Death Angel will return to Europe this December for a 12-city headlining run, performing their landmark 1990 album “Act III” in full to mark its 35th anniversary. Fellow San Francisco Bay Area thrash veterans Vio-Lence provide support across Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Czech Republic, and the Netherlands, with a stop at the Eindhoven Metal Meeting built in. Tickets go on sale July 15 at 2 p.m. CEST.

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The Full Tour Schedule

Dec. 01 – CZ – Brno @ Fleda
Dec. 02 – DE – Berlin @ Kesselhaus
Dec. 03 – DE – Coesfeld @ Fabrik
Dec. 04 – DE – Geiselwind @ Music Hall
Dec. 05 – CH – Pratteln @ Z7
Dec. 06 – DE – Munich @ Backstage Werk
Dec. 08 – DE – Saarbrücken @ Garage
Dec. 09 – DE – Stuttgart @ LKA Longhorn
Dec. 10 – DE – Langen @ Neue Stadthalle
Dec. 11 – NL – Eindhoven @ Eindhoven Metal Meeting
Dec. 12 – DK – Roskilde @ Gimle
Dec. 13 – DE – Hamburg @ Fabrik

Why ‘Act III’ Still Matters 35 Years Later

“Act III” was Death Angel’s major-label debut for Geffen, and it marked a real turning point — a more dynamic, melodic side of the band without losing the thrash intensity that defined 1987’s “The Ultra-Violence” and 1988’s “Frolic Through the Park.” MTV airplay for “Seemingly Endless Time” and “A Room With A View,” plus a feature in People magazine, pushed the band into rare territory for a thrash act at the time. This European run continues an anniversary tour that already sold out two advance shows at San Francisco’s legendary Fillmore, and it’s part of a run that’s expected to keep going into 2027 with more dates still to come.

Check This Out – Thrash Metal’s 13 Greatest Bands Ranked — The #1 Pick Still Sparks Debate

Vio-Lence Bring Their Own Full-Album Pedigree

The pairing makes sense beyond geography. Vio-Lence has run this exact playbook before — their own 2024 headlining tour saw them perform 1988 debut “Eternal Nightmare” in full. Formed in 1985, Vio-Lence helped shape the Bay Area sound alongside Death Angel and Exodus before disbanding in 1993 and fully reuniting in 2019, later releasing “Let The World Burn” in 2022 — their first new material in nearly three decades. The two bands’ histories are genuinely intertwined: Death Angel frontman Mark Osegueda has guested with Exodus — another band that’s named both Death Angel and Vio-Lence as direct influences on their own sound — and has also fronted Kerry King’s solo band alongside former Vio-Lence guitarist Phil Demmel. This is less a random support-slot pairing than two branches of the same family tree touring together.

Death Angel’s Modern-Era Momentum

This tour arrives on the back of real creative momentum, not just nostalgia. Death Angel’s 2019 album “Humanicide” earned the band a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance, and in 2025 they released two new standalone singles, “Wrath (Bring Fire)” and “Cult Of The Used,” their first new material in several years. The current lineup — Mark Osegueda, Rob Cavestany, Ted Aguilar, Damien Sisson, and Will Carroll — has held steady for nearly two decades, one of the most stable configurations in the band’s four-decade history.

Also Recommended – Beyond the Big Four: 13 Unsung Thrash Metal Bands Who Actually Forged the Genre

TL;DR

• Death Angel announced a 12-city European tour this December, performing “Act III” in full for its 35th anniversary
• Vio-Lence, fellow Bay Area thrash veterans, provide support across all dates
• The tour includes a stop at the Eindhoven Metal Meeting on December 11
• Tickets go on sale July 15 at 2 p.m. CEST
• Vio-Lence ran a similar full-album anniversary format with 2024’s “Eternal Nightmare” tour
• Death Angel’s 2019 album “Humanicide” earned a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance

FAQ

Bay Area thrash royalty on one bill — is this the European tour of the year for you? Let us know in the comments. Follow Loaded Radio for daily rock and metal news.

