Exsomnis is an atmospheric and melodic powerhouse in progressive gothic metal, hailing from Montreal, Canada and they are proud to announce the release of their debut single, ‘Inertia’. This haunting track delves deep into the abyss of existential contemplation, enveloping listeners in a symphony of gloomy soundscapes, haunting riffs, and orchestral grandeur. Vocalist Viky Boyer comments on the track: “’Inertia’ is one of the earliest songs we wrote and one of the songs I spent the most time writing and re-writing. With every scrap of lyrics and melody, I felt like I was getting closer to the message I actually wanted to put out. I am also very glad that the band was on board with me including some French spoken words in the song, sort of like a mini poem, as I feel like it really completes the vision I had for it. I really hope my experience with the theme of the song will resonate with the listeners, partly for my artistic ego, but also as a sign that I am not alone struggling with those particular feelings of dread when it comes to life choices.”

The hard rock sensation, Beautiful Skeletons, is proud to announce the release of their gripping new music video, ‘Letter to a Narcissist’. The track stands out from their highly anticipated EP, Temperance, set to launch on May 10 via Wormholedeath. ‘Letter to a Narcissist’ is a dark, melodic journey that blends haunting vocals with Beautiful Skeletons’ signature gritty and intense sound. This song is about the painful realization that you’ve been manipulated. The lyrics explore the journey from justifying a narcissist’s behavior to recognizing the damage they’ve caused. Ultimately, it’s about taking back your power and confronting the abuse you’ve endured.

Rising symphonic metal force ELVELLON released their second single and next harbinger, ‘My Forever Endeavour’, taken from their upcoming new album, Ascending in Synergy, set for release on May 17. The track convinces with an enchanting, uplifting intro building up to a strong chorus that is topped by Nele Messerschmidt’s magnificent vocal skills, inviting the listener to get lost in dreamy worlds. [via Metal Planet]

Lacuna Coil have dropped a crushing new song called ‘In the Mean Time’ that features soaring vocals from New Years Day singer Ash Costello. The track is Lacuna Coil’s first since their 2023 one-off ‘Never Dawn,’ and it’s ostensibly the first taste of the band’s upcoming new album, which frontwoman Cristina Scabbia teased to Revolver late last year. “‘In The Mean Time’ is a reflection on how much our society has generally ‘lost the plot,'” Lacuna said in a press statement. “We are living in really mean times filled with unhappy people: lonely, anxious, depressed, destructive. The pressure that crushes from the outside doesn’t allow to see things with the right clarity. This song is like group therapy: not a lamentation, but acceptance that once broken, it’s hard to put oneself back together again. We need to take our minds off all the inescapable toxicity and find that there’s so much more to this life…and know that in the meantime, everything cannot be aligned. We invited Ash Costello from New Years Day to feature on the track and we’re thrilled she came on board adding exactly what we needed for this song with her warm voice and charisma.” [via Revolver]

Renowned symphonic metal band XANDRIA have unveiled a catchy brand-new single, entitled ‘Universal’, accompanied by a mesmerizing official video. The track, mixed by acclaimed Danish producer Jacob Hansen, harmoniously combines symphonic choruses and captivating refrains with classic heavy metal guitar work. XANDRIA about ‘Universal’: “We have been overwhelmed by the amazing feedback for our album The Wonders Still Awaiting and are so grateful for our wonderful fans! All this positive energy inspired us to write new music quickly, and here is the first song of the new music waiting for you! We hope you enjoy it! Thank you so much for your support! In memory of Jina Mahsa Amini and for all the brave people everywhere else in the world who fight for human rights. Human rights are universal. But they are not respected everywhere, and where they are, they can be taken away again. That means that we all need to be constantly defending them, and we need to be standing together with all people in the world for that. ” [via FrontView Mag]

Polish heavy metal act, Crystal Viper, will release their new studio album, The Silver Key, on June 28 via Listenable Records. The band have also released the new digital single, ‘Fever Of The Gods’. Watch a video for the song below. Band leader Marta Gabriel comments: “Not counting the intro (which is entitled ‘Return To Providence’), ‘Fever Of The Gods’ is the opening song of the album, and the first single. We all agreed, that if we would need to show the world what the new album is all about with just 1 song, it needs to be this one. It is fast, very dynamic, and it has some new elements, but also very classic riffing and harmonies, and its chorus is very easy to remember. We also filmed a video for this song, together with the Grupa 13 production house. They did some amazing videos for bands such as Kreator, Arch Enemy or Behemoth, so we knew our song will be in right hands. Lyrics for ‘Fever Of The Gods’ are a story about meeting various shapeless forms during a dream-quest of Kadath. Lovecraft fans will probably have a big smile on their faces right now!” [via Brave New Words]

