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  • IATT – Etheric Realms of the Night Review

    Since releasing Magnum Opus four years ago, Philadelphia’s IATT has refined their songwriting toolkit to incorporate an even wider array of ideas and sounds. New platter Etheric Realms of the Night demonstrates a compositional leap as IATT weaves a grandiose concept into music—specifically, exploring the deconstruction of consciousness as wakeful awareness decays amongst the capricious environs of the subliminal. This abstract notion is rife with potential, offering boundless possibilities for artistic exploration. Broadly speaking, IATT follows a fascinating trajectory, covering a lot of ground with each release and honing their craft remarkably since their debut. With their latest offering, can IATT send us into Etheric Realms of delight?

    Etheric Realms of the Night surges with ideas and instrumentation, entwining ephemeral beauty and scathing dissonance into a fugue-like fever dream. Prior albums Nomenclature and Magnum Opus reference stalwarts Opeth, Enslaved, and Dissection, melding melody with brutality to wondrous effect. Etheric Realms of the Night retains the core of IATT’s sound while expanding it even further into flamboyantly progressive territory à la Ihsahn and Thy Catafalque, and it’s this pivot that unites Etheric Realms’ music and concept so cohesively. The flute, performed by Didier Malherbe, sets the tone at the beginning of lead track “Drift Away.” Light, airy, and flitting, its inclusion is a masterstroke in evoking dreams’ fleeting substance. Piano lines weave in and out of the compositions, enriching the gorgeously textured cascades of IATT’s dense soundscape with vague impressions of a lullaby. Yet no matter how busy any particular moment is, each facet plays in service to the whole, engendering an astonishing coherence through Etheric Realms despite the diversity of components.

    The overarching narrative on Etheric Realms of the Night follows the mind’s state of consciousness as sleep erodes the physics of reality, sending us deep into the impenetrable murk of unfiltered inputs and perceptions. “Drift Away” begins with a tandem of acoustic strumming played under a lilting flute, leading to a VoiceOver thought exercise that establishes a loose framework for Etheric Realms.1 From there, the track launches into harsh vocals alongside soaring strings that give way to heartfelt cleans, a groovy drum shuffle, punchy bass countermelodies, and sprightly piano flourishes. It’s the perfect introduction for what IATT accomplishes throughout Etheric Realms, as atmospheres consistently dart and lurch in unexpected directions. This approach synchronizes perfectly with the ephemeral temperament of dreams, where paradigms are kaleidoscopic, and no foothold lasts longer than a breath. So, too, does IATT’s songwriting shift and evolve throughout Etheric Realms’ runtime, with themes and motifs fading and reemerging in altered forms.

    Etheric Realms’ success hinges on performances that can support the concept IATT sets in motion, and here, too, they deliver in spades. The guitars feature prominently on Magnum Opus, frequently stepping out to deliver showy licks and sure-fingered solos. On Etheric Realms, guitarists Joe Cantamessa and Alec Pezzano are no less capable and still deliver electrifying leads and riffs. Yet it’s their restraint that works best, giving room for other parts to dazzle. Paul Cole’s drumming hypnotizes as he adopts different styles throughout, including a dance-ready samba pattern on “Pavor Nocturnus” and a Portnoyesque rumble toward the back end of “Somniphobia.” Meanwhile, bassist/vocalist Jay Briscoe unleashes the best performance of his career so far, issuing a variety of black metal rasps and lower register roars along with effective cleans. Briscoe’s stately bass lines deserve praise as well, sauntering into the spotlight or supporting with gravelly grooves as needed. Also, the saxophone on “Walk Amongst,” played by Jørgen Munkeby (Emperor, Shining), wails with such emotion and moxie that I get goosebumps every time I listen. Every moment on Etheric Realms feels well-considered and expertly crafted, and the way it all fits together is transcendent.

