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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
METAL DEVASTATION RADIO AND PR CRUSH PAST 28.5 MILLION VIEWS AFTER MASSIVE MAY SURGE

The underground metal movement continues its relentless ascent.
Metal Devastation Radio and Metal Devastation PR have shattered another major milestone, blasting past 28.5 million total views following a monster performance in May that saw record-breaking engagement, increased search visibility, and nearly 2 million views in a single month.
Built without corporate backing, industry gatekeepers, or mainstream support, Metal Devastation continues proving that authentic underground metal can thrive on its own terms.
MAY DELIVERED ANOTHER DEVASTATING BLOW

The numbers from May speak for themselves:
• 240,000 active users engaged across the platform
• 239,000 new users discovering underground metal
• 1,971,204 total views generated during the month
• 4.9 million tracked events including streams, clicks, submissions, and interactions
• 1.89 million Google Search impressions
• 24,500 clicks from Google Search results
Combined with previous growth, these numbers have pushed Metal Devastation’s all-time view count from 25,008,428 to an incredible 28,577,773 total views.
That’s nearly 3.6 million additional views added in just two months.
This isn’t a temporary spike.
It’s momentum.
FROM THE FRONTLINES

“It’s absolutely insane watching these numbers continue to climb,” says Zach Moonshine.
“Every view represents somebody discovering a band, reading an interview, checking out a festival, tuning into the radio station, or supporting the underground scene. We built this platform to help real metal bands get exposure, and seeing nearly two million views in May alone shows that people are hungry for authentic heavy music. The underground is stronger than ever.”
POWERED BY THE METAL COMMUNITY

Behind every statistic is a global network of dedicated supporters:
• Independent bands creating uncompromising heavy music
• Labels, promoters, and publicists pushing the scene forward
• Media outlets and zines amplifying underground voices
• Fans sharing, streaming, and supporting artists worldwide
• DJs and staff keeping Metal Devastation Radio running around the clock
• Tennessee Metal Devastation Music Fest bringing the community together in the real world
Every stream, every submission, every article, every share, and every listener contributes to the continued growth of the movement.
SEARCH VISIBILITY REACHES NEW HEIGHTS

One of the most impressive milestones from May was the platform’s search performance.
With 1.89 million Google Search impressions and more than 24,500 clicks from search traffic, Metal Devastation continues expanding its reach and introducing underground artists to new audiences around the world.
The demand for independent metal content has never been stronger.
THE MISSION CONTINUES

Breaking 28.5 million views isn’t a finish line.
It’s fuel.
Metal Devastation Radio and PR remain committed to supporting underground artists, promoting new releases, covering the global metal scene, and helping bands connect with fans who genuinely care about heavy music.
“We’re grateful for every band, every listener, every supporter, and every member of the Metal Devastation family,” Moonshine adds.
“This community keeps proving that underground metal isn’t just surviving. It’s growing louder, reaching farther, and making a bigger impact every year.”
THANK YOU

This milestone belongs to every artist, fan, label, promoter, DJ, journalist, and supporter who continues to keep underground metal alive.
The underground has never needed permission.
And it’s only getting bigger.
About Metal Devastation Radio and PR

Founded in 2013, Metal Devastation Radio and Metal Devastation PR have become leading forces in the global underground metal community. Through 24/7 radio programming, promotional campaigns, festival events, interviews, news coverage, and worldwide artist support, they continue helping independent metal thrive across the globe.
Contact:
zach@metaldevastationradio.com

The suit alleges breach of contract and more.

The post Maynard James Keenan (Tool, Etc.) Hit With Lawsuit By Ex-Business Partner In A Gin Venture appeared first on Theprp.com.

Butcher Babies have released “Blame It on the Wind,” the fourth single from their forthcoming album via Judge & Jury Records, produced by Howard Benson. The track arrives as the band wraps a run of Japan dates this month, following an extensive global touring campaign across the United States, United Kingdom, and Europe.