The post Death Angel Announce ‘Act III’ European Tour With Vio-Lence appeared first on Loaded Radio.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Eaten By Sharks Unleash Exclusive Full Album Premiere Of The Undertow of Hate At Decibel Magazine Ahead Of July 17 Release
Canadian extreme metal force Eaten By Sharks are making waves with the exclusive full album premiere of their highly anticipated new album, The Undertow of Hate , now streaming exclusively at Decibel Magazine ahead of its official release on July 17 via CDN Records.
The premiere places Eaten By Sharks in front of one of heavy music’s most respected and widely read publications, giving fans an early opportunity to experience the band’s most ambitious and immersive release to date.
Describing the album, Decibel Magazine praised The Undertow of Hate as a “crushing, composition-focused plunge into nautical horror, psychological collapse and total oceanic ruin,” highlighting the band’s evolution beyond the progressive death metal, deathcore and groove-driven intensity showcased on their acclaimed 2022 release, Eradication .
The album builds upon the momentum of the recently released single “Capsized,” expanding its themes of fear, survival and devastation into a cinematic journey through chaos beneath the waves. Combining punishing riffs, technical precision, polyrhythmic grooves, slam-infused breakdowns and haunting atmosphere, The Undertow of Hate delivers one of Eaten By Sharks’ strongest statements to date.
Speaking with Decibel Magazine about the new record, the band shared:


“We took time to fully immerse ourselves in the writing process and build a cohesive concept rooted in a single cinematic moment of horror. This album reflects a deeper understanding of who we are as artists.”


Fans of Fit For An Autopsy, Gojira, and Cattle Decapitation will find plenty to sink their teeth into as Eaten By Sharks continue pushing the boundaries of modern extreme metal.
The exclusive Decibel Magazine premiere marks another major milestone for the band as anticipation builds toward the official release of The Undertow of Hate on July 17, 2026 , through CDN Records .
Don’t miss your chance to hear the entire album before release and witness why Eaten By Sharks are quickly becoming one of Canada’s most exciting rising forces in extreme metal.
Go check it out here: https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2026/07/15/album-premiere-eaten-by-sharks-undertow-of-hate/
Go buy the record here: https://cdnrecords.com/shop/eaten-by-sharks-the-undertow-of-hate-bundle/


   Connect With Eaten By Sharks:
Website: https://linktr.ee/eatenbysharks
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eatenbysharksband/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatenbysharksmetal/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/EatenbySharks00
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EatenBySharksVideo
Bandcamp: https://eatenbysharks.bandcamp.com/album/eradication
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0y0jhJGgy98Whl3y5PsikD
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/eaten-by-sharks/1482997266
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eatenbysharksband

Swedish metal heavyweights Sabaton have officially announced that on September 11th, 2026, their definitive blockbuster album, The Last Stand, will be re-released as a limited 10th Anniversary Edition via Nuclear Blast Records.

To do justice to this incredible milestone, the album will not only be released for the first time with all bonus tracks, but there will also be limited editions available featuring alternative artwork, along with live videos recorded at Sabaton Open Air 2016.

First released in 2016, The Last Stand conquered the world, cracking the Worldwide Top 10 and hitting #1 in multiple countries. The grand-scale concept album delivered Sabaton‘s signature, explosive heavy metal, unleashing fan-favorite tracks and setlist favourites such as ‘The Last Stand’, ‘Winged Hussars’, ‘Shiroyama’ and many more.

Pär Sundström commented: “Who would have believed that 10 years could fly by so fast? We have so many great memories tied to The Last Stand, so we’re really happy to celebrate its 10th anniversary with the special edition vinyl and digibook with all the extras.

