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Ren has shared another piece of his current project, Impatient – a collaboration with Chris Webby – and it is one that hits harder than most.

The track is titled ‘Caskets’, and it is a song that pulls on something that we are all going to experience at some point in our live; the loss of a loved one. Though rather than serving as a mournful song full of tributes and what-ifs, it speaks more to making the most of the time that we do have. Of squeezing every last drop out of this life with the people that make you feel unstoppable, because that’s the only way to do this existence any sort of justice. It’s for those that we have lost, those we never actually got to meet and those who are going to find their way into our hearts in the future. We are all going to dissolve into matter at some point, but why not have the time of our lives whilst we can?

Ren had this to say about the tune, stating, “It’s a song for anyone who has ever lost someone. I wanted to make a funeral song that fills you with happiness and the acceptance of the wild twists and turns of life – a celebration rather than a powerless despair over death. It came out really special, and I’m really proud of what me, Webb, and JP made here.
 
As someone who’s lost too many friends on this wild journey, this one is really special to me and I hope it is special for you guys too. I hope it can bring you peace in the most difficult times.”

Whilst Chris Webby added this:

“I dabble in many genres and vocal styles within my own music, but I had definitely never tackled a full on ballad before. On ‘Caskets’, Ren really brought me to his world musically, pushed me to step outside my comfort zone, and helped give me the confidence I needed to use my singing voice in such a vulnerable way.. and I’m really glad he did because it turned out to be one of the most meaningful tracks I’ve ever been a part of.
 
In times like these, I feel like us creatives have a a certain duty to our fellow man. As AI and technology keep pushing us down this increasingly synthetic and emotionally disconnected path, us artists need to rise up and be a sort of counter weight to the culture and remind people what it feels like to be human.
 
There’s nothing more universally human than experiencing loss, and I think a song like Caskets needs to come around every so often and bring a tear to the eye of even the most closed off and detached among us.. and most importantly, remind people who they are and what’s important. Even if it’s only for a brief 3 and half minutes.”

It’s the fourth song that the pair have put out over the last month, with the previous offering being ‘Neurodivergent’, which sounds a lot like this:

And here is ‘Instigator’, showcasing just how many different textures these creations are looking to exhibit:

The post Ren Shares Tear-Stained New Track ‘Caskets’ appeared first on Rock Sound.

The Tortured Souls have just released a powerful new single.

Posted on May 21st 2026, 12:49p.m.

Anthrax have just released a video for It’s For The Kids.

Nothing But Thieves have just released a killer new single with Evolution.

Motown's budding iconoclast finally forged a path to the individualism – and conviction – that he'd aspired to for so long. Continue reading…

Every artist needs their muse. For Avery Dart, that would be the eel, the main subject of Lurkers of Languid Waters, a record from his experimental ambient/black metal project, Escaping Aghartha. Dart uses his music to bring awareness to various environmental issues, such as the plight of frogs, birds, owls, the ocean, and pollution. The problem facing the eel, in particular the freshwater anguillid eels of Japan, Europe, and America, stems from overfishing. Dart seeks to raise awareness and money for the cause of protecting them. A portion of the record’s profits go towards Nature’s Anguillid Eel Specialist Group, a group that studies the population of these mysterious fish. Escaping Aghartha hopes you can spare some room in your heart for a moray.

A little-known fact about eels is their ability to shapeshift throughout the various cycles of their life, and Lurkers of Languid Waters similarly shifts genre across its 74-minute runtime. There’s progressive black metal, doom, drone, noise, industrial, ambient, dungeon synth, and more. The album is as slippery as its subject, though lacking in its bite. Opener “Eel Black Market” serves as a microcosm for the whole. The shifting guitar tones struggle to grasp for purpose from the start, and a repellent combination of “dirty” vocals and grating riffs starts things off on the wrong fin. Across 16 minutes, the song’s hooks fail to catch hold—a good outcome for the fish, but bad for the music. Escaping Aghartha utilizes synths that sound like a video game soundtrack, droning riffs, chanting, and bubble noises that make you feel trapped in a fish tank. Sure, the initial shock of the strangeness on display may grab one’s attention, but the intolerable nature of the music won’t hold it for long.