DEFENCES have released a new music video. The new music video, for the track ‘The Curse’, is the brand new single from the Hertfordshire-based alternative metal band and marks their first new music since 2021’s In The Balance. The release of the new single comes as the band sign with Long Branch Records. Speaking about the new song, vocalist Cherry Duesbury says, “’The Curse’ is a song about feeling like the universe is against you, trying to sabotage your every endeavour despite your best efforts to achieve something. The feeling of being just a little too late, or pipped to the post, and having to start over again. To demonstrate this, it references the individual struggles of trying to be creative in an oversaturated industry, focusing on the internal fortitude required to not only persevere but to enjoy creativity for its own sake. By making these fears and inadequacies into a character, we wanted to show how powerful this feeling of being cursed can seem, and the importance of recognising and accepting it as part of yourself.” [via Distorted Sound]

Red Handed Denial, who recently announced the May 24 release of their new album, A Journey Through Virtual Dystopia (Paid Vacation Records), have released a second song and video from the 10-song album: ‘One More Night’. “This might be my favorite song we’ve ever done, definitely my favorite on the album,” vocalist Lauren Babic says of the four-minute track. “There’s something special about it. I think it’s a really fresh take on what rock/metal can be by combining EDM and future bass elements. It’s not the heaviest on the album by any means, but there is a heaviness and sense of despair that translates in the vocal delivery so powerfully.” [via FrontView Mag]

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NYC’s resident misfits Couch Slut’s new full-length album You Could Do It Tonight is out April 19 on Brutal Panda Records. Now, the band shares ‘The Donkey (Abridged).’ The video was created by Frank Huang (Maximum Volume Silence) and features additional footage captured by occasional Couch Slut collaborator Davindar Singh from a haunted house in Thailand, along with special guest appearances from guitarist Amy Mills’ personal doll collection. Couch Slut vocalist Megan Ostrosits explains: “Here’s the story of what happened when my friends and I got fired from the haunted waterpark.” Bassist Kevin Hall continues: “‘The Donkey’ is simultaneously simple and complex, like a bucket of sewage which at first appears homogeneous, but upon close inspection dazzles the mind and the senses with the diversity and pungency of its constituent detritus.”

NØ MAN are proud to debut the brand new music video for ‘Glitter and Spit’, the title track from the band’s highly anticipated new album due out next week on March 29 via Iodine Recordings. “‘Glitter and Spit’ is about not letting people distort your reality to fit their fantasy,” shares NØ MAN. “We’ve never been comfortable with the idea of making a music video and really just wanted to make something that felt true to our live shows. Years ago Joseph Pattisall made one of our favorite videos for our friends in Striking Distance and we were thrilled when he was up for helping us with ours.”

The pirates of VISIONS OF ATLANTIS are about to take listeners on their heaviest symphonic adventure yet with their new studio album, entitled PIRATES II – ARMADA, set for release on July 5, 2024 via Napalm Records. The new successor to their high-charting previous release, Pirates (2022), is set as high as the waves cresting the Jolly Roger – taking everything that has been achieved to date to another level. With the second chapter of the pirates’ saga, VISIONS OF ATLANTIS prove that they are more than ready to claim the crown of symphonic metal. Now, the crew centered around pirate queen Clèmentine Delauney and brave captain Michele Guaitoli unveil their first single and title track, ‘Armada’, together with an official music video that draws the listeners into the exciting universe of VISIONS OF ATLANTIS. With this track, the band pushes its metal attitude farther than ever before! The track immediately show how driving, rich, and banging the hymn of a pirate army could be. [via Outburn]

Canada’s most exciting metal band, UNLEASH THE ARCHERS, recently announced the upcoming release of their game changing sixth studio album, Phantoma, out May 10 via Napalm Records. On this stunning conceptual release, listeners join story protagonist Phantoma, a Phase 4 / Network Tier 0 unit – model A, on an inspiring yet harrowing journey as she traverses the new age of AI on a dystopian, near-future planet earth. Following the release of wondrous first single, ‘Green & Glass’, UNLEASH THE ARCHERS are back with an addictive, synth-infused second single, ‘Ghosts In The Mist’. Blending modern guitar stylings with 80s arena rock vibes, the track boasts one of the album’s most sing-along worthy choruses and heaviest breakdowns. UNLEASH THE ARCHERS says about ‘Ghosts In The Mist’: “If you saw us at any of the shows we played last year then you might recognize this track! We filmed the music video at Mad With Power Fest, ProgPower USA, and at our show in Montreal, Canada, and it is full of so many friends and familiar faces! We love including these particular festivals in the video because they have both been supporters of ours for a very long time, and we hope we will get to play them again and again as the years go on. The track is one of the more synth heavy songs on the album, but it’s also got some rad death vocals from Grant that you can bang your head to, so we hope there will be a little something for everyone to enjoy here!” [via Metal Planet]

