Multi-talented singer, songwriter, and artist Kat Von D has released a new music video for ‘I Am a Machine,’ which features Arch Enemy vocalist Alissa White Gluz, and is included on her just-released album My Side Of The Mountain. The music video was directed by Vincente Cordero (Jinger, Cradle of Filth, Suicide Silence etc.) “I’ve been such a huge fan of Arch Enemy for so long, it’s been a dream come true getting to create music with Alissa,” says Kat. “I was actually nervous about even asking her to sing on one of my songs, considering I make more dark, electronic music and not metal, but was so happy/relieved when she agreed to be a part of this album. She’s one of the most talented friends I have. Getting to record her massive vocal range in person was beyond inspiring.”

Last month, Grumpy announced their signing to Bayonet Records (Beach Fossils, Mei Seimones) who will release their new EP Wolfed at the end of October. A NYC-based project led by Heaven Schmitt (they/them), the band has been attracting attention in NYC over the last year, appearing on bills with artists like Katy Kirby, This Is Lorelei, Sinai Vessel and Al Menne. Heaven and the gang are back to share a new single called ‘Flower’ alongside a video co-starring NYC DIY pop musician May Rio. Where lead single ‘Saltlick’ and pre announce single ‘Protein’ were awash with glitchy electronics that envelope Heaven’s intimate and inventive songwriting, ‘Flower’ shows a gentler side of the project, while still flashing the distinctive production flourishes that have set this new EP apart from Grumpy’s earlier material. A waltz, that gradually incorporates strings and layered harmonies over a spare guitar figure, the song is about love can transcend the romantic where it began context. Heaven says of the song: “Relationships arent’ forever, but love can be. ‘Flower’ is about how, for me, at this stage of my life, love isn’t about building a permanent commitment to someone, it’s about nurturing a bond so that it may last a lifetime. In ‘Flower’, I accept the end of a relationship with a peacefulness and gratitude that it happened at all. When I love someone, I know that love is bound to change shape, rather than dissolve, post romance.”

If you have been paying attention to independent music over the last decade you might recognize the voices of Romy and Sari Lightman, even if you don’t recognize their names. Twin sisters, originally from Toronto and now based in LA, the pair first came to public attention as long time members of Austra. Separately and together the sisters have also appeared on recordings from Yves Jarvis and TOPS, released a pair of albums in a project called Tasseomancy, which featured both Lightman sisters and Evan Cartwright of the band Cola, and Romy is one half of the Lightman Jarvis Ecstatic Band, a collaborative project with Jarvis that put out a record on ANTI- in 2021. Now, Romy and Sari are back to launch a new project called Lightman & Lightman, and announce their debut EP under the name, a release entitled Sister Smile. To mark the announce Lightman & Lightman are sharing the single ‘Bethlehem XL’ which features contributions from Hand Habit’s Meg Duffy, and is accompanied by a video written by Romy and directed by Zak Tatham. ‘Bethlehem XL’ is the EP’s opening track and serves as an overture, as the sisters explain in a statement: “An introduction to the record, intended as an overture. The narrator of the song slinks around like a Jean Rhys character, walking alone through empty streets late at night, filled with a material and spiritual longing. Feelings of interconnectedness & disassociation ebb and flow until the ending takes us to a higher, celestial place of joy and belonging.”

Cults, have released a new music video for ‘Onions,’ the track is off their latest album To the Ghosts. Directed by Alice Fassi, whose work has been recognized at prestigious film festivals such as Cannes Lions, brought her unique blend of satire and horror to the clip. Madeline plays a tender housewife with a dark side, hiding a sadistic, thrill-seeker within. Brian plays her half-dead counterpart, likely fallen victim to one of Madeline’s homecooked brews. Set in a secluded country home circle 1980, the video unfolds with colorful cinematography, and a surreal, delightfully macabre charm. [via Northern Transmissions]

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Izzy Reign charges ‘Into Oblivion’ in her latest alternative pop metal single from her upcoming debut album – out early 2025 from FiXT. “This is your time to sacrifice.” Intense is only the starting baseline as Izzy Reign dives deep into the the psyche’s darkest corners. This latest offering blends elements of metalcore, alternative pop, and alternative metal, creating a unique soundscape that is both haunting and electrifying. The song captures the haunting experience of living in constant anticipation of one’s fate, a theme that resonates with Izzy’s personal struggle with religious-induced OCD and intrusive thoughts. Izzy Reign showcases her ability to blend brutal vocals with the ethereal, a diverse array of instruments, including synth, drums, guitar, and bass, seamlessly weaving together different musical styles to reflect a range of emotions, as she draws out an emotionally stirring and intricate soundtrack of her personal struggles. “This song is about the Egyptian goddess of death, Ammit and the constant feeling of waiting to know your fate,” explains Izzy Reign. “I wanted to pull influences from a few different like My chemical romance, or Kim Dracula for their theatrical vocal styles but also draw interesting harmonies from artist like Imogen Heap. I wrote this song because one of the dark parts of myself stemmed from going to church and constantly being surrounded by religion and one of the major downfalls that lingered with me was the ultimate judgment. I thought about it so consistently that I became obsessive with everything I said or did, leading to severe OCD and horrifying intrusive thoughts.”