    Etheric Realms of the Night is an unabashed triumph. In my time at AMG, this is the only review I’ve tarried on because I didn’t want to stop listening to the album. IATT supplies an arresting three-quarters of an hour that sets my dopamine release valve to ‘GUSH,’ and Etheric Realms claims a residency in my gray matter that haunts me day and night. Every time “Hypnos” concludes, I’m left mesmerized and enamored with IATT’s swirling moods and seamless conglomeration of ideas. While it’s too early for me to think about list season,2 the subconscious pull Etheric Realms possesses only grows stronger with each visit, and I dare to dream of writing about it again.


    Rating: Excellent!
    DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
    Label: Black Lion Records
    Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
    Releases Worldwide: May 8th, 2026

    The post IATT – Etheric Realms of the Night Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

  • SPACE CHASER reveal advance video single ‘We Are the Night’

    SPACE CHASER offer another taster of exciting things to come with the new digital single ‘We Are the Night‘ in the shape of a music video. Berlin’s thrash metal maniacs will soon release their fourth studio album via Testimony Records. Watch this space for the big reveal on June 16 at 12:00 CEST! SPACE CHASER comment: “On ‘We Are the Night’, you will find all the good ingredients that any thrash […]

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  • Burning Sun – Unleash ‘Sunbeam, Rise!’ Track

    Hungarian power metal artists Burning Sun are back with a brand-new single “Sunbeam, Rise!”, featuring three different voices: Pancho Ireland, Nicolas Peter and special guest Cederick Forsberg. The song was recorded, mixed and mastered by Cederick Forsberg.
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  • Hulder – Ink Deal With Season Of Mist

    In a rare co-signing partnership with 20 Buck Spin, the French label Season Of Mist are officially welcoming Hulder to the family for the territories outside of North America.
    Read more…
  • The Rolling Stones Announce New Album Foreign Tongues: Hear “In The Stars”

    The Rolling Stones’ days as an unstoppable rock ‘n’ roll roadshow may be behind them, but they’re still making noise. Ronnie Wood confirmed late last year that a new album was locked and loaded. Today, after weeks of teasing, the Stones have officially announced Foreign Tongues and shared new single “In The Stars.” Last time…

    The post The Rolling Stones Announce New Album <em>Foreign Tongues</em>: Hear “In The Stars” appeared first on Stereogum.

  • DELAIN Feat. Marko Hietala Announce 2027 Tour Dates!

    Over the last two decades, melodic-synth-metal-force DELAIN has established itself as an enduring force in modern melodic metal, known for its powerful songwriting, a distinctive musical identity, and a dynamic sound. Since the release of their debut album, Lucidity, twenty years ago, DELAIN has built a dedicated international following with albums such as April Rain, We Are the Others, The Human Contradiction, and more recent […]

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  • Slift – “The Day Of Execution”

    Whoo! I tell you what, I love this fucking feeling. A guttural scramble of a guitar riff? A guys bellowing over the top like he’s somehow trapped underneath the guitar riff and he needs you to rescue him? A chorus where all the dramatic stakes zoom upward? An extended trippy breakdown, followed by an even…

    The post Slift – “The Day Of Execution” appeared first on Stereogum.

  • Todd Rundgren Announces New US & Europe Tour Dates

    FAN PRESALE: Wednesday, May 6 @ 10AM ET [PW: VICTORY26]

    PUBLIC ON-SALE: Friday, May 8 @ 10AM LOCAL

    Legendary producer/songwriter/ guitarist Todd Rundgren is expanding his 2026 Damned If I Do Tour with a major slate of newly added dates! This new leg of the tour includes new locations in the US, as well as extending the tour to the UK and the EU!

    This tour promises to include plenty of fan favorite songs. Says Todd, “It’s always a challenge for me because my audience is so diverse, I never know what they’re in the mood for. I want to make sure we have all the musical ammunition we need to satisfy the spectrum.”

    The tour commences June 11th at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, Illinois and ends July 19th at the Cabot Theater in Beverly, Massachusetts. The second leg commences August 8th at the Bergen PAC in Englewood, NJ and ends September 21st at the Paradiso Main Hall in Amsterdam! The fan presale for the new dates begins at 10 AM ET on May 6th [PW: VICTORY26], and tickets go on sale for the public at 10 AM local time on May 8th.

