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  • Gridiron Release New EP Lights Out, Will Slap Your Fitted Cap Sideways

    Ever since the band came into existence and dropped the 2020 demo Loyalty At All Costs rappy hardcore wig-splitters Gridiron have threatened to descend into absolute rap-metal silliness. They’ve always been right there, teetering on the edge. Frontman Matt Karll raps about about how you’re on the benches while he’s in the trenches, and the…

    The post Gridiron Release New EP <em>Lights Out</em>, Will Slap Your Fitted Cap Sideways appeared first on Stereogum.

  • “We pulled out chainsaws and tore our guitars apart. I had a shotgun with blanks in it, and I was shooting it inside the Palladium”: Inside the chaotic birth of prog metal provocateurs Tool

    They’ve sold millions of albums, won four Grammys and inspired legions of copycats, but this is where the legend of Tool kicked off
  • MELVINS / NAPALM DEATH: “SAVAGE IMPERIAL DEATH MARCH”

    (A group of us NCS scribblers, including DGR, are currently at Maryland Deathfest. DGR wrote a bunch of reviews in advance so we’d have something to post while partying. The one below is one of those, and it seemed fitting to post it today since DGR ventured out last night in time to catch Napalm […]

    The post MELVINS / NAPALM DEATH: “SAVAGE IMPERIAL DEATH MARCH” appeared first on NO CLEAN SINGING.

  • PIGMNT – “Suma Root”

    On “Suma Root,” the latest single from North London producer PIGMNT, we’re reminded that a strong beat and propulsive rhythm can feel provocatively healing. The bass-heavy song is the second single from PIGMNT’s forthcoming EP, where each song is named for a plant with restorative qualities: “Nettle Root,” “Ginseng,” “Suma Root,” “Ashwagandha.” In a press…

    The post PIGMNT – “Suma Root” appeared first on Stereogum.

  • GRADIENCE Presents “Deathwish” Video/Single

    Photo by Christoffer Rosenfeldt Watch/stream GRADIENCE’s “Deathwish” HERE.  Danish metallers GRADIENCE present their video for their latest single, “Deathwish.”  Comments guitarist/vocalist Jakob Lærke Harris, “‘Deathwish’ is our homage to the MySpace-era songs from bands we […]

    The post GRADIENCE Presents “Deathwish” Video/Single appeared first on INFRARED MAGAZINE.

  • LION’S SHARE Releases Video for “We Are What We Are” From Comeback Album “Inferno”

    Lion’s Share has released a performance video for “We Are What We Are,” a track from the Swedish band’s comeback album Inferno, released earlier this year via Metalville. The song has surpassed one million streams on Spotify, spent eight consecutive weeks on U.S. metal radio charts and received a perfect 10/10 review in Powerplay magazine. The video was directed by Tom Wouda, who also helmed the clip for the band’s earlier single “Pentagram,” and was filmed in an abandoned industrial ruin.

    Vocalist Nils Patrik Johansson said: “‘We Are What We Are’ is a reminder of who we are as a metal community — ignoring all the politics and bullshit out there and just living and breathing heavy metal. The song is an anthem for every metal fan who has ever felt like an outsider. We are what we are, and we’re proud of it.”

    Guitarist Lars Chriss noted that the filming location took on extra significance after the shoot: “The industrial ruin we filmed in was incredible — there’s nothing like capturing music in a place that has its own history and atmosphere. And part of the structure actually collapsed after we finished filming, which made it feel even more intense in retrospect.”

    Inferno marks Lion’s Share‘s first album in 17 years. The band is set to appear at Sweden Rock Festival on June 5. Metalville is also reissuing the band’s 2009 album Dark Hours on vinyl on August 28, available in standard black and a limited yellow pressing, alongside a new CD edition.

    Lion’s Share was formed in Sundsvall, Sweden in 1987 and has toured with Motörhead, Dio, Saxon, Manowar, U.D.O., Iced Earth and Nevermore. The current lineup is Johansson (vocals), Chriss (guitars), Andy Loos (bass), Kay Backlund (keyboards), Anuviel/Saecred Spirit (keyboards) and Fredrik Johansson (drums), with Magnus Ulfstedt handling drums on tour.

