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Posted on September 1st 2026, 3:49pm

Kali Malone’s last solo album was 2024’s All Life Long. Since then, the Stockholm-via-Denver composer and organist has shared collaborations with Drew McDowall and Leila Bordreuil, and she reissued her influential 2019 LP The Sacrificial Code. Now, she’s announcing her new LP Burning Song.

The post Kali Malone Announces New Album <em>Burning Song</em>: Hear “Heavy With Fruit” appeared first on Stereogum.

From the darkest corners of the North, PAARA return to the surface with their third full-length album, Laulut tulen ja jään, set for release on October 30th, 2026 through Dusktone.

The first single “Pohjolan” is now streaming HERE.

For more than a decade, PAARA have cultivated a vision of Finnish black metal that feels deeply rooted in the landscape that surrounds them. Their music evokes the bleak winds sweeping across the fells, the thousands of lakes and the endless forests of Finland, drawing on the darkness of the old world while allowing moments of unexpected beauty to emerge from within it.

Formed around fifteen years ago, PAARA have developed into an entity that thrives on contradiction: brutal yet beautiful, harsh yet strangely comforting, black as the northern night yet capable of revealing flashes of warmth beneath its frozen surface. The band’s modern manifestations began with Yön olevainen puoli (2015) and Riitti (2018), establishing a distinctive approach to atmospheric black metal that balances aggression with a strong sense of melody and place.

After seemingly disappearing from view around 2019, PAARA were never truly gone. The entity had simply retreated into the wilderness, gathering strength and tracing the roots of its inspiration through the darkest reaches of Northern nature and the distant past. Now, in 2026, it emerges once again with Laulut tulen ja jään, most expansive and dynamic manifestation yet.

The album moves constantly between razor-sharp black metal assaults and more majestic passages, with clean vocals and choral arrangements often amplifying the grandeur of its most imposing moments. Yet PAARA refuse to settle into a predictable pattern. Their compositions are full of structural turns and unexpected developments, allowing delicate atmospheric passages to surface between the harsher sections.

A particularly important role is played by the guitars, with acoustic passages adding an unexpected fragility to the album and creating moments of stillness within its otherwise turbulent landscape. These quieter sections never feel ornamental: they become an integral part of the compositions, opening new perspectives before the music inevitably plunges back into darkness.

The songs on Laulut tulen ja jään are sharply defined and deliberately varied in their construction. Some unfold across more than ten minutes, patiently developing their ideas and allowing the atmosphere to evolve, while shorter pieces take a more concentrated approach, extracting their impact from carefully shaped moods and textures. Despite the breadth of ideas at work, the album remains remarkably fluid, with each composition finding its own path without disrupting the overall flow

Rich in detail but never cumbersome, Laulut tulen ja jään finds PAARA at their most expressive. Riffs, choirs, clean voices, acoustic guitars and atmospheric passages become different facets of the same northern vision, creating an album that can be both savage and majestic, intimate and imposing.

The old entity has returned. The darkness of the North has found another voice.

Tracklist:

CD:

1. Tuli
2. Kirveenkantaja
3. Vuorten varjoista
4. Kylmään kylään
5. Kutsuu M.A.N.A.
6. Lapsi päivännäkemätön
7. Pimeyteen
8. Pohjolan
9. Jää

VINYL:

1. Tuli
2. Kirveenkantaja
3. Kylmään kylään
4. Kutsuu M.A.N.A.
5. Lapsi päivännäkemätön
6. Pohjolan

Line-up:

Zvartus: guitars, vocals, keyboards & programming
Helmouth: vocals & soundscapes
Hahtezan: vocals
Trangoth: bass
Waara: drums & percussions

Credits:

Laulut tulen ja jään produced by Zvartus & Helmouth.
“Kirveenkantaja” composed by Paara & Iiro “Leper” Illman. Otherwise songs composed by Paara.
Lyrics by Helmouth.

Acoustic guitars for “Kutsuu M.A.N.A.” recorded by Jussi Kraft.
Drums recorded by Saku Moilanen at Deep Noise Studios.
All other instruments and vocals recorded by Zvartus, Paara & Ville O. at Chef’s Room Studio, Helsinki.
Album mixed by Zvartus except drums, rhythm guitars & bass mixed by S. Moilanen.
Mastered by S. Moilanen.
Cover art by David Thiérrée.
Logo by Toni Hietomaa.
Crest by Jussi Kandelin.
Photo by Teppo Ristola.
Layout by J.Pihlajaniemi.

