Today is the official holiday for pot smokers everywhere, so that makes it the perfect day for a pair of stoner rock bands to tease something huge. After all, they know their fan bases are in an altered state that should make them an almost captive audience, doomscrolling on their phones and whatnot.
Earlier today, the two bands shared a trippy, albeit retro, looking teaser on their Instagram pages. In it, we see Red Fang’s skull logo done up in 3D with a sword laying behind it all sci-fi and cool looking. Behind the animation is a weirdly ominous monotone sound that grows in intensity. Next to the animation are the words: “Wednesday. Comment below to be the first to know.”
So yeah, it’s a teaser for something being announced this Wednesday. Common money is on the two bands teaming up for a tour of some sort. Could also be a split release or something in that vein. Who knows?
Well, the bands know and we don’t so we gotta wait until Wednesday to learn more.
UK thrash veterans Acid Reign are officially back with their first new album in seven years. Titled Daze Of The Week, the record is set to drop via Back On Black on 15th May 2026. This marks their first full-length release since 2019’s critically acclaimed The Age Of Entitlement. To celebrate the announcement, the band … Continue reading Acid Reign return with new album ‘Daze Of The Week’ and UK tour dates
Absolution for the time An illusion of your mind And you wanted to be free And you wanted to be loved
Modele’s Pleasure For The Holy, the title track from their 2025 LP, is a song that offers a grave yet glamorous listening experience. Musician Chris Huggett and co. built the original sound around eager drum machines, a cool mechanical throb, and guitars that sweep in with that large-hearted post-punk ache. It has the posture of devotion and the appetite of a pop song. The lyrics circle purity, freedom, love, release, all those big shining words people drag out when common language has gone stale on them. The mood is uneasy, because pleasure here is never handed over cleanly.
That first version has the Toronto band stretching toward something larger than romance, something half-spiritual and half-chemical, with guitars that carry a fine old ache reminiscent of The Cure’s Kiss Me era and the sweeping, weathered grandeur of Script of the Bridge. The rhythm keeps the song upright, but the emotional pull comes from the way everything feels just slightly out of grasp, like a promise written on cathedral smoke. Longing sounds elegant without draining the blood.
Then, when Ash Code got their hands on it, the song shifts posture, shifts pulse, changes the room it lives in. Alessandro Belluccio, Claudia Nottebella, and Adriano Belluccio heard the yearning in the original and decided that it ought to move its hips a little, ought to leave the chapel and head for the club where bad decisions have better lighting. Their remix thickens the bass, sharpens the synth work, and gives the track a sleek, decadent drag. The ache remains, but now it travels through the body. This is where the song evolves, not by abandoning its emotional center, but by letting that center sink lower, deeper, closer to the floor.
“It was exciting to hear Ash Code’s take on the track – they brought a more dance-driven energy that feels perfect for a dark club setting,” says Modele.
Listen to the Ash Code remix of Pleasure for the Holy below:
Quite right. Ash Code turn longing into movement and make the spiritual crisis sound dressed for danger. What began as a solemn search becomes something more seductive, more physical, more alive to the old fact that many people go looking for salvation and wind up finding a dance floor instead.
Look up the word ‘prolific’ in a modern dictionary and you’ll probably see a description of Australian progressive metal band Teramaze and their prodigious songwriter Dean Wells.
“The Silent Architect” is the 13th studio album in Teramaze’s 31 year history. (There’s also an album of acoustic re-workings.) Incredibly, it’s their ninth album of new music since 2019 and their second since I reviewed 2024’s “Eli: A Wonderful Fall From Grace”, which I described as “a terrific achievement.” 2025’s “The Harmony Machine” also received strong critical acclaim, hailed by The Prog Report as “the band’s heaviest, most hard-hitting material to date”.
For the uninitiated, Teramaze inhabit the same musical universe as Dream Theater, but have a distinctive style all of their own. Their albums are characterised by songs infused with enjoyable melodies, impactful storytelling, inspiring vocals and dextrous musicianship that enhances the songs rather than clutters them. By any standard, the quantity of Teramaze’s recent output is impressive and the quality is outstanding. Given this, it’s natural to wonder whether a band could possibly sustain such a high standard with yet another full album release coming out so soon.
Doubters begone! “The Silent Architect” is magnificent and quite possibly, a career best record. It’s rich in catchy, singable melodies, lush instrumentation, clever arrangements and memorable lyrics. There are nine songs over its 62 minutes; nothing outstays its welcome and there’s not a single wasted moment. It’s a triumph for writer/guitarist Wells, and with the whole band contributing exceptional performances, singer Nathan Peachey is a dominant force throughout.
While not a traditional concept record, the album is deeply connected through an underlying theme rooted in the story of Adam and Eve, the Garden of Eden, and humanity’s fall through deception. These familiar yet intriguing themes have produced some intelligent, relatable and intriguing lyrics.