If you get your hands on the digibook, you’ll find bonus video footage that captures Thobbe – our guitarist – playing his final show with us at Sabaton Open Air in 2016 before stepping away for an eight-year vacation. In a way, it became his own “Last Stand”! Of course, none of us knew at the time that he’d eventually return to the band in 2024, which makes looking back at those moments even more meaningful. It’s a poignant chapter in our history, and the perfect thing to share as we celebrate the album’s 10th birthday.”

The Last Stand (10th Anniversary Edition) can be pre-order here and it will be available in the following formats:

• CD+DVD Digibook (w/ bonus DVD feat. live clips from Sabaton Open Air 2016)
• 2LP Gatefold Vinyl (Disc One: Natural Red Marbled (Bloodstone marbled) / Disc Two: Trans Orange Black White Splatter)

In over two decades since their launch, Swedish metallers Sabaton have carved out a reputation as one of the hardest-working bands in the business – gaining a legion of loyal fans across the globe, delivering eleven highly-rated studio albums (including two certified platinum-sellers), and scoring multiple industry award wins and nominations.

The post SABATON Announces “The Last Stand (10th Anniversary Edition)” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

For the third consecutive year, Vulgarfest returned to The Studio in Hartlepool, once again proving that the UK underground Extreme Metal scene is alive and thriving. Since its debut in 2024, the annual festival has become a staple of the Extreme Metal calendar, with organisers and hosts Vulgar Dissection once again bringing together some of the country’s finest bands for a day of unrelenting heaviness.

Vulgarfest 2026

The Studio, Hartlepool – 10-11 July 2026

Words: Matty Hunter

Photography: George Davidson (GeordenPhotography)

This year’s edition featured eight bands, culminating in a headline performance from Glasgow’s Scordatura, while a Slam Karaoke set stepped in following the withdrawal of Vast Slug.

The weekend began the night before with a pre-show featuring Brain Bath, Ovulating Cadaver, Grave Ghoul and Fate Weaver, giving travelling fans from up and down the country even more reason to descend on Hartlepool for two days of underground extremity.

Beyond the music, Vulgarfest continues to embody the spirit of the underground, with a genuine sense of community between fans and bands throughout the day.

Death Metal is alive and well, and Vulgar Dissection deserve huge credit for creating an event like this in their North East coastal hometown, giving the UK’s underground scene a platform to flourish year after year.

Final Witness

Kicking off the show at 1:30 was hometown new kids on the block Final Witness, who wasted no time showing why they are an exciting young Death Metal prospect. Having only formed last year, the old-school Death Metal outfit consists of four teenage musicians.

Despite their youth, the quartet already have two releases to their name, Stabbing Angels and the self-titled Final Witness and showcased a level of musicianship that belied their age.

Starting promptly, Final Witness immediately found themselves playing to an already healthy crowd, with the vocalist Max Pearson gripping the audience from the opening moments. Their seven-song set was a mixture of unreleased material, covers and their two singles. 

The recently released earworm Stabbing Angels was an early highlight, driven by an irresistibly catchy riff and a chorus that already had sections of the crowd shouting along. Pearson’s introduction of “Do you know a band called Obituary?” was met with a loud cheer before the band launched into a cover of Redneck Stomp, one of the first big crowd-pleasing moments of the day.

The band members were all equally impressive musicians, but guitarist Ben Heron was particularly striking throughout, delivering a series of confident guitar solos that marked him out as a standout performer. Pearson, meanwhile, possesses all the qualities of a commanding frontman, combining powerful vocals with an assured stage presence that brought to mind an early Cronos. 

Before the end of the set, he gave a shoutout to Liam Wales from Vulgar Dissection, as well as thanking everyone from the bar staff to the lighting crew for making the festival possible.

The closing title track saw the band call for the day’s first circle pit, and plenty happily obliged, bringing the 30-minute set to a fittingly chaotic conclusion just before 2 pm. It was an outstanding opening performance that set the tone for everything that followed.

The Larches

Occupying the second slot on the bill was The Larches, drafted in at only a few days notice to replace Grindcore Cake Makers and immediately looking as though they belonged there.

