“‘The Ocean Between Us’ is about being set on one life path, going through the motions until something or someone stops you in your tracks,” the band says. “It’s about seeing an alternate version of your life and wondering what if. What if you took the leap and started over somewhere far away, with someone new?”

The song expands upon Conquer Divide’s heavy sound, balancing melancholy and euphoria over an expansive ambient rock soundscape. The ending offers no resolution, leaving the listener unclear on whether they should escape the unfamiliar or immerse themselves in it. Knowing that either path would change reality forever, they feel they can do neither, but they must choose one.

Blossoms Fall are a metalcore band from Albuquerque, New Mexico. The band just dropped an emotional new music video and single entitled ‘Luna’ which happens to feature Wasted Potency on guest vocals. The music video was directed by Luis Escalara of Adelphia Studios. This is the first single and music video taken from their upcoming EP album La Alma which will be released on February 6, 2026 via Eclipse Records. The album was produced and mixed by Matthew Torres (Lights on the Coast, Cloudtrails, Wasted Potency) at Nightscape Recordings, and mastered by Kevin Thrasher (Escape the Fate, Machine Gun Kelly, Blink 182, Avril Lavigne) at Thrasher Productions.

“This song is in the middle of the EP and is full of emotion” says guitarist Matt Torres. “Foxes are very symbolic of spiritual guidance through turmoil in many different cultures and the idea was to encapsulate that ideal. This video is a metaphor for chasing your dreams and not stopping until you’ve made them a reality. The fox manifests a goal and chases it endlessly until it has been achieved. It represents our naturally devious nature that spoils the garden, in a sense. To inspire hope, the message is that we can change our outlook on life and find purity and happiness just by chasing the things that make you happy and bring peace and light. Sometimes that can take longer than expected but never giving up is key. This will be a clear theme throughout the EP and in visuals altogether.”

The Italian rockers IT’sALIE are pleased to announce the release of their new studio album, Wild Games, set for release on February 27, 2026, via Frontiers Music Srl.

To celebrate, they unveil the first single and official video, ‘Waiting For The Rain’, available below.

The band commented: “Written in collaboration with Mat Sinner and Magnus Karlsson, this track encapsulates our entire hard rock essence: a hypnotic, high-energy groove, a gritty yet melodic voice, and an explosive guitar solo that leaves its mark. A perfect taste of what Wild Games has in store!”

Czech modern metal upstarts STELLVRIS have unleashed their highly anticipated new EP, Shatter and Bloom. The band is also premiering a powerful new music video for the title track, a showcase of their signature blend of crushing heaviness, soaring melodies, and raw emotion.

Bristol-based alt metallers MALLAVORA have announced their debut album. The upcoming record, titled What If Better Never Comes?, is scheduled to be released on March 27, 2026 via Church Road Records.

Speaking about the release, the band says, “we are so proud to announce the release of our debut album, What If Better Never Comes?. This record is a conceptual exploration of sickness – personal and societal – and it’s given us the space to express our experiences of difference in new and expansive ways. We hope its vulnerability, and the message it carries, brings comfort and catharsis to anyone who’s ever lived inside emotions too complex to name.”

Alongside the announcement, the band have released their latest single ‘Waste,’ which confronts misogyny and the impossible expectations placed on women. Speaking about the new single, the band says, “we had fun with Waste and experimenting with its contrasting tones. The track confronts misogyny and the impossible expectations placed on women. It’s scathing, sharp, and almost gleeful in its indictment of this pervasive societal sickness.”

Lindsay Schoolcraft returns with her most emotionally charged and sonically powerful single to date, ‘Crucified.’ A raw outpouring of anger, betrayal, and empowerment, the track captures Lindsay at her most vulnerable — and her most fearless.

Lindsay SchoolcraftLindsay says of the track, “‘Crucified’ is the heaviest sounding and most lyrically honest track written to date. At the time of Its creation it was the song I didn’t know I needed. As my guitarist Cody, along with our drummer Dylan, worked on the track the lyrics and melodies started pouring out of me suddenly. I was mad. Betrayed. Still. Realising the level of how wronged I was and by people I once loved and trusted. Clearly this was still affecting me and needed to heal even more. Around the same time we were writing this track I found the art piece I wanted to use for our album cover and the undertow of religious themes made sense in connecting this art piece to the lyrics and story. This combination went on to inspire the whole look for the music video.

“This song touches on the abuse of power. How those who have power use it to use others. To lie, twist things, get what they want and sometimes and in some sickly way, deep down they find entertainment in it. But eventually there are more victims than the abuser and there’s a ticking deadline coming their way for their malicious reign to end. Justice eventually prevails.

