The relentless melodic death metal quartet DREADMASK has released their gripping new single and video, “The Light” — a harrowing and emotionally charged track taken from their critically acclaimed debut EP, Thy Prime Dread,out now via Wormholedeath Records.
The song is about the devastating train crash in Greece on February 2023, showing the chaos, loss, and heartbreak that followed. It’s a harsh reminder of how greed, apathy, and incompetence can lead to tragedies. The lyrics capture the feeling of trying to hold on to hope while everything around you falls apart. It paints a vivid picture of the human cost of neglect and those in power who don’t care, asking for help when everything feels like it’s too late.
Born in 2023, Dreadmask arose from a collective passion for crafting heavy music with a purpose. Based in Eindhoven and composed of members from Greece, Hungary, and the Netherlands, the band channels personal and societal struggles into their music. Their name, Dreadmask, symbolizes the battle against fear and the facades we construct to navigate a tumultuous world.
Dreadmask’s EP, Thy Prime Dread, explores existential dread and human resilience, delivering a blend of crushing riffs, haunting melodies, and poignant lyricism. With influences ranging from Swedish death metal and blackened melancholy to progressive elements, Dreadmask is carving a unique space in the metal scene.
“Positive Nihilism” is a paradoxical journey through the void, where the crushing weight of existence is met with a defiant grin. This instrumental metal track is an exploration of the philosophy that embraces the meaninglessness of life with a sense of liberation and joy.
This song is for those who find freedom in the acceptance of the absurd, who see the blank canvas of life and choose to paint it with the colors of their own making.
With a wall of sound that hits like an existential revelation, “Positive Nihilism” combines the heaviness of downtuned guitars with the intricate melodies that weave through the chaos. The drums pound like the heartbeat of the universe, steady and unyielding, while the bass rumbles beneath, grounding the listener in the present moment.
“Positive Nihilism” is more than just a track; it’s a statement of intent, a declaration that even in the face of nothingness, we can choose to be something. It’s a reminder that the heaviest burdens can be lifted with a light heart, and that the darkest truths can lead to the brightest revelations.
Embrace the void and turn it into music. This is “Positive Nihilism”.
STEEGMOORD is a boundary-pushing instrumental metal band that fuses the raw intensity of thrash with the atmospheric depth of progressive and stoner metal. With a sound that’s both technically intricate and emotionally charged, STEEGMOORD crafts immersive sonic journeys that speak volumes—without ever saying a word.
Drawing inspiration from genre-defining acts like Mastodon, Opeth, In Flames, Dorje, Rabea Massaad, and Toska, Steegmoord blends crushing riffs, dynamic rhythms, and expansive textures into a sound that’s uniquely their own. Their music is a powerful exploration of contrast—balancing aggression with melody, chaos with control, and heaviness with haunting beauty.
I’m so proud of the music I’ve made. Every note, every break, every beat carries a piece of who I am. It’s taken time, passion, and a lot of hard work – but hearing it come to life has been one of the most rewarding experiences.
This music isn’t just sound. It’s a reflection of my journey, my emotions, and my growth as an artist. I’ve poured my heart into it, and I truly believe it speaks for itself.
No matter where it goes from here, I’ll always be proud of what I’ve created.
BLOODRIDE has been a relentless force in the global thrash metal scene since 2000. Known for their signature blend of old-school thrash infused with darker death metal elements and hardcore intensity, the band has carved out a reputation for delivering raw, neck-breaking energy both in the studio and on stage. The band will release their fifth album “Deafening” on July 25th via Wormholedeath Records.
We had the opportunity to talk to Esa Pennala about their new collaboration with Wormholedeath, the upcoming album, live shows and more.
German metal giant Lord Of The Lost released the second single from their upcoming OPVS NOIR Vol. 1 album today. I Will Die In It is a melancholic song about how it is possible to become the architect of your own life. The release is accompanied by a darkly speaking video.
Lord Of The Lost has previously announced that the band is returning to darker moods after the Blood & Glitter era, when the band was also seen as the German Eurovision representative and the band also rose to the awareness of non-metal fans and also shot to the top of the German album chart. The band’s success is also indicated by the fact that some of the special editions of the album, which will be released in August, have already been sold out.
