BEYOND THE BLACK’s sixth full length Break The Silence is a concept album rooted in melodic metal with ethno influences, it explores themes of communication, inner strength, resilience and the urgent need to reconnect in a divided world. Tracks like ‘Let There Be Rain‘, ‘(La Vie Est Un) Cinéma‘, ‘Ravens‘ and ‘The Flood‘ examine how words – and their absence – shape our reality. It’s an emotional, multi-layered experience that mirrors today’s complex world and invites fans to be part of this new chapter.

Guest musicians on Break The Silence include Chris Harms from LORD OF THE LOST as well as Asami from popular Japanese power metal band LOVEBITES.

Singer Jennifer Haben commented: “On Break The Silence, we opened the door to new influences and collaborations. From symphonic to ethnic elements and guest artists who brought their own style into the mix — this album reflects everything we love about making music without boundaries. It’s a powerful blend of who we are and who we’re becoming“

Los Angeles-based “fairy-doom” trio Faetooth are taking us to the forest with the latest elemental preview of their forthcoming Labyrinthine, a sludging epic titled ‘Hole.’

The group’s new single, which follows earlier album teases ‘Death of Day’ and ‘White Noise,’ undulates through varying slow-gloom tempos, with the band injecting it all with a mix of skies-clearing coos and earth-cracking cries.

The supremely cinematic music video first finds a woman survival-mode sprinting through a forest clearing, and then she collapses in agony when faced with a fiery scene within the brush. Gutting personal loss gives way to the figure dancing with a burnt talisman in the charred cedar scene, though it gets profoundly more spiritual and otherworldly as the song moves on. Faetooth also drop by for a quick cameo.

“‘Hole’ is a meditation on the choice of confronting the past, or burying it,” bassist-vocalist Jenna Garcia explains of the song in a statement. “Sobering, waking realizations of cycles find themselves bared, culminating in an invocation-like verse that declares severance to all ties to a creeping past.”

French progressive metalcore outfit Novelists have unveiled their latest music video for ‘Adam And Eve’, a track from their most recent album, CODA, which dropped in mid-May. The visual was directed by Pavel Trebukhin, known for his work with acts like Amon Amarth and ERRA, and brings the song’s concept to life with a striking cinematic flair.

The video arrives as part of Novelists’ continued push behind CODA, their first album released through ACKOR Music—their own independent label launched with members of Landmvrks. With full creative control, the band has leaned into more personal and ambitious visual storytelling, as seen in this latest release.

‘Adam And Eve’ explores the story of a character who descends into a cult, with the video mirroring the track’s dark emotional arc. It even features a clip from televangelist Kenneth Copeland, used to underscore the song’s themes. Musically, the track blends heavy progressive riffs, soaring melodies, and a raw emotional tone that’s become a hallmark of the band’s current era—especially with vocalist Camille Contreras now fronting the group.

Holy Wars have just unveiled a new single and video, ‘Crucify’. Following May track ‘I Feel Everything’ – plus appearances at the likes of Download Festival and supporting Kittie this summer – the band are keeping up momentum with a new metalcore banger that has a painfully dark backstory.

“’Crucify’ was written as a reckoning,” explains vocalist Kat Leon. “Years ago, I got out of a toxic relationship – the last words my ex said to me were, ‘I wish you nothing but the worst.’ Within six months, both of my parents had passed away.

“I’ve carried the weight of those words like a curse, buried in grief and silence until now. Writing Crucify became my way of purging that pain and finally reclaiming my power.”

CASTLE RAT have released a new song. The new single, titled ‘WOLF I’, is taken from the mystical heavy metal band’s upcoming album The Bestiary, which is scheduled to be released in September this year, via King Volume Records (US) and Blues Funeral Recordings (UK/Europe).

Speaking about the new single, guitarist and vocalist Riley Pinkerton (The Rat Queen) says, “’WOLF I’ marks the gateway into The Bestiary, setting the stage for the epic journey ahead. The Wolf—fierce, solitary, and primal—serves as both symbol and sentinel, embodying the shadow self and guiding listeners through peril with instinct and ferocity. The track is a tempest of layered riffs and surging energy, building toward a thunderous, headbanging climax. With its haunting vocal chants and immersive atmosphere, ‘WOLF I’ expands the CASTLE RAT sonic universe—introducing, for the first time, a blistering, razor-edged solo by Franco ‘The Count’ Vittore, delivered with surgical precision and flair.”

