Back with their infectious blend of Heavy Pop, South Haven dig deep into front women Christine Nielsen’s dark and emotional universe with their blistering new single ‘Lost In The Feeling’ featuring Joachim Møller. Fuelled with stories of self-doubt and broken love their new single explores a truly personal side of battling with mental health as a 24 year old woman living in Copenhagen.

U.S. rock giants Icon For Hire share the video for their new single ‘Shadow’ following the announcement that they will be special guests on The Rasmus’ European tour. The latest single, ‘Shadow’ is taken from their upcoming album The Reckoning due for release on September 30 via Kartel Music Group. The track deals with “the ugly part of ourselves we try to suppress and hide, but what if we embraced them?”, says lead singer and songwriter Ariel Bloomer. Digging deeper into the creative process of songwriting for the track, Ariel adds; “I’m in this space right now where I’m learning not to be ashamed, apologetic or resistant. To accept those dark parts of myself as me”.

Boston’s Pistacia is bringing forth a new brand of metalcore with their debut EP Edgy. Through personal and poignant lyrics they confront relatable issues set to emotional and powerful music. So far, they have released a handful of singles, and the next one up is ‘It Was The Cat’, focusing on self-harm. Making music for people who are scared and voiceless is their passion and they are not afraid to get specific about what happens in the mind of the mentally ill. On this single, they offer hope and understanding and a flashback to the days when people used the explanation that “the cat did it” in reference to marks on their arms. The band explains the creation of the single: “The single began almost accidentally; Ben and Théo were in Florida on tour with their former band, exhausted from the road and performance, and aching to write some new music that would reflect the artistic changes they’d undergone as a result. Ben cracked away at that which he does best: writing filthy hardcore riffs and Théo took initiative to make as poppy a chorus arrangement as possible. Years later, the track was revived and Vic worked her magic, pouring her anguish and rage into finely tuned stanzas that packed punch. They entered a Berklee rehearsal room with sketches, with the makings of a metal banger, and left with the instantiation of their ardor”.

Symphonic Gothic Metal band Belle Morte is proud to present their video for the single ‘Krew’, featuring: Yaroslav Dzhus (bandura), Alex Pilkevych, and Ada Rusinkiewicz (vocals). The band say: “The idea of ‘Krew’ appeared in February. When the war began, we were completely devastated and heartbroken. As a Belarusian band, we have strong connections with Ukraine: we have relatives and friends living there, and in general, it was always perceived as somewhat native land to us. Moreover, Belarusian territory was used by the Russian army, horrific betrayal and burden of shame. We decided to compose this song to reflect our complex feelings and search for some deliverance in art. From the very beginning, we had an intention to show the proximity of 3 languages and 3 cultures, so we’ve also involved Polish and Ukrainian singers Ada Rusinkiewicz (Hethet) and Alex Pilkevych to reflect their own perspectives and Yaroslav Dzhus to recorded bandura, traditional Ukrainian folk instrument. Everyone participating in this project had full freedom to express their feelings. Belarusian lyrics written by Brat K. are focusing on the common pain and grief we experience. Ukrainian lyrics by Alex reflect on the time in the past when he used to live in Kiev, at the trail to notorious Irpin. In the Polish parts, Ada talks about the duality she’s experiencing in her country. There are a lot of fantastic, helpful people, who are doing their best to help Ukrainians but there are also a lot of insecurities and fear. In the screaming parts, Ada wanted to pay respect to people who are suffering in silence today. One day they will be heard and we hope it will stop trauma from growing. The song’s title “Krew’ or “Blood” has multiple meanings. It’s about blood bonds that unite us, it’s about the blood of innocent people shed in this treacherous war.”

Belgian hard-rockers Brutus are set to release their third album Unison Life on October 21, and they’ve shared a group of songs from the record so far, including ‘Liar’ and ‘Dust.’ Now, Brutus has released another song from Unison Life. It’s called ‘Victoria,’ and it comes with an accompanying music video directed by Jonas Hollevoet. ‘Victoria’ is a more melodic move for Brutus but it still rips with a wall of guitar and urgent vocals from lead singer Stephanie Mannaerts, who says: “‘Victoria’ is about getting older. You know grown-up life is lurking around the corner, but you’re not afraid of what’s coming because we’re all going to go down together.” Watch the ‘Victoria’ video, which has Brutus wandering around Belgium looking for nostalgia in the places that felt important to them as kids. [via Stereogum]

Escuela Grind is now streaming their devastating new single ‘Forced Collective Introspection’ alongside a music video directed by Michael Jari Davidson (Alice In Chains). The single takes inspiration from the 1971 film THX 1138, whose runtime explores a future controlled by android police and humans suppressed by mandatory drugs. And I mean, really – how far are we off from that now anyway? “We again teamed up with director Michael Jari Davidson to create the video for ‘Forced Collective Introspection’, says Escuela Grind vocalist Katerina Economou. “The video references 1971’s anti-authoritarian movie THX 1138, where the band is held in a white void by masked guards, and reduced to objectified numbers. Harassed in prison cells, the band makes their escape in a Shawshank fashion. The theme of the video runs throughout all of our music: we must resist and attempt to escape their control to regain our humanity.” [via Metal Injection]

Following the release of her industrial-tinged, thrashing debut EP Sinner and Saint, Lexi Layne is proudly sharing a stunning, horror-themed music video for ‘Self Sabotage’ alongside her full band. Lexi is bursting with “strong alpha female” energy, she describes. Lexi says: “’Self Sabotage’ will have the listener’s heart racing and blood boiling the second the song begins. The lyrics describe battling inner demons, self-doubt, and trying to overcome the darkness that lies within. With hauntingly beautiful harmonies throughout the song, ‘Self Sabotage’ is the first track to overtly confront the Sinner and Saint expression that underscores the EP. ” [via Outburn]

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International metal collective Chaos Rising have released a new video, ‘Still We Die’. ‘Still We Die’ is a melodic metalcore track featuring new Chaos Rising vocalist Aliki Katriou (Greece/NewZealand), a renowned metal vocal coach with an incredibly versatile range. Drums on this track are from Renee Cobcroft (Australia), with Chaos Rising regulars Tina Gruschwitz (Germany) and Catherine Fearns (Switzerland) on bass and guitar/piano respectively.

