As part of a plea deal, the pop star will serve 12 months probation, complete a three-month substance abuse program and pay a modest fine.

The brief run takes off in July

Source

Before unleashing the bats live in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland and Germany CEMETERY SKYLINE are releasing a deluxe edition of their highly successful debut album. […]

The post CEMETERY SKYLINE – “Nordic Gothic (Deluxe Edition)” is out now, European Tour Starts May 6th appeared first on Metal-Rules.com.

Evetts has worked on countless metal and hardcore records.

The post Producer Steve Evetts’ Studio Feared Lost In Massive Belleville, NJ Fire appeared first on Theprp.com.

– May 4th, 2026 –

Hypnotic Heavy Metal Band’s New LP, ‘Wretched Heart’, Out Now!

“Music is magic, and Spell is a spell. Fundamentally, it is a forum to make our dreams come true” – Spell vocalist/guitarist/bassist Cam Mesmer

Vancouver-based metal band, Spell, today releases its new LP, ‘Wretched Heart‘, via Bad Omen Records. A shadow-drenched journey through desperation and defiance, ‘Wretched Heart‘ sees Spell transform heavy metal into something urgent and human – gothic, cinematic, and hypnotic. Spell’s strongest record to date, ‘Wretched Heart‘ is the follow-up to the band’s 2022 LP, ‘Tragic Magic‘, an album hailed as a celebration of “the mystique and darkness within hard rock and heavy metal“.

Purchase/stream ‘Wretched Heart‘ at this location.

In celebration, Spell has unveiled a beguiling video for its new song, “Exquisite Corpse“, which deftly blends infectious, arena rock melodies with theatrical, occult rock sensibilities. Equal parts shred and dread, “Exquisite Corpse” is a glorious example of the finely-honed meld of strident metal grit and devilishly catchy pop suss that Spell has made its own. Stream the video for “Exquisite Corpse“, created by Jamie Ward, at this location.

“It’s so easy to idealize the past and remember things in a way that was never really true,” says vocalist and bassist Cam Mesmer of the “Exquisite Corpse” lyrics. “Especially when we lose people, we can tend to think about them in a perfect way, and mourn the loss of an idealised imaginary person that never really existed in the first place“.

Watch the video for “EXQUISITE CORPSE” HERE.

‘Wretched Heart‘ has met to radiant acclaim in the weeks leading to its release, the LP being hailed as “surely the most fun metal record of the year“, “Gothic, hypnotic, and thunderous“, “absolutely fantastic“, “a glorious heavy metal offering“, and “a strain of metal that falls somewhere between the early bat-eating years of the immortal Ozzy Osbourne and Opeth after it got tired of making hearse-black music for torching churches“.

‘Wretched Heart‘, in all its gory glory, embodies a very vital paradox – a record made by true believers who yearn for catharsis beyond. The oxymoron of anthems forged from steel, yet with a very human heart. Even the most cynical bystander will likely struggle not to be bewitched.

“Heavy metal can often be a regressive genre, almost by definition. But it doesn’t have to be!” emphasises Mesmer. “I think that getting set in your ways is death. I consider SPELL to be a heavy metal band, and therefore whatever music we make, will therefore be heavy metal, rather than the other way around, where you try to make your band fit into whatever narrow niche you think heavy metal is supposed to sound like“.

Spell‘s single, “Take My Life“, offers one of the most revealing entry points into the group’s latest chapter. The track stands as perhaps the starkest embodiment of the new album’s central tension – where classic heavy metal confidence collides with profound existential weight. As vocalist and bassist Cam Mesmer explains, “‘Take My Life’ is about an intimate encounter with death, and the power dynamics at play. Where I’ve had to make a decisive move, and been fearful, but others have given me confidence.”

“Take My Life” is a track that captures Spell at its most direct and dynamic. Stream a music video for “Take My Life“, directed by James Barry and Sean Edwards for Ramble Films, at this location.

The first track released from ‘Wretched Heart‘ was “Lilac“, an addictive and bittersweet track that channels both stadium-sized passion and wistful longing. Featuring a guest guitar solo by former Spirit Adrift, Carcass, and Angel Witch man, Tom Draper, “Lilac” dances with harmony-laden metal and synth-driven gothic chills. In the song, the titular flower forms an overarching metaphor for the ephemeral and transient forms of both nature and love. Stream a music video for “Lilac“, again directed by James Barry and Sean Edwards for Ramble Films, at this location.

