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Today is the official release day of Nervosa‘s new studio record, Slave Machine. Check out the newly streaming single, “Impending Doom”, along with a Dimitris Preve-directed/edited music video.
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Rock and metal have long been perceived as a boys’ club, but Betsy Weiss never cared. Legends like Suzi Quatro, Doro Pesch, and Lita Ford get a ton of credit for paving the way, but leaving Betsy out of that conversation would be a mistake. With her band Bitch, Weiss is, and always will be, a fire-breathing demon. It’s why Brian Slagel made Bitch Metal Blade Records’ flagship band, and why Weiss endures in 2026. It’s with this in mind that Weiss beamed in with ClassicRockHistory.com to look back on one hell of a career. What are your earliest recollections

The post Betsy Weiss Of Bitch: The ClassicRockHistory.com Interview appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

Irish singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy has officially released his third studio album, The Weight of the Woods, via Island Records. Recorded largely in a studio near his home in rural Ireland alongside collaborator Gabe Simon (who has worked with the likes of Noah Kahan and Lana Del Rey), the record is being described as his most … Continue reading Dermot Kennedy returns home with new album The Weight of the Woods

Australian industrial death metal band The Amenta have announced that they have reunited with their original vocalist, Mark “Cesium 137” Bevan, who last performed on the group’s debut album Occasus. Next month, the five-piece will perform 4 shows in Australia supporting Ulcerate.
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Holding Absence Announce Signing With Sumerian Records And Release “Whisper Of A Dream” Single And Official Video

Performing At Welcome To Rockville And Sonic Temple Next Month

Louder Than Life In September And Aftershock Festival In October

Ticket Info HERE

 

South Wales trio Holding Absence today release “Whisper Of A Dream”, their first new music since 2023’s ‘The Noble Art Of Self-Destruction’ and their first for new label Sumerian Records.

This track captures what it means to be human when hope feels out of reach. Holding Absence explore the tension between numbness and healing, tapping into a state so dark it feels almost inhuman. It is a search for something better, while watching it slip further away. Sitting between emotional hardcore and alternative, Holding Absence lean into deep vulnerability, pulling listeners into a world shaped by their lyrics and striking visual identity. The single also marks the introduction of a character that will unfold across the album campaign.

Speaking of “Whisper Of A Dream”, frontman Lucas Woodland shares:

“’Whisper Of A Dream’ is our first song back in what feels like forever. After releasing our third record, ‘The Noble Art Of Self-Destruction’, it felt essential to step away for a while – to take stock and rediscover who we are as a band. “Whisper” felt like the perfect song to return with. In many ways, it represents everything Holding Absence has always been, while introducing new elements to our sound and opening the door to what comes next.

Lyrically and conceptually, the song draws heavily from cyberpunk media. Contemplation, sentience and dreaming in an ever-evolving world. The music video also introduces our robot mascot “Y4-BB0”, a character you’ll be seeing more of in the coming years.”

By signing off ‘The Noble Art of Self-Destruction’ with a stark “3/3”, Holding Absence made a promise – to set fire to everything they, and their fans, thought they knew about the band. After nearly a decade of carving out a home in their post hardcore terrain, ‘TNAOSD’ was a final, defiant love letter to themselves – a wild, muddy exorcism of all they had been, and all that fans had grown to love about them… But the end of that campaign posed some cold, hard questions: What do we lose? And what do we keep? What does it mean – and has it meant – to the thousands of fans across the world adorned with the moth tattoo? And how do we carry out this metamorphosis without losing that?

North American fans will also have their chance to see the band beginning next month at Welcome To Rockville on Thursday, May 7 and at Sonic Temple the following week on Thursday, May 14. Holding Absence will also be bringing the heat to Louder Than Life on Friday, September 18 and Aftershock on Thursday, October 1 this fall. Click the link here for ticket information, and stay tuned for more Holding Absence news coming soon.

Top Row L-R: Welcome To Rockville, Sonic Temple; Bottom Row L-R: Louder Than Life, Aftershock

The post Holding Absence Sign With Sumerian Records And Release “Whisper Of A Dream” appeared first on Mayhem Music Magazine.