    The post LION’S SHARE Releases Video for “We Are What We Are” From Comeback Album “Inferno” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

  • Release Round Up – May 22nd 2026

    Release Round Up – May 22nd, 2026

    Every week there is a tidal wave of new music released unto the world. Each Friday we’ll round up some of the best new music available, some we’ve reviewed, some we haven’t, but all worth checking out!

    Theres a lot of new heavy music hitting the airwaves this week, everything from black metal, death metal, gothic metal, Stoner rock, doom, thrash metal and even some of your traditional heavy metal!

    Here’s what we think you should check out today!

    ALBUM OF THE WEEK 

    Norwegian extreme metal royalty Dimmu Borgir release ‘Grand Serpent Rising’ on Nuclear Blast.

    “Ultimately, you know what you’re getting with a new Dimmu Borgir record and this one delivers on all those fronts.”

    Read our full review here

    The next chapter in the Armored Saint story lands this week with ‘Emotion Factory Reset’, released via Metal Blade Records.

    “chock full of hard rocking metal anthems with fantastic songwriting and amazing performances.”

    Read our full review here.

    Impure Wilhelmina‘s blend of progressive-tinged dark rock lands on ‘Le sanglot’ on Season of Mist.

    “the somewhat chaotic and unstructured nature of the music is rather like Opeth minus the walls and walls of distortion.”

    Read our full review here

    Nashville post-rock duo Hammock release ‘The Second Coming Was A Moonrise’.

    “This speaks to Hammock’s unpredictable song writing nature and taking the unconventional path to constantly challenge!”

    Read our full review here.

    And thats just the tip of the iceberg! Other releases today we think you should check out include…

    Rock

    A – Prang (Cooking Vinyl)
    Boys From Heaven
    – The Wanderer (Frontiers Music SRL)
    Bustié – Throb (Psychic Eye Records)
    Dan Byrne – This Is Where (Frontiers Music SRL)
    Dance Gavin Dance – Tree City Sessions 3 (TBC)
    Dead Register – Fiber [10th Anniversary Edition] (AVR)
    Erik Grönwall – Bad Bones (Greenwall Entertainment)
    Fatal Vision – Four Sides to Every Story (Escape Music)
    Midnight Rider – Limited Infinity (Massacre Records)
    Neo Dimes – Alone (Independent)
    Penitent – Te Veut Ivre (Gates of Hell Records)
    Poison Zoomak – New Machines (Independent)
    Requiem in White – The Visible Heaven (The Circle Music)
    Rival Cults – Our Gods Needs Blood (Seeing Red Records)
    The Dead Collective – The Dead Collective [EP] (Independent)
    The Howling – Salvo (Independent)
    Various Artists – Frontiers XXX Anniversary (Frontiers Music SRL)
    Virginmarys – Beyond The House of Fires (Independent)

    Heavy Metal

    Aeveris – Imminence (Independent)
    Armored Saint – Emotion Factory Reset (Metal Blade Records)
    Crimson Day – Dark Dimension (WormholeDeath Records)
    Musth – Jollysad (Independent)
    Skip Danko B-Movie Road Club – Trippin’ On A Chinese Market (Aalzorp recordz)
    XCIII – In Puncto Ad Inferna Descendunt (Club Inferno Ent.)

    Black Metal

    Isegrim – Isegrim [REISSUE] (Fireflash Records)
    Piolun – Exolvuntur (Malignant Voices)
    The Circle of the Elect – Kaoskarma (Archaic Sound)

    Death Metal / Death-Doom / Grindcore

    Abandon Agony – Endbringer (Independent)
    Corpse Water – …something in the water (Grindscene Records)
    Dark Millennium – Some (Massacre Records)
    Desecresy – The Secret of Death (Xtreem Music)
    Ersedu – Gore (Independent)
    Hexenaltar – Descending Curse (Godz ov War Productions)
    Horrific Visions – Remnants of Atrophy (Comatose Music)
    Kur-nu-gi-a – Carmina Inferorum (Godz ov War Productions)
    Mansvara – Sable Odes to Nihility (Godz ov War Productions)
    Membrance – Resa Marciana (Ad Noctem records)

