Author: Crix

Snot Signs With BLKIIBLK Ahead Of New Studio Album In Summer 2027

BLKIIBLK is proud to announce the signing of legendary California punk-metal pioneers SNOT to a worldwide recording deal. One of the most influential cult bands to emerge from the late-’90s heavy music explosion, SNOT is currently writing and recording its long-awaited new studio album – the band’s first collection of new material in nearly three decades – set for release in summer 2027, with new music set to arrive early 2027, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of their landmark debut, “Get Some”.

Mikey Doling, founder and guitarist of SNOT, commented: “I am beyond thrilled to announce SNOT’s signing with BLKIIBLK Records! From my very first conversation with Mike Gitter, it was clear that the team at BLKIIBLK and SNOT were a perfect fit. They truly believe in what we’re doing, and we couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead. We’re proud to be joining the Frontiers/BLKIIBLK family. I’ve got my sunglasses on because the future is so bright! We’re fired up to bring the new SNOT songs we’ve been working on to our fans around the world. This is just the beginning!”  

Mike Gitter, Head of A&R, Frontiers Label Group, added: “BLKIIBLK isn’t merely just proud to be working with SNOT but more importantly to be part of fulfilling a legacy that has only intensified as time has gone by. SNOT is really the high-octane stopgap between fellow Santa Barbara punk miscreants, RKL and Generation Nu-Metal. Mikey, John, Jamie and Andy are on fire and not only celebrating their history but making it much more than a classic-album-and-then-we’re-out proposition. F- that! SNOT lives!”

SNOT never played by anyone else’s rules. Originally formed in Santa Barbara, California, in 1995, they featured the charismatic Lynn Strait on vocals, guitarist Mikey Doling, bassist John Fahnestock, drummer Jamie Miller. The band forged a sound that blurred the lines between hardcore, punk, funk, groove, and metal with an attitude that refused to fit neatly into any scene. Built around the unforgettable presence of frontman Lynn Strait, the unmistakable guitar work of Mikey Doling, and a rhythm section that balanced precision with swagger, SNOT created music that was as infectious as it was uncompromising.

Released in 1997 through Geffen Records, “Get Some” has become one of heavy music’s defining cult classics. Its explosive combination of crushing riffs, undeniable groove, raw humor, and fearless individuality helped shape the emerging nu-metal movement while standing apart from it entirely. Decades later, the album continues to inspire generations of musicians across metal, hardcore, punk, and hard rock, earning its reputation as one of the era’s most distinctive and enduring releases.

Although Lynn Strait’s tragic passing in 1998 brought the band’s original run to an abrupt end, SNOT’s legacy only continued to grow. In 2000, the surviving members honored Strait with the acclaimed tribute album “Strait Up”, featuring an extraordinary roster of guest vocalists including Jonathan Davis, Corey Taylor, Fred Durst, Serj Tankian, and many others. Meanwhile, SNOT’s members went on to help shape bands including Soulfly, Bad Religion, Amen, Lo-Pro, and Channel Zero, extending the band’s influence across multiple generations of heavy music.

In 2025, SNOT returned with powerhouse vocalist Andy Knapp, ushering in a new era while honoring the spirit that made the band a cult favorite.

Since returning to the stage, SNOT has experienced an overwhelming resurgence, fueled by passionate fans and acclaimed performances at major festivals including Welcome To Rockville, Sonic Temple, Inkcarceration, Louder Than Life, Aftershock, Download, Graspop, Alcatraz, and Motocultor, alongside sold-out headline club shows throughout North America and Europe. The response has firmly established SNOT as one of heavy music’s most celebrated comeback stories.

The current SNOT lineup features Mikey Doling (guitar), John Fahnestock (bass), Jamie Miller (drums), and Andy Knapp (vocals), with Doc Coyle joining the band as touring support guitarist for live performances.

Now signed to BLKIIBLK, SNOT is preparing to release its first new music in nearly thirty years, opening an exciting new chapter while staying true to the spirit that made the band legendary.