Nashville based rocker Royale Lynn has been busy breaking boundaries with an ambitious crossover sound, blending her love of hard rock and metalcore while proudly displaying her country roots. Currently on a nationwide tour with legends Seether and Skillet, which also brings her to festivals Aftershock and Louder Than Life, she shares her latest single ‘SACRIFICE’ via Epitaph Records. Featuring ominous figures draped in hooded capes, macabre imagery and shadowy nods to the occult, the powerful music video for ‘SACRIFICE’ paints a visual picture of the darkness that can accompany mental illness. Through thundering drums and a cascade of heavy riffage, Royale’s bright vocals are razor sharp as she carries a message close to her heart. “‘SACRIFICE’ shows a vulnerable side of me, it portrays my journey of dealing with my mental health while navigating the music industry,” she explains. “I want to show people that it’s okay to have struggles and talk about them openly because you should never let it stop you from doing what you love.”

Ex-Delain singer Charlotte Wessels has teamed with Arch Enemy’s Alissa White-Gluz for new solo single ‘Ode To The West Wind’. The track was released with an accompanying music video and can be heard on Wessels’ new solo album The Obsession, out now. It’s the fifth time Wessels and White-Gluz have made a song together and sees White-Gluz turn in one of her most melodic performances to date. In a press statement, Wessels explains that ‘Ode To The West Wind’ pulls its title and themes from a Percy Shelley poem, while the video laments how humanity has treated the natural world. She comments: “I’m thrilled to present the fifth single from The Obsession – and my fifth collaboration with the incomparable Alissa White-Gluz. Many of our songs together are inspired by or based on classic poetry, and Ode To The West Wind, drawn from Percy Shelley’s poem of the same name, is the latest addition to this thematic journey. Shelley’s poem reflects his admiration for the untameable force of nature and his thoughts on his own legacy.” She continues: “For the music video, we explored humanity’s impact on the natural world (spoiler: it’s not pretty) by reimagining iconic artworks like Caspar David Friedrich’s Wanderer Above The Sea Of Fog and Raphael’s cherubs from the Sistine Madonna, only this time suffused with pollution, wings made of trash, and covered in toxic waste.” [via Louder]

RedHook and Holding Absence have unleashed a brand-new single together, ‘Dr. Frankenstein’. Taken from the Aussie band’s upcoming second album Mutation, the track “tells the story of a fairytale romance that rapidly devolves into a nightmare as one partner displays increasingly more possessive and controlling behaviour,” according to RedHook singer Emmy Mack. “But the bridge then hits us with a plot twist by suggesting that this emotional abuse may have spawned from the other partner being dishonest and unfaithful, thus posing several questions for us to consider: who is the real monster in this situation? Does making mistakes and hurting each other (emotionally) make us monsters? Or does it make us human? Ultimately, this song is about me owning my shit and taking accountability for my role in a past relationship that became toxic as all hell. During the break-up, I was guilty of privately indulging that kind of ‘victim’ mentality, but now that I’m a bit older and wiser, I feel like it’s important to take responsibility for the mistakes that I made too.” Emmy adds of Lucas Woodland’s unsurprisingly awesome guest appearance: “Holding Absence are one of our favourite bands in the world right now, and Lucas’ vocal talents are unparalleled. I wrote this song with a male feature in mind, and Lucas was number one on the list! We cheered so hard when he said he loved the song and was keen to jump on board!” [via Kerrang!]

Never Obey Again has released a video for ‘G.O.D. (Given Or Denied)’, second single taken from the new album Trust to be released on October 18 by Scarlet Records. ‘G.O.D.’ is a ‘straight fire’ modern metal song with female scream vocals and heavy riffs. ‘G.O.D.’ means: we’re all human beings, we are all blank canvas at birth. The place and the moment in history we were born turn ourselves into the people we will become tomorrow. Some of us are given, some of us are denied. [via Italia de metallo]

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