“‘I Will Die In It’ is a call to find the strength to pursue happiness that is self-chosen and born of one’s own will. Regardless of the circumstances into which we were born or where we were raised, we all have the power to change our lives and the world around us, to give love and receive it. At least I want to believe in it – because without that belief everything would be hopeless. ‘I wasn’t born into love, but I’ll die in it’, says Chris Harms.
The upcoming album also defines what Lord of the Lost will be in 2025. The album, produced by Chris Harms, was recorded at Chameleon Studios in Hamburg, and although everything is new, it still sounds familiar; dark wave metal, but on an amphitheater scale.
The band’s scale is also large, after all, in addition to the Eurovision representation and major festivals, they have two tours as support for Iron Maiden, their own sold-out tours and, on top of everything, also meeting King Charles of Great Britain. The pace is not meant to be slowed down.
Chris Harms gives a preview of the upcoming album as follows:
“Darkness, melancholy, loneliness are all words that often have negative connotations and that we may associate with danger, sadness and loss. But darkness can also be safety, melancholy, the warm and sentimental feeling of our memories. Loneliness can also become silence, peace and a guide through the dark sides of our inner world, which so often move between what we emotionally classify as positive or negative. And all this is just the beginning of this three-part journey.”
The following songs can be found on the OPVS NOIR Vol. 1 album:1 Bazaar Bizarre
2 My Sanctuary
3 Light Can Only Shine In The Darkness (& Within Temptation)
4 I Will Die In It
5 Moonstruck (& Stimmgewalt)
6 Damage (feat. Whiplasher Bernadotte)
7 Ghosts (feat. Tina Guo)
8 Lords Of Fyre (& Feuerschwanz)
9 The Things We Do For Love
10 The Sadness In Everything (feat. Anna Maria Rose)
11 Dreams Are Never Alone
Check out all available formats and special packages here.
The band is also heading out on a tour to promote the album.
Here the dates that have been announced:
LORDS OF FYRE CO-HEADLINE TOUR LORD OF THE LOST & FEUERSCHWANZ
w/ The Dark Side Of The Moon
02.10.25 DE – Berlin / Columbiahalle
03.10.25 DE – Leipzig / Haus Auensee
04.10.25 DE – Offenbach / Stadthalle
10.10.25 DE – Hanover / Swiss Life Hall
11.10.25 DE – Fürth / Stadthalle
17.10.25 DE – Munich / Zenith
18.10.25 DE – Düsseldorf / Mitsubishi Halle
UK + IRELAND TOUR
30.10.25 UK – Wolverhampton
31.10.25 UK – Manchester
02.11.25 UK – Glasgow
04.11.25 UK – Belfast
05.11.25 IE – Dublin
07.11.25 UK – Bristol
08.11.25 UK – London
09.11.25 UK – Southampton
LORDFEST
13.12.25 DE – Hamburg / Sporthalle
Tickets: tour.lordofthelost.de
FESTIVALS
13.06.25 DE – Gardelegen / Metal Frenzy Festival
14.06.25 CH – Interlaken / Grienfield Festival
20.07.25 DE – Cologne / Amphi Festival
02.08.25 RO – Rasnov Fortress / Rockstadt Extreme Fest
06.08.25 ES – Villena / Leyendas del Rock
10.08.25 UK – Derbyshire / Bloodstock Open Air
19.10.25 NL – Den Bosch / The Rock Circus
01.11.25 UK – Whitby / Tomorrows Ghosts Festival
LORD OF THE LOST is:
Chris Harms – vocals, guitar
Pi Stoffers – guitar
Benjamin “Benji“ Mundigler – guitar, keyboards
Klaas Helmecke – bass
Gerrit Heinemann – Piano, keyboards, percussion
Niklas Kahl – drums
Dr. Schafausen, stage name of Sergio Pagnacco (Vanexa, ex Labyrinth), now releases Psychiatric Dark Hotel, his third solo album. A disturbing concept that drags us into the nightmare of a dystopian psychiatric hospital.
