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They still have another dozen North American concerts to play in 2026. Continue reading…

Sassy 009’s Dreamer+ Deluxe album is released via Heaven Sent / [PIAS]. The deluxe album features some of

LA-based hardcore band Monk today share covers of two songs by early-2000s Boston hardcore band Stop and Think:

Chicago melodic punk veterans Counterpunch channel frustration into a blistering new track featuring drummer Sean Sellers (Good Riddance,

Religion, and cultural tradition stemming from religion, is a rich vein for artists of all walks, so it’s always disappointed me somewhat that so much of metal takes the “anti-” approach to religious-based storytelling. Obviously I get it, metal being metal and all, but it does make projects like Amaseffer (“People of the Holy Book”), the Israeli progressive folk metal project of Erez Yohanan, stand out. I’d not heard of Amaseffer before this year; my only context going in comes from my colleague Mystikus Hugebeard, who told me, and I quote, “I loved their first album, and it released back in like fucking 1907.” He was close—Exodus: Slaves for Life, their debut full-length, released in 2008 and tells the story of the Israelite Exodus from Egypt up to the ten plagues and subsequent exile of the Hebrew people. When the Lions Leave Their Den is part two of the trilogy, covering the start of that exile up to Moses’s arrival at Mount Sinai.

After such a hiatus, it is perhaps not surprising that the music of Amaseffer sounds fresh and vibrant. It is indeed a work of folk-infused progressive metal, with long song forms, only a light touch of heaviness, and a clear Middle Eastern influence, especially in the orchestration and instrumentation. Lead singing is split between Lukky Sparxx and Jessica Mercy, but there are also narrations in English and Hebrew from a variety of vocalists, including Kobi Farhi (Orphaned Land), and growls by another three. More than folky, though, When the Lions Leave Their Den is cinematic. Songs act as scenes observing the Exodus from multiple angles: in “Stardust Harvesters” we take a moment to share the faith of the fleeing exiles before a cloud of smoke marks their path in the spectacularly heartfelt “A Sacred Mist of the Sacred Veil.” After that, we switch settings and follow the Egyptian army pursuing the Israelites in “Lady of Slaughter,” a heavy, exciting song that strongly evokes the mad bloodlust of the slighted military. The result feels more like a journey than an album, with frequent acoustic guitars enhancing the storytelling feel.

Of course, it probably helps that I’m already familiar with the story of the Exodus, but apart from familiarity, the religious and cultural story also lends When the Lions Leave Their Den a sense of reverence that feels rare in metal. Like a Jewish Theocracy, the musicians of Amaseffer bring passion and respect for their source material to everything they do. “Miriam” is a beautiful, heartfelt power ballad that Mercy elevates with her beautiful expression of a lost people dreaming of a new home. “Wooden Staff Part II” has a fairly standard construction, with upbeat riffs, piano, and some acoustic moments, but the way Sparxx describes the legendary staff of Moses feels a touch inspired. From another angle, the beautiful “A Flame Unbidden” allows both singers to explore the ineffable nature of faith through gorgeous acoustic, orchestral, and metal melodies, courtesy of Yohanan himself.

Like so much progressive metal, When the Lions Leave Their Den commits absolutely to its ideas, eager to explore each one to its fullest. More specifically, this means the ten-song album runs a staggering seventy-two minutes, so it’s a good thing it sounds so good—the production is clear, modern, and allows each of the many instruments and vocalists to shine. “Pathway to the Promised Land” is the only song to actually reach the ten-minute mark, and while I think it overstays its welcome, it’s also hard to not get swept away by the early orchestral notes, the gradual rise to climax, and sense of mighty wonder as the sea itself parts for God’s people. It’s so good, but ten minutes is a lot even for this pivotal moment. Similarly, “Stardust Harvesters” is a beautiful, moving song, but at seven minutes feels like it’s lingering a bit. This is a common theme: songs are beautifully constructed and performed, but often stick around a touch too long.