    Todd’s band for the Damned If I Do tour will feature Gil Assayas (Keys), Bruce McDaniel (Guitar), Prairie Prince (Drums), Bobby Strickland (Horns), and Kasim Sulton (Bass).

    TODD RUNDGREN “DAMNED IF I DO” TOUR
    June 11 – Arcada Theatre – St. Charles, IL
    June 12 – Des Plaines Theatre – Des Plaines, IL
    June 14 – Vibrant Music Hall – Waukee, IA
    June 16 – Majestic Theatre – Dallas, TX
    June 17 – House of Blues – Houston, TX
    June 19 – Tobin Center for the Performing Arts – San Antonio, TX
    June 20 – Golden Nugget – Lake Charles, LA
    June 22 – Buckhead Theatre – Atlanta, GA
    June 23 – The Parker – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
    June 25 – Capitol Theatre – Clearwater, FL
    June 26 – Capitol Theatre – Clearwater, FL
    June 28 – Circle Square Cultural Center – Ocala, FL
    June 30 – Charleston Music Hall – Charleston, SC
    July 01 – Carolina Theatre of Durham – Durham, NC
    July 03 – The Caverns – Pelham, TN
    July 05 – KEMBA Live! – Columbus, OH
    July 06 – Riviera Theatre – North Tonawanda, NY
    July 08 – Community Arts Center – Williamsport, PA
    July 09 – Warner Theatre – Washington, DC
    July 11 – Keswick Theatre – Glenside, PA
    July 12 – Keswick Theatre – Glenside, PA
    July 15 – Patchogue Theatre – Patchogue, NY
    July 16 – Tarrytown Music Hall – Tarrytown, NY
    July 18 – Bally’s Twin River Casino – Lincoln, RI
    July 19 – Cabot Theater – Beverly, MA

    August 8, 2026 – Englewood, NJ – Bergen PAC
    August 9, 2026 – Ridgefield, CT – Ridgefield Playhouse
    August 11, 2026 – Ocean City, NJ – Ocean City Music Pier
    August 12, 2026 – Red Bank, NJ – Count Basie Theater
    August 14, 2026 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
    August 15, 2026 – Newport, KY – MCL Pavilion
    August 17, 2026 – Kalamazoo, MI – Bells Beer Garden
    August 18, 2026 – Saginaw, MI – Temple Theatre
    August 20, 2026 – Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Theatre
    August 21, 2026 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theater
    August 23, 2026 – Ft. Wayne, IN – Clyde Theater
    August 25, 2026 – Minneapolis, MN – Uptown Theatre
    August 26, 2026 – Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theatre
    August 28, 2026 – Louisville, KY – Brown Theater
    August 29, 2026 – St Louis, MO – The Pageant

    September 6, 2026 – Lorica, IT – Campo Sportivo
    September 9, 2026 – London, UK – Cadogan Hall
    September 10, 2026 – Bristol, UK – Bristol Beacon
    September 12, 2026 – Manchester, UK – Opera House Manchester
    September 13, 2026 – Glasgow, SCT – Theatre Royal Glasgow
    September 18, 2026 – Aalburg, DK – Skraaen
    September 19, 2026 – Helsingor, DK – Kulturvaerftet – The Culture Yard
    September 21, 2026 – Amsterdam, NL – Paradiso Main Hall

    TODD RUNDGREN

    Born and raised in Philadelphia, Rundgren began playing guitar as a teenager, going on to found and front The Nazz, the quintessential `60’s psychedelic group. In 1969, he left the band to pursue a solo career, recording his debut offering, the legendary Runt. But it was 1972’s seminal Something/Anything?, on which he played all the instruments, sang all the vocal parts, and acted as his own producer, that catapulted Todd into the superstar limelight, prompting the press to unanimously dub him ‘Rock’s New Wunderkind’. It was followed by such landmark LPs as The Hermit of Mink Hollow and the above mentioned A Wizard, A True Star, as well as such hit singles as I Saw The Light, Hello It’s Me, Can We Still Be Friends, and Bang The Drum.

