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“Abattoir” is the latest single from Swedish heavy metal stalwarts Ram. The track comes by way of the band’s impending new full-length (and first in nearly seven years), Against, set for release on October 9th through Metal Blade Records.

Comments vocalist Oscar Carlquist: “‘Abattoir’ is pure speed metal. To me it sounds like a mixture of Bonded By Blood-era Exodus and Accept. A super aggressive song. The lyrics deal with the fact that when push comes to shove the guillotines will be built again.”

While Ram’s previously released full-length The Throne Within was defined by its spiritual and metaphysical themes, Against takes a more grounded approach, focusing on the experience of being pushed beyond reasonable limits and refusing to comply. The album captures that moment of resistance, “that fire of defiance, which ultimately defines its title and message,” as the band collectively states.

Musically, guitarists Harry Granroth and Martin Jonsson continue to favor bridge pickups, maintaining a sharp and aggressive tone. The equipment used on Against reflects a classic approach, contributing to a sound that feels both timeless and direct. Sonically, Against was conceived as a return to classic recording philosophies. Drawing inspiration from the early works of Dio, MSG, and Sweet, the goal was to create an honest and unpolished sound. In a music landscape increasingly divided into countless subgenres, the band positions itself deliberately outside of categorization.

Ultimately, Against stands as a statement of intent, a reaffirmation of identity and purpose. Or, as they put it themselves: “Fear the return of the Heavy Metal Tyranny!”

Ram’s Against full-length is availble to pre-order here, and it will be released on CD and digital formats as well as vinyl in the following color variants:

• 180g Black
• Clear Lilac Marbled
• Purple Melt (Ltd. 300)
• Crystal Clear Blackdust (Ltd. 300)
• Silver Black Splatter (Ltd. 250)

In related news, after 17 years as Ram‘s bassist, Tobias “Tobbe” Petterson has decided to step down from the band. Petterson has been a pivotal part of both Ram‘s recordings and live shows and his steadfast bass playing and ferocious stage presence will be missed.

The band comments, “Petterson will always remain a part of the Ram family and we part as brothers, still united by the power of heavy metal. But the heavy metal tyranny must proceed, new horizons await and these will be shared with our new bass player Desekrator of Voodus and Stormdeath fame. Desekrator has been close to the band for decades and through being a die hard fan he is already well versed with the true spirit of Ram. This combined with his bass skills makes him the perfect replacement for Tobbe. Onward Upon The Black Path!”

Petterson will perform his final show with RAM on October 9th in Gothenburg, the band’s record release show.

The post RAM Shares Video For Single “Abattoir” From Forthcoming “Against” Full-Length appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

When Queens Of The Stone Age announced their upcoming album Perfecth last month, one item on the tracklist immediately stood out. That’s when we learned of the existence of a QOTSA song called “Where The Goth Girls At?” The mind reeled with possibilities. Well, that song is here now, and Josh Homme would indeed like to know where the goth girls are at. Drake can relate.

The post Queens Of The Stone Age – “Where The Goth Girls At?” appeared first on Stereogum.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



PALE HORSEMAN ANNOUNCE NEW FULL-LENGTH ALBUM RUIN OF SOULS

Chicago sludge metal veterans descend deeper into darkness with a crushing new album of industrial brutality, bleak melody, and existential dread

For Fans Of: Godflesh, Neurosis, Obituary
Chicago sludge metal veterans Pale Horseman are preparing to unleash their latest full-length album, Ruin of Souls , a devastating new chapter from a band that has spent more than fifteen years forging an increasingly massive and unsettling sound.
With the album’s official release date currently TBD , Pale Horseman are working toward a physical vinyl release targeted for December 2026 , with further details to be announced.
Speaking about the new album, Pale Horseman describe Ruin of Souls as a deeper descent into the darkness that has defined the band’s music for more than fifteen years:


“On Ruin of Souls , Pale Horseman descend even deeper into the darkness they’ve been cultivating for over fifteen years. Crushing sludge riffs collide with bleak melody, industrial brutality, and an overwhelming sense of dread, creating something that is as hypnotic as it is punishing. This is heavy music stripped down to its most primal and unsettling form—music that doesn’t simply soundtrack the end times, but makes you feel like you’re already living through them.”