“Blame It on the Wind” is a hard rock track that shifts from a slow burn to a high-energy tempo, with comparisons drawn to In This Moment meeting Jinjer. The song was inspired by a 2012 late-night encounter in Los Angeles — a one-night stand that evolved into a lingering emotional connection vocalist Heidi Shepherd describes as one she couldn’t fully shake for years.

Shepherd said in a statement: “There are certain nights, certain moments, and certain connections you never fully shake. ‘Blame It on the Wind’ came from one of those nights that should have disappeared in the morning. In 2012, what started as a one-night stand morphed into a connection that would haunt me for years. A moment that we both knew was off-limits; however, the forbidden fruit continually pulled us back into that first night. I remember it so vividly; his scent, the way he said my name, his bootcut jeans, the balcony in his Santa Monica loft, and that very first touch. This song is about a lust you can’t leave, a denial of accountability, and a laundry list of excuses for following the white rabbit. I think sometimes we blame the setting for the choices we make because it’s easier than admitting someone genuinely got under our skin. That’s what this song is about for me.”

The forthcoming album, for which four singles have now been released, functions as a deeply personal love letter to Shepherd’s past — reflecting on experiences, relationships, heartbreaks, and hard-earned lessons spanning 25 years. It is, per the band, a record rooted in self-reflection and growth, honoring where she’s been while embracing the clarity of who she has become.

Butcher Babies upcoming dates:

• June 6 — DEVIFEST 2026 — Osaka, Japan
• June 7 — YOKOHAMA ReNY Beta — Yokohama, Japan
• July 18 — Rock Fest — Cadott, Wis.
• Sept. 18 — Louder Than Life — Louisville, Ky.

Butcher Babies, formed in Las Vegas in 2009, have built their catalog around the albums Goliath (2013), Uncovered (2014), Take It Like a Man (2015), Lilith (2017) and the 2023 double album Eye for an Eye / ’Til the World’s Blind. Judge & Jury Records was co-founded by multi-platinum producer Howard Benson and Neil Sanderson, drummer and songwriter for Three Days Grace.

The post BUTCHER BABIES Release New Single “Blame It On The Wind” — Fourth Track From Forthcoming Album appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

GB is Gustav Berntsen, the newest signee to AD 93. He hails from Copenhagen, whence so much of the world’s best experimental pop music currently emanates. After debuting for his new label with “Adrenaline” in the spring, he’s back today with another track and details of his new album.

The post GB Announces New Album <em>Herzsprung</em>: Hear “Starsound” & “Adrenaline” appeared first on Stereogum.

Watch “The Dead Sea Scrolls, Mvt. II – ‘Incursion’” HERE: https://youtu.be/u1VyZHxYVOQ

“The Dead Sea Scrolls, Mvt. II – ‘Incursion‘” is the new single release from progressive extreme metal project ANNIHILUS MUNDI. The track offers a further taste of the band’s forthcoming sophomore album, The Dead Sea Scrolls, scheduled for independent release on November 6, 2026.  

Loosely following the story of the 1995 anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion, “The Dead Sea Scrolls, Mvt. II – ‘Incursion’” opens with a flashback to the Katsuragi expedition. On the album, “The Dead Sea Scrolls, Mvt. I” and “Mvt. II” combine to form an epic 13-minute opus. While the former delves into project mastermind Daniel Saillant’s personal experiences, the latter focuses on fictional examples from Evangelion.

“The Dead Sea Scrolls, Mvt. II – ‘Incursion’” describes a society who has constructed their goals based on face-value interpretations of the words of ancient civilizations, leading to their mutual destruction.

Lyrically, Composer and lyricist Daniel Saillant explains, “the opening verses about the Katsuragi expedition detail how the titular Dead Sea Scrolls led to the discovery of Adam, the First Angel in Antarctica. Future verses describe how the Angels’ mission to reunite with Adam is motivated by clandestine knowledge given to them by their God, which exists entirely in the shadows. Both the humans and Angels alike operate under the directive of ancient religious knowledge, and in both cases, countless lives are lost and endless destruction is wrought across the planet.”