I want to stress again that When the Lions Leave Their Den succeeds at feeling like a work of cinematic metal, because I feel that’s an impressive thing to achieve. The passionate performances, strong songwriting, and epic storytelling come together to tell a fantastic tale in an engaging and impressive way. If a handful of songs linger too long on a given idea, well, that happens in movies too. I’m still very excited for part three.

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Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Self-release
Websites: amaseffer.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/OfficialAmaseffer
Releases Worldwide: October 8th, 2026

The post Amaseffer – When the Lions Leave Their Den Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

As they prepare to head over to the UK for a whole host of special shows, Alien Ant Farm have unveiled a new track that feels as quintessential as it gets.

Titled ‘Gaslighter’, it feels like a homage to where they have been in the past as much as to who they are today. Bristling with grooving riffs and soaring harmonies, clashing together in perfect harmony, the band sound as fresh and ferocious as they did 25 years ago.

Vocalist Dryden Mitchell had this to say about it:

“With hints of Audioslave and Rage Against the Machine, we wrote a razor-edged gem that calls out the liars and manipulators in our lives. Do the ones we love the most end up burning us all in the end? This anthem rocks steadily and races toward a hopeful resolution. Light the fuses and burn all the liars!”

“The song initially started out as a play on words, about how liars always speak in code. Native American service members who used their traditional tribal languages to send secret, unbreakable tactical messages during World War I and World War II. I found that interesting. And getting information from a lying loved one almost felt like this. Then Howard really liked “Gaslighter” over “Code Talker.” Str8 to the point. I went back in and honed the lyric to cut to the quick and hopefully reach as many people as possible, as I’m sure everyone has dealt with a gaslighter. Telling you you’re crazy, when you know the truth.”

Alien Ant Farm are set to hit up the UK and Ireland later this month, supporting Skindred on some massive shows as well as a few headline shows of their own celebrating 25 years of their classic album ‘ANThology’.

Dryden had this to say about the run:

“This will be our 2nd go-around with Skindred. The first was Germany. We’re so excited to bring this pairing to the UK, our favourite stomping grounds for years.  Skindred brings such good energy vibes; we can’t wait to contribute to some absolutely memorable nights!!!” 

Here are the dates:

OCTOBER

30 – BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy (with Skindred, Orgy and Spineshank)
31 – LONDON Alexandra Palace (With Skindred, Orgy and Spineshank)

NOVEMBER

01 – BRISTOL Electric ( Headline show with Orgy, Spineshank and South of Salem)
03 – LEEDS Stylus (Headline show)
04 – EDINBURGH Liquid Room
06 – DUBLIN 3Olympia Theatre (with Skindred)
07 – BELFAST The Telegraph Building (with Skindred)

The post Alien Ant Farm Share Grooving New Track ‘Gaslighter’ appeared first on Rock Sound.

Welsh rockers Scarlet Rebels have released the video for their new single, God’s Honest Truth, ahead of the arrival of their album Flawed By Design on 13 November 2026 through Earache Records. The band have also confirmed a run of UK record store appearances during release week.

The track is the fourth single from Flawed By Design, following This Is Happening Now, Don’t Look Down and Chains. This Is Happening Now previously featured in Classic Rock magazine’s Hot List.

What began as a guitar riff recorded on a phone developed over months of rehearsals. When Scarlet Rebels found they had studio time to record one more song, they returned to the idea. Its themes ultimately helped shape the album’s title, artwork and wider concept.

Frontman Wayne Doyle explains that the song emerged while he was grieving a friend and questioning the nature of higher powers, human flaws and the systems that govern everyday life. Those questions extend to humanity’s relationship with artificial intelligence and the possibility of passing human flaws into what it creates.

The accompanying video draws on the visual language of retro computer games, in which a character’s remaining health is shown by disappearing hearts. The imagery echoes the diminishing hearts on the album artwork, reflecting what Doyle sees as a loss of humanity.