The lyrics tell of patients prisoners of their own mind, trapped in a spiral of madness, isolation and desperation. The sounds, already known for their intensity, become oppressive and sometimes dark, with saturated and acid guitars, deep bass and pounding drums that create a constant tension.
The urban and claustrophobic atmosphere of Psychiatric Dark Hotel evolves into a soundscape where reality is fragmented and madness takes over. The most violent passages alternate with moments of atmosphere and introspection.
With Psychiatric Dark Hotel, Dr. Schafausen doesn’t just create an album, but a total sensory experience, a sonic dystopia that forces the listener to confront his deepest fears. An unmissable work that pushes metal to its limits, consolidating him as one of the most daring and innovative artists of the Italian metal scene.
Trackslist:
1. Psychiatric Dark Hotel
2. Where Are My Pills My Sweet Zombie
3. Psycho Knocks on Room 13
4. The Ward of Broken Minds
5. Dancing on The Edge of Sanity
6. Doctors Speak In Cold Voices
7. Caged Shadows
8. Voices In My Mind
9. Gas Boys
10. Echoes Of Tomorrow
Line-up:
Milo (Vocals, Synth)
Elias (Vocals, Guitar)
Victor (Vocals, Guitar)
Dr. Schafausen (Bass, Keyboards, Vocals)
Anatole (Drums, Vocals)
Australian groove-death metal juggernauts DISTORTA are back with a vengeance. Their brand-new EP, Deadman, drops on September 5th, 2025, via Wormholedeath, and it’s a genre-bending assault of pure power.
Following their 2024 debut Devil in the Dust, Deadman is the sound of a band hitting its stride—fusing thrash, groove, death, and power metal into an explosive signature style. Massive riffs, pounding rhythms, and anthemic choruses you can shout ‘til your lungs give out—this is DISTORTA.
The EP was entirely recorded, mixed, and mastered by the band themselves, and shows a marked evolution in sound and precision.
Band Line-up for Deadman:
Dmitry Keremetskiy – Lead Vocals
James Boger – Lead Guitar / Backing Vocals
Dom Davey – Guitar / Backing Vocals
Dave Prodanovic – Bass
Chris Hanrahan – Drums
Avatar, who have built a large and loyal fan base with their distinctive and theatrical music, continue their steady journey towards the top of the global metal scene. The new single Captain Goat is now available on all streaming services.
“I think when people listen to Captain Goat, it becomes clear that the rules have changed again. We never do the same song twice, and we are always looking for new ways to reinvent ourselves. It’s the only way we know how – and the only way to give ourselves the opportunity to be better than ever before. The song uses Satan and the spirit’s journey through the underworld as a meditation tool. It’s about negotiating with the hard truths of existence – and finding acceptance as you walk through the darkness of a merciless life,” says singer Johannes Eckerström, and continues:
“In the music video for the song, we play with this theme shamelessly, borrowing imagery from various myths, folk tales and legends. And besides – every day I get to see the boys undress for a role is a good day for all of us.”
On the tour front, Avatar is, as usual, in full swing. In the summer, the band will embark on a tour with Iron Maiden. In February, the band will be on their own European tour. Next year, Avatar will also perform at four Metallica shows in Germany, Hungary, Ireland and the UK. See all the show dates here.
Finnish extreme metal band Vanguardian releases their fourth single from the upcoming debut album.“LI-2 XA-1” drops on 28th of May 2025.
The first conscious moment of life is an existential crisis. In the case of LI-2 XA-1, the first conscious moment is tinged with destruction and terror. The band explains:
“The song is one of the most straightforward compositions on our upcoming release, full of aggressive command and rhythmic playfulness. LI-2 XA-1 underlines the theme of the forthcoming release by addressing the limits of consciousness, humanity and technological development. Blast this one loud!”
The song is produced by Vanguardian. Mixing and mastering was done by Jami Honkala.