    In 1974, Todd formed Todd Rundgren’s Utopia (renamed and reconfigured in 1976 as Utopia), an entirely new approach to the concept of interactive musicianship, and embarked on an extensive round of touring and recording. Standout Utopia offerings included Oops! Wrong Planet, Adventures in Utopia, and Oblivion. Along the way, Todd Rundgren’s Utopia combined technical virtuosity and creative passion to create music that initially, for millions, defined the term “progressive rock”, and subsequently, as Utopia, the term “powerpop”.

    Rundgren’s myriad production projects include albums by Patti Smith, Cheap Trick, Psychedelic Furs, Meat Loaf, XTC, Grand Funk Railroad, and Hall And Oates. Rounding out his reputation as rock’s Renaissance Man, Rundgren composed all the music and lyrics for Joe Papp’s 1989 Off-Broadway production of Joe Orton’s Up Against It (the screenplay commissioned by The Beatles for what was meant to have been their third motion picture). He also has composed the music for the hit film Dumb and Dumber, as well as a number of television series, including Pee Wee’s Playhouse and Crime Story.

    In 2009 Rundgren performed his iconic 1973 album A Wizard A True Star in concert in its entirety for the first time ever, and several years later did the same with a double bill: Todd & Healing. He has toured with Ringo Starr as an erstwhile member of the All-Starr Band since 1989, and continues to perform with symphony orchestras both domestically and internationally. In 2018 he toured North America with original Utopians Kasim Sulton and Willie Wilcox for the first time in 33 years. After the release of his long-awaited autobiography The Individualist, he spearheaded the world’s first hybrid concert/book tour highlighting music across his 50-plus-year career.

    In 2017 on successive weekends he was awarded honorary doctorates from both the Berklee School of Music and DePauw University.

    In 1998 Todd debuted his new PatroNet technology which for the first time allowed fans of a musical artist to subscribe directly to the artist’s musical output via the Internet. This caps a long history of groundbreaking early multimedia “firsts”, including:

    •1978: The first interactive television concert, broadcast live over the Warner/QUBE system in Columbus, Ohio (the home audience chose each song in real time during the concert by voting via QUBE’s 2-way operating system).
    •1978: The first live nationally broadcast stereo radio rock concert (by microwave), linking 40 cities around the country.
    •1979: The opening of Utopia Video Studios, a multi-million dollar state-of-the-art facility. The first project produced by Todd there is Gustav Holst’s The Planets, commissioned by RCA Selecta Vision as the first demonstration software for their new videodisc format.
    •1980: Creation of the first color graphics tablet, which was licensed to Apple and commercially released as The Utopia Graphics Tablet.
    •1981: Time Heals, the first music video to utilize state-of-the-art compositing of live action and computer graphics (produced and directed by Todd), becomes the eighth video to be played during the launch of MTV on August 1, 1981.
    •1982: The first live national cablecast of a rock concert (on the USA Network), simulcast in stereo to over 120 radio stations.
    •1982: The first two commercially released music videos, one of which was nominated for the first-ever Grammy awarded for “Best Short Form Video” in 1983.
    •1992: The first commercially available music downloads via CompuServe.
    •1993: The release of “No World Order”, the world’s first interactive record album on CD-i.
    •1994: The release of “The Individualist”, the world’s first full-length Enhanced CD.
    •1994: The world’s first interactive concert tour.
    •1998: Launches PatroNet, the world’s first direct artist subscription service — predicts that someday “music will be sold by the pound”.
    •2016: The production of the world’s first full length concert shot with multiple Virtual Reality 360º cameras.
    •2021: Spearheaded the “Clearly Human” virtual concert tour, featuring 25 live-streamed performances geo-fenced and tailored to a different US city each night.