ANNIHILUS MUNDI traverse an amalgamation of styles across “The Dead Sea Scrolls, Mvt. II – ‘Incursion’”. The track opens with clean tones of acoustic guitar melodies, vocal harmonies, and an enveloping somber mood. Obliterating harsh tones strike through the atmosphere with thunderous impact, and the song features a guitar solo by Andrew Matarazzo (PERENNIAL QUEST). Orchestral strings bring an otherworldly power alongside aggressive harsh vocals and ferocious riffs. The dramatic interplay of light and shade pervades throughout the instrumental arrangements of “The Dead Sea Scrolls, Mvt. II – ‘Incursion’”.

The Dead Sea Scrolls explores the personal lived experiences of composer and lyricist Daniel Saillant. In a fusion of genres and artforms, ANNIHILUS MUNDI presents the central concepts through the lens of Hideaki Anno’s notorious 1995 anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion and its subsequent 1997 film The End of Evangelion. 

The Dead Sea Scrolls – Track List: 

1. Second Impact (Overture) 
2. Absolute Terror 
3. A Hedgehog’s Dilemma
4. The Dead Sea Scrolls, Mvt. I – “Reminiscence” 
5. The Dead Sea Scrolls, Mvt. II – “Incursion”
6. Black Moon
7. King of Thorns
8. Terminal Dogma, Mvt. I – “Do you love me?” 
9. Terminal Dogma, Mvt. II – “Take care of yourself.” 
10. Terminal Dogma, Mvt. III – “Love is destructive.”
11. Terminal Dogma, Mvt. IV – “I need you.”
12. Silent Planet 
13. Human Instrumentality  

The Dead Sea Scrolls was produced, mixed and mastered, and engineered by Daniel Saillant at Wailing Pines Productions. The album’s artwork was created by Chris at Misanthropic Designs.

About ANNIHILUS MUNDI:

Formed in 2018, ANNIHILUS MUNDI is the creation of Daniel Saillant, blending elements of death metal, shoegaze, and progressive rock. His 2019 debut album Grief and subsequent releases have positioned him as a distinctive voice in the underground metal scene. Inspired by bands such as CYNIC, DEAFHEAVEN, and DREAM THEATER, Saillant continues to push musical boundaries, combining harsh and clean vocals, complex guitar arrangements, and introspective lyrics.

Connect with ANNIHILUS MUNDI:

Bandcamp: https://annihilusmundi.bandcamp.com/music

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annihilusmundi

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annihilusmundi/

Source: C Squared Music

Rush really are switching up their setlists on their reunion tour. Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, the two surviving members of the pioneering Canadian prog-rock trio, recently headed out on their first run of dates since drummer Neil Peart died in 2020. Sunday’s tour opener at LA’s Kia Forum included lots of live rarities, as well as appearances from Aimee Mann, Paul Rudd, and Jason Segel. Last night, for the second gig of the tour, Rush played all of “2112” for the first time since 1997.

The post Watch Rush Play All Of “2112” For The First Time In 29 Years appeared first on Stereogum.

Taken from the recently announced expanded 20th anniversary edition of ‘Kiss Of Death‘, the Lowlands Festival performance of ‘Be My Baby’ is taken from the previously unreleased radio broadcast of Motörhead’s 2007 performance at the hallowed Dutch festival. Originally released in 2006, ‘Kiss Of Death‘ is a ferocious reminder of Motörhead’s uncompromising, no-frills spirit—and a […]

The post Motörhead Release Single ‘Be My Baby (Live at Lowlands Festival 2007)’ appeared first on ROCKPOSER DOT COM.

Posted on June 10th 2026, 4:20p.m.