The Middlesbrough sludge/doom outfit, formed in 2023, have forged their own distinctive sound by blending many elements of music and are far removed from the indie roots that they first began with. 

Already boasting a self-titled 2024 EP alongside the singles Equilibrium and Ego Death / The Skin I Live In, the band are set to release a new EP, Nihilistic Majesties, on 24 July 2026 following the arrival of lead single Taxidermy.

Starting at 2:25, The Larches wasted no time in making an impression with an eight-song set built mainly with teasers of unreleased material. Frontman Noah Annandale was relentlessly animated from the opening moments, moving all over the stage, bellowing and clean singing through the songs with an intensity that never relented. 

By the second track, Corrosion Of Conscience, from their forthcoming EP, he had already taken his shirt off and remained topless for the rest of the set, pacing about, dropping to his knees and drinking beer between musical breaks, ensuring every moment was packed with energy, while the band remained locked in.

What stood out most was the raw emotion that came through in their music. The instruments landed with power, the breakdowns felt particularly visceral, and the vocals shifted convincingly between savage gutturals and cleaner, more melodic passages in parts.

Despite being a late addition to the bill, The Larches played with the confidence of a band that had been on the poster from day one, carrying the room through a 25-minute barrage.

I had not heard the band before Vulgarfest, but by the time they left the stage, they had earned a place in my library and on my watchlist for the months ahead.

Slam Karaoke

The unexpected voided slot of Vast Slug could easily have left a break in the proceedings, but instead it produced a lighthearted interlude.

Vulgarfest filled the half-hour slot with a spontaneous slam karaoke session that further embodied the festival’s tight-knit community spirit. Throughout the day, the atmosphere between bands had already been exceptional, with musicians and fans mingling freely, and the karaoke only strengthened that sense of togetherness.

The session was kicked off with three of the four Vulgar Dissection members as guitarist Billy Edmondson took on vocals, joined by bandmate Benji Dixon on drums and festival organiser Liam Wales on guitar.

Local prog death band’s Erebor vocalist Valentine Rodriguez was next to take the microphone, backed by Benji once again alongside Final Witness guitarist Ben Heron. Later, Rumination’s TJ Fallon and Joey Rutherford took over guitar and drums, respectively, while Coprocephalic Mutation frontman Kyle Jordan handled vocal duties.

Experienced musicians and first-time participants alike stepped onto the stage, with several others getting involved in the fun. This interlude from the bands brought the crowd even closer together before the day’s intensity ramped up once more.

Liquified

At 4:15, it was time for Nottingham’s Liquified. Formed in 2024, the young five-piece have a sound as filthy as their name and song titles suggest. Despite the band only having one release to their name at present, 2025’s Chapters Of Cruelty EP, they are a group with intent and momentum. 

An eerie intro tape gave way to a thunderous drum introduction before the band exploded into the opening number Septic Tank Sarcophagus. Having been keen to catch Liquified live since hearing their debut EP last year, they more than lived up to expectations.

Their dark, gloomy, and relentlessly trudging Death Metal sound is something I dig. They created a crushing atmosphere that never let up throughout the half-hour performance.

After the opening couple of tracks, vocalist Jack Swain praised the Hartlepool Death Metal scene on the band’s first visit to the town before introducing the new song in the currently unreleased Basement Blight. 

Swain was a brooding frontman, constantly headbanging with his face rarely visible beneath a curtain of long hair, and the audience nodded along with him. Skinned And Binned was the first track I heard of them last year, and this one proved to be a particular highlight of their set, translating live as dark and ominous as it does on the EP.

Closing with another new track in Zombie Ritual, Liquified unleashed a final barrage of blast beats before thanking Vulgar Dissection’s Liam for inviting them onto the bill, revealing they were all big fans of the festival hosts.

It was an impressive festival debut and another reminder of the strength of the UK’s emerging Death Metal scene. These lads from ‘Rottingham’ are ones to watch.

