and deliberate, music that feels engineered for late hours and lucid thoughts.

    Now comes the third full-length: N E V E R | R E T U R N, released via Young & Cold Records. The album unfolds like a sequence of emotional coordinates: isolation, fracture, endurance, aftermath,  each song separated by that vertical bar in the titles, a graphic scar. Across N E V E R | R E T U R N, Undertheskin maintains a strict economy. Massive basslines anchor the songs; vintage synths provide glacial sheen; drum machines mark the minutes with mechanical calm; guitars constrict rather than expand. Łuniewski’s voice remains the focal point: expressive, controlled, deeply invested in the emotional terrain it surveys.

    Freezing | Lights opens with a bass motif that feels locked into repetition by design, moving with the austere elegance associated with Clan of Xymox and the early electronic drama of Ultravox. The lyrics probe permanence and certainty, circling the idea that what glows may also confine. Guitars close in, clipped and contained, while the vocal rides above with measured intensity. There is clarity in the coldness. End This | Summer shifts toward rupture. A friendship dissolves as seasons change; proximity gives way to absence. Echoed vocals widen the space between two once-aligned figures. The guitar lines stretch and recede, underscoring regret. Chords arc upward, echo gathering at their edges. Repetition here functions as memory replayed until meaning thins.

    On the standout Dance | Die, motion is the argument and the answer. The beat draws in tight, urgent yet exact, every kick and synth line aligned with purpose. The lyric frames a clear ultimatum: surrender to the weight, or move through it. Here, the dancefloor becomes a survival zone, a place where the body bargains with despair and wins by staying in motion. Feeling runs high, but it is ordered, shaped, given form. You can hear the disciplined propulsion associated with Covenant in the rhythm’s forward drive — electronic devotion rendered in clean lines.

    The black-and-white video, directed by Rytis Titas, extends that thesis into image. Gorgeously shot, it follows a woman alone at home as she prepares food with ritual precision. Her gestures are careful, almost ceremonial. She sits at the table as if in prayer, eyes fixed somewhere beyond the room. In her mind, another space opens: the darkened club, the press of bodies, the release of dancing without restraint. Domestic stillness gives way to imagined movement. What she longs for is simple and profound — companionship, connection, the shared pulse of presence.

    Watch below:

    Beyond the video, N E V E R | R E T U R N continues its careful sequencing. Dance | Die may crystallize the album’s thesis in motion, but it sits within a larger design — one where intimacy, rupture, and endurance are arranged with deliberate restraint.

    Always | Never offers a gentler contour. Longing sits at the centre, shaped by a wish for someone else’s safety and return. Synth tones lift with restraint, almost luminous. Hope appears as a quiet constant, sustained by recollection rather than spectacle. With Exit | Wounds, the album confronts betrayal and mutual damage. The past is acknowledged, almost ritualistically. Harm is shared, not simplified. The arrangement remains disciplined, allowing the vocal to articulate loss without ornament.

    The title track, Never | Return, pares everything back further. Wasted youth, emotional numbness, irreversible distance — these themes repeat like a mantra etched into the track’s backbone. The absence of flourish becomes its own statement. Time feels spent; the path once taken is now closed. There is a starkness here that again gestures toward Joy Division, though filtered through Undertheskin’s own contemporary minimalism.

    Closing piece End This | Winter extends the seasonal metaphor into something harder, harsher. Words unsaid weigh heavily. Accusations linger. Yet within the insistence on ending lies a glimmer of forward motion; the possibility that a cycle can be named and then broken. There is an echo here of Pornography-era Cure in the emotional temperature, of Ultravox in the structural sweep.

    Overall N E V E R | R E T U R N is a record that stands upright, pared back and purposeful, in the long conversation of post-punk’s modern mutations.

    Order the album here

    Founded in 2015, Undertheskin began as a solitary operation: Łuniewski writing, producing, performing, calibrating each element himself. Two albums, U N D E R T H E S K I N and N E G A T I V E, and the internationally embraced End This Summer EP positioned him as a figure within the modern coldwave continuum. Stages followed, shared with The Soft Moon, She Past Away, Clan of Xymox, Drab Majesty, and Lebanon Hanover.

    Follow Undertheskin:

    The post “You Can Dance or You Can Die” — Warsaw Post-Punk Project Undertheskin Releases Third LP “N E V E R | R E T U R N” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.

  • BON SCOTT’s 80th Birthday Celebrations Set To Be Massive

    Bon Scott (1946-1980), the legendary singer and lyricist for AC/DC, Fraternity and The Valentines, remains one of the great front men in rock and roll history. His indelible shriek and poetic turns of phrase, along with his playful grin and attitude are synonymous with the lifestyle he led until his untimely death in 1980. Today, […]

  • 2026 Blues Music Awards nominees announced

    The Blues Foundation has announced its nominees for the 2026 Blues Music Awards. The awards are voted on by the members of the Blues Foundation. The 47th annual Blues Music Awards will take place on May 7, 2026, in Memphis, Tennessee.

    View the full list of nominees below.