    Doom / Stoner Rock / Sludge / Psych

    Burial Clouds – Burn Holy (Independent)
    Endless Floods – Passages (Permafrost Records / Araki Records / Yoyodyne Records)
    Fireball Ministry – The Second Great Awakening [REISSUE] (Ripple Music)
    Goddess – Ritual of The Cloven Hoof (Majestic Mountain Records)
    JPT Scae Band – Live At Crosstown Station (Ripple Music)
    Maliciouz – Sympathypnotic Intercession (Independent)
    SÖNUS – Planes of Torment (Independent)

    Hardcore

    Your Spirit Dies – It Is Well… (MNRK Heavy)
    Xcomm – Time To Burn (Blowout Records)

    Power Metal

    Embrace of Souls – The Battle of the Dead (Rockshots Records)
    Moonlight Haze – Interstellar Madness [EP] (Scarlet Records)

    Progressive Rock / Metal

    Ayreon – 30th Anniversary – An Amazing Flight Through Time (Music Theories Recordings/Artone)
    Du Cane – Veil of the Abyss (Independent)
    Vision Divine – A Clockwork Reverie [EP] (Scarlet Records)

    … and the rest!

    Ataraxia – Sylfaera the Fair (The Circle Music) [Dark Folk]
    Bear – Anhedonia [EP] (Pelagic Records) [Mathcore]
    Caught In A Mirror – Neoncore (Bleeding Nose Records) [Metalcore]
    Hellevate – Killicon Valley (Independent) [Thrash Metal]
    HystereseHysterese (V) (This Charming Man Records) [Punk]
    Impure Wilhelmina – Le sanglot (Season of Mist) [Post-Rock]

    For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.

    The post Release Round Up – May 22nd 2026 appeared first on The Razor's Edge.

  • The Travis Stever Interview (2026)

    By Greg Prato

    For Travis Stever, collaboration has always been about chemistry — the unpredictable spark that happens when different musical worlds collide. That spirit is at the heart of his latest work with Soren Song, a project rooted less in the progressive rock bombast of Stever’s main band, Coheed and Cambria, and more in intimate storytelling, psychedelic folk textures, and deeply personal songwriting.

    The partnership grew organically after Stever returned to his hometown area of Nyack, New York, where a shared appreciation for classic Americana, folk, and emotionally honest music quickly turned a neighborhood connection into a creative bond. The result is a series of songs that reveal a different side of the longtime Coheed and Cambria guitarist — one shaped as much by artists like Neil Young and The Band as by the expansive sci-fi landscapes of his main band.

    In this conversation with VintageRock.com, Stever reflects on the emotional themes behind the single “Enough,” the creative freedom he finds outside of Coheed, the enduring legacy of the Afterman albums, and why collaboration continues to push him into new musical territory after decades on the road.

    ~

    How did the collaboration with Soren Song come about? 

    In 2016, our family moved back to Nyack, New York, in Rockland County after many years of living in Warwick, New York. I grew up in Rockland County. There have been many great musicians to come out of that area through the years. My brother in law had been telling me about a great piano player singer/songwriter in Nyack. I started to hear about this same artist from other musicians as well. Turns out that artist was Soren Song. Amazingly enough, Soren happened to live across the street from the house our family moved into in Nyack.

    We became immediate friends and bonded over music we shared love for. I became a massive fan of Soren’s work. One day, we decided to work on music together and we created the song “Meet My Body” which is on our first EP, The Nyack Chapter. Through the years we have worked on songs together but have just started to compile and release them now. In the process, we got our super talented friend Jonathan Hape of the band Narrow/Arrow involved. He plays multiple instruments and acts as a producer for the project.

    What are some memories of writing “Enough,” and filming its video? 

    The story of “Enough” began with me sending Soren the acoustic guitar part, which they immediately connected to. The song itself came from Soren’s journey of working through childhood trauma and the stories they had inherited or learned to tell about themselves — stories that no longer served them or were never really true. It was their attempt to write a better, more honest narrative: one where they’re not broken or lacking, but simply “enough” — not “too much” or “not enough,” just “enough.”

    I reached out to my cousin, Skyler Stever, to direct a video. Initially, we envisioned something simple, like shots of us playing the song live. But when Skyler and his wife Jen heard it, they felt a deep connection and proposed a powerful concept: a group of people holding childhood photos and a word representing a negative story they’d carried. As the song is about rewriting these narratives, the video captures them listening in real time, then replacing that word with a new one — a truer, kinder story about themselves.