“Those who get it, get it. If you’ve been hurt and tangled up in this vile behaviour and were lucky enough to get out of it and survive, this song is for you.”

Visually, the ‘Crucified’ music video brings the song’s intensity to life through potent symbolism and religious undertones. The imagery of the sword and sand timer reflects these themes — the sword embodying truth and reckoning, the sand timer representing the inevitable countdown to justice. Together, they capture the song’s exploration of abuse of power and the idea that those who manipulate and exploit others eventually face the consequences of their actions.

The cinematic symphonic metal collective CATALYST CRIME return with a powerful new single and video, ‘Cursebreaker’ — out now on all digital platforms via Massacre Records.

Frontwoman Zoe Marie Federoff shares the deeply personal inspiration behind the song: “This song was inspired by the story of my husband’s mother. She was part of a resistance network behind the Iron Curtain in then-Czechoslovakia, and she secretly translated banned literature into Czech before helping facilitate its distribution. I never got to meet my mother-in-law, as she sadly died over a decade ago, but everything I’ve ever heard paints her as a hero with a golden heart who helped change the world around her for the better — the ultimate ‘Cursebreaker’.”

STABBING have announced a brand new album. Titled Eon of Obscenity, the upcoming album from the Texas-based brutal death metal band is the follow-up to 2022’s Extirpated Mortal Process, and is scheduled to be released on January 30, 2026 via Century Media Records.

Alongside the announcement, the band have released the first single ‘Inhuman Torture Chamber,’ which arrives with an official performance video. Speaking about the track, the band says, “’Inhuman Torture Chamber’ was written in regards to the horrific murder of Sylvia Likens. Since gore and torture are common themes in death metal, I try to write songs about real events I’ve read about. They are usually stories that left a negative affect on me.”

AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS have released a brand new single. The track, titled ‘WHAT YOU WANTED,’ features Dani Winter-Bates from BURY TOMORROW and follows on from the UK post-hardcore band’s previous single, ‘POINT OF VIEW,’ which was released back in September.

Speaking about the song, vocalist Charlie Rolfe says, “over the last two years, I have watched various people in my life struggle with addiction issues, mostly related to alcohol. It’s painful and difficult to watch your most beloved people in your life destroy themselves every single day, and not be able to help them. You find it frustrating not being able to help them, not being to do anything, and being angry at their lack of empathy for the pain they put you through every day.”

She continues, “I found a lot of relatable things in the 1980’s film The Shining which is famously seen as an allegory for alcoholism, with Jack’s family being concerned for his health, his wellbeing, seeing him in slow decline. His family are frustrated with the situation he put them in alongside being terrified of him when he is the worst version of himself. It made me realise that I was often frustrated and terrified of that person and felt like I was living in my own Overlook Hotel at times, trying to desperately save that person, but also sometimes the best thing to do is to just get out. I used this world as a creative vessel to tell my own story.”

Australian breakthrough heavy act Future Static return with their highly anticipated new single / video ‘There’s Nowhere Else To Go’ via Wild Thing Records, the first new music from the band since their highly acclaimed Liminality album.

After a two years of international touring, including a headline EU/UK tour, festival appearances and supporting the likes of Babymetal and Electric Callboy in Australia, Future Static mark a new era with their latest single ‘There’s Nowhere Else To Go’. Building on the foundations of their #1 Australian AIR-charting 2023 debut album Liminality, the band have crafted a refined sound and renewed purpose. An expansive mix of heavy, melodic, technical and chaotic, ‘There’s Nowhere Else To Go’ strikes a new depth musically and lyrically for a band that’s ready to push the extremes whilst staying true to their flow.

The band comment on the single: “‘There’s Nowhere Else To Go’ is an analysis on the duality of criticism from inspiring motivation and personal growth to the destructive inducement of self-hatred and insecurity.  Whilst we’ve all experienced the feeling of not being good enough it’s important to believe in yourself despite the constant judgmental commentary especially from the worst critic: your own self.”

PLAGUE OF ANGELS have released a brand new single. The dark alt-metal visionaries have unveiled ‘Black Requiem,’ a haunting track exploring mental health and inner turmoil. Following on from last year’s Beyond Salvation, released this Halloween, the single marks the first appearance of new vocalist Emilie Nox and bassist/pianist Caroline Campbell, expanding the band’s dynamic sound.

