Tony Iommi’s first solo album in 21 years is out today, and its opening track is the best thing on it. Machine Head dropped a single with no warning on Tuesday and lost a guitarist on Wednesday. Suicide Silence went to the basement, Northlane went to the club, Soilwork opened the vault, and Wolves In The Throne Room built a religion out of wind turbines. Six songs. Here’s the order to play them in.
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The best new metal songs this week start with the song of the week: Tony Iommi’s “Over The Violent Sun,” the opener on From The Dark, which arrived this morning on BMG with Jørn Lande singing and the best reviews of Iommi’s solo career behind it. Below it: Machine Head’s “Sutures,” a surprise single that turned out to be a goodbye; Suicide Silence’s “Reminders Of Hell,” the heaviest single from Graceless; Northlane’s “Deathwish,” released early to soften a delay; Soilwork’s “Night Whispers & Shining Lights,” two years in the vault; and Wolves In The Throne Room’s “Knights Of Tiamat,” from an album set a thousand years from now.
Tony Iommi – Over The Violent Sun
Song of the week. From The Dark is out today, and Iommi chose its opening track as the focus song for release day, with a lyric video and no single campaign behind it. “Over The Violent Sun” is the album in miniature: a down-tuned riff that moves like weather, a tempo that drops rather than climbs when the verse arrives, and Jørn Lande singing over the top of it in the register Ronnie James Dio used to own. The solo, when it comes, is slow and unhurried, which at 78 is a flex of a different kind.
The album was announced in July with “World Alone,” followed by “Stormwatcher” at the end of September; this is the third song out and the first that wasn’t served ahead of the record. Iommi and Mike Exeter co-produced; Lande co-wrote every song and wrote every lyric. Speaking to Brent Porche on 93.3 WMMR in Philadelphia this week, Iommi said the record started as four or five instrumentals before he decided it needed a singer, that Lande’s voice “goes with what I play,” and that the title is about “the mood of it.” There’s no tour planned, which, from the man who played the last Black Sabbath show fourteen months ago, nobody should hold against him.
Why it’s the song of the week: because it sounds like late Sabbath without borrowing from it. The riff could sit on the back half of the Sabbath catalog and nobody would flinch, but the song is built for Lande, not for Ozzy, and that’s the difference between a solo album and a tribute to yourself. The reviews landing today are calling it gold-standard Iommi. They’re right. Eight tracks, 45-minute runtime, no filler, no guest-list gimmicks. The man wrote the genre and then, at 78, made one of its best records of the year.
Machine Head – Sutures
Nobody announced “Sutures.” It appeared on Tuesday, October 20 on Nuclear Blast with a visualizer and no statement, and by Wednesday it had a context nobody wanted: guitarist Reece Scruggs, four years in the band, posted that his time in Machine Head was “a badge of honor I will carry with me forever” and that “a chapter has ended.” Robb Flynn had already called it. On October 10 he published a blog titled “The End Of An Era,” closing the Unatøned cycle and tallying the damage: seven shows as a three-piece, four drum techs, three booking agents, seven guitar players, three of whom never played a show. “We’ll figure out the future,” he wrote. “But that’s for another day.”
The song is the future, or a sketch of it. Written by Flynn and Jared MacEachern, co-produced by Flynn and Zack Ohren, mixed by Julian Gargiulo, it’s a melodic Machine Head song, which is not a contradiction: there’s a rapid-fire kick pattern and a choppy, chugging verse riff, but the chorus is sung, the tone is melancholy, the breakdown arrives late, and it ends on acoustic guitar. The credits list three performers: Flynn, MacEachern, Matt Alston. No lead guitarist. Read into that what you like.
It’s the most interesting Machine Head release since the Unatøned tour collapsed into the An Evening With dates, and the first one in a while that sounds like Flynn writing for himself instead of for the pit. If this is what the trio sounds like, the next chapter is in better shape than the blog suggested.
