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On September 8th 2026, Swedish thrashers Xion will put out their second long player dubbed When Stars Collide. The 8-piece outing was produced, mixed and mastered by Jonas Arnberg. Cover artwork was created by Par Olofsson.
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Over the past few years, Devil Master, Blank Spell, and Spiter have crystallised a new wave of black metal-inspired bands in the hardcore scene. But to call them simply black metal is selling them short. While they possess that genre’s banshee screeching and diminished chords, their punk-ified speed metal riffing and erratic structures reveal something foreign and gothic. Zorn show this better than any other. 

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A shadow is cast upon Zorn’s family by the so-called “Japanese punk-metal” sound that G.I.S.M. and Zouo defined in the 1980s. These groups’ Venom-throatedness, buzzing guitars, and driving drum beats were so raw that the line between them and early black metal was but a string. The foundations of Return to Castle Death, Zorn’s latest album, is a modern reinterpretation of this as it incorporates black metal’s later Norwegian developments. 

Through their unconventional vocals, hardcore-focus and manic writing style, Zorn made a name for themselves as the most G.I.S.M.-leaning of their sect. What G.I.S.M. couldn’t predict, however were the elements Zorn takes from deathrock, the punk-indebted, American counterpart to goth. Zorn’s music is littered with the unorthodox chord voicings and sparse, flange-heavy guitar work blazed by Christian Death, Burning Image or Altar de Fey. Hardcore, goth, and black metal have long been intertwining, back to Celtic Frost’s love of Christian Death and Discharge or Mayhem’s Amebix and Dead Can Dance obsessions, but the flanger was overwhelmingly dismissed. Zorn even have a fascinating tendency to pluck characteristically black metal chords in ways that make them more closely resemble those of mainline British goth. 

Zorn feature Cape of Bats live guitarist Eric Teofilak on vocals, a band who, a decade and a half ago, forged this same fusion. Following their hiatus in 2015, they became a phenomenon in their hometown of Philadelphia, in part through guitarist Francis Kano’s labels Grim Wind Records and Bat Magick Productions. If Cape of Bats and Haunter’s split album from last year is anything to go by, it seems to be called “black magick metal”. 

Teofilak has the erratic annunciation and character voices of G.I.S.M.’s Shigehisa Yokoyama but incorporates them into more conventional black metal high-scream techniques. At times he even pushes his voice past ordinary false cord tonality into something based in his falsetto. However, when compared to Zorn’s self-titled, Return to Castle Death tunes down many of their manic qualities. Its song structures and riffs are certainly more predictable, even if that isn’t saying much when put against other bands. We’re still treated to a few maniacal laughs and screams, even gurgling on “Black Dog March”, but they’re less common, and the flanger is less present. Regardless, the organ on closer “Guest of the Mad Prince” is an unexpected treat. 

Zorn’s lead guitars are less menacing than would be expected by the genres they take from. There is simply a level of fun that its parents don’t share. Certainly, Zorn are dark, but perhaps “spooky” is a better description. With the style’s sound and tongue-in-cheek black metal aesthetic spreading to Texas with Haunter and Chile with Sign of Evil, it becomes increasingly obvious that none of these bands are straight-faced. Return to Castle Death‘s artwork presents the band alongside the robed horde of monks that carry Teofilak on stage in a coffin each night. Many carry a Kalashnikov, a callback to the bayoneted demon from their self-titled sleeve. 

The album also features occasional callbacks to post-G.I.S.M. hardcore developments. This is particularly prevalent through grooving mosh parts, such as at the end of “Return to the Castle” or the solo of SansAmp bass tone on “Curse of the Black Witch.” While production is cleaner and instruments are more distinguishable, the self-titled’s raw, cavernous mix played up their rabid qualities in a way Return to Castle Death only grazes. 

To call Return to Castle Death formulaic would be a bare-faced lie, but compared to their previous efforts, it may as well be. Zorn remain consistent in their aim to create high-energy, deathrock-infused punk-black-metal. However, somewhere along the way, they lost focus of a quality that put them a head above the rest. The album proves Zorn have found their identity, but perhaps it is one so manic, even they can’t sustain it.

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Return to Castle Death is available now via Sorry State Records.

Uprising X Announces Black Spikes, Hippotraktor and more.

Uprising X is the events epic tenth edition, new home, same values, same great vibes! Welcome to Uprising X, taking place at KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton, on 9–10 April 2027.

But, who will be joining the line up? 

​Uprising X is officially underway! First up to join the lineup are Lithuania’s own modern metal heavyweights, Black Spikes. Renowned for seamlessly blending their love for all metal subgenres, the band is set to deliver an intense, intricate, and powerful live experience. UK crowds already got a taste of their ferocious stage presence during last year’s tour with Infected Rain and Butcher Babies, and they’re ready for more.

Joining the lineup are Hippotraktor, the Belgian post-metal quintet renowned for delivering deeply emotional performances driven by heavy, polyrhythmic grooves and soaring atmospheric melodies. Their sound is a masterclass in contrast; chaotic and loud, yet packed with massive hooks and brutally crushing breakdowns. As proud members of the esteemed Pelagic Records roster, they are no strangers to UK shores, having crushed sets at ArcTanGent, conquered multiple successful headline tours, and already secured a coveted slot for Damnation 2026.

Making their debut at the festival, Copenhagen’s very own progressive metal outfit Cold Night For Alligators join the lineup. The band has rapidly built a formidable UK reputation following a standout tour with MØL this past February and a highly regarded set at Radar Festival in 2022. Renowned for their precision and fierce energy, they effortlessly balance calculated chaos with sweeping, atmospheric soundscapes.