Rumination 

The second of three bands on the bill representing the host town, Rumination were up next just after 5 pm. Having only formed in 2024, the five-piece continue to go from strength to strength and are a real gem of the Death Metal scene. 

Following a tongue-in-cheek snippet of the traditional folk song The Hartlepool Monkey, Rumination immediately showed the uninitiated what they are about as they burst into life with a crushing opening assault, their backdrop proudly adorning the stage behind them. The impact was immediate as the floor space quickly filled and the crowd surged closer to the front. 

Their sound was absolutely phenomenal, delivering crushing riffs, blistering drumming and guttural vocals with no unnecessary theatrics. Just pure, uncompromising brutality. The second song saw a welcome guest appearance from Jon Burr, vocalist of Colpocleisis, whose contributions added even more venom to the band’s devastating performance. 

Much of the set showcased unreleased material from the forthcoming EP Maelstrom Of Epithelium, which is due for release in late August after a lengthy period in the works. Having spoken with members of the band earlier in the day, it was exciting to hear that the record is now complete. Every song in the set landed with confidence, and the new EP sounds superb.

There was still room for plenty of northern personality between the brutality. The band acknowledged their Scottish friends in attendance, including guitarist Ross Dunn, before vocalist Paul Hartburn joked that Rumination had “been on stage longer than Scotland were in the World Cup” and then hilariously led the crowd in a chant of “Football’s coming home again under Thomas Tuchel.”

Onstage, the synchronised headbanging between band and audience perfectly reflected the connection Rumination had built with the packed room. 

Wrapping up their 35-minute show, they somehow surpassed the impressive performance I saw when they supported Narcotic Wasteland in Newcastle last year, delivering one of the standout sets of the festival so far.

Impurist 

Impurist took to the stage as one of the day’s most experienced outfits. Formed in Hull in 2023, the Death Metal seasoned quartet boasts current and former members of Extreme Noise Terror, Gorerotted, Winterfylleth and Hell Bastard amongst several other known bands. 

Their uncompromising approach to straightforward Death Metal has already produced two strong EPs in Evolving Cortex (2024) and Punishment Without Mercy (2025), with a debut full-length expected later this year.

Having previously caught the band supporting Pestilence alongside Damim in Newcastle last December, it was good to see them return to the North East.

Opening with the title track from Evolving Cortex, Impurist wasted no time establishing their crushing sound before a bout of guitar issues briefly halted proceedings after the first song. Fortunately, the interruption was short-lived, and they quickly burst back into action with Punishment Without Mercy, the setback doing little to dent the momentum they had already built. 

Frontman BM’s deep vocals were delivered with conviction and purpose throughout, while his confident swagger gave the performance an assured stage presence to match the band’s no-nonsense approach.

Although two songs were dropped because of time constraints, the band still delivered a compact yet impactful set, also tearing through In Gristle and Sinew before closing with Pestilent Plains. 

BM addressed the shortened running time with good humour, joking that if Impurist were a Grindcore band, they could have played 20 songs. Their set concluded at 6:30 pm, but despite only managing four songs, Impurist once again demonstrated why they are one of the UK’s most promising new Death Metal acts. I look forward to their new record, and it is clear that their sound is ever-evolving. 

Coprocephalic Mutation

Occupying the sixth of eight bands on the stacked bill was Manchester’s brutal Death Metal outfit Coprocephalic Mutation.

Formed in 2017, the band began life as a studio project before evolving into one of the UK’s most recognisable modern underground slam acts with appearances across UK shows and festivals. The band have established themselves as a formidable name in the modern Extreme Metal community, and their sound is pitch black.

The Manchester natives put on one of the heaviest performances of the day, with their particular brand of brutality arguably representing the most purely savage slam attack on the bill.

Taking to the stage at 6:45 pm, there was no lengthy introduction or build-up needed. Coprocephalic Mutation immediately launched into a relentless barrage of brutality.