PAARA:

https://paara.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/paaranmaa

https://www.instagram.com/paaraband/

Dusktone:

https://www.dusktone.it/

https://dusktone.bandcamp.com/

https://www.instagram.com/dusktone/

https://www.facebook.com/dusktone

It’s been a few years since Pet Fox released their great debut album A Face In Your Life. The Boston indie rock band is announcing its followup, Balance, today. The promising title track is out now.

The post Pet Fox Announce New Album <em>Balance</em>: Hear The Title Track appeared first on Stereogum.

Downes Braide Association (DBA) who are keyboard maestro Geoff Downes and multi award-winning songwriter Chris Braide (vocals), announce the second single and video “Hello Hello” from their 6th Studio album Trauma, which will be released on September 25th via Cherry Red Records.

Chris Braide says:”’‘Hello Hello’ is a deceptively upbeat song about how our own psychology can sometimes work against us. We can retreat into ourselves, build walls and become isolated, and that isolation can have a devastating effect. At its heart, the song is about having the self-awareness and courage to reach out and say, ‘I’m scared, I need help, is there anyone there?’ When we say ‘love can open doors’, that begins with learning to love and accept yourself. Sometimes opening that first door is what allows the rest of the world back in.” – Chris Braide

Geoff Downes states “The opening track on our Trauma album is a message full of hope. The start of a new chapter on our 6th DBA album, embodying the discovery of a new world and the start of a journey into the unknown. When Chris sings the poignant lyric “Hello, Hello, Hello, Love can open doors” it immediately captures the sentiment of a positivity outlook which calls all genres, nations and creeds to come forward and join together.”

Trauma is a return to the expansive DNA of classic DBA, with long-form pieces sitting comfortably alongside tracks, like the epic melodic rock and cinematic songwriting that have always defined with Chris Braide and Geoff Downes together.

The road to Trauma began overlooking the River Thames in Richmond before taking on new life beneath the skies of Los Angeles. The songs ultimately found their true identity back in the Gloucestershire countryside and South Wales, while the album was completed with mastering in Devon. Fittingly, a record centred on resilience followed a journey of its own before reaching its final form.

Chris Braide explains, “These songs emerged from the cracks. ‘Trauma’ is about the ghosts we inherit, the wounds we hide, and the light that still finds its way through. In the end, it is not an album about suffering, but survival. ‘Trauma’ isn’t an album about defeat—it’s about what happens after. It’s about carrying your scars with dignity, refusing to be diminished, and remembering that kindness and perseverance ultimately outlast cruelty and fear. Making music with Geoff continues to be one of the great privileges of my career.”

Geoff Downes adds, “Working with Chris on our Downes Braide Association albums is always a great inspirational and joyous experience for me. In ‘Trauma,’ our 6th studio album, we have dug deep into our respective layers and reservoirs of emotion, a theme of darkness followed by light – something we both could relate to. And in particular on this album, we have explored numerous diverse influences characterising the contrast of these polarised emotions. For instance, our epic long track “Lake Of Memories” begins with a quasi-classical bombastic intro and immediately jumps into a fast trance-like up-tempo techno workout – It’s pomp-rock straight into pop-rock! And it’s Chris at his absolute best, grabbing my ideas and working them into some kind of intricate musical kaleidoscope. I think it’s what contributes to our uniqueness, and this album is one we are immensely proud of. Sit down, turn it up, listen and enjoy the ‘traumatic’ DBA journey!”

PRE-ORDER LINK HERE: https://cherryred.co/Trauma

Tracklisting:

1.Hello, Hello – 4:57
2.Trauma – 8:20
3.King of Karma – 4:53
4.Wonderland – 5:12
5.Love and Loss – 3:16
6.I Wish I’d Known – 4:11
7.Do You Remember? – 4:54
8.Juliet – 2:24
9.Lake of Memories – 14:29
10.Wherever You Are Now – 5:44

Written & Produced by Chris Braide & Geoff Downes. Paintings and logo by Roger Dean

The post Downes Braide Association share new single “Hello, Hello” from new album ‘Trauma’ appeared first on The Prog Report.