Joining the bill are fellow Belgian heavyweights Cobra The Impaler. If you were lucky enough to grab a ticket last year, you likely caught them tearing up the UK alongside Hippotraktor or early this year Psychonaut. The band seamlessly fuses raw aggression and thrash-like grooves with enchanting vocal melodies and intense screams. Driven by the critical acclaim of their albums Colossal Gods (2022) and Karma Collision (2024), they have conquered stages across Europe, including standout performances at Graspop and Bloodstock alongside multiple successful UK tours.

Making their highly anticipated debut are Brummie rockers Straight For The Sun. This energetic quintet has built a fierce reputation for delivering massive choruses and lively, unpredictable stage antics. With standout appearances at Call Of The Wild, Planet Rock Winter’s End, and Bloodstock already under their belt, festival-goers can expect a high-octane performance and a massive crowd sing-along.

The final band completing this announcement is Leicester’s own post-hardcore quintet, Reckoner. A must-see for fans of Underoath and Every Time I Die, the band has made massive waves in a relatively short amount of time. They have already earned coveted airplay on BBC Radio 1, crushed sets at Mangata Festival and Call Of The Wild, and shared stages with the likes of Coilguns, Obeyer, and The Five Hundred.

With so much still to announce, Uprising X is just getting started for what will be it’s biggest instalment to date. Grab those tickets to the party of the year!

Line Up So Far: 
BLACK SPIKES | HIPPOTRAKTOR | COLD NIGHT FOR ALLIGATORS | COBRA THE IMPALER | STRAIGHT FOR THE SUN | RECKONER

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

The post Uprising X Announces Black Spikes, Hippotraktor and more. appeared first on The Razor's Edge.

Posted on July 17th 2026, 4:15pm

“La Sdrega”, the newest preview tune from Hesperia‘s upcoming full-length effort Picenum (True Marchigian Black Metal Renaissance) (out on August 28), has surfaced online.
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According to the ‘Planet Rock’ news from UK, The Dead Daisies and vocalist John Corabi have parted ways. John revealed that decision to leave the ranks was not mutual.
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For the German heavy metal quintet GENERATION STEEL, the signs are literally pointing to a storm: The band has strengthened its line-up in many areas and is ready to launch a true head-banger – their third studio album, “Steelmachine.” The previously released title track already perfectly showcased the direction they’re heading in. With new members Thilo Herrmann (guitar, […]

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Legendary bassist Billy Sheehan has confirmed that Talas — the classic Buffalo, New York band he fronted from the 1970s into the mid-1980s — will play live shows in 2027 with James Naro on lead vocals. James is the son of the late Phil Naro, who sang on the band’s 2022 reunion album 1985 before his death in May 2021 at the age of 63. Sheehan announced a July 10 appearance on SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk.”

Sheehan said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth): “When we did the 1985 record with Talas, which was everything that was going on with us in 1985 when I left to join David Lee Roth, all those songs, we went back and did them all right, and a singer, Phil Naro, came out and just nailed it. He got up to the mic and knocked it out of the park.

“We didn’t know how ill he was at the time. Now we know even how much greater he was to have stepped up to the mic and done what he did in the condition he was in, and sadly we lost him soon after that record.

“And I’m really, really pleased to announce that his son, James, who has got an amazing voice, much like his dad, has decided to do some shows with Talas. So we’re gonna go out with that lineup, and James is gonna sing. I already had him sing a couple of our songs just to see if it fit, and he sent me his voice, and he’s the spitting image of his dad. Wonderful, sweet kid, on top of it.

“So, we’re very excited. The beginning of next year we’re gonna go out and do some shows as Talas with Phil’s son at lead vocals, and we’re so, so happy about it. He’s such a wonderful young man, and we’re gonna have a blast.”

1985 was released in September 2022 via Metal Blade Records. The album featured Sheehan, Phil Naro, drummer Mark Miller and guitarist Kire Najdovski, collecting material the band had written in the mid-1980s around the time Sheehan departed to join David Lee Roth’s band. Phil’s death from tongue cancer in May 2021 — not long after the album was recorded — gave the project a deeply elegiac quality. The 2022 album also followed a 2017 reunion Talas staged for the “Bands At Barnard” charity event in Greece, after which the band played only sporadic dates.

After his Talas tenure, Phil Naro paired his powerful voice with a number of recording projects involving Kiss co-founder Peter Criss and Canadian rockers Coney Hatch. He also co-wrote several tracks with Rascals founding guitarist Gene Cornish and co-wrote three songs for Canadian artist Lee Aaron’s 1989 album Bodyrock.

Sheehan went on to form Mr. Big in 1989, achieving a Billboard No. 1 single in the U.S. and 14 other countries with “To Be With You” from the band’s second album, Lean Into It.

The post BILLY SHEEHAN Confirms That TALAS Will Play Some Live Dates With PHIL NARO’s Son JAMES On Lead Vocals appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Finnish band VAAJA released their second single Abalon on July 17. The music video will follow on July 31. The song is an epic, atmospheric gothic metal track drawing from Finnish mythology and tied to an upcoming original VAAJA dark horror-fantasy novel series. LISTEN to Abalon single on streaming services: https://push.fm/fl/vaaja-abalon  The single is an explosive track, […]

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Hardcore/punk veterans Black Flag have announced an extensive touring plan across the United States in September and October. The trek spans more than 45 cities nationwide, with stops across the Mountain West, Midwest, East Coast, Southeast, Southwest, and California.
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