GET SOME. SNOT IS BACK.

Current SNOT lineup:
Mikey Doling – Guitar
John Fahnestock – Bass
Jamie Miller – Drums
Andy Knapp – Vocals

Touring Support:
Doc Coyle – Guitar

Anga released new single

German Modern Metal band ANGA released their new single «Demons». The song was recorded at three studios run by members of the band: Thomas Höflein’s studio, SFR Recordings by guitarist Marvin Schäfer, and Helios Studio by drummer Gabriel Illert. The song was mixed and mastered by guitarist Thomas Höflein.
Hailing from Stuttgart and Aschaffenburg, Germany, ANGA is a modern metal act combining heavy riffs, driving breakdowns, and electronic elements with soaring vocal melodies and dark metalcore intensity. Fronted by vocalist Anne Zeides alongside guitarists Thomas Höflein and Marvin Schäfer, bassist Fabian Streich, and drummer Gabriel Illert, the band has steadily evolved toward a darker, heavier sound since their 2021 debut album “Shadows” and the “Straight to Hell” EP. Their single “Demons” encapsulates their current era: modern, heavy, and fearlessly genre-defying.

Progressive rock band Kuumet’s new single “Narcosis” is a song about modern day dopamine addiction

New Finnish progressive rock band Kuumet has released the second single from their upcoming album to be released later this year. “Narcosis” speaks to a distinctly modern dopamine addiction that we encounter daily all around us. Various screens, work tasks, or even food function as first-aid kits. It seems neurons must perpetually supply the brain with an endless flow of pleasure and information, constant stimulation. Narcosis is thus a drug-induced stupor in which we perpetually live.

Listen to the single on music services (Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal, Bandcamp etc.): https://push.fm/fl/kuumet-narcosis

Lyricist Jussi Moilanen‘s thoughts about the song:

“1984 and Brave New World have come true: someone watches our work from behind screens, much like food delivery workers. We cannot endure even a moment of boredom—which would actually be beneficial to us—so we reach for something, whether immaterial or material remedy, that drags us into a dreamlike state.

I hope Kuumet’s music brings listeners to serenity state of mind. One can listen jazz influenced melodies, cinematic layers or massive walls of guitar. For a moment, one can be alive and free—at least within one’s own mind.”

Kuumet started in 2019 in the aftermath of a tribute gig for a Finnish prog legend. The band, which was put together at the initiative of Vesa Ranta (ex-Sentenced, The Abbey, Cemetery Skyline), who had once hung up his drum sticks at the time, ended up with players from Oulu, including The Aeon, THJKB and Hietaketu. Musically, Kuumet operates on the more prog side of rock, the songs may be rambling, but avoiding the pitfalls of indulgent gimmickry. The influences are most found in the legacy of the sprawling rock bands of the 1970s and the more melodic side of heavy rock that rose to prominence in the 1990s.

The songs also reveal the band’s fascination with cinematic expression.

Kuumet’s debut album Nova depicts the struggle of modern man in time: it contains dystopian images, addictions and death, but also glimpses of hope here and there, whether in the form of a bright exploding supernova or the belief that life continues after man.

https://www.instagram.com/kuumet.band/

https://www.facebook.com/Kuumet/

https://www.youtube.com/@KuumetBand

Finnish metal band Withered Petunia has released a new two-part single “Torn Pages” that explores the impact of drugs on individuals and society

Finnish modern death metal metal band Withered Petunia has released a new double single ‘Torn Pages’. The band likes to stretch their musical expression by experimenting a lot with death metal, melodic metal & hardcore. The new single is a two-part piece that explores the impact of drugs on individuals and society. The first part, “Page 1: The Craving,” addresses the topic from an outsider’s perspective, criticizing the user personally, while the second part, “Page 2: The Needle,” explores the user’s perspective on their own situation — namely, society’s reluctance to help individuals suffering from drug problems. The instrumental parts are designed to paint a picture of the topics discussed. The first part is aggressive and chaotic and reflects the way the topic is discussed on a societal level. The second part is darker and more melancholic and describes the user’s personal feelings.