Frontman Kyle Jordan commanded the stage with a towering presence, and he notably took a moment to thank the band for having them on the bill before shouting out the other acts playing throughout the day, before the band unleashed the crushing set highlights Phallic Lobotomy and Cervical Bifurcation Through Deteriorated Atrocities. 

The set continued with relentless intensity, but it was during the final two tracks that the crowd response truly erupted, with the mosh pits spreading across the venue and the atmosphere amping up even more.

Closing with a brutal cover of Devourment’s Babykiller, Coprocephalic Mutation left the crowd with one of the most memorable moments of the day. After a 30-minute set, the band delivered exactly what fans expected, a deep and filthy display of slam brutality that proved why they remain one of the UK’s most impressive Extreme Metal acts.

Vulgar Dissection

As the penultimate band of the day and the hosts of the festival itself, Vulgar Dissection carried the weight of expectation onto the stage and delivered a performance that justified exactly why this event bears their name.

Formed in 2017 in Hartlepool, Vulgar Dissection released their debut demo in 2018 before following it with their debut EP, Buried And Forgotten, in 2020. After a period of sustained touring, the band stepped away from the spotlight to focus on writing and recording last year’s superb Liquifying Coagulated Viscera, which I ranked as my third favourite release of 2025.

The current quartet lineup appears very tight-knit, and their growing profile has seen them perform across Germany, France and elsewhere in Europe this year. Continuing to wear their Dying Fetus influence proudly, they even released a cover of Grotesque Impalement just one day before this hometown performance.

This show marked my second time seeing them in their hometown, just a stone’s throw away at the Vixen Bar last time, and the connection between band and audience was clear from the opening moments.

From the outset, Vulgar Dissection immediately had the Hartlepool crowd moving, with pits erupting from the first song and continuing throughout the entire 45-minute slot.

The previously fan-picked setlist delivered, and they welcomed guests on stage with them for a couple of tracks, with Ben Heron from Final Witness guesting on guitar, while Ross Dunn from Rumination joined the band on vocals for Femur Breaker.

The connection between band and audience throughout was top-notch, with chants ringing out for the choruses and loud cheers in between track switches. Vulgar Dissection had the room completely in the palm of their hands.

They concluded with a cover of Dying Fetus’ Grotesque Impalement, a moment that went down brilliantly with the fans and provided the perfect final warm-up before the day’s closing act.

Shortly after their set, the Vulgarfest team took to the stage to make huge announcements for next year’s festival, announcing an expansion to their team and that four bands were already secured for the bill in OCD, Visions Of Disfigurement, Defector and Swarms.

Scordatura

A fine export from Scotland, none other than Scordatura, had the honour of closing out the third edition of Vulgarfest, making their first-ever appearance in Hartlepool as they approach two decades as one of the UK’s premier Death Metal bands. 

Formed in Glasgow in 2007, the quartet includes three founding members and across four full-length records from Torment Of The Weak through to this year’s fresh, outstanding Led Into Oblivion, they have built a reputation for an uncompromising approach to the genre.

Expectations were understandably high here, and they delivered a headline set worthy of the occasion.

After a meticulous soundcheck pushed their start time back slightly, Scordatura finally took to the stage at 9:15 pm, teasing the crowd with a brief burst of Servants Of Entrapment before Daryl jokingly announced, “Good night, Hartlepool,” prompting laughter from both the band and the packed room.

Any delay was immediately forgotten as they launched into a relentless assault, weaving the new material together with several older fan favourites. There was little room for conversation between songs, with the band keen to maximise every minute of their set after the delayed start.

From the opening moments, Scordatura justified their headline billing and just did their thing. Their sound was an overwhelming cacophony of crushing riffs, relentless blast beats and guttural vocals exactly as Death Metal should be, while the technical precision on display was consistently admirable. 

The intricate and fast guitar work was exceptional throughout, and as a nice personal touch, I appreciated the guitarist Owen McKendrick’s Decapitated shirt, representing one of my own favourite bands in the genre.