Progressive avant-garde metallers, Italy’s MindAheaD return in 2022 with their sophomore album 6119 Part 1 via Rockshots Records to follow their 2017 debut full-length Reflections released on Roman label Revalve Records. Just like its predecessor, the band’s new offering is once again a concept album with a complex, personal and unusual sound to test the limits of their songwriting. 6119 Part 1 is a continuation of the previous work on Reflections, which will tell us the story of 6119, the main character, through a surreal, oneiric journey, always poised between physical space and the realm of the mind. Trapped in this dreamlike kaleidoscope, he proceeds heedless of the consequences, hoping to find at the end of the journey (the “Part II,” currently in production) the reason why all this is happening to him. The band is unveiling the first single “What Your Are” off 6119 Part 1. The storyline of the track is dedicated to the search for “Emerald Eyes,” the female figure that “6119” encounters on the first album Reflections. The song alternates between very powerful moments, such as the beginning, and more reflective and intimate moments such as the central interlude, which takes us back to desert and arabesque sounds and atmospheres.

Platinum-selling recording artist and world class guitarist Orianthi has announced an October 14 release date for her new studio album, Rock Candy. It is the follow-up to 2020’s O, albeit she has also recently issued Live From Hollywood, a live effort recorded in Los Angeles in January 2022. Rock Candy is a hard rocking, blues- tinged combination of the her dazzling guitar skills and soulful vocals, with a first single and video from it entitled ‘Light It Up’ available now.

Calgary’s SYRYN is ready to seduce new fans and entertain current ones with their epic heavy metal tales of mermaids, sailors, and pirates. The band returns in 2022 with their second album Heads or Tails slated for release on August 26. The band previewed their first single ‘Madness Becomes Me’ off the record in 2021 and now they share their second sneak peek ‘Sink or Swim’ accompanied by a music video. The track is fast-paced, filled with full-on thrash carnage that will make sure you’re fighting for your life. It’s a shift from the band’s first single and brings in some soaring ferocity. “This song is about endurance. It’s about trials and tribulations and how we handle them. The uncertainties of life and how we navigate them. We internally fight with ourselves, our past, and our consciences daily. This is a prime example of processes we go through when we are scared or in the dark not knowing what lies ahead. We can’t go back, only forward. Will we sink, or will we swim?” adds the band.

About 10 years after a first EP released under the moniker of Seventh Wave, Swiss death/thrash/indus-metal crossover four-piece Lethal Technology is about to give birth to its debut full-length effort called Mechanical Era and planned for a CD & Diigtal release this fall. In the meantime, the band shared a first look of this upcoming effort with the official music video of the single ‘Factory’ available right now.

US rock giants Icon For Hire share the video for heaviest single to date, ‘Breakdown’, taken from their upcoming album The Reckoning due for release on September 9 via Kartel Music Group. ‘Breakdown’ builds on the momentum gained by their recently released singles and videos, the raging ‘Dismantled’ – which has become the band’s fastest growing music video – while the bruising single ‘Ready For Combat’ has been climbing the US radio chart. Described by Rock Sound as “a bold and belligerent piece of hard rock chaos”, the track alongside its high-powered music video, is the perfect introduction to harder-edged sound and aesthetic of the upcoming album The Reckoning, in the band’s own words; “grittier, louder, larger”.

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Symphonic/power metal band Crystal Gates are proud to release their first single ‘My Glorious Fall’, a track taken from the band’s upcoming album Torment & Wonder: The Ways Of The Lonely Ones, which is due for release on July 29 via Wormholedeath worldwide. The band about their first single: “‘My Glorious Fall’ is a journey into the elusive and magical realms of inspiration, deep inside the composer’s state of mind as they reach their ultimate goal: the discovery of a newborn song. It is about loneliness – the central concept of the album – and cherished memories, but it is also about feelings of accomplishment and hopes for the future.”

The Belgian heavy rock trio Brutus has not been heard from since the 2020 standalone track ‘Sand.’ But they’ll soon announce the details of their first album since 2019’s brutally majestic Nest. In the meantime they’re giving us access to lead single ‘Dust’. ‘Dust’ is everything you want from a Brutus song. The rhythm section hits with the frantic, unrelenting bluster of a violent dust storm. The guitar squalls and roars, somehow providing crunch and texture all at once. And Stefanie Mannaerts, the same person bashing those drums with such ungodly force and fury, somehow conjures even more elemental force with the human voice. “I never change/ And you’re still the same/ Always searching for more/ Always digging to the core,” she wails, as if her disgust and her rage are locked in a high-stakes battle for supremacy. A quote from Brutus: “’DUST’ was born out of the frustration of having friends with demands and expectations that were way too high. It’s a song about being at breaking point; pissed off about everything and everyone. ‘DUST’ is honest, direct and unfiltered. It’s a very special and personal song for us, which is why we wanted this to be the first new song for people to hear. [via Stereogum]

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