For the past seven years, Kelly Clarkson has proven herself to be an absolutely delightful daytime talk show host. Back in February, Clarkson announced that she’s stepping away from The Kelly Clarkson Show to focus on her family, and its final episode aired yesterday. That meant that we got the last ever installment of Kellyoke, the regular feature in which Clarkson belts the absolute shit out of somebody else’s song. She went out on a literal high note.

The post Kelly Clarkson Goes Viral With Last Ever Kellyoke, A Powerhouse “Golden” appeared first on Stereogum.

Anberlin will release Currency, the band’s ninth studio album, on Nov. 11. It is the first full-length record the Florida alternative rock band has made with new lead singer Matty Mullins, formerly of Memphis May Fire, and according to The Oregonian, it marks a deliberate creative reset after more than two decades in rock.

A Band Reboot and the Battle for Fans’ Evening Hours

For a band approaching its mid-career with close to 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify, releasing a new album is no longer simply a matter of putting music in front of a waiting audience. That audience’s time is distributed across a crowded digital environment, and a legacy act returning with a new lead singer faces a distinctive challenge: convincing longtime fans that the unfamiliar voice is worth the evening.

The Lucky Crush editorial team, which tracks how audiences allocate their online downtime, notes that a drop like Currency lands in a particularly contested window. Fans drawn to the announcement might stream the new singles, queue up old favorites like “Paperthin Hymn” or “Godspeed,” and still have hours left to fill. The LuckyCrush video chat app draws on some of that same after-hours attention, competing for social time on precisely the kind of night a major release generates. From an observer’s standpoint, the picture is less about music versus everything else and more about a shrinking pool of unscheduled hours being divided finer with each passing year.

“It felt like we needed to make an album that let us embrace the roots of the band and truly ‘reset’ with Matty to make something that we would love and our fans would recognize.”

For a band with Anberlin’s catalog weight, the stakes of that reset are real.

How Matty Mullins Moved From Touring Slot to Full Member

The transition was gradual rather than sudden. Original lead vocalist Stephen Christian announced in 2023 that he was taking an indefinite hiatus, opening a gap that the band chose to fill carefully rather than quickly.

Mullins began touring with Anberlin in 2023, giving both the band and its audience time to measure the fit before any studio commitment was made. That audition period proved useful. He contributed vocals to two tracks on Anberlin’s 2024 album Vega, and the band subsequently released re-recorded versions of signature songs including “Feel Good Drag” and “Paperthin Hymn” with Mullins on lead vocals. By the time Currency entered production, the working relationship had enough mileage behind it that the recording process, by the band’s own account, felt settled.

“Matty comes from a band that has their process fully hammered out over years of refinement, so I didn’t envy him coming into a new situation with guys that have done the same in a completely different way. It went so smoothly that you would’ve thought we’d already done this together a hundred times. Neither of us had to change much at all. I think that’s all it comes down to: having a shared vision of what the end result will be. During the writing process, there were no egos clashing, no big dramas, just everyone communicating and working toward the same goal.”

That description of a frictionless process carries particular weight given how much transition the band absorbed in a short period.

Currency Takes Shape: Producer, Lineup, and the Lead Single

The album’s production ties the Memphis May Fire connection tighter. Currency was produced by Kellen McGregor, himself a member of Memphis May Fire, which means two people from that band’s orbit shaped what Anberlin is presenting as its reintroduction. McGregor’s involvement suggests a deliberate bridge between Mullins’s previous creative home and his new one, even as the band insists on a return to its roots.

The record contains 11 brand-new songs, all featuring Mullins on lead vocals. The lead single, “Neverafter,” is already out, giving listeners their clearest signal yet of where the album sits sonically. Surrounding Mullins on the record is the full current lineup: Christian McAlhaney on guitar and vocals, Joseph Milligan on guitar, Deon Rexroat on bass, and Nathan Young on drums. The core instrumentalists remain intact, which provides continuity even as the most prominent voice has changed.

From Florida Garages to Gold Records, and Still on the Road

Anberlin formed in Florida in 2002 and built its reputation steadily through the mid-2000s Christian rock circuit before crossing into wider alternative markets. The 2005 album “Never Take Friendship Personal,” released on the Christian music label Tooth and Nail Records, established the band’s name with a broader rock audience. Three years later, the group signed with Universal Records and released “New Surrender,” which went gold in 2008, a benchmark that cemented Anberlin as more than a genre act.