“There are many things in life that disappear so quickly and will be gone immediately if we get preoccupied and forget to enjoy them and care for them” clarifies Spell vocalist/bassist Cam Mesmer before noting, “This song isn’t really about a flower“.

Spell is Cam Mesmer (vocals, bass, rhythm guitar, synthesizers), Al Lester, (vocals, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, drums), Jeff Black (lead guitar, backing vocals), and Gabriel Tenebrae, (lead guitar, synthesizers). Follow Spell on Facebook and Instagram.

“If this band was a van, they would be the raddest, most pimped out airbrushed 70′s van with plush interior and a BOOMING system. SPELL is a perfect name for them, because their songs are jamming heavy metal magic.” – Cvlt Nation

“psychedelic space rock exploration steeped in sludge and fuzz. Tipping their caps to a range of classic hard rock influences like Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Rush and even old-school Mercyful Fate, Spell captures a dreary, overcast and lo-fi vibe” – Exclaim!

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Long Island, New York isn’t exactly where you’d expect to find an occult black metal band but that’s exactly what one can expect from Teloch Vovin. The band, led by guitarist/vocalist Grigori, is primarily a black metal group but dabbles frequently in death and doom metal, as well as classical and electronic music, when performing.

Their new album, Towards the Inevitable, follows a long series of singles and splits, with their last full-length coming more than a decade ago. When speaking about the new album, which you can stream below, Grigori told Decibel:

“Like the Ravenous Vortex on the cover, Towards the Inevitable is a Malevolent, Seething, Dynamic Maelstrom seeking to both entrance and devour the listener.

“The Inevitable implied here is Death but Death comes in many forms and for those with the wisdom to understand that thru Death (both ov the ego and then again later ov the flesh) and the dissolution which comes with these transformations, Liberation is found. Liberation within the boundless arms ov Mother Khaos.”

In addition to a full stream of the album, Decibel spoke with Grigori in more detail about Towards the Inevitable, his relationship to the occult and live performances. You can read the interview below. Towards the Inevitable is out on May 8 via An Eastern Temple Productions and Thus Spake Qayin Records.

Can you describe Telcoh Vovin’s relationship to the occult and how that affects the music the band writes?
The spiritual practice behind the music is paramount in my life and has been since my teenage years. When I became a musician in my 20s, mixing my spiritual practice with my music just came naturally, it just called to me to do so. And I believe that music is one ov the highest forms ov Magick.

Teloch Vovin is part of a project spread across multiple release from two bands, Teloch Vovin and Lux Fero. Teloch Vovin relates to Samael in his Fiery Destructive aspect as Ha-Satan and Lux Fero relates to Samael in his Illuminated Kingly aspect as Lucifer.

The albums released under the name Teloch Vovin are a Middle Pillar Ritual working with the Tree ov Death. Each one ov the three full length albums represents one ov the three pillars ov the Tree ov Death.

The first album, Ov Khaos, Entropy and Death, represents the right hand pillar, the masculine aspects ov the Pan-Dimensional Khaos and is dedicated to Samael.

The second album, The Psalms ov Khaos, represents the Middle Pillar on the Tree ov Death and is dedicated to the Primal Void, though the middle Pillar on the Tree ov Death doesn’t represent the Primal Void there is a reason the second album within the “Tree of Death” trilogy is dedicated to the Primordial Source but it’s enough to say here that the Primal Void is the unifying/nullifying root source ov ALL.

The third full-length, Lux Fero-Hymns ov Mahapralaya, represents the Left handed pillar on the Tree ov Death and it’s attuned to the feminine aspects ov the Pan-Dimensional Khaos and is dedicated to Ama Lilith.”

After the completions ov the “Tree ov Death” trilogy, Teloch Vovin will change our name to Lux Fero for the 4th album which will complete the overarching concept between the two bands.

