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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
“Sketching the Soul” Explores the Hidden Struggles Behind One of Extreme Metal’s Most Iconic Visual Artists

A new feature documentary from Poppitt Productions takes viewers inside the life and creative grind of legendary artist Tony Koehl
2026 – The world of extreme metal has always been defined by its sound, but just as much by its visuals. Now, a new documentary pulls back the curtain on one of the genre’s most recognizable and prolific artists.
Sketching the Soul , directed by filmmaker Tanner Poppitt, is a raw and personal feature documentary following acclaimed graphic artist Tony Koehl as he navigates the daily realities of life as a working artist in today’s fast moving, often unforgiving creative economy.
Known for his unmistakable style and extensive catalog of album artwork across the extreme metal landscape, Koehl has contributed iconic visuals for bands such as Job For A Cowboy, The Black Dahlia Murder, and Waking the Cadaver, among countless others. His work has helped define the visual identity of modern death metal and beyond.
This documentary goes beyond the artwork and into the life behind it.
A Story Behind the Canvas

Sketching the Soul follows Koehl through the pressures, persistence, and uncertainty that come with sustaining a long term creative career in an industry that constantly demands evolution while rarely offering stability.
As the film explores, even a legendary name in metal artwork is not immune to the grind of deadlines, changing markets, and the constant challenge of staying relevant while staying true to a signature style.
A quote from the production summarizes the heart of the film:


“Sketching the Soul follows legendary visual artist Tony Koehl through the trials and tribulations in order to still be a viable working artist in today’s environment.”


Built for Fans of Iconic Metal Art

This documentary will resonate with fans of influential metal illustrators and visual creators such as Dan Seagrave, Demorph, Wes Boscoter, Ed Repka, and Derek Riggs, offering a deep dive into the culture and craft that shaped some of metal’s most unforgettable imagery.
Production & Credits

Production Company: Poppitt Productions
Director: Tanner Poppitt
Management: Poppitt Productions
Contact: Poppittproductions@gmail.com

Watch the Film

The full documentary is available here:

More Information

IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt37533863/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poppittproductions_official/
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PoppittProductions
https://www.sketchthesoul.com/



At its core, Sketching the Soul is about more than metal artwork. It’s about endurance, identity, and what it takes to keep creating when the world keeps shifting under your feet.

Comprised of five new tracks and six remixes.

The post Squid Pisser Launch “Mucus” Music Video, New EP “Throat Slave” Headed For August Release appeared first on Theprp.com.

Every week the Stereogum staff chooses the five best new songs of the week. The eligibility period begins and ends Thursdays right before midnight. You can hear this week’s picks below and on Stereogum’s Favorite New Music Spotify playlist, which is updated weekly. (An expanded playlist of our new music picks is available to subscribers on Spotify and Apple Music, updated throughout the week.)

The post The 5 Best Songs Of The Week appeared first on Stereogum.

Watch the pair perform "I've Done Everything for You" together and check out the first part of UCR's exclusive tour report. Continue reading…

It’s been 21 years since Miranda Lambert released Kerosene, which means she’s been one of our greatest mainstream country stars for a very, very long time. She’s not slowing down. This year, Lambert co-wrote and sang backup on Ella Langley’s gigantic crossover hit “Choosin’ Texas,” and she buried the hatchet with her old adversary Kacey Musgraves in grand fashion on the duet “Horses And Divorces.” Now, she’s ready to release of an album of her own.

The post Miranda Lambert Announces New Album <em>Crisco</em>: Hear “Till The Going’s Gone” appeared first on Stereogum.

The Boston-based hardcore band just played their first Australian tour earlier this month.

The post Haywire Announce Australian Headlining Tour With Feel The Pain appeared first on Theprp.com.