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Guitarist Nick Savio commented on the new single: “This song represents our melodic modern rock side, where electronic elements and bombastic rhythm sessions make the perfect wall of sounds for the vocals duo. This song is our perfect radio hit, with fine vocal melodies and a touch of 80’s sound”.

Spanish rock band Strangers are pleased to announce the release of their fourth studio album, entitled Boundless, out on August 22 via Frontiers Music Srl.

After the previous single ‘Into The Night’, the band share the new single, ‘Enemy’, along with an official video.

Talking about the new single, the band said: “It’s loud and raw, a powerful anthem about letting go of the past and owning the now. Hit play and let the music take over!”

Fresh off the return of their debut support tour with the Himalayas and release of their breakout single ‘Whatever The Cost,’ PAVÉ are back with their most daring and sonically ambitious track yet: ‘Into the Ether.’ Produced by Jon Cass (As Everything Unfolds, South Arcade, Lake Malice) and mastered by Pete Maher (Pixies, Liam Gallagher, Linkin Park), the single blends the band’s signature intensity with a surprising twist of high-tempo drum and bass elements that mark a bold first for the group.

The band explain “‘Into the Ether’ is about the tension that builds when someone says they’re all in, but their actions don’t match it. It reflects that moment when you’ve supported someone, believed in them, and waited for them to step up, but they never really show up, mentally or emotionally. The track is our way of confronting that disconnect. It’s not about blame, it’s about acknowledging that you can’t force someone to be who they said they wanted to be. At some point, you have to stop carrying that weight for them. Musically, it mirrors that frustration and release, pushing into new territory for us with drum and bass elements and a darker, more cinematic energy.”

CASTLE RAT have released a new music video. The new music video, for the track ‘WIZARD,’ is taken from the New York City-based doom metal band’s upcoming new album, The Bestiary, which is scheduled to be released in September this year, via King Volume Records (in North America) and Blues Funeral Recordings (in the UK and Europe).

Speaking about the new single, bassist Charley Ruddell (Plague Doctor) says, “musically, ‘WIZARD’ was a big step in a new direction for us as a band. We found ourselves collaborating more closely with each other and piecing together ideas more intricately than on previous songs. We channeled the new wave of British heavy metal; the galloping drum break and harmonized guitar leads were largely inspired by IRON MAIDEN and JUDAS PRIEST. Franco’s solo at the end – which was recorded in one take – was inspired by Electric Eye.”

Gore. have just unleashed a brand-new single. New song/video ‘Sepsis’ follows last year’s A Bud That Never Blooms EP, and as vocalist Haley Roughton explains, it’s “about a friend who was in a relationship with someone diagnosed with bipolar disorder (BPD) that went untreated.

“I attempted to write it from his perspective, after seeing him try to salvage a relationship where he was constantly challenged and abused. I could only imagine how difficult it is knowing that the person you love is ill and staying by their side, even when the relationship feels like torment.”

Of the accompanying music video, Haley reveals that it “reflects that isolation and what it’s like to be trapped inside your own head and thoughts. Hence why it’s just me and a double the whole time.” [via Kerrang!]

Undoubtedly New Zealand’s hottest rock ticket at the moment, Devilskin present their second single and first video from the forthcoming album RE-EVOLUTION. Fresh from taking out the coveted People’s Choice Award in the recent Aotearoa Music Awards, climbing all over rock radio with the bold, upbeat single Half-Life of Dreams, AND currently immersed in a 12-date NZ tour, Devilskin release the incendiary track ‘Swelter,’ which sees vocalist Jennie Skulander towering over one of the sickest riffs you’ll ever hear. [via Heavy Mag]

Former Butcher Babies singer Carla Harvey has unveiled the single/video ‘Hell or Hollywood’ as the latest offering from her new project The Violent Hour. The single features a guest guitar solo from Zakk Wylde.

The new song, which follows previous single ‘Sick Ones’ featuring John 5, has a distinctive ’80s hard rock vibe, and is accompanied by a music video filmed at the famed Rainbow Bar & Grill in Hollywood, California. In the clip, actors portray Lemmy Kilmister, Janis Joplin, and Kurt Cobain.

“Shooting the ‘Hell or Hollywood’ video at the Rainbow was a full-circle moment for me,” stated Harvey. “As a kid growing up in the Midwest, I saw the Rainbow in rock mags and iconic Guns N’ Roses videos…it exuded that gritty, dangerous, rock ’n’ roll lifestyle I craved. When I moved to LA, I practically lived there. I made my first friends at the Rainbow, found my first bandmates there, and got into plenty of trouble. The Rainbow is more than a backdrop; it’s a living, breathing piece of rock history.”

