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Electronic-rock firebrands Wargasm have returned with their explosive brand-new single, “Swallow”, out today on all digital streaming platforms via their new label home, Hopeless Records. Following hot on the heels of recent cut “Get Down”, the three-minute blast of sonic adrenaline proves once again why the London duo remain one of the most unpredictable forces … Continue reading Wargasm unleash explosive and chaotic new single / video “Swallow” via Hopeless Records

Joanna Connor is scary good. I caught her live show in Hagerstown, Maryland some years ago and will never forget her commanding presence. Her new live album, Live on 11/11, shows just how awesome she can be. I’ve gushed over her work before. Connor is an absolute star. Known for her commanding vocals and brazen […]

“Your time on this planet has passed…we are in control,” warns a cyborg in ‘Singularity’, the dystopian new

Anglo-Maltese quartet ĠENN team up with Arab Strap’s Aidan Moffat on moody new single ‘Jaguar Sun’ which is

Djordje Miladinović has been a foundational force in underground culture for years, whether running the independent webzine Thoughts

This was the nexus point between what could have been the end of group and an entirely new beginning. Continue reading…

With his family and bandmates confirming he passed away surrounded by loved ones in Australia

Source

Heavy metal band Anthrax is back with its much-anticipated new album, “Cursum Perficio.” It’s a ranging set of heavy music.

The post Anthrax, ‘Cursum Perficio’ Album Review — A Thrash Metal Triumph appeared first on Audio Ink Radio.

In the spirit of Noctule—Svalbard frontwoman Serena Cherry’s solo meloblack/Covid lockdown project—and their video game theming, I have lore with this band. Noctule’s debut, 2021’s Skyrim tribute Wretched Abyss, was the subject of my audition review for this very blog. Given the assignment was to review an album you’d rate as mixed/2.5, you can infer my assessment of it. So, why then was I so excited to relieve Dear Hollow of reviewing Noctule’s follow-up, Extinguish Thy Flame? It’s not because it’s tackling Elden Ring this time,¹ a game Cherry credits in the promo with saving her life.² It’s because, though Wretched Abyss was a one-note record, that one note was massive. Noctule’s coiling melodies kick ludicrous butt on that album, and I had long hoped Cherry would give her side-project another swing. Well, here it is: Extinguish Thy Flame. Does Noctule seize upon their potential, or is their flame more meager than I had believed?

Rest assured that the aspects that made Noctule’s debut compelling remain untarnished on Extinguish Thy Flame. Wretched Abyss’s formula of interwoven hyper-melodic leads soaring over pummeling drums and Cherry’s commanding bellows was potent in 2021, and you’d best believe it works just as well today. Behold “Become My Blade Once More” and true opener “Devour the Gods;” disregarding Extinguish Thy Flame’s clearer production, these songs could’ve been off the debut. Noctule is still an approachable, hook-first project, typified by surefire bangers like “Grafted,” swapping between chuggy chops and spacious melodies and “Hallowhorn Grounds” with its surprisingly bright atmospheres. The only strength of the debut that takes a minor backstep on Extinguish Thy Flame is in its pacing, as two brief interludes in “Welcome to Limgrave” and “O’ Death” delay/interrupt the action a smidge more than Wretched Abyss ever did. Even so, Extinguish Thy Flame is still a tight and vital listen, and Noctule’s approach to melodic black metal is just as enjoyable as before.

However, Extinguish Thy Flame improves on Wretched Abyss’s greatest weakness: monotony. Where Noctule struggled in refreshing their formula before, an injection of melodeath into their style drastically ups Extinguish Thy Flame’s memorability. Adopting the school of InsOmnium Gatherum sad boi gorl melodeath riffing, Noctule sounds supercharged on emotional barnburners like “Lord of Blood” and “Age of the Stars,” sounding more precise and simply bigger than ever. “Age of the Stars,” “Devour the Gods,” and “Become My Blade Once More” alone have better-quality melodeath riffing than most bands not named At the Gates in 2026. “Big” is ultimately the word for Extinguish Thy Flame; Noctule embed gravitas into cuts like “Lament of the Omen King” and “Grafted” through rich and capacious arrangements, tom-heavy fills, and synth-backed symphonics. Where Wretched Abyss had few moments that broke its mold, every song on Extinguish Thy Flame has its standout aspect. Although monotony does show somewhat in Extinguish Thy Flame’s mostly uniform tempo, Noctule only needed a touch more diversity to level up their game.³

Against the opulence of Extinguish Thy Flame, Noctule casts a shadow of sadness across its runtime. It’s a Serena Cherry album, after all. Noctule manifests as a less confessional, more grandiose version of Svalbard on Extinguish Thy Flame, bearing Cherry’s signature burden of sorrow across its fiery tracks. Overt mourning weighs heavy on “Goddess of Rot”‘s slower tempo and tortured wails, while “Hallowhorn Grounds” wields Svalbard’s bittersweet post-hardcore riffing with conviction. Clean and acoustic guitars coil and harmonize like their distorted counterparts across Extinguish Thy Flame, most noticeably in bridging “Grafted” and “Goddess of Rot,” and succeed in evoking sadness as convincingly as the distorted harmonies do in raising hell. Lyrically, Cherry succeeds in drawing out the tragedy of Elden Ring’s various storylines (“Goddess of Rot,” “Age of the Stars”), proving further the beauty of a bad time. Noctule is as easy-listening as black metal gets, but that doesn’t mean Cherry’s not gonna try and pluck at your heartstrings on Extinguish Thy Flame.

Just as I’d hoped, Extinguish Thy Flame is Noctule better realized. Stronger arrangements, stronger musicianship, a more varied songwriting approach; there was no question that Noctule could weave a killer hook, but their sophomore outing proves the project has legitimate staying power. If you like your extreme metal big and melodic, you owe yourself a listen to Extinguish Thy Flame. If I discover future wannabe N00bs auditioning with this record, I will personally see them snuffed promoted back into the readership expeditiously. Detractors of Extinguish Thy Flame, I brook thee no quarter.

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Rating: Very Good
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps MP3
Label: Self-Release
Websites: noctule.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/noctuleband
Releases Worldwide: September 25th, 2026

The post Noctule – Extinguish Thy Flame Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

KIDPUNK have launched into their next chapter with a new label and a scorching new single.

The Newcastle punk band have signed to Easy Life Records, and their first opening move comes in the form of rallying track ‘Surrender’

Speaking about the single, vocalist Shaun Wright has shared:

“Surrender is a song that can be interpreted in many ways, but to me it’s a metaphor for those moments when defeat or heartbreak feels inevitable, but there’s something more honourable going down swinging rather than surrendering without a fight.”

It might be the first track released via their new label home, but KIDPUNK have been very busy this year.

Since the arrival of their 2025 EP ‘BLACKEYE’, they’ve shared a handful of singles, each showcasing a slightly different side of their raucous high-energy sound.

Take a listen to the incendiary ‘BREAK A LEG’ below.

The post KIDPUNK Sign To Easy Life Records, Unleash Rallying New Single ‘Surrender’ appeared first on Rock Sound.