Suicide Silence – Reminders Of Hell
Third single from Graceless, out November 20 on Century Media, and the one the band held back for a reason. “‘Graceless’ is a crusher, ‘Make Your Exit’ is a bouncer,” their statement says, “and now, it’s time to go into the depths for ‘Reminders Of Hell.’” They call it “a little more multi-dimensional,” which is band-speak for a song that has a mid-section. It does. It also has the fastest Ernie Iniguez drumming on the record so far, two breakdowns that would have cleared a 2007 Hot Topic, and the nu-metal groove that’s been the band’s signature since Eddie Hermida took the microphone. The release video is Iniguez’s drum playthrough, which is the right call; the song is his.
Graceless was produced by Austin Coupe of The Devil Wears Prada and mixed by Hunter Young of Psycho-Frame, recorded after the band’s European run with Slaughter To Prevail and Dying Fetus, and pitched by the label as a return to the MySpace era with The Cleansing’s twentieth anniversary coming. It’s also the first album since Chris Garza’s hiatus and return; he announced the reset last December and came back in July, and the lineup on the record is Hermida, Garza, Mark Heylmun, Dan Kenny and Iniguez.
The song is also the name of the tour that shares its name: 28 North American dates with Emmure, AngelMaker and Synestia, opening November 6 in Riverside, California and running through December 13 in Los Angeles, with Philadelphia on album-release day. If you want to know where this band sits in the deathcore canon, this is the single that argues they’re still writing new chapters in it.
Northlane – Deathwish
“Deathwish” came out on Tuesday, nine days early, as the sweetener in a bad-news post. Anemoia, Northlane’s seventh album, has moved from October 30 to November 27 because of production delays, and the Australia and New Zealand tour has moved to May 2027 because guitarist Josh Smith has, in the band’s words, “significant, rapidly worsening chronic health issues” that need treatment now. “These decisions have been incredibly tough to make,” they wrote, and released the song as a thank-you.
It’s the fourth single after “CUT_it,” “Evian” and “Crucified,” and Marcus Bridge describes it as “a companion song to ‘Crucified,’ but where that song surveys the landscape, ‘Deathwish’ zooms in on the individual,” written “from the first-person perspective of someone who is entirely unwilling to listen, convinced of their own reality, blind to anyone else’s.” Musically it’s the clearest statement yet of what Anemoia is: Jon Deiley’s trance-inspired synth layers, a clean chorus that could sit on a dance record, and a breakdown that reminds you who’s playing it. Jordan Fish, formerly of Bring Me The Horizon, executive produced, and it sounds like it.
The North American headline run is unaffected: 25 dates with Allt, Aviana and Reliqa from February 12 in Sacramento to March 18 in Portland, with New York’s Irving Plaza on February 27 and Chicago’s House Of Blues on March 6. For a band that has spent a decade defining what modern metalcore can borrow from electronic music, this is the furthest they’ve pushed it, and it holds.
Soilwork – Night Whispers & Shining Lights
Soilwork turned thirty this year, and they marked it with the first new music in two years, released Tuesday on Nuclear Blast on the opening night of their European arena tour with Amon Amarth and Orbit Culture. Björn Strid calls it “a hidden gem that’s been brewing in the vaults for a couple of years,” which puts it in the same writing period as 2024’s “Spirit Of No Return,” and it sounds like the bridge between the two Soilworks: the one that made Övergivenheten with David Andersson, who died in 2022, and the one that’s writing the next album as what Strid now calls “a collective thing.”
The song opens like a power metal record, drops into a death metal verse, and lands on the kind of chorus this band has written better than anyone for twenty-five years. Thomas “Plec” Johansson produced. The lineup is Strid, Simon Johansson and Sylvain Coudret on guitars, Sven Karlsson on keys, Rasmus Ehrnborn on bass and Bastian Thusgaard on drums, and the band’s own post frames it as the close of one chapter: “It’s time for a new chapter and we can’t wait to share everything we’ve been working on with you.” Johansson has said there’s more than an album’s worth written.
No US dates yet; the tour runs through November 15 in Lisbon. If you’re new to the band, the Gothenburg sound they came out of is the context, and this is as good a three-minute summary of it as they’ve released this decade.