She added, “This video tells the story of chasing a dream to LA (both the pleasures and the pitfalls) and toys with the question: do you have to sell your soul for rock ’n’ roll? Is this Hell or Hollywood?  The answer reveals itself at the end of the video. It was important for me to have Lemmy (played by Luke Edwards of Killed by Death) in the video as one of my “tempters” because of his iconic presence at the Rainbow. You’ll spot a Janis Joplin too (actress Shannon Corbett) and I had to throw in a little tongue in cheek humor as well with a Kurt Cobain lookalike (Gabe Maska) because let’s be real, if Kurt showed up at the Rainbow, you’d definitely be in hell.” [via Consequence]

Swiss heavy metal powerhouse Burning Witches is back with a new record Inquisition, due out August 22 via Napalm Records. Burning Witches is now streaming the title track in all its heavy metal glory, which you can check out below.

“We are happy to present you with this epic, classic heavy song full of depth and occult moments that go straight under your skin!,” said Burning Witches of the single. “From a dark time of mankind, this song was composed with respect to all blood that this time has poured. ‘Inquisition’ will stay as a song that moves our engine with power to do more and more…” [via Metal Injection]

LIV SIN have announced a new album. Titled Close Your Eyes, the upcoming album from the Swedish heavy metal band is the follow-up to 2023’s KaliYuga, and is scheduled to be released in August this year, via their new home at Seek & Strike.

Alongside the announcement of the new album, LIV SIN have released a new music video for a new song lifted from the upcoming album; the title track ‘Close Your Eyes.’ The new song features a guest appearance from Lars Palmqvist of SCAR SYMMETRY.

Speaking about the new song, and its accompanying music video, the band shares, “we chose the album’s title track, ‘Close Your Eyes,’ as the first single/video for mainly two reasons. We got the amazing vocalist, Lars Palmqvist from SCAR SYMMETRY, to join us, and the song has a straight up melodic chorus that everyone was instantly hooked on.

“The song also has a darker edge to it, since it covers the topic of human trafficking. Liv got the idea for the lyrics after watching a documentary about people being tricked into trafficking across eastern Europe.

“In the video, we tried to recreate the feeling of being all alone in a dark room with different strangers coming and going. Liv sings and screams out her inner frustrations reflecting on the world today with a deep longing for a better world.” [via Distorted Sound]

Sludge-heavy “fairy-doom” trio Faetooth are looking to lure us back into their mystifying, metallic maze. Fittingly enough, the group have just confirmed a sophomore  LP titled Labyrinthine is on the way, and they’re previewing it ahead of time with a slow-stomping crusher called ‘White Noise.’

The track, a seismically rumbled six-minute epic, is the band’s second new tune of 2025, following their ‘Death of Day’ — and both songs will feature on Labyrinthine.

It’s explained in a press release that the sometimes low-sung, sometimes shrieked lyricism on ‘White Noise’ was pulled “from a diary entry, and is a relentless and intense reflection on inner turmoil.” Guitarist Ari May added that “performing the song always takes [her] back to a specific place, even if just for a moment.” [via Revolver]

BLACKBRIAR have released a new song called ‘Harpy’. Speaking about the new song, vocalist Zora Cock comments, “in this song, I call upon a Harpy to please carry me away after I’ve died a thousand little deaths. I lure it with my carrion heart, after all, Harpies are known as human vultures. If not, I fear I might be stuck in the same place, slowly left eroding. I need to die one last time to be laid to rest finally. This song, Harpy, inspired the album title.”

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Brooklyn, NY-based Medieval Fantasy Doom Metal band Castle Rat (est. October 2019) share a brand new single, ‘Feed The Dream,’ the first in a series of new tracks set to come out in the next few months. ‘Feed The Dream’ was recorded in a 150-year-old abandoned church at a secret location in Philadelphia, PA. The single was produced and engineered by Davis M. Shubs (Grave Bathers) with Thomas Johnsen (Thantophobe). The mixing process was entrusted to the wise and wizardly hands of Rafferty Jennings Swink (Evolfo) in Brooklyn, NY, and mastered by JJ Golden of Golden Mastering in Ventura, CA. As Riley Pinkerton (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) wrote of their newest single: “‘Feed The Dream’ was written in isolation. It’s the longing for the closeness of a creature that does not exist in the physical realm. It’s the act of turning a fantasy over and over in one’s mind until its very existence becomes a lustrous pearl of questions that need not be answered.”

