In the story behind “OCULI LAPIDIS”, a man is buried with stones over his eyes to grant him sight in the afterlife. An enemy enters the grave and steals them, condemning the dead man to wander blindly. Even death offers no escape from another person’s hatred. That narrative now has a visual setting created by […]
LEAP are back once again with another new track, their second since signing to the legendary Epitaph, and they are really making themselves at home.
Titled ‘Bury Me’, it finds the band delving even deeper into the atmospheric possibilities that their caustic rock sound has to offer. A blend of modern flair and timeless stature, it’s the sort of track that gets stuck in your head for weeks on end. A chorus at its most addictive, a hook at its most inimitable and a groove that is impossible to shift.
It’s a sign that whatever the quartet are building up to is going to be a real fork in the road.
Vocalist Jacky Scott had this to say about it:
“We wrote Bury Me about that savage post-break-up feeling where you see your ex living their best life and you’re still cut up about it. Sometimes you don’t know if they’re faking it, pretending to be cool about everything, and it’s about that twisted desperation of wanting to know you’re not alone in the heartache. The instrumental is kinda euphoric and hopeful, though, like it’s a celebration or a release to admit you’re hurting and just embrace that vulnerability. We used a fans voice in the middle8 from a heartbreaking voicemail they left us. Again, we’re always trying to make something positive out of our collective pain. We’ve been playing it across the US shows and it’s been carnage. So excited to finally have it out! “
It follows on from ‘Bloodlines’, which sounds a lot like this:
The band are set to hit the road next month for an extensive tour of the UK and Europe. Here are all of the dates:
And it’s finally release day for the mighty Dragonland and their brand new album ‘Prophecies‘! ‘Prophecies‘ is the seventh studio album for the classic Swedish symphonic power metal act. The album was mixed & mastered by Fredrik Nordström at Studio Fredman (In Flames, Arch Enemy, HammerFall); artwork by Pedro Sena (Amon Amarth, Kreator) ‘Prophecies‘ is a hard-hitting […]
A chorus “that even your tonedeaf grandma can sing along to” is how Niklas Stålvind introduces WOLF’s latest single. Released today, “Walpurgis Night” follows “Death Satellite” and “Waltz Post-Mortem” as the third preview of the Swedish band’s tenth studio album, Hour of the Wolf. The album is announced for 20 November 2026 through Fireflash Records. […]
Think of Boss Keloid, and clever, carefully crafted sludgy music comes to mind. Entertaining for sure. I remember spending a brief couple of moments in their company at 2021’s Damnation Festival, interviewing them in the bowels of Leeds University, having frustratingly missed their set due to another interview.
They had released Family The Smiling Thrush a few months before, an album that was epic in many ways and one that rightly featured in many end-of-year lists. It is time to revisit that soon too.
Another band I lost sight of in the continued flood of new music, their sixth album reminds me why Boss Keloid were on the playlist for much of 2021.
Boss Keloid – Float & Aperture: One Of 2026’s Most Immersive Albums
Now much more progressive rock than sludge, although they retain some of those mucky elements, Float & Aperture is expansive, creative, and blends genres to the extent it is almost impossible to add labels. Just the way it should be.
Their sound remains familiar. Even after years without hearing them, the crunch on Pedestal brings their tone flooding back. Gentle enough to interest those with the lighter aural palate, but with enough bite to interest fans of a heavier persuasion, the seven tracks on offer allow you to explore and indulge.
There are parts where this is almost a jazz breakdown. There are moments on Pedestal, the nine-minute-plus sonic highways of Landslide and Weight, where you wonder if this could be just a magnificent jam session that just happened to be recorded. Such is the organic nature of how Boss Keloid express themselves in their music.
Perhaps the greatest thing about Float & Aperture is that it is both a warm old friend and an interesting new acquaintance. There is something here to capture the interest of all.
And then there are the emotions which are carved in the lyrical content. Alex Hurst weaves the intensity into songs that draw on personal experience, life challenges and situational outcomes. Whilst we all know these moments, to draw them into the intricate webs that Boss Keloid spin is impressive.
“The lyrics to Pedestal explore both the positive and negative sides of isolation, as well as its causes and effects,” Hurst says. “The song also contains a 10-year-old riff from the Keloid archive we finally found a way to use properly.”
Hurst’s delivery ranges from the gruff Neil Fallon to the higher and more melodic Eddie Veder style. His span is wide, and he gives it everything.
Behind this cracking album is a change in the band’s approach to writing. Opening with a more collaborative approach has worked magnificently.
Just take a listen to the closing song, Sanguine. It is full of character and represents the latest in the band’s 15-year-plus career. “We wanted to challenge ourselves and each other more than ever during the writing process for this album and developed a completely new way of working together as a result,” xxx says.
“Our writing process was more collaborative, experimental, and challenging than ever. We encouraged each other to tap into our musical and personal influences, as well as life experiences, to generate ideas.
“We wanted more focus and enjoyment around the interplay and dynamics between melody and rhythm, and a better clarity and balance between our instruments and parts. We couldn’t be happier with the result and believe this is our strongest work to date.”
Deeply personal, yet openly accessible, this is an album that will keep giving for months to come. “Embracing life, rolling with the punches and the waves of beauty, and not being afraid to channel and express those experiences through art, music, love, anger and wisdom. Experience tells a story if you don’t mind sharing it.”
Alongside Hurst, Ste Arands, Paul Swarbrick and Liam Pendlebury-Green have created one of the most enjoyable and immersive albums of 2026.
Clearly and rightly proud of their work, Boss Keloid may well have brought their best yet. With Church Road Records on their side, this is one brilliant piece of work.
Boss Keloid release Float & Aperture on 23 October 2026. For more details, visit Church Road Records here.
Today, Germany-based alternative metal band SEVEN BLOOD have shared their brand-new single ‘Kill Switch’. The track delivers a powerful mix of alternative rock, metal, and metalcore, tackling crucial themes such as female independence, empowerment, mental health, and the raw rage following a toxic breakup.
Lyrically, the track is a clear statement against societal expectations: they powerfully push back against labels like ‘too loud’ or ‘hysterical’ and celebrate breaking free from restrictive patterns. The raw musical energy is reflected in lines that make it clear this newly found strength can no longer be shut down. The song serves as a reminder to recognise your own strength and not to be intimidated by the fear of others when standing up for yourself. “There’s no kill switch.”
“’Kill Switch’ was born out of pure exhaustion from shrinking myself to make others comfortable,” explains lead singer Azaria Nasiri. “To anyone who’s ever been told they take up too much space: this is your anthem. There is no kill switch anymore. It’s our turn now.”
Produced, mixed, and mastered by Andreas Hartmann, the high-energy track features driving instrumentals and deeply emotional vocals ranging from tears of rage to passionate demands for more. ‘Kill Switch’ powerfully demonstrates that SEVEN BLOOD are ready to relentlessly forge their own path and make no compromises.
SEVEN BLOOD will kick off their 2027 with two huge tours. The first a German run with critically acclaimed alternative artist RØRY and the second is a big twenty-two date tour with US metalcore favourites Memphis May Fire and Swedish quartet Dead By April, where SEVEN BLOOD appear as special guests. Tickets are available now for all shows. See a full list of upcoming dates below and find more information here.
Ancient seas, floods and the shifting course of the Demer provide the inspiration for OERHEKS’ debut album, De Stroom. Across four tracks and approximately 41 minutes, the Belgian black metal project explores water’s relationship with the landscape of Cagghenvinna, the Demer valley and the Hageland region. The album arrives on 24 November 2026, with Amor […]