Wolves In The Throne Room – Knights Of Tiamat
Estuary, the eighth Wolves In The Throne Room album, came out this morning on Relapse in North America and Century Media everywhere else, and “Knights Of Tiamat” is track two, the song the band named its current European tour after, and the one that explains what the record is. Nathan Weaver has described Estuary as “set 1000 years in the future after the end of civilization,” where “survivors of a cataclysm wander the haunted ruins.” Kody Keyworth wrote this one from a dream he had on tour in Germany: a far future where the last small tribes of humans worship “gigantic, decrepit wind turbine towers” without knowing what they were. The song is the hymn those people sing.
It’s also the most immediate thing on the album. Blastbeats, a riff that races rather than drifts, an evil little guitar solo, and then a closing section of pitched-down chanted vocals that sound, as one review put it, almost inhuman. It’s the only song on Estuary with anything you could call a chorus. The band self-produced at their Owl Lodge studio in Olympia, Nicholas Wilbur tracked the drums at a converted church in Anacortes, and Brad Boatright mastered. Touring bassist Galen Baudhuin plays and sings on it, his first record with the band.
US dates: the Estuary tour with Stygian Bough and Spirit Possession runs January 12 in Vancouver to February 10 in Seattle, with Chicago’s Metro on January 19, Brooklyn’s Monarch on January 26 and LA’s Regent on February 6. Five years after Primordial Arcana, atmospheric black metal‘s defining American band made its heaviest record, and this is the song to prove it.
What’s Next
Iommi’s From The Dark and Wolves In The Throne Room’s Estuary are both out today. Suicide Silence’s Graceless arrives November 20, the night they play Philadelphia. Northlane’s Anemoia is now November 27. Machine Head and Soilwork have nothing scheduled beyond the singles, which in both cases is the point. Last time out it was Staind, Silvertomb and Insomnium. Back next Friday.
TL;DR
Tony Iommi – “Over The Violent Sun”: song of the week; opener of From The Dark, out today on BMG, his first solo album in 21 years, with Jørn Lande on vocals. No tour planned.
Machine Head – “Sutures”: surprise standalone single on Nuclear Blast (October 20); guitarist Reece Scruggs left the band the next day; the credits list only Flynn, MacEachern and Alston.
Suicide Silence – “Reminders Of Hell”: third single from Graceless (November 20, Century Media); drum playthrough video; the Reminders Of Hell tour runs November 6–December 13 in North America.
Northlane – “Deathwish”: released early as Anemoia moves to November 27 and the AU/NZ tour moves to May 2027 for Josh Smith’s health; North American tour February 12–March 18 unaffected.
Soilwork – “Night Whispers & Shining Lights”: first new music in two years, from the vault, released on night one of the Amon Amarth tour; a new album is being written.
Wolves In The Throne Room – “Knights Of Tiamat”: track two of Estuary, out today; US tour January 12–February 10, 2027.
FAQ
What is the best new metal song this week?
Tony Iommi’s “Over The Violent Sun,” the opening track of From The Dark, released October 23, 2026 on BMG. It’s Iommi’s first solo album since Fused in 2005, with Jørn Lande on vocals, Becky Baldwin on bass and Karl Brazil on drums, co-produced by Iommi and Mike Exeter.
Is Machine Head’s “Sutures” from a new album?
No. “Sutures” is a standalone single released without announcement on October 20, 2026 through Nuclear Blast, framed by Robb Flynn as the close of the Unatøned era. No new album has been announced, and guitarist Reece Scruggs announced his departure from the band on October 21.
When is the new Suicide Silence album out?
Graceless is out November 20, 2026 on Century Media. “Reminders Of Hell” is the third single after “Graceless” and “Make Your Exit.” The album was produced by Austin Coupe and mixed by Hunter Young, and the Reminders Of Hell North American tour with Emmure, AngelMaker and Synestia runs November 6 to December 13.
Why was Northlane’s album delayed?
Northlane moved Anemoia from October 30 to November 27, 2026, citing production delays, and rescheduled their Australia and New Zealand tour to May 2027 because guitarist Josh Smith is dealing with serious chronic health issues. “Deathwish” was released early, on October 21, as a thank-you to fans. The North American tour in February and March 2027 is going ahead.