Two decades on, the band retains a genuine active following. Close to 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify return regularly to tracks including “Paperthin Hymn,” “Godspeed,” “Breaking,” “A Day Late,” “Impossible,” “The Resistance,” and a cover of Depeche Mode‘s “Enjoy the Silence.” That audience is not merely nostalgic; it is engaged and consistent.

The live calendar reflects the same momentum. Anberlin is scheduled to perform at the Vans Warped Tour in September, then move into an extensive run of dates with Switchfoot that carries through November. The tour arc leads directly into the Nov. 11 album release, meaning Currency arrives at the end of a months-long live push rather than in isolation. By the time the album drops, Mullins will have performed before large crowds across multiple markets, and the reboot will be well underway.

The post ANBERLIN’s Ninth Album Signals a Full Reset With a New Voice at the Front appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Posted on September 1st 2026, 3:11pm

2026 will go down as the year Mastodon were reborn, rebounding from tragedy with new members and a triumphant new album, Marrow Deep. Metal Hammer has honoured the occasion by teaming up with the Atlanta metal masters for a bundle unavailable in the shops!

Only through the Louder webstore, you can get your hands on the new issue of Hammer with a cover featuring The ’Don’s revamped lineup, as well as a stylish t-shirt dedicated to the band. Pre-order yours while stocks last!

Inside the new Hammer, we talk to founding members Brann Dailor, Troy Sanders about Bill Kelliher about the journey leading up to Marrow Deep, including the death of their long-time bandmates Brent Hinds last August, five months after he parted ways with the band, and their reinvigorations.

“I was immediately shocked and saddened,” Troy says of Brent’s death in a motorcycle accident, aged 51. “But unfortunately, I wasn’t surprised. I don’t mean that in any distasteful manner, whatsoever. I’ve done everything I could as a friend and as a bandmate over the years. I don’t know what else I could’ve done, so I’m kind of forced to just let go.”

“I wasn’t surprised that it happened, but I was shocked,” adds Bill. “I just didn’t think it was going to happen like that.”

They also cast a hopeful eye towards the future.

“I feel like the next record, in another year or two, will showcase even more of Nick [Johnston, new guitarist] and me playing off each other,” Bill says. “Toward the end of Brent’s time in the band, I was writing most of the rhythms and song structures anyway, and he would come in like a finishing carpenter to add the crazy solos. It’s a similar set-up with Nick, but Nick is much more receptive and absolutely full of fresh ideas.”

Elsewhere, we talk to metalcore heroes Motionless In White as they celebrate 20 years on the scene and release their best album yet, the aptly titled Decades.

“I ground myself to the bone for this record,” frontman and sole constant member Chris Motionless says. “I was going into these toxic cycles of workaholism and just burnt myself out. It took a little bit of my passion away, because it felt like a job for the first time, so I definitely wanted to walk away and come back to it. That’s part of why it took so long.”

We also go inside Ghost’s massive new concert movie, 2 Big To Rig. Tobias Forge tells us about how they captured the epic Skeletour stage show, the unfortunate incident that nearly derailed it, and his “extracurricular” future plans.

Meanwhile, seven years on from his throat cancer diagnosis, Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine revisits his journey in an exclusive interview and an extract from his new book, In My Darkest Hour.

Green Lung take us on a tour of London’s graveyards and occult hotspots, Halestorm power couple Lzzy Hale and Joe Hottinger tackle your questions about love, keytars and… killer farts?! And Snot explain why they’re back in the studio, almost 30 years after the tragic death of frontman Lynn Strait.

Sleep Theory’s Cullen Moore shares his soulful playlist, Mudvayne/Hellyeah veteran Chad Gray delivers the lessons he learned from hanging out with a young Slipknot and meeting James Hetfield, and Godsmack give us the inside story of their blockbuster anthem, I Stand Alone. Plus, we meet Decessus, the Chilean death metal band led by a beauty queen.

All this, along with Eddfest, Metallica, Bring Me The Horizon, Sigh, Rory, System Of A Down, Acid Bath, Duff McKagan and much, much more.