Opening song “The Silent Architect” showcases the multi-faceted strengths of Teramaze and especially, Wells’ gift for melody. Crammed with singable licks, it’s a splendid prog metal odyssey with every band member having opportunities to dazzle. The playing isn’t self-indulgent or over-extravagant, however. The song exemplifies how the band operate as a cohesive unit with the individual players’ talents complementing each other superbly, playing what’s just right for the song.
“Doors of Yesterday” is the first of three stirring ballads on the album. From its delicate piano intro onwards, it has a poignant intensity and it’s a song that would sound at home on any mainstream rock radio station.
Lead single “The Invisible Countdown” is dominated by a heartbreaking Peachey vocal, with its repeated “Are we willing to find out…” melody providing an infectious earworm. Against stiff competition, it’s my favourite song on the album.
“Mr Crazy” is an out-and-out fast rocker and an absolute banger. An attention-grabbing, shrewd choice as second single, its frenetic pace is however untypical of most of the album, so get the headbanging in while you can! The guitar work on this song is exceptional.
At this point a breather is welcome and “Arrow” is a soothing, graceful song. Its strong, accessible chorus is a good example of Wells’ knack for a good melody. It’s impossible to over-emphasise just how good the tunes are throughout this record.
“Dust and Bone” channels Metallica, and together with the aforementioned “Mr Crazy” it provides some of the album’s heaviest moments and most exhilarating riffage. It’s a great showcase for the band’s formidable rhythm section, Andrew Cameron’s bass and Nick Ross’s drumming are explosive here.
“Enemy in the Garden” has several strong repeating melodic motifs and contrasting moods, sustaining interest over its eight minutes. The title and the lyrics provide strong story-telling. Peachey delivers an affecting vocal and the guitar solo work is again excellent.
“Ghost Hands” completes a triumvirate of awesome ballads. The chorus is exquisite and quite beautifully sung and has my favourite lyric on the album (“We’ll walk in the sunlight, we’ll bury in the moonlight”). A goosebumps moment!
Album closer “Left in the Fire”, is in ‘epic’ territory at twelve minutes long, with thrilling music to match. In the first half, dynamite drumming propels the song, with double kick fired choruses and machine gun snare fills punctuating the action. The song swells into true epic style and yes, there’s a fabulous payoff with marvellous interplay between Peachey’s soaring vocals and Wells’ gorgeous guitar.
Individually, each song on “The Silent Architect” is a masterpiece of melodic songwriting and world class musicianship. The album has everything you need: elegant ballads, thrilling rockers and progressive epics, enveloped in profound story-telling. And while Teramaze is a band that can certainly rock hard with the best of ‘em, it’s a major strength of the album is that most of the songs are relatively mid-paced, allowing the music chance to truly breathe and come alive. Above all, the album delivers great TUNES.
At this point I will again highlight the superb “man of the match” performance of singer Nathan Peachey. Throughout this album, his tone is luxuriant and soulful, and the versatility on display is quite incredible. Seemingly without effort, he delivers power and beauty with no sense of over-exertion that you can hear with some other vocalists. I imagine writing for a singer of such potency is a major inspiration for Dean Wells, and likely to be a key factor in the current highly productive chapter in the band’s long career.
In this golden era for modern prog there’s an enormous amount of great music to enjoy in what can sometimes feel like a crowded market – a nice problem for prog fans to have! Set in this context, the recent prolific output by Teramaze shines brightly, which is as remarkable as it is brilliant. I like to digest an album for a year or two (or more) and I can’t help wonder if these amazing Aussie artists may be at risk of overwhelming their audience if they continue releasing albums at this rate. That said, a band producing music of such consistent high quality should probably keep going while they’re on such a roll!
“The Silent Architect” has a multitude of moments to delight lovers of progressive metal, but this album transcends that label. Its music is engaging, satisfying and packed with cracking tunes. I think the album has widespread appeal to all prog fans regardless of their favoured sub-genre(s). Go get it!
Tracklisting:
1.The Silent Architect 10:13
2.Doors of Yesterday 4:24
3.The Invisible Countdown 8:37
4.Mr Crazy 3:37
5.Arrow 4:50
6.Dust & Bone 4:24
7.Enemy In The Garden 8:30
8.Ghost Hands 5:25
9.Left In The Fire 11:56
TERAMAZE is:
Dean Wells – Guitars / Vocals
Nathan Peachey – Vocals
Andrew Cameron – Bass Guitar
Nick Ross – Drums
Death metal unit from Denmark, Baest, will be touring Europe in autumn to promote new material from their latest full-length release Colossal. Read more…
Swedish death thrash project Since the Death, going back to its first EP in 2017, has always been a one-man solo project helmed by multi-instrumentalist Oscar Rask. However, on the latest effort, Entangled, Rask (drums/synths/samples/bass/vocals) is joined by Richard Adolfsson on guitar. The pair have manifested a fervently energetic 10-song full-length—the fourth from STD—that’s a buzzsaw of gnarled, deathy Scandinavian thrash. It’s a little bit black metal musically and a little bit “white metal” lyrically, informed by Rask’s Christian faith. There is, however, no lack of intensity throughout. The entirety of Entangled is offered up here in advance of its upcoming release.
