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.
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.
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‘ […]
“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.
When Dolly Parton died last month, there was a public lovefest celebrating the country music icon and philanthropist. Tributespouredin from Parton’s many friends and admirers, and the Nashville airport was renamed in her honor. But now we’ve entered a messy chapter of the aftermath. Behind the scenes, all is not well within Parton’s estate.
“Birds” is arguably the best song from Turnstile’s 2025 album Never Enough, and it’s definitely the song mostly likely to make people absolutely lose their minds at live shows. When they toured last year, Turnstile ended their sets with “Birds.” On their current tour, they’re using that song as their opener. Now, Slayyyter gets to harness the live-show power of “Birds.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NORCVLT ANNOUNCES SOPHOMORE FULL-LENGTH ALBUM “DI’NA TÀCHÌ” ARRIVING NOVEMBER 2026
Indigenous Atmospheric Black Metal Project Begins Unveiling Its Next Chapter With First Album Promo Video
Southern California (Occupied Tongva & Chumash Territories) | Atmospheric black metal project NORCVLT has officially announced the upcoming release of its sophomore full-length album, “Di’na Tàchì,” arriving November 2026 .
Meaning “First Breath,” Di’na Tàchì continues the journey established by NORCVLT’s debut full-length Saa Ka’nì , moving beyond darkness and destruction toward creation, awakening, and new life.
NORCVLT describes the album as a journey through “the first breath, the antlered dawn, the returning waters, the awakening of spirits, the spilling of blood, the stirring of flesh, and the birth of new life.”
With the album now ready to emerge, NORCVLT is beginning the unveiling process with a first promotional video and the official album artwork, with the complete tracklist set to be revealed later this week.
“Di’na Tàchì — ‘First Breath’ — continues where Saa Ka’nì left off. From the darkness, destruction and the sacred flame’s inevitable end comes creation.”
The forthcoming album represents another evolution of NORCVLT’s atmospheric black metal sound, combining frostbitten aggression, expansive ambience, ritualistic atmosphere, cinematic scale, and a deeply personal Indigenous perspective.
Fans of Uada, Yaotl Mictlan, Grima, and Agalloch may find familiar ground within NORCVLT’s expansive and emotionally charged approach, while the project continues to develop its own distinct sonic mythology and spiritual identity.
THE ROAD TO DI’NA TÀCHÌ
The announcement of Di’na Tàchì follows NORCVLT’s recent activity surrounding the single “Celestial Tearfall,” released July 9, 2026 through Red Nebula .
The track serves as the second single from the forthcoming album and offers an early glimpse into the expansive world being constructed throughout Di’na Tàchì .
NORCVLT also recently unveiled the official music video for “A Triumphant Warcry,” which premiered through Black Metal Artists . The visual chapter further expands the project’s atmospheric world while continuing the progression toward the forthcoming sophomore album.
Together, these releases have begun laying the groundwork for the next chapter of NORCVLT.
The project’s philosophy is captured in its own words:
“As blackness fades… ancient splendor pours forth.”
DI’NA TÀCHÌ — NOVEMBER 2026
Album: Di’na Tàchì Meaning: “First Breath” Release: November 2026 Project: NORCVLT Management: NORCVLT / Red Nebula Album Artwork: G. C. Logan / @oswta.okwali Branch Border Artwork: @nocturnalwings_
The complete tracklist will be revealed later this week.
More details surrounding Di’na Tàchì will be unveiled as NORCVLT continues its journey toward the album’s November release.
LISTEN TO “CELESTIAL TEARFALL”
Terrifying Angels is the seventh album by UK progressive alternative rock band Pure Reason Revolution, continuing a remarkably prolific streak: it’s their fourth opus since reforming in 2020. The first thing that strikes you is the album artwork. Stark, gothic and frightening, it’s evocative of the Weeping Angels, the nightmare-inducing living statues that traumatise ‘Doctor Who’ viewers. Terrifying Angels, indeed!
The disturbing imagery sets the mood for the frequently startling and often menacing music you’re about to hear. Tonally, it’s a dramatic shift from PRR’s previous album, 2024’s “Coming up to Consciousness” – a musically lush album of shorter songs and catharsis – whereas Terrifying Angels is more aggressive, visceral and angular. It has two songs of ‘epic’ length and five shorter songs across its 50 minute runtime.
Main songwriter Jon Courtney, with creative contributions from others including founding bandmate Greg Jong, alt-rock legend Paul Mullen and Courtney’s mentee Kenny Fitzgerald, has infused the album with attention-grabbing melodic hooks and arrangements that make the listener savour what they’ve just heard and eagerly anticipate what’s coming next. It’s an action-packed record!
Courtney handles lead vocals and much of the instrumentation with virtuosity, elegance and aplomb while Annike Shireen’s voice adds grace and ethereal ambience, with hers and Courtney’s harmonies being a standout feature of the album. Drummer Ravi Kesavaram propels the music with groove, dexterity and frequently astonishing power.