    Acoustic Blues Album

    Catfish Keith, “Sugar for Sugar – Vol. 1 2025 Summer Sessions”
    Doug MacLeod, “Between Somewhere and Goodbye”
    Erin Harpe, “Let The Mermaids Flirt With Me: A Tribute to Mississippi John Hurt”
    Hudspeth & Taylor, “Kimuziki Live in Des Moines”
    Johnny Iguana, “At Delmark”

    Acoustic Blues Artist

    Catfish Keith
    Doug MacLeod
    Eric Bibb
    Kevin Burt
    Rhiannon Giddens

    Album of the Year

    Blood Brothers Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia, “Help Yourself”
    Bobby Rush & Kenny Wayne Shepherd, “Young Fashioned Ways”
    D.K. Harrell, “Talkin’ Heavy”
    Larry McCray, “Heartbreak City”
    Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, “Closer To The Bone”

    B.B. King Entertainer of the Year

    Castro Coleman (Mr. Sipp)
    Rick Estrin
    Ronnie Baker Brooks
    Ruthie Foster
    Vanessa Collier

    Band of the Year

    Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra
    John Nemeth and the Blue Dreamers
    Southern Avenue
    Tedeschi Trucks Band
    Vanessa Collier Band

    Best Emerging Artist Album

    Brody Buster, “Redemption”
    Allison August, “August Moon”
    Sean McDonald, “Have Mercy!”
    Robbin Kapsalis, “THE BLUES IS IN THE HOUSE”
    Kyle Rowland, “NOT HOLDING BACK!”

    Blues Rock Album

    Blood Brothers Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia, “Help Yourself”
    Devon Allman, “BLUES SUMMIT”
    Kent Burnside, “Hill Country Blood”
    Tom Hambridge, “Down The Hatch”
    Walter Trout, “Sign Of The Times”

    Blues Rock Artist

    Ana Popovic
    Kenny Wayne Shepherd
    Kirk Fletcher
    Tommy Castro
    Walter Trout

    Contemporary Blues Album

    Brandon Santini, “Which Way Do We Go?”
    Carolyn Wonderland, “Truth Is”
    D.K. Harrell, “Talkin’ Heavy”
    Monster Mike Welch, “Keep Living Til I Die”
    Southern Avenue, “Family”

    Contemporary Blues Female Artist

    Carolyn Wonderland
    Danielle Nicole
    Ruthie Foster
    Samantha Fish
    Vanessa Collier

    Contemporary Blues Male Artist

    Brandon Santini
    Castro Coleman (Mr. Sipp)
    Chris Cain
    Christone ”Kingfish” Ingram
    D.K. Harrell

    Instrumentalist – Bass

    Benny Turner
    Larry Fulcher
    Michael ”Mudcat” Ward
    Rodrigo Mantovani
    Scot Sutherland

    Instrumentalist – Drums

    Chris Layton
    Chris Peet
    Derrick D’Mar Martin
    Tom Hambridge
    Tony Braunagel

    Instrumentalist – Guitar

    Chris Cain
    Christoffer ”Kid” Andersen
    Derek Trucks
    Joanna Connor
    Ronnie Baker Brooks

    Instrumentalist – Harmonica

    Billy Branch
    Bob Corritore
    Brandon Santini
    John Nemeth
    Kim Wilson

    Instrumentalist – Horn

    Greg Piccolo
    Jimmy Carpenter
    Mark Kaz Kazanoff
    Regi Oliver
    Trombone Shorty

    Instrumentalist – Piano (Pinetop Perkins Piano Player)

    Anthony Geraci
    Bruce Katz
    Dave Keyes
    Jon Cleary
    Marcia Ball

    Instrumentalist – Vocals

    Candice Ivory
    Danielle Nicole
    John Nemeth
    Shemekia Copeland
    Susan Tedeschi

    Song of the Year

    “Mile After Mile”
    written by Brandon Santini & Jeff Jensen

    “Bye Bye Blues”
    written by Larry McCray & Charlie Walmsley

    “Can’t Catch a Break”
    written by Tommy Castro & Christoffer Andersen

    “Upside”
    written by Tierinii Jackson, Tikyra Jackson, Ori Naftaly, Dylan Altman & Marshall Altman

    “Who Was That?”
    written by Emmett Ellis Jr. & Kenny Wayne Shepherd

    Soul Blues Album

    Dave Keller, “La Brea”
    Jimmy Burns & Soul Message Band, “Full Circle”
    Johnny Rawls, “Make Them Dance”
    Tad Robinson Band, “Soul In Blue”
    The Soul of John Black, “Soul Salvation”

    Soul Blues Female Artist

    Annika Chambers
    Candice Ivory
    Kat Riggins
    Thornetta Davis
    Vaneese Thomas

    Soul Blues Male Artist

    Alabama Mike
    Curtis Salgado
    John Nemeth
    Johnny Rawls
    Tad Robinson

    Traditional Blues Album

    Bobby Rush & Kenny Wayne Shepherd, “Young Fashioned Ways”
    Buddy Guy, “Ain’t Done With The Blues”
    Charlie Musselwhite, “Look Out Highway”
    Maria Muldaur, “One Hour Mama: The Blues of Victoria Spivey”
    Roomful Of Blues, “Steppin’ Out”

    Traditional Blues Female Artist (Koko Taylor Award)

    Diunna Greenleaf
    Eden Brent
    Maria Muldaur
    Rhiannon Giddens
    Teeny Tucker

    Traditional Blues Male Artist

    Billy Branch
    Jimmie Vaughan
    John Primer
    Jontavious Willis
    Rick Estrin

    International Blues Album

    Brandon Isaak, “Walkin With The Blues”
    Honeybear, the Band, “I Was Wrong”
    Hubert Dorigatti & Blues harp masters, “Poor Boy”
    J.T.Lauritsen & The Buckshot Hunters, “Still be friends”
    The Angelique Francis Band, “Not Defeated”

    The post 2026 Blues Music Awards nominees announced appeared first on Blues Rock Review.