    It’s incredibly moving to watch the transformation in their faces as they let go of those old stories. We never imagined Skyler and Jen would elevate the song’s message so profoundly. The video has become something that feels as much theirs as ours, and everyone involved has a piece of it. More than any song I’ve ever been a part of, I hope people receive the message and find healing in it. That’s our deepest desire with “Enough.”

    How would you compare the music with Soren to Coheed and Cambria?  

    I would say it is in a whole other world of its own. You can hear elements of things that may sound familiar from Coheed in my playing at times but…it’s a completely different style of music. More an Americana psychedelic folk singer songwriter style. With country elements in there, as well. I find that with any projects/bands/artists I get involved with the vibe changes with the different musicians involved. Whatever they carry with them makes for the different experiences in the songs. This is why I love collaborating with all different people.

    What can fans expect at the upcoming Coheed and Cambria shows?  

    Right now we are out supporting the band Shinedown. We haven’t done a support tour like this in many years. It’s very cool to play for people that are unfamiliar or only know a song or two from Coheed. Much of our fanbase came from doing support slots like this. We were support for Linkin Park, Slipknot, Soundgarden, Iron Maiden and so many other bands. In these times we are able to adjust our set and create a sonic journey for the audience and familiarize them with Coheed. We are also doing headlining shows in between the Shinedown shows. Those are special shows full of a mixed batch of songs across our discography.

    Is it true that both “Afterman” albums will be performed at select shows in 2026? How challenging will that be?

    We will be performing both Afterman Ascension and Descension in entirety at two special shows. The first is at Red Rocks on September 29th and the second is at our Neverender Festival Oct 3rd and 4th. Both will be super special and unique experiences. The festival is full of incredible bands that we are super excited play with. It will be challenging for sure. There is a massive amount of material on those records. And the styles are all over the map. In Coheed, we welcome these challenges.

    What are some memories of the creation of both those albums?

    Afterman had the return of our original drummer, Josh Eppard, and also brought the addition of our bass player, Zach Cooper. In many ways, it was both a recreation and return to form for Coheed at the same time. All the elements of what Coheed had been and would move on to be makes its way on those records. We went through a lot in the year prior to creating it. That all poured into the music.

    Why do you think those albums have proven to be so enduring and popular with fans? 

    I think many of the events I mentioned above definitely come in to play. The overall journey of the album in concept has a great story to accompany the album. Relatable themes across the board.

    What is the most challenging Coheed song to record and/or perform, and why?

    It changes often. I find the most challenging stuff for me is when it did not come from me. A guitar part or vocal idea that I need to recreate live can be difficult. If it came from me it can still be difficult but usually there is a muscle memory or comfort zone that comes into play. Sometimes, I will have to recreate or play parts in songs that Claudio [Sanchez] wrote or someone else I am working with created. In those cases it can be more challenging to find the comfort zone. On the newest Coheed album there is a song called “Searching for Tomorrow”. Recreating the parts for that song live was a challenge at first. Once I felt comfortable with it I fell in love with playing it live. It is now one of my favorite songs to play live.

    Future plans?

    With Soren Song and Travis Stever we are releasing a new song called “Lovers” in a few weeks. It features beautiful vocals by singer/songwriter Eleanor Kaufman. The rest of the new EP, The Nyack Chapter 2, will soon follow. The EP has some guest appearances by super talented friends. Casey Crescendo of The Dear Hunter plays guitar, organ, and sings on one song. Tucker Rule plays drums and Chondra Sanchez sings on a song. Zach Cooper from Coheed plays bass on a song. Those are just a few. Soren Song also has a new EP out on steaming platforms now called Queer.

    Coheed and Cambria will be on tour the rest of the year. Much of touring will be with Shinedown through US, Canada, and UK with some headlining shows here and there. There are festivals like Aftershock and Louder Than Life. I will be performing with both Coheed and L.S. Dunes at those festivals. Late in fall, Coheed has dates in Australia with Avenged Sevenfold. And then of course there is the Afterman/Coheed Red Rocks show and the Neverender Festival where we also do Afterman. L.S. Dunes has new music in the works as well. Plenty on the plate.

    Since the site is “Vintage Rock,” who are some of your favorite vintage rock acts?