The queen of Doom Trap, Mimi Barks, has officially kicked off her next chapter with the release of her new single and video, “Dreamstate Of Hell”. Blending metal intensity with industrial grit and trap influences, the track is a raw and deeply personal statement on the current state of the world. Co-written and produced by … Continue reading Mimi Barks returns with explosive new single “Dreamstate Of Hell”, tour

ALL-FEMALE HARD ROCK BAND DOGMA RETURNS WITH NEW TRACK “FATE UNBLINDS”

 

Provocative hard rock force Dogma marks Good Friday with the arrival of “Fate Unblinds,” a cinematic, high-impact metal anthem that signals a bold new chapter for the band. The single is their first original release since last summer’s “Be Free,” and it lands with unmistakable intent.

Driven by frontwoman Lilith’s commanding, firebrand vocals, “Fate Unblinds” surges with thunderous guitars and ritualistic percussion, unfolding from eerie, tension-filled verses into a towering, anthemic chorus. Anchored by the declaration “my fate unblinds,” the track explores themes of revelation, faith, and the confrontation of buried truths, delivered with both raw intensity and theatrical precision.

Rising with defiant energy and an unmistakable visual identity, Dogma continues to reshape the modern metal landscape. Blending mystique, empowerment, and hook-driven heaviness, the band has rapidly emerged as a global force, with a momentum that has ignited audiences across North and South America and Europe, turning controversy and intrigue into a fast-expanding, deeply engaged fanbase.

With “Fate Unblinds,” Dogma double down on their signature fusion of rebellion, sensuality, and sonic power. Fueled by surging streams, viral traction, and sold-out shows, the band isn’t just breaking through – they’re building a phenomenon.

Lilith says, “‘Fate Unblinds’ lives in a moment you already know… even if you choose to ignore it. It’s that point where something stops feeling right, where what’s in front of you begins to crack… and still, you hold onto it. Not because you don’t see it, but because you lack the will to face it. I’ve seen it. I’ve felt it. And so have you.

We’ve all been given something and called it truth simply because it was easier. We’ve all trusted what stood beside us… without questioning what it really was. And we’ve all felt that hesitation… that moment where we knew, and still chose to stay exactly where we were. That’s not confusion. That’s weakness.

And most people live there. They protect the illusion, they defend it, they repeat it… because it allows them to avoid responsibility for what they see. I have no respect for that.

Fate doesn’t come to comfort you. It comes to test you. To confront you with what is real and force you to decide who you are when it matters. Those moments are inevitable.  You either use them to sharpen yourself… to evolve, to rise, to move forward… or you stay where it’s safe, rooted in the same place, choosing comfort over growth.

And that choice… is everything.

Dogma’s fate, your fate… unblinds…”

Watch the provocative video for “Fate Unblinds” below:

The post Dogma Returns With New Track “Fate Unblinds” appeared first on Mayhem Music Magazine.

Cole World: The Sideline Story, Cole’s major-label debut, landed on September 27, 2011, entering the Billboard 200 at number one with 218,000 copies sold in its opening week. Singles from the project included “Work Out,” “Can’t Get Enough” featuring Trey Songz, and “Nobody’s Perfect” featuring Missy Elliott. His sophomore effort, Born Sinner, came in June 2013 and moved 297,000 copies in its first week, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200, edged out by Kanye West’s Yeezus, a release Cole had deliberately scheduled his album against. That record introduced singles including “Power Trip” featuring Miguel, “Crooked Smile” featuring TLC,

The post Complete List Of J. Cole Albums And Discography appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