That description captures the oppressive atmosphere at the heart of Ruin of Souls . Pale Horseman blend crushing sludge riffs with industrial textures, dissonant tension, bleak melody, and cinematic heaviness, creating a sound that feels both brutally physical and psychologically consuming.
For Pale Horseman, heaviness has never been limited to sheer volume or distorted guitars. Their music explores psychological ruin, paranormal mystery, mythic violence, existential dread, and the raw burden of human suffering. The result is a sound capable of moving between crushing brutality and strangely haunting beauty without ever losing its sense of menace.
Formed in 2010 , Pale Horseman have carved out a distinctive place within Chicago’s underground metal scene. The band’s members bring decades of experience from the city’s heavy music community, with roots in acts including Couldron, Maimed, Souls Demise, Doomsday, Making Ghosts, Abortus, Deep Space Pilots, and Johnny Vomit .
That history has helped shape Pale Horseman’s massive and meticulously constructed approach to sludge metal, combining punishing riffs with an atmosphere that feels expansive, oppressive, and relentlessly dark.
The band have also earned a reputation for intense and engulfing live performances. Throughout their career, Pale Horseman have shared stages with Acid King, Earthride, Crowbar, Whores., Bongripper, Coroner, Trouble, Vio-Lence, Karma To Burn, Eyehategod, Church of Misery , and many others, appearing at clubs, DIY spaces, and festival stages throughout the Midwest and beyond.
Drawing on the mechanical brutality of Godflesh, the crushing atmospheric weight of Neurosis, and the primal heaviness associated with Obituary, Pale Horseman occupy a space where sludge, industrial metal, and darker strains of extreme metal collide.
Ruin of Souls promises to carry that evolution forward, taking the band’s established sound into an even darker and more oppressive territory.
PALE HORSEMAN

Chicago Sludge Metal | Est. 2010
Andre Almaraz – Guitar & Vocals
Eric Ondo – Guitar & Vocals
Rich Cygan – Bass
Jason Schryver – Drums
Album: Ruin of Souls
Format: Full-Length Album
Genre: Sludge Metal
Release Date: TBD
Vinyl: Targeting December 2026
– Recorded and mixed at Bricktop Recording in Chicago, IL by Pete Grossman
– Mastered by Audio Siege Mastering in Portland, OR by Brad Boatright

For Fans Of: Godflesh, Neurosis, Obituary

Connect: 
https://www.facebook.com/PaleHorsemanSludge
https://www.instagram.com/pale_horseman/
https://palehorseman.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6BEZtiJJg28KoUkhEveZ7a
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/pale-horseman/886069680 

the artist ren’s Doin’ Fine! wraps a quietly painful story in bright indie pop, creating a sharp contrast between its sunny surface and the emotional resignation underneath. Built around a warm, steady groove, the song follows the small details of a relationship that has gradually lost its meaning, with everyday memories carrying more weight than any dramatic confrontation. The repeated insistence that everything is fine becomes increasingly hollow as the track progresses, especially when the bridge briefly drops the façade before the final return. the artist ren keeps the production warm and approachable, allowing the melancholy to emerge through the songwriting rather than overwhelming the track with sadness. There is something particularly effective about that balance, turning an uncomfortable emotional reality into an easygoing pop song that slowly reveals its cracks.

Sometimes fine is just another word for finished.

Connect:

Instagram

Posted on September 23rd 2026, 3:50pm

Where they from?
Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Jets lost one of those games Sunday that not only question your fandom, but perplexes you on the nature of reality itself. They were up by 10 with 11 minutes to play and still managed to lose in overtime to a team they out-gained by nearly 100 yards. Lord have mercy.

Why the hype?
One of the most prominent stalwarts of North American grindcore for the past two decades, Deterioration pull no punches. The gruesome twosome have mastered the art of midwest basement grind to a level that puts most to shame. Every note feels dirty and sullied by the afterbirth of our post-apocalyptic corporate wasteland we call the United States. 

Latest Release?
Observe/Target/Eliminate, Shattered Dreams Productions. Deterioration has always relied on samples to add a certain satirical direction to the music and the latest album is no different, weaving a tale of a Unabomber-like figure targeting the public throughout the album. It’s scintillating stuff and only adds to the overall vibe of absurdist brutality.

The post Blast Worship: Deterioration appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

Ana Luna’s Cecilia, How Lucky You Are blends indie rock and folk with dreamy textures, creating a soft and melancholic setting for a song about longing and unspoken desire. The arrangement feels intimate, with gentle guitars and hazy layers supporting a vocal performance that carries both vulnerability and restraint. Rather than focusing simply on the disappointment of losing a romantic connection, the song explores the deeper feeling that can surface when someone briefly awakens a desire that had been buried for a long time. Cecilia becomes a symbol of that yearning, representing the wish to be deeply loved and missed. Ana Luna turns that emotional contradiction into something tender and atmospheric, allowing the dream pop elements to give the track a floating quality while the indie folk foundation keeps it grounded and personal.

A quiet song about wanting to be unforgettable.

Connect:

Instagram

With Gwar’s 20th anniversary celebration of their 2006 opus Beyond Hell arriving this Friday, September 25th, the band are premiering the HD version of their “School’s Out” music video, a cover of the Alice Cooper classic. The newly remastered deluxe edition, available for the first time ever on vinyl via the band’s own Pit Records, is now completely sold out through the Gwar store.