Flawed By Design UK In-Store Tour 2026

The band will mark the album’s release with seven record store dates between 13 and 18 November, mixing stripped-back performances with full-band shows. The run begins at Derrick’s Music in Swansea and includes Huddersfield, Leeds, Kingston, Cardiff, Wrexham and Oxford.

Wayne says: “Being able to get in front of and meet everyone that’s stood tall for us for so long is really important to us. Being able to strip the songs back to their barest nature as well as having a few full band shows gives us and our Rebel Club the opportunity to celebrate the release of Flawed By Design in style.”

• 13 November – Derrick’s Music, Swansea
• 14 November – Vinyl Tap, Huddersfield
• 14 November – Crash Records, Leeds
• 15 November – Banquet Records, Kingston
• 16 November – The Globe (presented by Jacaranda Records), Cardiff
• 17 November – The Parish (presented by Jacaranda Records), Wrexham
• 18 November – Truck Records, Oxford

Scarlet Rebels 2026 Live Dates

• 25 November – The Tivoli, Buckley (supporting Tyketto)
• 26 November – The Polar Bear, Hull
• 27 November – Independent, Sunderland
• 28 November – Winterstorm Festival, Troon
• 29 November – Picturedrome, Holmfirth (supporting Tyketto)
• 1 December – The Black Box, Hastings (supporting Tyketto)
• 2 December – The Waterloo, Blackpool (supporting Tyketto)
• 3 December – Queens Hall, Nuneaton (supporting Tyketto)
• 19 December – RPM Christmas Special, Morecambe (with The Virginmarys, These Wicked Rivers, Kit Trigg, LN and more)

Scarlet Rebels 2027 UK Tour

Record store tour tickets | Live tickets | Pre-order Flawed By Design | Scarlet Rebels official website

The post Scarlet Rebels Unveil God’s Honest Truth Video And Announce UK In-Store Tour first appeared on MetalTalk – Heavy Metal News, Reviews and Interviews.

Welsh rock band Scarlet Rebels release their new single and video ‘God’s Honest Truth’ ahead of their new album ‘Flawed By Design’, out November 13th via Earache Records. The band will celebrate release week with a series of UK record store appearances. Download/Stream – here ‘God’s Honest Truth’ is the fourth track to be released […]

The post Scarlet Rebels Release New Single & Video ‘God’s Honest Truth’ appeared first on ROCKPOSER DOT COM.

PEELINGFLESH are getting closer and closer to cementing their place at the peak of heavy music with their upcoming self-titled album, and they have shared a fresh taste of it to keep you moving.

Titled ‘Crackology’, it finds the band at the very peak of their powers. Forcing in as many breakneck riffs as belligerant breakdowns, alongside plenty of discordant grunts and gutturals, it is everything you could ever want. Unrelenting, unhinged and overflowing with bile and hatred.

Vocalist Damonteal Harris had this to say about the track:

“One of our personal favorites from the album even though all of them are our favorite. A lot of insane samples that we’ve been wanting to use for a very long time in this one.”

‘PEELINGFLESH’, the album, will be released on November 27 via Unique Leader Records.

The band had this to say about what the record means to them:

“This has been our baby for the last year. An insane mixture of drop G and Drop F songs that are some of our favorite and craziest songs we’ve written to date and we’re extremely stoked to get them out finally”

The artwork looks like this:

And the tracklisting like this:

1. Crash Out
2. Murderous Intent (feat. Mike Ryan)
3. Wig Split (feat. Devin Swank)
4. Lethal Interjection (feat. Jayway)
5. T.D.C.U.
6. Crackology
7. No Alibi (feat. Bridget Lynch)
8. Find Around Fuck Out
9. Full Clip
10. It’s Goin Down Part 2 (feat. Extermination Dismemberment)

And here is ‘Murderous Intent’, just to whet the appetite even more:

The post PEELINGFLESH Share Brutal New Track ‘Crackology’ appeared first on Rock Sound.