Listen to the single on music services (Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal, AmazonMusic etc.): https://push.fm/fl/witheredpetunia-tornpages

Withered Petunia released their debut EP ‘Withered Petunia’ in January of 2025 and the single ‘Fragility of a Mind’ in September 2025. ‘Torn Pages’ is their third release.

Withered Petunia:

Leevi Raatikainen: Vocals

Juuso Hytönen: Lead Guitar & Vocals

Mikael Kalkku: Drums

Joel Eskelinen: Rhythm Guitar

Tuure Honkonen: Bass

https://www.instagram.com/witheredpetuniaband/

https://www.facebook.com/WitheredPetuniaBand

https://www.tiktok.com/@witheredpetuniaband

The Finnish modern metal band Volucrine released the last single and music video Borderline from the forthcoming fifth album

Finnish modern metal band Volucrine are set to release their fifth album ‘Chapter V: Renewal’ via Inverse Records on September 25th 2026. The fourth single and music video ‘Borderline’ is out today and it’s available here: https://push.fm/fl/volucrine-borderline

The band’s mastermind Jupe Velin comments:

“I originally started Volucrine as a therapeutic project so I could channel my negative feelings into music. It’s been almost eighteen years since then, and when you realize that the emotional gloom hasn’t really gone anywhere over the years, the mood can feel pretty bleak at times. When I was diagnosed with ADHD a few years ago, I was at least able to understand, in a certain way, why school, work, romantic relationships, and friendships have always been so difficult for me. For one reason or another, I’ve always had to pay a heavy price for being different and resort to wearing “masks.” It was from this perspective that I wrote “Borderline.” What is it like when you feel compelled to hide your true self and your psychological symptoms in order to be accepted by others?

This weighty theme provided a whole new opportunity to explore the power of low-tuning and mid-tempo. The song undeniably features subtle influences from Sleep Token and Deftones, which we wanted to highlight through heavy, grinding riffs rather than utilizing the melodic structures typical to Volucrine. We wanted to emphasize feelings of loneliness and alienation by recording the countdown to the launch of an imaginary space shuttle as the song’s intro. We are now heading toward infinite emptiness.

The music video ties together the story begun by the “Golem” single, in which masks are once again a central theme. Eetu Lindgren, a member of our band’s crew and a close friend, plays a man who gets lost in a winter forest while following the call of the masks. If you love “Lynchian” visual storytelling set in the twilight zones, this is for you!”

Watch music video ‘Golem’:  https://youtu.be/bb9rVOdwLwo
Watch music video: ‘Volucrine’: https://youtu.be/h9jyzmngfVk
Watch music video: ‘Borderline’: https://youtu.be/5jdZQdQTIZ4

VOLUCRINE are a Finnish alternative metal collective, who released their debut album in 2011. Four albums, two EP’s and countless live shows later, the band’s personal style has been honed to its peak, still emphasizing bold testing of boundaries within their genre. The band has a strong focus on their lyrics, which, due to their deeply personal nature, give Volucrine’s music a human voice.

After the ETNA LP (Inverse Records 2024), which garnered a lot of positive attention worldwide, the band is finally ready to present new material from their upcoming album, which will be released in the fall. With the theme of rebirth, we can expect the unexpected from this album as a great circle is closed.

50 Years of ACCEPT: 50 A-List Musicians Join Celebratory Manifesto of Metal

German heavy metal legends ACCEPT celebrate 50 years of pure power, bringing together the scene’s A-list musicians for a landmark release. Teutonic Titans 1976-2026 is a definitive statement of the band’s legacy, forged in steel and driven by unmistakable riffs. Arriving September 4, 2026, via Napalm Records, the album delivers some of the most iconic songs ever written in heavy music. At the helm,
guitarist Wolf Hoffmann, the longtime architect of ACCEPT’s sound, is joined by a staggering 50 guests across 19 reimagined versions of the band’s biggest tracks. With it, ACCEPT deliver one of their most ambitious and star-studded releases to date.