Entangled is, in fact, set to be issued on CD and digitally via Nordic Mission Records on April 24. You can place your preorder here.
Rask had this to say about his latest full-length:
“Entangled is about feeling completely trapped, like everything is closing in, but still somehow being protected. I had this image of a man wrapped to a tree in a cocoon, with monstrous spiders waiting to devour him, and then suddenly a river appears that keeps them away. He’s still stuck… but also guarded. There’s a kind of dark humour in that—you’re safe, but you don’t know for how long. That’s how I see life sometimes. Even when things feel hopeless, something can change. You just have to endure a little longer and trust that it’s not over yet.”
Asti’s most uncompromising sons are back. Cripple Bastards have announced they will release a brand-new EP, La tua foto sul marmo, on 12th June 2026 via F.O.A.D. Records. While it might only be an EP, the band are calling it a major statement, packed with the kind of fresh songwriting that keeps a legendary act … Continue reading Italian grindcore legends Cripple Bastards announce new EP ‘La tua foto sul marmo’
Industrial metal stalwarts Fear Factory have a lot of tour dates this summer, but thanks to some issues that have cropped up, an entire leg of their tour had to be shifted around a bit, resulting in their Latin American dates getting moved around a bit.
Earlier today, co-founder and guitarist Dino Cazares announced that their upcoming shows in Chile, Argentina, and Colombia are moving to mid-July. Unfortunately, however, their planned appearance at Bangers Open Air Festival had to be canceled, since they can’t make it out when that takes place.
The dates in question, listed as follows, were part of the band’s 30th anniversary celebration of their album Demanufacture. The newly rescheduled dates in question are:
Jul 15 – Chile @ Teatro Caupolican
Jul 16 – Buenos Aires, Argentina @ Groove
Jul 17 – Corooba, Argentina @ Club Paraguay
Jul 18 – Bogota, Colombia @ Ace Of Spades
Following those dates, Fear Factory will head across the pond for shows in Europe throughout August, September, and October. Coming along with them will be Crystal Lake, Hate, and The Nocturnal Affairs.
We had to reschedule all of our South American headlining dates to July. Unfortunately we will not be performing at Bangers Open Air fest. Go to https://t.co/FqzwsyqBaN for the rescheduled headlining dates pic.twitter.com/1uJumfFirO
Aug 29 – Poznan, POL @ Tama (no Crystal Lake) Aug 30 – Kraków, POL @ Kwadrat (no Crystal Lake) Aug 31 – Warsaw, POL @ Palladium (no Crystal Lake) Sep 2 – Vilnius, LIT @ Loftas Sep 3 – Riga, LAT @ Palladium Sep 4 – Tallinn, EST @ Helitehas Sep 5 – Helsinki, FIN @ Apollo Sep 6 – Turku, FIN @ Logomo Sep 8 – Stockholm, SWE @ Fryshuset Klubben Sep 9 – Copenhagen, DEN @ Vega Sep 11 – Ghent, BEL @ Vooruit Sep 12 – Rotterdam, NET @ Baroeg Open Air Sep 13 – Nijmegen, NET @ Doornroosje Sep 15 – Köln, GER @ Live Music Hall Sep 16 – Hamburg, GER @ Markthalle Sep 17 – Berlin, GER @ Huxleys Sep 18 – Munich, GER @ Kesselhaus Sep 19 – Esch-sur-Alzette, LUX @ Rockhal Sep 20 – Karlsruhe, GER @ Substage Sep 21 – Vienna, AUT @ Simm City Sep 23 – Budapest, HUN @ Barba Negra Sep 24 – Zagreb, CRO @ Boogaloo Sep 26 – Rome, ITA @ Orion Sep 27 – Milan, ITA @ Live Club Metalitalia Festival Sep 29 – Paris, FRA @ Le Trabendo Oct 1 – Manchester, UK @ Ritz Oct 2 – Nottingham, UK @ Rock City Oct 3 – Buckley, UK @ Tivoli Oct 5 – Dublin, IRE @ Academy Oct 6 – Belfast, UK @ Limelight Oct 7 – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 Oct 8 – Bristol, UK @ Prospect Oct 9 – Southampton, UK @ The 1865 Oct 10 – London, UK @ O2 Forum Kentish Town