The Los Angeles slime merchants are back

Source

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FAR FROM YOUR SUN’S ACCLAIMED ALBUM A DREAM OF HELL OUT NOW

A haunting, immersive journey through shadow, emotion, and existential depth

Streaming: https://www.submithub.com/link/far-from-your-sun
Far From Your Sun ‘s third studio album, A Dream of Hell , is available now, delivering an emotionally powerful and atmospheric progressive rock experience that has already earned praise from critics around the world. Known for their deeply immersive sound, the project continues to carve its own lane within modern progressive rock, drawing comparisons to Porcupine Tree, Anathema, and Riverside.
Far From Your Sun (FFYS) is not built around spectacle or performance culture. Instead, it exists as an artistic philosophy centered on authenticity, emotional truth, and multidisciplinary expression. Rooted in the belief that art is a universal language, FFYS seeks to connect people beyond borders, trends, and identity, favoring introspection over image and depth over visibility.
A DARKER, MORE URGENT CHAPTER

Following In the Beginning Was the Emotion (2016) and The Origin of Suffering (2021), A Dream of Hell emerges as a more immediate and instinctive work. Described by the project as “an uncontrollable surge, a flame sparked by necessity,” the album captures a raw creative urgency that feels both unplanned and essential.
What makes A Dream of Hell especially compelling is its emotional honesty. The album does not smooth over its darker edges or soften its impact. Instead, it leans fully into internal conflict, vulnerability, and existential weight, offering listeners a deeply human experience that is both confronting and cathartic.
Yet even within its darkest moments, the record carries a sense of direction. Rather than lingering in despair, FFYS uses emotional turbulence as a pathway toward transformation, revealing a form of light that can only emerge through darkness.
CRITICAL RECEPTION

Since its release, A Dream of Hell has received praise from progressive rock and music publications for its immersive, cinematic approach and emotional depth.
Prog Critique describes the release as a work of “chiaroscuro,” where music constantly shifts between shadow and light, favoring atmosphere and imagination over literal interpretation.
Teethsound praises the album’s sincerity, calling it “an immersive progressive rock experience that explores emotional darkness with uncommon sincerity,” framing it as an examination of what remains when illusion collapses.
Allen Peterson Reviews calls it a deeply emotional journey, writing that the album transforms suffering into connection and beauty rather than confinement.
Musocasa further emphasizes FFYS’s commitment to authenticity, highlighting A Dream of Hell as a fearless and emotionally rich statement in modern progressive rock.
Across all perspectives, one theme remains consistent: this is not background listening. It is an experience designed to be felt as much as heard.
TRACKLIST

Hell
Eternity
Laeta
Tyger
Each composition functions as a chapter in a larger psychological narrative, moving through silence, vastness, melancholy, and existential questioning.
ARTISTIC PHILOSOPHY

Far From Your Sun continues to reject conventional industry expectations. There are no concerts, no interviews, and no traditional artist identity reveal. Instead, the project expands into multidisciplinary collaboration, incorporating photography, painting, and poetry to create immersive artistic environments where sound interacts with visual and literary expression.
This approach reinforces FFYS’s central belief: meaning is found not in exposure, but in experience.
PRODUCTION DETAILS

Produced by: Far From Your Sun
Mix Engineer: Sandro Enciso
Mastered by: Brett Caldas-Lima (Tower Studio)
Stream the album: https://www.submithub.com/link/far-from-your-sun
ABOUT THE RELEASE

A Dream of Hell stands as a bold and uncompromising artistic statement, immersive, cinematic, and deeply human in its exploration of truth. Rather than offering easy answers, it invites listeners to confront darkness, embrace vulnerability, and discover meaning through the journey itself.
For those willing to lose themselves in an unforgettable progressive rock experience, A Dream of Hell is available now.


Connect: 
Official Website: https://farfromyoursun.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FarFromYourSun
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farfromyoursun/
X (Twitter): https://x.com/FarFromYourSun
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/farfromyoursun
Bandcamp: https://farfromyoursun.bandcamp.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1wIybSA1nKjT89hj0R8Ey0
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/en/artist/far-from-your-sun/715372159
Band Contact: Mahtai
Email: farfromyoursun@gmail.com

Almost a year ago, Dovetail released a very beautiful track called “raining here, too.” In the fall, I caught them at New York’s beloved Night Club 101 opening for Ken Park; the two Vassar students wore angel wings on their backs and played dreamy songs that swallowed the whole room. Now, the duo is sharing a new tune titled “if you let me (nsii).”

The post Dovetail – “if you let me (nsii)” appeared first on Stereogum.

Blues Rock Weekly highlights new music from The Rolling Stones, Ghost Hounds, Texas Headhunters, and Bywater Call.

The post Blues Rock Weekly – June 26, 2026 appeared first on Blues Rock Review.