Lux Fero is the apex point achieved after the completion ov the MPR expressed thru the Teloch Vovin trilogy ov albums. Lux Fero represents Samael in his transcendental aspect as Lucifer-The Light Bringer. The Lux Fero full length album, The Rite ov the Harvest Pt 4: The Hungry End, is the last step before shedding the lower self and a crossroads where the Spirit leaves behind the physical manifestation and returns to the Void.

Is there a consistent theme or set of ideas running throughout Towards The Inevitable?
Towards the Inevitable was planned as part ov a special limited release between Teloch Vovin and another band who fell apart, where each band would have a couple ov songs that where only on this release and a couple specially version ov songs from other releases. When the other band fell apart, we felt that the recording just came out to good to be shelved so we decided to release it as a standalone release.

Spiritually every release and every song is in one way or another tied to the greater whole, which I briefly outlined above. Also I see “Towards” as an EP, even though the release is 40 minutes long, its purpose is to introduce people to the “Tree ov Death” Trilogy and it also alludes to the very end ov the Great Work and the severing ov the rays ov manifestation expressed within the Lux Fero album. All Teloch Vovin releases with 7 or 5 tracks are EP, all our full-lengths will have 11 tracks on them.

Teloch Vovin has released a lot of singles and smaller releases in the time since your debut album, but it’s been 11 years since your last full-length. What does the band’s process for writing music look like?
This project exists in different worlds and as such we wanted to explore different manners ov releasing material. One ov these ideas was to occasionally release tracks digitally, some are pre-production versions giving people insight into how the songs are developing along the way and another idea was to release a digital series ov singles known as “The Psalms ov Khaos” which we have released 10 of the 11 tracks digitally. These 10 tracks will eventually be stitched together along with the 11th and final Psalm into the second album in Teloch Vovin’s “ Tree ov Death” trilogy.

All three full lengths in the “Tree ov Death” trilogy are being worked on as we speak but these things take a long time as their are extensive Spiritual works that go had in had with the music and these sort ov undertakings take time and are not something to be entered into lightly.

Also both myself and other members ov the band have had to deal with some health-related issues which has caused paused in the bands activities as some ov these health issue were rather serious.

How important are live performances in refining your songs? The band has played a lot of gigs supporting other black metal bands in recent years.
Refining our songs? Not much, this happens more in the studio when we are jamming on the material. And while Teloch Vovin has played some really killer shows, the live version of the band has ceased as our drummer has had to move back to New Mexico from New York and I won’t be putting a live line up together until we record and release the first full length, Ov Khaos, Entropy and Death, ov which we only have 2 tracks to finish up and hopefully over the winter ov 26/27 we will start the recording process.

Your new album incorporates a fair number of influences from outside of black metal—death, doom, trad metal, classical, ambient. How do you balance those outside influences with your core black metal sound?
I myself have always looked on black metal as spiritual music, it’s the spiritual basis that makes the music black metal, not a style ov riffing or vocal, etc With that in mind, I will use any style ov music that is needed to get across the feeling that I am trying to convey thru our songs. I love classical music which has greatly effected how I compose the music for Teloch Vovin and I look at Teloch Vovin the band as a sort ov orchestra in a way. I place no boundaries on the manner ov expressions used to convey my love and devotion to the Holy Spirit ov Khaos.

The post Full Album Stream: Teloch Vovin – “Towards the Inevitable” appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

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Evanescence are on the cover of the new issue of Rock Sound, talking us through their new album ‘Sanctuary’.

Amy Lee tells us how a new set of collaborators and a fresh perspective on her past allowed the band to create their forward-thinking latest LP ‘Sanctuary’, the powerful single ‘Who Will You Follow’ and to channel their frustration with the world into renewed creativity and art that finds hope in the darkness.

You can grab a copy alongside a deluxe A4 poster print, only at SHOP.ROCKSOUND.TV

The post Evanescence Are On The Cover Of Rock Sound appeared first on Rock Sound.

(written by Islander) On May 8th the Italian metal band Ivoire will release their debut album Uragano. It began a long process of taking shape more than four years ago through a series of personal reflections written by the band’s founder Nicolò Lenoci, and then gradually evolved as he sought musical expressions for those ideas […]

The post AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): IVOIRE — “URAGANO” appeared first on NO CLEAN SINGING.

The post DEVIL’S ISLAND featuring Grace Hayhurst appeared first on The Razor's Edge.