Which new metal albums came out this week?
Tony Iommi’s From The Dark (BMG) and Wolves In The Throne Room’s Estuary (Relapse/Century Media) were both released on October 23, 2026. Soilwork’s “Night Whispers & Shining Lights” and Machine Head’s “Sutures” are standalone singles, not album tracks.
Which of the six are you playing on repeat? Tell us in the comments, send us the songs we missed, and follow Loaded Radio for next week’s list. Get the free Loaded Radio app on Apple iOS and Google Play to hear them on the stream.
Slaughter To Prevail frontman Alex Terrible has shared how his attitude to masculinity has evolved, and says that he wants to inspire others to confront their weaknesses and fears.
Terrible, who lists bear-wrestling and bareknuckle fighting among his hobbies, has previously espoused ideas about masculinity which have attracted controversy: a 2023 video from the singer titled ‘4 Rules Of Real Man’ drew complaints from the LGBTQIA+ community for statements such as “the real man eats woman pussy, he likes.”
But in a new instagram post, Terrible declares, “FUCK ALL THIS MASCULINITY BULLSHIT!”
“Let’s talk about masculinity,” the post begins. “When I was a kid, I absolutely loved action movies with guys who knew how to fight and looked intimidating. Muscles, fighting skills, physical strength. They inspired fear in others, but seemed to fear nothing themselves.
“That image became deeply programmed into my mind, and I told myself: I want to become just like them!
“So I started working on my body, pushing myself through challenges and overcoming obstacles. Because getting into great physical shape and developing real fighting skills requires character, discipline, and mental toughness. And all of that takes years to build.
“But eventually, I realized something.
“The entire masculinity industry wasn’t actually what I had been chasing from the beginning.
“Today, I look at so many guys who have incredible physiques, impressive fighting skills, perfect discipline, and everything else.
“But then I started thinking about fear.
“And that’s when I finally understood what had truly inspired me as a child when I watched those action movies.
“Those characters were fearless. Or rather, they weren’t fearless at all. They felt fear, but they overcame it.
And then I started noticing people who were physically fragile, yet possessed an absolutely unbreakable spirit.
“People who could look death straight in the eyes and say: ‘Come on then, motherfucker. You think I’m going down without a fight?’
“And that’s when it hit me.
“FUCK ALL THIS MASCULINITY BULLSHIT!
“I WANT TO BE STRONG IN SPIRIT.”
“I’m still going to train my body,” Terrible points out. “I’m still going to practice martial arts and develop my fighting skills.
“But more importantly, I’m going to confront my own weaknesses and fears. That’s where my real battle begins.
“And I want to become someone who inspires others to do the same.”
Captioning his post, Terrible adds, “Nobody will ever witness the most important battle of your life. Because your greatest enemy exists only for you. He’s always inside your head.
“I’m still afraid of death. I’m still afraid of the dark, of the unknown. But goddamn it, I will look those fears straight in the eyes!
“And you know what? That’s more powerful than any physique, any fighting skills, fame, money, or even sex! 😬
“When you overcome your deepest, darkest fears — the ones that literally make you shit your pants — THAT is true pleasure!”
This is the second album from German doom metal band Fvneral Fvkk. Fvneral Fvkk’s 2019’s debut Carnal Confessions was one of that year’s unexpected highlights. So, when Indecent Idols appeared on the horizon, all manner of alarms were triggered. Expectations, shall we say, are sky high. Fvneral Fvkk deliver 42 minutes of new material, and it’s as … Continue reading “Fvneral Fvkk – Indecent Idols (Review)”
And they’re back! The tiny one-man band (plus a few friends) I love, with the name I can never spell correctly. Soliloquium first darkened my iron doorstep with their 2018 sophomore outing Contemplations, impressing with a combination of early Katatonia-meets-Rapture that resulted in a nigh-irresistible melodoom sound. The brains behind the project is one Stefan Nordström, who handles vocals and guitars, and over the years he’s been aided and abetted by Jonas Bergkvist, who manned the bass. This is the first Soliloquium release without Bergkvist’s talents, and from what I can glean, Nordström brought in Henrik Ekholm (ex-Within the Fall) to play bass and Filipe Caeiro (ex-Steel Arctus) to man the kit. Staying true to the melodoom template heard on past albums, Upheaval finds Soliloquium expanding their sonic palette slightly, giving the material a deeper, more complex flavor. Soliloquium already released several gripping, mood-drenched albums that transport you to dark, melancholic headspaces, yet they still seem criminally underappreciated. Will their 6th full-length finally see them landing in more ears and on more wagging tongues?