    Being that this is an interview about music I create with Soren Song, I will name the vintage rock that influences that project for me. The Band, Neil Young, Flying Burrito Brothers and of course The Beatles — George Harrison for me in particular on this EP. Mojave 3 is a big one for me in this project too, but…not sure if we can consider them to be vintage.

     

  • ABEL AUTOPSY Takes An Ethereal Journey Through Spirit Realms With Debut Album

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    May 21st, 2026 – Dark ambient/electronic artist, ABEL AUTOPSY has just unveiled his debut full-length album – the instrumental and cinematic ‘uunder’.

    ‘uunder’‘ is envisioned as a journey within a three-part series, with the next two releases in the series being overr and outt. These are dark, melancholic, shapeshifting worlds that slide between light and shadow.

    ‘uunder‘ was uniquely created with layers/sounds developed for this with a ‘hall of mirrors’ – type sonic approach. The layers seem normal upon first listen, but there’s subtleties that reveal themselves. For instance, the opening guitar in the title track was layered with a synth that is more prominent.

    “This started in my youth – pulling apart various musical instruments (battery powered) while in the woods of Appalachia. There was an eerie, ethereal vibe almost like something ‘other’ in the wilderness with me. That permeates through all of the songs and is woven in the mental tapestry throughout. This album is an exercise in capturing that – the balance between light and shadow, feeling another ‘presence’ with you that is not entirely from here.” – Abel Autopsy

    ‘uunder’ is an exercise in dramatic minimalism – with evocative, manipulated vocal warping and texturing. It was done in the artist’s studio with some pieces of custom-modified equipment. The album presents a dramatic inner world that came together from a myriad of inspirations like Coil, The Haxan Cloak, witch-house from the early 2010s as well as 2000s video game soundtracks.

    ‘uunder’ is available on all major digital platforms worldwide.

    Stream & support ABEL AUTOPSY:

    https://abelautopsy.bandcamp.com/album/uunder

    https://www.instagram.com/abelautopsy

    Stream ‘uunder’ on Youtube:

    The post ABEL AUTOPSY Takes An Ethereal Journey Through Spirit Realms With Debut Album appeared first on Antihero Magazine.

  • PRESIDENT Announce Debut Album ‘BLOOD OF YOUR EMPIRE’

    The time has come. All of the details of the debut full-length from PRESIDENT have been revealed, and this phenomenon is about to go stratospheric.

    Titled ‘BLOOD OF YOUR EMPIRE’, it will be released on September 04 via Atlantic Records.

    PRESIDENT had this to say about what the record represents:

    “Blood Of Your Empire was born out of my own struggle with existential crisis and trying to make sense of belief, mortality, and humanity’s relationship with faith. Religion has inspired incredible compassion, purpose, and beauty in the world — but it has also been responsible for unimaginable suffering and bloodshed throughout history. This album lives in the tension between those two truths. Writing it became a way for me to confront the fear, confusion, and questions I’ve carried for years, and turn them into something I’m truly proud of.”

    The artwork looks like this. depicting a Eugène Delacroix painting, The Battle of Poitiers:

    Whilst the tracklisting looks like this:

    1. Angel Wings
    2. DOOM LOOP
    3. dark heaven
    4. Pink Noise
    5. Mercy
    6. Sleepwalker
    7. Dionysus
    8. This Will Divide Us
    9. Hate Figure (Feat. Ando San)
    10. White Devil

    As you can see, the record will feature previously released singles ‘Angel Wings’ and ‘Mercy’, as well as ‘Dionysus’, which first appeared on debut EP ‘King of Terrors’ last year.

    It will also feature the newly released track ‘DOOM LOOP’, which takes the project’s sentiment and sound to a whole new level. A pulsating, neon-drenched buzz of a song that builds in tension and tenacity, showcasing a control over beats as much as battery. Emotionally, it delves into what it means to be perceived, prodded and poked when there are so many other factors that deserve attention in this complex existence that we are all experiencing.

    Spend more time in the here and now of your own life, because before you know it, it will have passed you by.

    PRESIDENT had this to add about what the song represents for them:

    “The song is really about the strange tragedy of time — how we spend our lives chasing it, wasting it, and fearing it — only to realise its value once a moment is gone. It’s a reminder for people to be present while they are actually living their lives, not just remembering them afterwards.”

    The post PRESIDENT Announce Debut Album ‘BLOOD OF YOUR EMPIRE’ appeared first on Rock Sound.