Progressing through albums from their formative years, from I’m a Rebel (1980) to Eat the Heat (1989), ACCEPT present their songs with an all-new, all-star lineup, alongside the signature voice of Mark Tornillo and Wolf Hoffmann’s unmistakable riffs. By enlisting a Who’s Who of metal, no two songs onTeutonic Titans 1976-2026 are the same. Every track features a different combination of vocals,
guitars, bass, and drums, giving each classic a fresh edge. Tobias Forge delivers a commanding performance on “Save Us” (I’m a Rebel, 1980), joined by Ray Luzier on drums. Phil Anselmo, Kirk Hammett, and Mikkey Dee tear through the speed metal classic “Fast As A Shark” (Restless and Wild,1982). “Balls to the Wall” surges with the powerful range of Metal God Rob Halford, alongside the guitar work of Matthias Jabs. The reimagined “Love Child” is elevated by Billy Corgan and David Ellefson
(both songs from Balls to the Wall, 1983). Other guest stars on ACCEPT’s extraordinary release include K. K. Downing, Bobby Blitz, Hansi Kürsch, Chris Jericho, Ralf Scheepers, Billy Sheehan, Ola Englund, and Jeff Loomis. Topping it off is a re-recording of “Hellhammer” (Eat the Heat, 1989), performed by ACCEPT’s current lineup: Wolf Hoffmann, bassist Martin Motnik, guitarist Philip Shouse and drummer
Christopher Williams, joined by Jason McMaster on vocals.

Teutonic Titans 1976-2026 reaches far beyond the borders of ACCEPT’s country of origin. Packed with the biggest names in heavy music paying tribute to the German icons, the record cements the band’sstanding on the global stage. This is more than an album. It is a manifesto of metal!

Accept Video Interview

From the industrial heart of Solingen to the world’s biggest stages, Accept have spent fifty years forging the sound of heavy metal. Their rise accelerated with 1983’s Balls to the Wall, a gold certified milestone that helped push their global album sales beyond 17 million and cemented their place among the genre’s most legendary acts.
Now, the band celebrates its 50th anniversary with Teutonic Titans 1976–2026, arriving September 4 and featuring an impressive lineup of about 50 guest musicians. Just before their performance at Hellsinki Metal Festival, Wolf Hoffmann sat down with The Offering to reflect on the anticipation before hitting the stage, the band’s long journey, the creation of the anniversary album, his personal growth as a musician, and and the band’s plans moving forward.

https://www.acceptworldwide.com/

Hellsinki Metal Festival 7-8.8.2026, Helsinki (Finland)

The Hellsinki Metal Festival, which has impressively established itself in just a few years, took place on 7–8 August at the Helsinki Ice Hall, also known as Nordis. Over two days, the event drew 16,000 metalheads from around the world.

In addition to its diverse extreme metal lineup featuring both major acts and rising underground bands, the festival offered visitors a wide ranging side program. Highlights included the Dark Art Gallery exhibition, the Inkferno tattoo booth, live wrestling shows, the playful RIP area complete with a bouncy castle, and numerous companies and communities dedicated to metal culture. This year, Hellsinki Metal Festival also raised funds for Mieli ry, which promotes mental health, and Naisten Linja, an organization supporting women affected by violence.
Across three stages, a total of 32 bands delivered unforgettable performances.