Only in the new issue of Metal Hammer, available to pre-order now with that Mastodon cover and shirt!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BLIND ILLUSION Announces “STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre” Featuring Original Vocalist David White
Progressive Thrash Metal Pioneers Capture Historic 2025 Performance for New Live Album Due October 16, 2026

BERKELEY, CA — Progressive thrash metal pioneers Blind Illusion are set to unleash their new live album, STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre , on October 16, 2026 through Hectic Records / Bleeding Priest Records . The release captures a historic 2025 performance featuring original Blind Illusion vocalist David White , recorded at the UC Theatre in Berkeley, California, during a special celebration of Exodus’ 40th anniversary of Bonded by Blood .
For fans of Coroner, Watchtower, and Exodus , STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre showcases Blind Illusion at full power, bringing the band’s progressive approach to thrash metal to the stage in a performance that connects the group’s legendary past with its continuing evolution.
Originally established in 1978 , Blind Illusion has spent nearly five decades carving out its own distinctive place within the underground metal landscape. Led by mastermind Mark Biedermann on lead guitar and vocals, the band’s current lineup features Phil Cosentini on drums, Avery Thurman on bass, and Martin Lacour on lead guitar.
The new live album also serves as another chapter in the remarkable history of Blind Illusion and its landmark debut, The Sane Asylum . Originally released in 1988, the album has gone on to become regarded as a classic of progressive thrash metal. The record featured Biedermann alongside guitarist Larry Lalonde , bassist Les Claypool , and drummer Mike Miner , delivering now-classic tracks including “Vengeance Is Mine,” “Death Noise,” “Kamikaze,” “Smash The Crystal,” and “Blood Shower.”
Biedermann’s musical history extends well beyond Blind Illusion. In 1987, while working with legendary producer Sandy Pearlman , he contributed rhythm guitar and guitar leads to four songs for Blue Öyster Cult’s Imaginos , working alongside musicians including Joe Satriani and Robbie Krieger of The Doors .
Blind Illusion continued to evolve throughout the following decades. The band returned in 2010 with Demon Master , shifting toward a more traditional heavy metal sound. In 2014, bassist Harald Oimoen of D.R.I. joined forces with Biedermann and helped inspire a return to the progressive thrash metal style that defined The Sane Asylum .
Further lineup changes followed, including a 2017 incarnation featuring Doug Piercy of Heathen and Anvil Chorus on lead guitar. The band released the 2018 EP and toured Europe. In 2020, legendary Death Angel drummer Andy Galeon joined Blind Illusion, contributing to the band’s Wrath of the Gods album, released in 2022, followed by additional European touring and festival appearances.
In 2024, Blind Illusion introduced its current lineup and returned to the live stage. Then, in 2025, the band reunited with original vocalist David White , performing alongside Exodus, Death Angel, and Nukem at the UC Theatre in Berkeley on Paul Baloff’s birthday as part of the celebration surrounding Exodus’ 40th anniversary of Bonded by Blood .
That performance became the foundation for STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre .
The story didn’t stop there. Blind Illusion later appeared at the Frost and Fire V Festival in Ventura, California, where the band performed The Sane Asylum in its entirety for the first time in its history, giving longtime fans the opportunity to hear the influential album performed live as a complete work.
With STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre , Blind Illusion once again proves that nearly five decades into its existence, the band remains a vital force in progressive thrash metal. The release captures a significant moment in the band’s history while celebrating the music, musicians, and underground metal spirit that have kept Blind Illusion moving forward since 1978.
STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre will be released October 16, 2026 as a 12-inch vinyl LP , pressed at 33 RPM , through Hectic Records / Bleeding Priest Records .
Release Information

Artist: Blind Illusion
Title: STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre
Release Type: Live Album
Genre: Progressive Thrash Metal
Release Date: October 16, 2026
Label: Hectic Records / Bleeding Priest Records
Catalog Number: Hectic 009
Format: 12″ Vinyl LP
RPM: 33
UPC: 810213561508
Current Lineup

Mark Biedermann – Lead Guitar / Vocals
Martin Lacour – Lead Guitar
Avery Thurman – Bass
Phil Cosentini – Drums
Blind Illusion
Established 1978
Progressive Thrash Metal
For Fans Of: Coroner, Watchtower, Exodus, Heathen 

Connect: 
https://blindillusion.bandcamp.com/album/stage-flight-live-at-the-uc-theatre
https://www.instagram.com/blindillusionofficial
https://www.facebook.com/officialblindillusion
https://ffm.to/bclink1
https://www.hectic.com/product/blind-illusion-live
Contact:
David Hecht
Hectic Records
david@hectic.com