Remastered by Paul Logus (Anthrax, Killswitch Engage), the anniversary edition breathes new life into one of the band’s most ambitious and theatrical releases. Alongside the remastered album, the release also includes a previously unreleased outro track recorded during the original Beyond Hell sessions that was left off the original release.

Originally released in 2006, Beyond Hell marked a defining moment in Gwar‘s legendary career. Produced by Devin Townsend, the album brought together two of metal’s most unique creative forces, with Townsend helping shape one of the band’s most ambitious and beloved releases.

“I had been a Gwar fan since I was a kid. I loved the freedom, the metal, the spectacle, and the passion that went into it all,” recalls Townsend. “I met Brockie on a tour we did together and, after cornering him in an elevator basically telling him I’d work for free, I found myself co-producing Beyond Hell. Dave and Corey came to Vancouver to stay with me, and we recorded at Profile Studios. The drums and basic tracks were done at Slave Pit in Richmond, Virginia, and the whole process took about three months.”

He continues, “Gwar were, and are, an amazing combination of artistic freedom, absurdity, and hard work bundled up with metal and performance. Loved them then, love them now.”

Chronicling the band’s descent into Hell to rescue their long-lost comrade Flattus Maximus, Beyond Hell remains one of Gwar‘s defining releases, featuring fan favorites including “Back in Crack,” “Womb With a View,” “Tormentor,” and “The Ultimate Bohab.”

Twenty years later, Beyond Hell is ready to rise once again, louder, heavier, and more gloriously blasphemous than ever before.

The first-ever vinyl pressing of Beyond Hell arrives on 180-gram vinyl housed in an elaborate tri-fold jacket that unfolds into an inverted cross. The CD edition also receives the deluxe treatment, featuring a fold-out poster.

The standard Gold vinyl edition will be limited to 2,000 copies. Fans looking for something even more exclusive can pick up the “Blood Moon” vinyl variant, limited to just 300 copies, exclusively here, while Metal Injection will offer an exclusive “Blood Smear” vinyl variant, limited to only 200 copies.

The Scumdogs are preparing to embark on the Gor Gor Must Die! Tour featuring direct support from Midnight, with Mac Sabbath opening every night and X-COPS joining on select dates. A full list of tour dates is available below.

The post GWAR Celebrating 20th Anniversary Of “Beyond Hell” With Fully Remastered Deluxe Edition & Shares Music Video Of ALICE COOPER’s Cover “School’s Out” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

BMG in partnership with Rhino Entertainment is proud to announce a newly remastered edition of Skid Row‘s ‘40 Seasons: The Best of Skid Row‘, arriving November 6th in the US and December 4th elsewhere, on CD — and for the first time ever — translucent blue vinyl. Originally released in 1998, ‘40 Seasons: The Best of Skid Row‘ […]

The post Skid Row -Celebrates 40th Anniversary With ’40 Seasons: The Best Of Skid Row’ appeared first on ROCKPOSER DOT COM.

Band:	Burner
Release:	No One Is Coming To Save Us
Genre:	Metal, Hardcore
Country:	England
Release Date:	25th of September, 2026
Released via	Church Road Records

“History reshits itself”, Touché Amoré knew it, and Burner rephrase it eleven times on their new album No One Is Coming To Save Us. Humanity is rotten to its core, and it is the task of a lifetime to break the cycle of endless fucking up violently. Three years after It All Returns To Nothing, the world still needs anger.

“The Third Revelation” does not kick-start this album immediately. It slowly pushes open a massive, sludgy oak door before the hell that awaits behind it flushes over the listener. Sludge, blast-beat metal, anything uneasy goes. Just like on its predecessor, Burner takes no hostages here. Every knob is turned (punched) to 11 here, at least.

The tracks on this album feel like an aural waterboarding, with changing substances, in a good sense (IYKYK). We get fast and shorter songs like “Accelerationist”, “What Will You Give” or “Sunrise, Parabellum”, where the mosh part feels like being kicked over the finish line. Then we also get the long, winding and grinding tracks like the aforementioned opener or the closer, “Agni Kai”, where the musical prowess of Burner is shown every second. The other songs in between have got you covered when you are longing for good excuses to go ballistic on your interior.

Several high-quality guests elevate this already great record to a new level. Josh Middleton (Sylosis) lends his vocal skills to “What Will You Give”. A rager in front of God’s face. None other than main shredder and nice guy par excellence Matthew K. Heafy (Trivium) offers his throat to “Sunrise, Parabellum”. Modern, brutal metal at its finest. “Kurtz” is a personal highlight for me, as Anthony Lucero of the beloved Cult Leader gives a first sign of life since Learn to Love It from 2024. It is as savage as you would hope it to be.

Burner succeed in taking the next step in their heavy evolution. No One Is Coming To Save Us is another bright beacon in the UK metal scene and will burn (every pun intended) their name into several year-end lists for sure.