Australians Alpha Wolf are pleased to announce a headlining ‘Let It Rip European Tour’, scheduled in October 2026. Support on the road will come from Psycho-Frame, Fox Lake and Diamond Construct.
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Somehow, Këkht Aräkh is one of the most popular black metal artists in the game right now. Since the release of sophomore album Pale Swordsman in 2021, the solo project of one Crying Orc (Dimitry Marchenko) has garnered serious momentum outside of the typical metal fandom with its melody-forward, “romantic” black metal sound. That record showcased a solid and surprisingly listenable, DSBM-informed, almost folksy take on classic ’90s blackened tropes, but more importantly, it felt emotionally honest without being cheesy. With album art like that, heartfelt, sadboy lyrics about love and isolation, and a raw, tape-inspired sonic landscape, it was an impressive achievement that the earnest pathos of Pale Swordsman managed to eclipse the potential corpse-paint cringe. Five years later, with a memetic cover referencing an infamous, dorky Varg photo and a string of singles that seem equally indebted to modern cloud rap and black metal, one can’t help but wonder whether Morning Star has tipped the delicate balance between sincerity and self-parody. As a cloud rap enjoyer and black metal nerd, I might be the only staff member not to laugh this latest Këkht Aräkh out of the schoolyard. Is this long-anticipated follow-up actually worth the wait?

On Morning Star, Crying Orc hasn’t lost his ear for blackened melody that made earlier Këkht Aräkh material engaging; he’s just found new ways to package it. Tracks like opener “Wänderer” take the familiar black metal elements, but re-purpose them to mimic the patterns of hazy SoundCloud beats. The central bedroom guitar motif operates on a two-bar loop, with layers of distorted tremolos added and stripped back across verses and hooks like a hip-hop producer might use synths. A warm, syncopated bass supplies rhythmic variation as the drums blastbeat away. Crying Orc shifts between shrieks and whispers, both delivered in a clipped, almost percussive flow, peppered with ad-libs. This formula is surprisingly effective and allows the layers of haunting melodies to shine alongside more straightforward 2nd-wave riffing (“Castle,” “Land av evig natt II”) or with a greater emphasis on sung vocal lines (“Mörker över mörker,” “Gates”). Bladee himself even appears on “Eternal Martyr” to lend his signature autotuned anti-charisma to an earworm hook, resulting in a genuine blackened banger. The cloud rap influence pans out better than I could’ve expected and leads to several highlights across the tracklist.

Of course, this is only one side of the Këkht Aräkh coin, as many of the songs on Morning Star forgo black metal altogether in favor of indie-tinged folk ballads. “Genom sorgen,” “Drömsång” and “Trollsång” are composed of minimalistic clean guitars, subtle synth layers, and softly sung vocals. These tracks are serviceable and understandable in the context of a longer album, but they lack the sense of progression and movement that makes the black metal material enjoyable. Crying Orc’s singing has an amateur charm that conveys a sorrowful gravitas when deployed, and it’s often pleasant in short bursts, but many of the softer moments fail to capitalize on it for maximum effect—and they make up a significant portion of the album. Even outside of the dedicated slower tracks, songs like “Lament,” “Raven King” and “Vigil” bookend their runtimes with extended minimalism that does little to further the greater piece. The title track “Morning Star” is an exception to this rule: led by a mournful string melody, it expands and contrasts brilliantly, whereas the others remain static.

One area where Këkht Aräkh should have diverged from his rap peers is in Morning Star’s bloated tracklist of 17 songs. With each track firmly in the 2-3 minute range, many feel like half-finished ideas that end abruptly before anything interesting happens. As a result, the more engaging black metal tracks lose some of their power when they’re buried next to underwhelming ballads. This ends up emphasizing an ephemeral “vibe” as the record’s strongest trait rather than any individual track. A combination of the lo-fi, tape-inspired soundscape and the persistent melancholic melodies makes Morning Star a very easy album to throw on and just bathe in its atmosphere. The whole thing exudes a pervasive sense of emotional honesty that’s enticing. It’s a record that sounds amazing on a car ride or in the background, when conjuring a certain mood, but falls a bit short upon closer inspection.

Morning Star is a difficult record to evaluate. There’s a lot here to like, from the shockingly adept integration of cloud rap elements to the enticing layered melodies and lo-fi production, but these strengths are ultimately undercut by an overstuffed tracklist and songs that fail to develop. In a certain light, this could be a strength for listeners who prioritize musical “vibes” over substance, but to this metalhead, it comes across as underbaked.

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Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream
Label: Sacred Bones
Websites: kekhtarakh.bandcamp.com | Instagram.com/kekht_arakh
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026

The post Këkht Aräkh – Morning Star Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.