His guitar was equally eye-catching, plastered with stickers of countless bands, including one for Party Cannon, a fitting nod to their Scottish brothers and, of course, frontman Daryl Boyce’s other band full-time as of last year.

Boyce constantly encouraged movement, demanding circle pits that the crowd were only too happy to provide, and bodies crashed into one another across the floor in a wall of death at one point.

One of the night’s standout moments personally came when, while I was filming, Daryl grabbed my phone and turned it towards the stage and his band members, capturing the group from their own perspective before handing it back to me without missing a vocal note. Rather impressive.

It perfectly summed up the fun, inclusive attitude that accompanied the brutality pouring from the stage.

By the closing stages, the bodies flying had descended into complete chaos. Crowd surfers appeared in waves during the final two songs, with multiple people making their way overhead, including Liam from Vulgar Dissection, Rumination’s Ross and Final Witness’ Ben.

It was a fitting climax to an outstanding performance that eventually concluded after nearly an hour of brutality, running beyond the venue’s curfew but with absolutely nobody complaining. After their set, Scordatura took a breath, and the fans showed their appreciation. 

Speaking to the band after the show only reinforced the impression they had left on stage. They were humble, genuinely appreciative of the reception they had received and full of praise for the North East Death Metal scene that had welcomed them so warmly on their first visit to Hartlepool.

It was the perfect way to bring the curtain down on the third Vulgarfest, a festival that continues to prove the strength, passion and community spirit of the UK’s underground Death Metal scene.

Long may it continue, and 2027 early bird tickets are available now. For more details, visit SeeTickets.

The post Vulgarfest 2026 – The Third Chapter of Hartlepool’s Underground Success first appeared on MetalTalk – Heavy Metal News, Reviews and Interviews.

UK black metal event Fortress Festival has this month announced the first wave of bands to feature in the 2027 edition. The festival, which will be held at Scarborough Spa on 29-30 May 2027, will be headlined by Emperor in a UK exclusive performance.
Read more…

Villagers Of Ioannina City are unveiling an Adam Barker-produced/directed music video for “Venceremos”, the newest single and title-track off their upcoming third long player.
Read more…

At a glance

Pros:

• Genuinely clever modular system: one pre-split cable pairs with multiple post-split connectors
• Solid, confidence-inspiring twist-lock connector at the midpoint
• Choice of silver-plated copper braid or nylon-wrapped builds depending on your priorities
• Backed by a 2-year warranty
• Real cost savings if you own more than one headphone or IEM

Cons:

• Connector compatibility list still has gaps for some niche headphone models
• The modular joint adds a small amount of bulk versus a one-piece cable
• $39.99 per half means a full setup runs higher than a single cheap aftermarket cable

---

Who Is Dekoni Audio?

If you've spent any time in the headphone modding scene, you already know Dekoni Audio. The New Jersey-based company built its name on aftermarket earpads like memory foam and sheepskin replacements for everything from the Sennheiser HD600 to the Sony MDR-Z1R—before branching into eartips and, more recently, headphone cables. Dekoni isn't a boutique cable house chasing exotic metallurgy claims. It's an accessories brand that understood a very simple problem: audiophiles who own multiple headphones end up buying multiple redundant cables, and that's expensive and wasteful. The Ensemble Cables are Dekoni's answer.

What Are the Ensemble Cables?

The Ensemble line runs on what Dekoni calls the Modular Cable System, or MCS. Instead of a single fixed cable running from your source to your headphones, MCS splits the cable into two halves that snap together with a twist-lock connector in the middle.