Back in 2015, an unknown band from Denver called Khemmis came out of nowhere and clobbered me with their massive Absolution debut. It was a shrewd and crafty mixture of classic doom, stoner, and sludge idioms, and I ate it up greedily. They came back the following year with an even bigger, better opus called Hunted, and it looked to all the world as if Khemmis would be joining acts like Pallbearer and Crypt Sermon as the vanguard of an American doom revival. 2018s Desolation saw the band inject loads of epic and trve metal into the sound, and it worked, but felt less stellar overall. 2021s Deceiver pushed this concept even further, loading down their long compositions with 80s metal influences, losing more of the doom cred they’d developed over their crucial early releases. It felt as if Khemmis were drifting away from what made them so thrilling, much as Pallbearer did, and they too would end up lost at sea if things continued this way. With this negative trending in mind, I approached their eponymously titled fifth album with a gnawing sense of dread. Would this signify surrender to the forces of diminishing recordings, or would they make a push to reclaim the lofty heights of Absolution and Hunted? With teeth clenched, I pressed play and prayed for Mojo.

It turns out, Khemmis is a partial return to what we heard on Desolation, but with some crucial differences. Firstly, the songs are all much shorter and tighter, with only one cracking the 6-minute mark. Secondly, their blending of classic and epic doom with trve and traditional heavy metal and blackened influences feels more carefully thought out, and it flows better than it did on Deceiver. The songsmithing is also vastly superior this time. Most importantly, they haven’t lost sight of the fact that they’re a doom band at heart, despite this being a more “accessible” sound for them. Opener “Invocation of the Dreamer” runs from black metal aggression into classic heavy metal and onward into doom without becoming disorienting. It’s an engaging, entertaining song from start to finish, and it will remind you of roughly 20 other acts as it shifts tempos and genres in smart, interesting ways. There are even hints of Archspire in some of the neo-classic guitar noodling. “Corpsebloom Garden” is a dead ringer for Crypt Sermon, and it works as an epic doom sonnet despite the occasional death vocals, which add a nice edge to the otherwise forlorn clean singing. “Grief’s Reverie” keeps the epic doom coming with an uptick of trve badassery, and the death vox shares space with a kind of radio-ready vocal style from Phil that’s unexpected but cool.

The best stuff comes later on, with my personal favorite being “Beneath the Scythe.” This is doom for those who want the classic style married to the trve in never-ending holy headlock. It adroitly conjoins classic doom and heavy metal with just enough chest-thumping badassery to win me over. It’s a legitimately great song and one of the band’s best. “Carrion King” starts with scathing, blasting black metal before settling down into a sort of mellow doom with upbeat clean vocals, only to mutate into absolutely crushing death-doom. There are some harsh, gruesome moments here that reek of Triptykon, re-establishing the band’s doom bona vides. Closer “Benediction Tones” is classic doom with moments of upbeat, poppy vocals that could be on a YES album, and it shouldn’t work, but it definitely does. At a trim, muscular 42 minutes, Khemmis glides by effortlessly and demands replays.

As ever, the Khemmis formula depends on Ben Hutcherson and Phil Pendergast successfully beguiling us with killer riffs and memorable vocal exchanges. Phil improves as a singer with every release, and some of his most gripping, poignant moments occur here. He drifts from wounded sadboi to burly trve metal and hits into AOR at key moments, all effectively rendered. Ben provides nasty death roars and guttural spewings and plays the rampaging beast to Phil’s morose beauty. Guitar-wise, they deliver a lot of killer moments too, with somber, melancholic leads and harmonies rubbing against blackened mania and death-doom when they aren’t engaged in 80s metal gallops and NWoBHM noodling. It’s a heady mix, and it all hangs together because the writing is sound and focused.

While Khemmis doesn’t bring the band back to the glory days of Hunted, it does find them righting the ship and sailing in the right direction. In fact, the album glides right between the Very Good and the Great with no song feeling like a letdown. I’m very relieved to see Khemmis back in the black with a release I enjoy from start to finish, and this will be getting mucho airtime over the next few months. Mojo listens to his faithful apes!