The first day of the Hellsinki Metal Festival delivered a powerful mix of international metal talent and culturally significant highlights.
Finnish melodic death metal band Horizon Ignited opened the festival to an impressive early day crowd. They were followed by Swedish death metal pioneers Unleashed, whose 45 minute set drew heavily on Viking themes and classic Swedish death metal staples like Before the Creation of Time and Death Metal Victory.
On the indoor stage, Wormwood brought atmospheric black metal infused with Nordic melancholy, while genre legends Carcass, on the main stage, delivered a sharp performance widely praised as one of the day’s standouts. Brymir continued with a sweeping blend of symphonic and melodic death metal.
A major emotional highlight came from Ikinä, joined by The Choir of Hecate, bringing a total of 15 women on stage. Their performance included a moment of silence for women victims of violence. Promoter Toni Törrönen noted: “A spectacle like this has never been organized in Finland.”
Supergroup Bloodbath, featuring members of Opeth, Katatonia, and Paradise Lost, performed drenched in fake blood and powered by their signature HM‑2 buzzsaw guitars, with Nick Holmes’ dry humor adding contrast to the brutality.
Black Label Society delivered one of the day’s most anticipated sets, with Zakk Wylde captivating the crowd through blues soaked riffs and his trademark stage presence. From South America, Mawiza offered a ritualistic performance in the endangered Mapuzungun language, standing out as the festival’s most geographically distant act.
Headliners Accept celebrated their upcoming 50th anniversary with classics including Fast as a Shark, Balls to the Wall, and I’m a Rebel.
The night closed with Carpenter Brut, whose neon lit fusion of 1980s electronics, horror aesthetics, and heavy rock energy sent festivalgoers dancing into the late hours.

Day Two opened with a massive cinematic extreme metal set from Assemble the Chariots, followed by Numento, whose progressive aggression and distorted kantele made their performance one of the day’s most distinctive.
Iotunn delivered a sweeping, space themed progressive metal show, while Misþyrming unleashed raw Icelandic ferocity on the main stage. French dark metal act Orly intensified the indoor atmosphere with a macabre, cinematic performance.
British gothic metal pioneers Paradise Lost drew one of the day’s largest crowds with a beautifully somber, career spanning set. Cyan Kicks provided a bold stylistic shift, winning over the audience with high energy pop rock hooks and electronic heaviness.
Swedish power metal band Tungsten brought melodic uplift in a weekend dominated by extreme metal. Triptykon then delivered an exclusive all‑Celtic Frost tribute, attracting purists eager to witness Tom G. Warrior revisit foundational extreme metal material.
Swiss folk metal giants Eluveitie turned the field into a sea of dancing and chanting with their blend of heavy riffs and traditional instruments. A rare collaboration followed as Misþyrming joined Behemoth’s Nergal for a tribute to Sventevith.
Headliners Opeth closed the main stage with a hypnotic, contrast driven performance, while The Kovenant ended the night with a dramatic, futuristic industrial metal finale.

The festival concluded as a clear success, a weekend that delivered exactly what metal fans came for.

Hellsinki Metal Festival also used the occasion to reveal the lineup for this year’s Hellsinki Metal Cruise, which expanded into the festival family for the first time last year. The cruise will sail from Helsinki to Stockholm and back on November 6–8, featuring Samael, Rotting Christ, Groza, Aborym, Deathchain, Moonlight Sorcery, Chamber of Unlight, Waltari (celebrating their 40th anniversary), Cumbeast, Khroma, Baphy, Night Crowned, Rabbit Cult, Totalselfhatred, Paara, and Ashen Tomb.

As the organizers described it: “The cruise is a mini version of the Hellsinki Metal Festival, where this whole tribe is in the same boat. The ship becomes a shared home for everyone—no need to go anywhere else to feel at ease.”

Tickets for the cruise are available at Viking Line.

Looking ahead, Hellsinki Metal Festival 2027 will return to the Helsinki Ice Hall on August 6–7, 2027. A limited number of Patient Zero advance tickets are already on sale.

Here the photogallery by Cristina Gregori.