FOLTERKAMMER have released a new music video. The new music video, for the track ‘Algolagnia’, is taken from the American operatic symphonic black metal band’s upcoming new album, Weibermacht, which is scheduled to be released in April this year.,Speaking about the new single, guitarist Zachary Ezrin comments, “’Algolagnia’ is a special song because it’s the first and only song that we wrote together in the studio. It’s a really raw and brutal piece that I’m very proud of.” Bassist Laurent David adds, “finally, a black metal track that starts with a bassline!” Vocalist Andromeda Anarchia further explains, “musically, I would say that despite all its rawness, this piece also has a somewhat modern character. It is very unusual. This contrasts with the more traditional, dramatic-romantic operatic singing that floats over the raw music at certain points. My main inspirations for interpreting ‘Algolagnia’ as a singer were Rob Halford, Nina Hagen, NOVA TWINS, and Joan Sutherland. When it comes to lyrics, one of the main inspirations for ‘Algolagnia’ was the opera ELEKTRA by Richard Strauss, which is one of my all-time favorite operas. It portrays strong women with strong voices, and that’s exactly what I want for our music. For ‘Algolagnia’, I paraphrase a passage of the aria: ‘Wie stark bist du!’ (‘How strong you are!’).” [via Distorted Sound]

Ancient Settlers has released a video for ‘Wounded Heart’, first single taken from the new album Oblivion’s Legacy to be released on May 17 by Scarlet Records. ‘Wounded Heart’ evokes a visceral journey through the tumultuous currents of existence, where time’s relentless march leaves shattered dreams and non-stop haste in its wake. A song to remember that each scar becomes a badge of resilience amidst the ashes of adversity, as the wounded heart remains steadfast in the face of hopelessness and isolation, enduring the toll that time exacts on soul. [via Brave Words]

Gothic metal band, Blackbriar, have just released a brand new song titled ‘Moonflower.’ Featuring UK based/Russian born singer-songwriter, Marjana Seminka, the track comes with its own music video. This is their first music since the release of A Dark Euphony in September 2023. The band are also out on tour in the US from May 9, then in Europe and the UK later in the year. Catch the new video below. [via Ghost Cult Mag]

‘Lullaby’ is the latest music video from UK metal band Skarlett Riot. The release is part of the build-up to their highly anticipated album set to launch in 2024. Speaking about the track the band state: “’Lullaby’ expresses the emotions we go through at some point in our lives when we experience the loss of a loved one. We hope you can connect with this track as much as we did when writing it and I hope it brings a smile or two and warmth when you hear the lyrics. Writing these lyrics definitely brought some pretty personal memories back and it helped me to relive those precious moments again through song writing.” [via Primordial Radio]

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Anette Olzon, the former powerhouse vocalist of Nightwish and one-half of the dynamic duo behind The Dark Element alongside Jani Liimatainen, is back with her highly anticipated third solo album, Rapture. The first single, ‘Heed the Call,’ from Rapture is out now, offering a tantalizing taste of what’s to come from this highly anticipated release. With a sense of excitement and anticipation, Anette Olzon shares: “I’m so happy to release the first song from my upcoming album Rapture. ‘Heed the Call’ is a culmination of passion, energy, and creative expression, and I truly hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I’ve enjoyed bringing it to life.”

Sweden’s masters of thunderous, melodic futurism, AMARANTHE, release their highly anticipated album The Catalyst via Nuclear Blast Records. Along with the album release, a music video has dropped for the title track. The band states: “The proverbial eagle has landed! After a few years of hard toil, sweat, and at least a small amount of blood, we are enormously proud and downright electrified to know that our newborn and latest album – The Catalyst is available worldwide! This has truly been a journey of pure passion and creative experimentation, along with a dose of soul-searching for good measure. We hope that you will find it to your taste, and if you do – don’t forget to stop by The Catalyst World Tour when it hits a town near YOU!” [via Outburn]

Furor Gallico has released a video for ‘Call Of The Wind’ (directed by Raoul Noise / Nova Rolfilm Studios), second single taken from the new album Future To Come to be released on March 22 by Scarlet Records.

RELIQA have released a new music video. The new music video, for the track ‘Terminal’, is the brand new single from the Australian progressive metalcore band and its release comes as the band signs with Nuclear Blast Records for all territories outside of Australia, where they have signed to Greyscale Records. Speaking about the new single, vocalist Monique Pym says, “’Terminal’ feels like the perfect re-introduction of RELIQA to the world. It’s vibrant, high-shine and optimistic, yet with a moody, introspective cloud hanging over it that foreshadows all that’s still to come. We’re beyond thrilled to be back, especially now with the support of our new families at Nuclear Blast and Greyscale.” [via Distorted Sound]

LEAVES’ EYES have released a new music video. The new music video, for the track ‘In Eternity,’ is taken from the German symphonic metal band’s upcoming new album, Myths Of Fate, which is scheduled to be released in March this year. Speaking about the new song and its accompanying music video, vocalist Elina Siirala says, “’In Eternity’ is one of the most personal songs in LEAVES’ EYES history, dedicated to Alex‘ late mother Heidi Krull. It’s a tribute to our ancestors, a primal anthem to their lives and spirits. The song embodies the rawness of emotion which the video’s striking visuals accompany. The vast landscapes of Iceland and a pagan ceremony filmed in Wolin / Poland bring the story of the song alive in a captivating way.” [via Distorted Sound]

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