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Nuclear Blast
Websites: khemmis.bandcamp.com | khemmisdoom.com | facebook.com/khemmisdoom | instagram.com/khemmisdoom
Releases Worldwide: June 12th, 2026

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Lavender Larcenist

Over a decade ago, I made a concerted effort to get into doom metal. Like many of my fellow writers, sitting down to delve into new genres or artists is a favorite pastime. So, I bought myself a copy of Decibel Magazine’s special edition issue that focused on their top 100 doom metal albums and dove right in. Needless to say, I fell in love, and one of my favorites to this day is Khemmis. The band’s brand of doom was immediately captivating, with Phil Pendergast’s echoing, enveloping vocals and sword-and-sorcery-as-metaphor lyrics. They remain a staple in my household to this day, and their 2016 magnum opus Hunted is one of my all-time favorite records. Now they are back after a five-year gap with their eponymous album, Khemmis. Typically, a self-titled release signals a change in direction or the solidification of a trademark sound, but is this record a new lease on life for Khemmis or a creative stumble for an incredibly consistent doom metal staple?

Contrary to our Simian Sovereign (lashings forthcoming for this difference in opinion), I found Deciever to be one of Khemmis’ best records, and their trademark sound was still as affecting and pervasive as ever. The last thing I expected was a reevaluation of their endeavors, but as an artist myself, the war against creative stagnation never ends. I fully understand why the band would want to branch out, and while Khemmis isn’t a sea change in the way some acts completely reinvent themselves, it feels markedly different than anything they have previously done. The doom is toned down significantly, and the heavy metal is dialed up, while a not-insignificant number of death and borderline power metal influences have seeped in. Big choruses anchor each, while the roaming guitars and drawn-out tones of previous records are all but missing. There are no thirteen-minute epics, and the majority of the tracks follow the lines of songs that were previously one-off pace-breakers, such as the indomitable “Three Gates” or the bouncing “Isolation”.

Khemmis is straightforward as far as the band’s previous records go. The album bleeds together on the first few listens, and songs tend to follow the same flow and general pacing. It falls into the trap of being stuffed with mid-paced rockers, making it hard to differentiate between listens without really digging in. While not immediately grabbing, Khemmis begins to show its strengths with repeated spins. Tracks may all be mid-paced and conceptually repetitive, but every one is incredibly solid to downright great. Only one chorus stuck out to me as grating; “Gilded Chambers” is an all-around solid song with a ripping opening riff and great melodies, but the chorus reminds me of power metal or even something like Boston, ripped straight from the annals of classic rock. Ultimately, it is campy, and the backing harmonic vocals send it into the stratosphere of cheese. The track isn’t bad, but just not to my taste, especially for Khemmis.

Longtime fans like myself may be left wanting for the doom epics of olde, but there is no shortage of great music on this record. Outside of the album’s repetitive pacing and some odd stylistic choices, there is very little to complain about. “Invocation of the Dreamer” is classic Khemmis and an immediately gripping song that features incredible work on the low end instrumentally and vocally from Ben Hutcherson. Production throughout is solid if a little safe; everything has its place, and the bass is a highlight, but there is little range from song to song. For a self-titled record, I was hoping for more creativity and bombast from a band that has so many great records under its belt. Khemmis, like the production, is very safe. While not breaking the mold, it does stand as a testament to the band’s ability to write catchy, melodic death doom. “Grief’s Reverie,” “Beneath the Scythe,” and album closer “Benediction Tones” are highlights outside of the aformented opening track.

While Khemmis slightly disappointed me as a superfan, I was able to move beyond what I wanted from the record and fully appreciate its more focused approach. Khemmis doesn’t reach the heights of previous releases, but it is still a very solid album that straddles the line between heavy metal and death doom, making for a listen that is immediately more approachable than their previous records but less rewarding as a result. It seems like Khemmis wants to move away from their traditional doom metal trappings and lean into more arena-driven, heavy metal tracks, and for a band with their talent, the sky is the limit.

Rating: Very Good

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The post Khemmis – Khemmis Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

This Graham Hunt guy does not slow down. One year ago today, we bestowed Album Of The Week honors upon the Wisconsin indie-rocker extraordinaire’s Timeless World Forever. He’s already announcing the follow-up, American Pyramid, set for release on Run For Cover at the end of this summer.

The post Graham Hunt Announces New Album <em>American Pyramid</em>: Hear “Waiting For You To Come Home” appeared first on Stereogum.