The choices that Avery Dart makes give the impression that he purposely set out to make the listener uncomfortable. To start, there are the vocals, mostly from Dart, that range from tolerable to unlistenable. By the end of “Eel Black Market,” his snarls are incomprehensible and grating. On the blackened doom of “The Phantoms that Haunt and Linger,” they are weak and muffled, contributing to a lethargic malaise. On “Eaten to Obliteration,” they are raw and hoarse. A few experimental choices bring to mind John Cage, such as bell chimes (“Eaten to Obliteration”) and a nightmarish buzzing segment that sounds like a mosquito in your ear (“Altered Currents”). These sections feel added without musical purpose, just random noise. This mammoth record will put you in the shoes of the eel in their final journey, when they travel thousands of miles to the Sargasso Sea on nothing but their stored fat reserves, spurt out millions of eggs, and then sink to their deaths from exhaustion.

Remarkably, Lurkers of the Languid Waters undergoes a transformation once it crosses the hour mark. Hooks catch hold and stick. Buzzy guitars make way for hooky synths and blackened trems. Though “Transformations” is pretty good, it’s “Journey to the Sargasso Sea” where things really take a turn for the best. The album suddenly sounds musical and purposeful rather than meandering and dense. The synths and trems team up to conjure an uplifting, triumphant mood, serving as the soundtrack for the eel’s final journey. At 12 minutes, it’s a tad long, but its progressive structure keeps it engaging. This goes to show that a little bit of hooks can go a long way. If only Escaping Aghartha had applied this approach to the rest of the album.

I’ll give Dart this: I’ve learned a lot about eels and their plight thanks to my time with his record. The purpose of Lurkers of the Languid Waters is to spark interest, conversation, and perhaps even action to protect these misunderstood fish. Yet the mere existence of this album can only go so far if it’s a chore to listen to. I spent time with it because I took on the duty of reviewing it, but others likely won’t be so willing. I’d be more tempted to plunk down some money on a CD, which does feature some terrific artwork, if the music were just a little more tolerable. I’d love to help defend a cause like this, but my ears are important too.

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Rating: 1.5/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Hypnotic Dirge Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: May 22nd, 2026

The post Escaping Aghartha – Lurkers of Languid Waters Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

Nothing But Thieves are kicking off a new chapter in invigorating style with a new track brimming with vibrant energy.

Titled ‘Evolution’, it finds the band stepping back into the raw and rallying guitar-driven sound that allowed them to find their footing a decade ago, with the wisdom of the years past allowing them to reach new, headier heights. Beautifully considered, wonderfully euphoric and sensationally human in sound and scope, it’s a song that speaks as much to what it means to allow yourself to grow, not just in the art you make but in the life that you live. It’s open, honest and now there for you when you need a reminder of how special this existence is every now and then.

The band had this to say about what the track represents for them:

“It’s a song that’s not too concerned about finality. I think imperfection and authenticity is becoming ever more valuable and it’s definitely something we’re drawn to.”

“We’ve spent some time trying to work out what’s real and tangible about who we are and how we use our time. The people we travel the world with, the human moments on stage, the connection we make with those who come to our shows. That’s real.”

“It’s a bit of a love letter to the people in our world in that way.”

Here it is:

It’s the band’s first music since their 2023 album ‘Dead Club City’. Here is the sensational ‘Overcome’ from that very record.

The post Nothing But Thieves Share Spirited New Track ‘Evolution’ appeared first on Rock Sound.

The vocal dynamo looks back at her three decades on Italian metal’s frontlines

All good things must come to an end, as they say, and sadly, an era for Vomitory is now coming to a close. The band’s founding member and guitarist, Urban Gustafsson, has decided to leave the ranks.
Read more…