Former Alice Cooper and current Demi Lovato guitarist Nita Strauss has dropped brand new single and accompanying music video, ‘The Wolf You Feed’. The epic, headbanger of a track features huge, chunky, metallic riffs and the insane vocal talent of Alissa White-Gluz. Nita comments: “If you look back at old interviews from the last ten years, any time I was asked about collaborating with a vocalist in the future, Alissa White-Gluz was always the first name out of my mouth. She is truly one of my favorite vocalists and performers in the industry and creating this track together was everything I hoped it would be. I’m very proud to release this track, especially now with everything else that’s going on. This time in history, whether in politics, music, social media, or our personal lives, has been an eye-opening look into the two wolves of a lot of people out there, and maybe this song will be a reminder that we all have the ability to choose how we respond to things.” The lyrics of this song were inspired by The Story Of The Two Wolves, a legend widely attributed to Native American storytellers. An old grandfather was teaching his grandson about life: “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil — he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued: “The other is good — he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you–and inside every other person, too.” The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf will win?” The grandfather simply replied: “The one you feed.” Alissa adds: “Nita and I finally got to collaborate — something we have both wanted to do for years! ‘The Wolf You Feed’ is a kickass, catchy metal track with a really cool vibe. I kept the ‘two wolves’ analogy as a foundation throughout the song while playing up the dichotomy of the two sides of the tug of war we all have inside us. I recorded my parts in my home studio and it was an absolute pleasure to build this song with Nita. I am honored to be a part of it! Can’t wait to do this again!” [via Blabbermouth]

Hard Rock band Eternal Frequency has released the final chapter of their “Matrix- esque” trilogy titled War. The perfect wrap up to their commanding, hard hitting story about a girl who is struggling to be who she wants to be while battling with what the world wants her to be. Will she become just someone that belongs on an assembly line or will she break free from the inner chains that bind and become who she is destined to be, free and basking in her own originality. The band say: “‘War’ is the wrap up of our epic 3 part trilogy. Starting with ‘Step Up’, then ‘A.I.’, and now this single. The song is about finding yourself in an internal struggle where you can look at yourself in the mirror and you’re still unsure about which side of you is actually pulling the strings.” [via Insane Blog]

Earlier this fall, Cleveland’s Frayle released their excellent second album, Skin & Sorrow, and to kick off November, the occult-doom band will be supporting the LP with shows over in Europe. Ahead of the tour, the group — led by enigmatic singer Gwyn Strang — teamed with Revolver to premiere the new music video for Skin & Sorrow standout ‘All The Things I Was.’ As is their way, it’s a bloody, skin-crawling affair perfect for the Halloween season. “This song is a reminiscence of the things I was and the regrets I had,” Strang tells Revolver. “The video shows how any rebirth or transformation can be painful and often times isn’t pretty or comfortable, but results in a more learned and wise self.” [via Revolver]

In 2020, metalcore outfit Conquer Divide resurfaced after an extended hiatus, and now the quintet have continued their second chapter with an emotional new single, ‘Paralyzed.’ As guitarist Kristen Sturgis explained, the song is about “battling with mental illness and depression — especially during the pandemic — and feeling like you are too mentally paralyzed to move forward.” Specifically, it was inspired by her harrowing experiences on the front lines as a critical care nurse. ‘Paralyzed’ arrived along with a dark, twisted music video that brings to life the inner struggles addressed in the song. “I was in a dark place because, as some people may or may not know, I am a critical care nurse when I am not touring,” Sturgis commented. “I was traveling around the country to all these hot spots to help out with COVID, and I saw dozens of people lose their lives. And I still really have not fully processed it.” She added, “But if you do not disconnect, you can’t do your job effectively. So, it is the kind of depression where you don’t feel anything at all, and you turn your emotions off. There was a point where they had psychologists visiting us on the unit to talk about our feelings. But it was like, ‘I don’t have time for this right now. I need to hang the next bag of x/y/z medication and keep this person alive. Get back to me in a year after this is all over.’ I think a lot of health care workers are also going to have PTSD or depression from what we went through. I hit a bit of writer’s block as a result of my mental state, and this song was a bit cathartic for me.” [via Revolver]

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