Things kick off bigly with the 7 minutes of “Tightrope,” which is the near-perfect fusion of vintage Ghost Brigade with Viva Emptiness-era Katatonia sprinkled with bits of the almighty Rapture. It’s edgy and depressive, and heavy as hell thanks to the jangled, discordant riffs and booming death roars that fill the gaps between the melancholic trilling and weepy leads. The forlorn clean vocals (courtesy of Toni Hatakka of Hanging Garden) cut deep in a song filled to the brim with emotions. It’s a strong candidate for Song o’ the Year. “Contrarians” is nearly as good, finding the ideal balance of black, death, and melodoom sadboi sounds that tickle your negative emotions while still making you want to commit acts of random wiolence. There’s more Rapture in the DNA of the guitar work here, and that’s always a win, and the clean vocals (I assume from Stefan Nordström) are frail and a touch twee, but convey a sense of vulnerability and pain. The title track has a similar vibe to Deathwhite, rocking an extra bleak, joyless atmosphere. It’s particularly beautiful in its crippling despair as the guitar work holds you in a chilly thrall. It’s a haunting tune that will stick with you.
Unlike the last Soliloquium outing, Upheaval doesn’t lose steam on the back half. The album is consistent from start to finish with no tracks that feel like they could/should be cut. Later offering “Livsöden” is nearly 7 minutes and uses that time well to create a captivatingly atmospheric experience with plenty of twists and turns along the way. It’s one of those rare songs that gets better as it goes along, and by the end you’re left wanting MOAR. “Time Stands Still” captures the spirit and sound of Slumber’s highly underappreciated debut Fallout. It even has bits and pieces of the vintage Agalloch magic bubbling up at times. Perhaps some of that Slumber influence can be attributed to Jari Lindholm helming the mixing and mastering. As one of the folks behind Slumber as well as Enshine and Exgenesis, he knows his way around the melodoom sound better than most, and the production demonstrates that with a deep, satisfying mix. At a tight 44 minutes, there isn’t much bloat to Upheaval, even though 2 tracks exceed the 7-minute mark.
I can’t give Stefan Nordström enough credit. His death roars and blackened shrieks are as good as ever, and his singing has improved quite a bit. His guitar work across the album is impressive and creates many emotive moments that resonate deeper with each spin. He utilizes every element of sadboi melodoom that I love and slathers everything in such a heavy coat of gloom that it almost feels like too much of a grim thing. Almost. Hired gun Filipe Caeiro does a fine job on drums, bringing enough pop and propulsion to keep the listener awake, especially on the heavy, abrasive bits.
I had concerns after Famine that Soliloquium may have seen their best days, but Upheaval proves me dead wrong. This is a very good slice of melodoom that often borders on greatness. I may, in fact, come to realize that I underrated it in the fullness of time. That’s the joy of an album with real depth and layers. With winter just around the bend, Upheaval will make a spectacular companion on those snowbound days of frigid isolation. Learn to spell Soliloquium correctly and order this album.
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Unlike the last Soliloquium outing, Upheaval doesn’t lose steam on the back half. The album is consistent from start to finish with no tracks that feel like they could/should be cut. Later offering “Livsöden” is nearly 7 minutes and uses that time well to create a captivatingly atmospheric experience with plenty of twists and turns along the way. It’s one of those rare songs that gets better as it goes along, and by the end you’re left wanting MOAR. “Time Stands Still” captures the spirit and sound