There are several impressive guest appearances, including Jong’s guitar, Fitzgerald’s piano and bass by genre luminaries Kristoffer Gildenlöw and Mariusz Duda. The writing and musical collaborations augment Courtney’s prodigious talent and deliver a vibrant, fascinating and exhilarating record. Courtney also handles most of the production duties, with mixing by Bruce Soord. The album sounds as splendid as discerning music fans have come to expect.
Album opener and lead single “Spin Like Fire” detonates into life with hi-octane prog metal riffage and rocket-powered drumming. The song is a perfect way to grab the listener’s attention. There’s a sense of urgent intensity here: tempo and instrumentation changes come thick and fast, and the memorable choruses provide an early opportunity for Courtney’s and Shireen’s gorgeous harmony vocals to shine. There’s a pulverising metal breakdown in the third minute, infused with spooky electronica, and a thrilling climax.
In contrast, “Black Arrow Acrobats” begins with a relatively mellow vibe, reminiscent of the previous album. This does not last for long! The song is an eight minute masterclass in shifting emotion and contrasting dynamics. It boasts the album’s most radio friendly chorus, an anguished Courtney vocal earworm (‘I’m tired of you, break all of this with your love’) and effective use of spectral electronica textures to intensify the song’s stirring prog metal passages. This is, apparently, Courtney’s favourite song on the album and for a while, I was tempted to agree…but even better is to come.
“Haywire Heart” is a stomping sub-three-minute hard rocker which channels the best of QOTSA at their rowdiest. A stripped back middle section and ethereal Shireen vocals provide the calm before an awesome storm of guitar riffs and another phenomenal ending. When this band rocks, they rock hard! The riffs are so glorious, though, I’d have enjoyed hearing them continue for longer – just occasionally, more is more!
The first movement of album centrepiece “Terrifying Angels”, a twelve minute epic, is atmospheric, mesmerising and with headphones on and eyes closed, you’ll feel you’re in a room with Messrs. Wright, Mason, Waters and Gilmour. Listen out for the single guitar note before the opening “And who makes Heaven?” lyric – it infuses this reviewer with a flush of tingled spine. Across its subsequent movements, the richness and potency of the writing, a collaboration between Courtney, Jong, Augustine Rampolla and Paul Damian Hogan, never lets up for an instant. The sound design, a notable strength of the whole album, is especially outstanding on this track. The full range of musical expression is experienced, from thrilling prog metal to ominous electronica, sublime guitar and keyboard solos, and haunting vocals. This is my favourite track on the album, and one of the best epics I’ve heard all year.
“Rumination Ruin” is bookended by riotous onslaughts of blistering energy, but don’t miss its short, dreamy middle section with a tasteful bass contribution by Gildenlöw. “Below Radiance” features exquisite piano playing by Fitzgerald, almost resembling a Chopin prelude. There’s a sinister sparseness to the electronica instrumentation, and the song builds dramatically in its final minute. It’s a good track but at just three and a half minutes, I like to imagine how great it would be to hear its strong musical themes developed into something more substantial.
The band’s longest ever song “Hold Your Wrath” closes the album. At almost fifteen minutes, the song explores a myriad of feelings and directions through multiple interlocking movements. There’s some mighty fine music here, but it’s the only song on the album where I felt a slight sense of drift; perhaps the arrangement could have been tightened up a little. That said, the track features, amongst many other highlights, a fabulous tom-heavy groove, radiant harmony vocals and prog metal passages evocative of “In Absentia” era Porcupine Tree. The ‘Light invincible’ section is an absolutely transcendent piece of music. I also love the lyrics on this song, which epitomises Courtney’s dark and expressive imagination.
Terrifying Angels is a brilliant album. Every song bulges with exciting musical ideas. It’s definitely one of those records that reveals more layers with every listen. Is it perfect? Almost! There are moments where I’d prefer the vocals to be more ‘front-and-centre’; some strong musical ideas leave you wanting more; and the album closer’s arrangement maybe could be tighter. These are minor quibbles. Make no mistake, this album is a highly enjoyable and rewarding listen. At turns eerie, majestic, beautiful and savage, Terrifying Angels is more than a collection of songs – it’s an experience in sonic adventure.
The full track-listing is below:
1. Spin Like Fire 03:31
2. Black-Arrow Acrobats 08:38
3. Haywire Heart 02:42
4. Terrifying Angels 12:26
5. Rumination Ruin 04:25
6. Below Radiance 03:34
7. Hold Your Wrath 14:45
Band members:
Jon Courtney – vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion, programming
Annike Shireen – vocals
Ravi Kesavaram – drums
Guest appearances:
Greg Jong – guitar
Kristoffer Gildenlöw – bass
Mariusz Duda – bass
Nate Smith – drums
Paul Mullen – guitar, bass, keyboards
Paul Damian Hogan – keyboards
Augustine Rampolla – bass
Kenneth Fitzgerald – piano
Produced and recorded by Jon Courtney
Mixed by Bruce Soord
Mastered by John Webber
Success, or so they like to say, can be a double-edged sword. And the music business in particular is full of bands who have reached the heighest of heights – whether critical, commercial, artistic, or some combination of all three – only to then have to live in the shadow of their success for […]