The "presplit" half runs from your amp or DAC and ends in whatever plug you need—4.4mm balanced, 6.35mm unbalanced, XLR, or USB-C. The "postsplit" half is the short Y-section that terminates in your headphone's actual connector, whether that's a 2-pin IEM socket, an Audio-Technica ATH-M-series jack, HD600-style connectors, or mini-XLR for planar cans. Buy one pre-split cable and swap in different post-split halves depending on which headphone you're using that day. For this review, we spent time with four representative pieces from the lineup: the 4.4mm balanced silver braided pre-split cable, the 6.35mm blue nylon pre-split cable, the 2-pin silver braided IEM post-split connector, and the nylon-wrapped post-split cable built for the ATH-M series.

Build Quality and Design

This is where the Ensemble system earns its keep. The silver-braided pre-split cables use an 8-strand silver-plated copper construction that feels premium in hand. It's not stiff, not memory-wire springy, just a well-behaved braid that drapes properly instead of fighting you. The nylon-wrapped options trade a bit of that tactile flex for a more durable, everyday-use jacket that shrugs off wear better over time, which is useful if this cable is living in a backpack or is only used for a desktop setup.

The connector at the center of the whole system is the twist-lock joint, and it's the single most important part to get right, since every gram of confidence in this product hinges on that joint not working itself loose over months of use. It locks with a reassuring quarter-turn and doesn't feel like it's going to back out from vibration or tugging. Gold-plated terminations on the pre-split ends handle the source connection, and the 2-pin connectors on the IEM post-split cable are the now-standard 0.78mm size that fits the vast majority of detachable-cable IEMs on the market.

Sound Quality

Let's be honest upfront, because the cable industry has a lot of marketing around sound. Going from a stock cable to the Dekoni SPC braided option (or any cable, really) is not going to reshape your headphone's frequency response or make any major sound changes. There may be a modest sense of added clarity and a slightly more spacious presentation with the silver-plated copper option compared to the nylon-wrapped copper cable, particularly on more resolving IEMs and planar headphones where cable-induced changes are easier to pick out, though realistically these changes are incredibly hard to spot.

Compatibility and Modularity

The MCS ecosystem currently covers an impressively long compatibility list: AKG, Sennheiser, HiFiMan, Audeze, Beyerdynamic, Fostex, Grado, and dozens more brands and models are represented on Dekoni's site, alongside the expected IEM 2-pin standard. Swapping between a post-split cable for your ATH-M50x and one for your HD6XX takes seconds once you own both halves.

Since the launch of these cables, Dekoni has clearly expanded the list of compatible headphones, but it's still worth checking the compatibility finder on their site before assuming your specific pair is covered. The modular cable system rewards people who own multiple headphones or IEMs; if you only own one pair, a simple one-piece cable will save you money.

Final Verdict

The Dekoni Ensemble Cables aren't chasing a "magic wire" sound transformation, and they're honest about it. What they deliver instead is a legitimately useful modular system with great build quality, a dependable connector, and real cost savings for anyone juggling more than one pair of cans or IEMs. The sound differences between cable variants are modest but noticeable, which is exactly what you should expect from any honest cable review. If you own multiple headphones and are tired of a drawer full of redundant cables, this is one of the more sensible ways to solve that problem without overspending.

Find all of Dekoni Audio's Ensemble Cables here:

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Technical Specifications

Presplit 4.4mm Balanced Silver Braided Cable

• Termination: 4.4mm balanced, gold-plated connector
• Construction: 8-strand silver-plated copper braid
• Length: 52" or 64"
• Price: $39.99

Presplit 6.35mm Unbalanced Blue Nylon Woven Cable

• Termination: 6.35mm (1/4") unbalanced, gold-plated connector
• Construction: Nylon woven jacket over copper core
• Length: 52" or 64"
• Price: $39.99

Post-Split 2-Pin IEM Connector Cable

• Connector type: 2-pin, 0.78mm industry-standard
• Construction: Silver-plated copper (SPC) braided
• System: MCS Post Split module
• Price: $39.99

Post-Split Nylon Wrapped Cable for ATH-M Series

• Connector type: Audio-Technica ATH-M-series compatible
• Construction: Nylon jacket over silver tinsel wire
• System: MCS Post Split module
• Price: $39.99

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