 

Brymir Video Interview

Brymir stands as Finland’s hidden metal powerhouse, a band whose explosive melodic death metal has been quietly gathering cosmic momentum for two decades. Their journey has been a steady rise, each album a new chapter in an ever‑expanding saga. Now the band prepares to ascend beyond earthly boundaries with What We Leave Behind, their most daring and diverse work yet, out October 2. After igniting the stage at Hellsinki Metal Festival, Viktor and Jarkko sat down with The Offering to discuss the show, the new record, and the future they are ready to claim.

https://www.brymir.com/

Heezer Take Fuzz Rock in Unexpected Directions on New Album Stereolith

Finnish fuzz rock quartet Heezer have released their highly anticipated sophomore album Stereolith. Hailing from Imatra, the four-piece delivers an impressive and versatile collection that brings together the traditions of stoner rock with infectious choruses and memorable melodies. Thick, fuzz-laden tones and driving riffs keep the record firmly rooted in organic rock, while its unexpected melodic elements give the album plenty of character.

On Stereolith, Heezer seamlessly combine the raw energy of desert rock and stoner with the melodic traditions of classic rock. The band’s vocal arrangements are enhanced by backing vocals from Heikki Pöyhiä, while the album closing track “Desert” features soulful saxophone by Aino Heikkonen. Stereolith is available on both CD and vinyl here.

The band approached their second full-length with a considerably more meticulous process than their 2022 debut Sungrinder. Songwriting began immediately after the release of the first album, with a series of singles and the Mushroomhill Boogie Tapes EP (2023) serving as an important stepping stone towards the new record.

“We approached the second album from a completely different starting point than the debut,” explains drummer Ville Häsä. “The band had only been together for a short time when we made the first album, and the songs were mostly composed by jamming together. We even arranged some of them in the studio. We didn’t use a click track, and that sense of freedom and excitement is still very audible on the record.”

With Stereolith, it was time to take things up a few notches, and focus on professional production:

“This time, we wanted to do things properly, with a solid production at a top-level studio and plenty of attention given to pre-production. In fact, we recorded the songs three times: first with Sami and me in my home studio, then with the whole band alongside Kimmo Koskinen, and finally at Petrax Studios with Miitri Aaltonen. By then, the songs were deeply ingrained in us and the arrangements were solid. We had also played dozens of shows together, so the chemistry between us had developed considerably. Still, we wanted to preserve the approach that made the debut feel authentic and energetic, so all the basic tracks were recorded live.”

On Stereolith, Heezer manages to appeal both to underground rock enthusiasts and listeners drawn to strong melodies and memorable hooks. “Stone I Am”, chosen as the album’s lead single, is a prime example of Heezer’s ability to bring seemingly different musical worlds together.

“The riffing in ‘Stone I Am’ was inspired by Down, and the song sat in the vault for quite some time before all the pieces finally fell into place,” says guitarist Ville Räsänen. “Once they did, it became pure Heezer. We made the arrangement more direct in the studio, and Miitri Aaltonen came up with the pulse in the verses, which turbocharged the groove even more!”

Singer-guitarist Sami Kääriäinen says the lyrics grew out of the twists and turns of the human mind:

“The spark for the lyrics came when a friend asked me if I know that feeling when you’re so pissed off that you’re past the point of even raging about it. When the frustration gets so massive that you simply stop caring. And yeah, I’ve been there. There’s a bit of dark humour in it – the idea of being so numb to pain that you can only laugh at it.”

“Stereolith” tracklist:
1.  Horse
2.  This Town
3.  Stone I Am
4.  Let It Burn
5.  Moonshine
6.  Mountain
7.  Crazy
8.  The Van
9.  Desert

With Stereolith, Heezer take the sound and songwriting of their earlier work several steps forward without sacrificing the raw grit that defines the band. The result is an album where fuzz-drenched heaviness, memorable melodies and an unmistakable DIY spirit come together in a surprisingly diverse package.

The band has enjoyed an active summer of live shows, winning over rock audiences both on streaming platforms and on stage.

Heezer line-up:
Sami Kääriäinen – vocals, guitar
Ville Räsänen – guitar
Antti Vesikko – bass
Ville Häsä – drums

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