Waking Iris is a band of rock misfits from Finland who finally found a band to call home. Their debut single “Rock Forever” is an ode to a life spent in the endless pursuit of rock glory, one dive bar at a time. The band shakes off another rough night, takes the stage again and delivers an anthem for every rocker who never made it, but will never back down. The song is the perfect introduction for Waking Iris, a collection of talented rockers from the thriving underground rock scene in west Helsinki.
Waking Iris was born in the heart of the underground rock scene in Kivenlahti Finland. Canadian singer/songwriter Brian Forth fronts the group of Finnish rockers including Tim Norrgrann (Gtarzee) on lead guitar, Reda Kramdi on drums, Pauliina Järvisalo on keyboards and Ilkka Pättiniemi on bass. The sound has echoes of 80’s melodic rock infused with grunge-style grit, epic lead guitar, high energy percussion and fast-moving bass lines.
The song was partly recorded in Soundwell Studio with the aid of Valtteri Kallio and in Groundzero Studios in Stockholm by producers Joakim Hillson and Johan Öberg, both of whom also mixed the track. The song was mastered in Carisma Studio in Sweden by Tomas Caris Andersson.
Finnish blackened death metal band Progeny of Sun is set to release the second studio album ‘Prophets of the Void’ on September 5th 2025 via Inverse Records. The second single ‘Decimation’ is out now.
Guitarist Jaakko Hautamäki comments:
“Niko kindly suggested to Joni that we should have a “pumping song” so it wouldn’t get cold on stage. I looked at my phone to see what the hell this was about. Joni had written the song and Niko immediately wrote the lyrics. Pepe was allowed to record the drums exactly as he wanted, as long as they matched Joni’s demo tracks made by mouse. I tried to participate in the project by adding massive synth sections to the song. In the end there was only one left, but I had to do something. Töle had been complaining for years that the songs could be a bit more challenging. Joni relented and immediately added two bass solos to the song. Niko also surprised everyone with his kindness by giving Töle a record amount of backing vocals, some of which were even solo parts. So there you have it, and the main thing is that the bassist now has something fun to do at gigs.”
BIOGRAPHY:
In the beginning, Progeny of Sun was a two-man band formed by Jaakko Hautamäki and Niko Aromaa. Jaakko was responsible for the instrumentals, mixing, and mastering, while Niko handled the vocals, lyrics, visuals, etc.
The songs Jaakko introduced were very versatile. Some had speed, some were slow, some painted a picture with their atmosphere, and some were more straightforward bangers. Despite the diversity in style, everything worked exceptionally well in tandem, and from this premise, the band started to develop and pave its own way forward.
To start with, Progeny of Sun created a 6-song self-titled EP and discovered that their music was met with great reception. The duo behind the band did all the mixing, mastering, videos, and artwork themselves. The project as a whole was very fun and rewarding to work on.
After the EP release, Jaakko and Niko began to think that something more was still needed. They still had a burning desire to spread their music around the world, but with just two people, it would have been impossible.
Subsequently, Jaakko found two local musicians from the Seinäjoki area: Joni Kiviniemi (guitar) and Juha Peura (drums). Joni and Juha were initially brought on board just to offer their vision and play their assigned instruments for new material. Soon, however, it began to feel like they were part of the family, and so it was decided that they would become full-fledged members of the squad and a part of the band’s story. Not long after, Tuomo Tolkki (bass) was also welcomed to join, and in a matter of a few months, the full lineup was formed.
The first release with the full lineup, a 3-track EP ‘Dark Wanderer’, was released in 2021. Next in line were the single releases ‘Worthless’ and ‘Anguish’, which were released in 2022. Thanks to the aforementioned experimental phase, Progeny of Sun has gained self-confidence and started to understand its own identity. The band worked hard on the debut album ‘Throne of Desolation’, which was released at the end of 2023. Progeny of Sun’s second album ‘Prophets of the Void’ will be released in September 2025. Following their debut album, the band has identified their strengths, which are utilized and showcased even more prominently on the second album.
Line-up:
Niko Aromaa – Vocals
Jaakko Hautamäki – Guitar
Joni Kiviniemi – Guitar
Tuomo Tolkki – Bass
Juha Peura – Drums
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