Speaking about the track, the band says, “’Black Requiem’ captures the sound of internal chaos, the private struggle that no one else can see. The imagery of Emilie performing from within a perspex coffin reflects that sense of being buried by your own mind yet still finding the strength to sing through it. This is the most conceptually ambitious piece we’ve ever created. From Caroline’s haunting piano that opens the track to the blistering guitar solo, every element serves the story of emotional confinement and release. Bringing Emilie Nox into the band has redefined our sound. Her ability to move between ethereal melody and visceral aggression gives Black Requiem a rare emotional depth. It’s a song that bleeds honesty. We wanted to create something beautiful within the darkness. Black Requiem is about confronting despair, not avoiding it, turning pain into art and noise into meaning.”

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Rockshots Records and Lay Of The Autumn are excited to announce the release of their next single, ‘Lost In Your Eyes’ from their highly anticipated album Of Love And Sorrow due out on October 25. This powerful and energetic track blends orchestral and electronic elements, capturing the moment when you look into someone’s eyes and get lost in a universe of stars.

FROZEN CROWN have released a new music video. The new music video, for the track ‘I Am The Wind’, is taken from the Italian power metal band’s new album, War Hearts, out now via Napalm Records. Speaking about the new song, the band shares, “’I Am The Wind’ marks the return of ‘the Tyrant’ and serves as a spiritual successor to our popular song, with Federico once again sharing lead vocalist duties with our frontwoman Jade. Running at a slower speed than the other songs on the album, this track depicts the inexorable march of a threatening army and the relentless fury of elements.” [via Distorted Sound]

Welsh four-piece Dream State have released their new single ‘Bloom’. The track marks the band’s first new music since their EP Still Dreaming, which was self-released earlier this year, and coincides with their UK headline tour. Speaking about the new single, vocalist Jessie Powell says: “We’re all excited to showcase some more new material after ‘Still Dreaming’. This single represents more of our exploration into different genres but still keeping the original Dream State charm alive. “I vividly remember Aled and I jamming the verse riff in an Air BnB somewhere in Germany. It started with rhythmic ideas and I think that stands for a lot of the track with its Drum & Bass and Latin influence too. Aled does his thing and finishes off the demo, then the vocals and drums get developed after. Lyrically, the song is about how much the fans’ support means to us all, but how with each step we take there’s a greater feeling of pressure which can sometimes make it difficult to enjoy the present moment. It’s hard not to look to the next show, tour or studio session and you can quite easily get wrapped up in anticipating what’s next instead of what’s right in front of you.” [via Dork]

Arch Enemy is now streaming the fairly thrashy (and occasionally catchy) new single ‘Liars & Thieves’, which also serves as the closer for their upcoming record Blood Dynasty. Which you’ve already heard if you’ve seen Arch Enemy live lately – they’ve been playing it a bunch. “Our second single from Blood Dynasty is here,” Said Arch Enemy guitarist Michael Amott. “‘Liars & Thieves’ is a fast, heavy-hitting track, with a melody that’s been getting stuck in people’s heads — don’t say I didn’t warn you! We’ve been playing it live recently, and it’s been an absolute beast in the pit. Now, it’s time to check out the studio cut!” He continues, “The accompanying video has been captured out here on our ongoing European tour by director Jens De Vos, highlighting the passion and metal madness of these amazing shows where fans and band are one!” [via Metal Injection]

Dianne van Giersbergen, former Xandria vocalist, has released a video for her latest single, ‘Flameborn.’ The track is taken from her upcoming album Soulward Bound, which she is releasing under her own name, Dianne. Produced by Joost van den Broek (Powerwolf, Epica, Ayreon), each song on the album features a renowned guest musician. ‘Flameborn’ is a symphonic metal anthem, blending haunting vocals, orchestral melodies, heavy riffing, and double bass. It tells an autobiographical story about restoring a lost friendship, dedicated to Steven Wussow (ex-Xandria), who also plays bass on the track. The song features Marcela Bovio (Stream of Passion, Ayreon, MaYaN), whose operatic vocals combine seamlessly with Dianne’s. Dianne comments: “‘Flameborn’ is an autobiographical story about restoring a lost friendship. It’s dedicated to my dear friend and ex Xandria band member, Steven Wussow, who also performs bass guitar on this song. To give ‘Flameborn’ an even deeper meaning, I’ve invited my dear friend and vocalist extraordinaire, Marcela Bovio. The duet that “Flameborn” has become is the seal to our friendship and can only be described as classical vocal firework!” [via Metal Insider]

Wargasm are back with not one but two new songs, ‘Circle Pit’ and ‘Bad Seeds,’ their first releases since this summer’s collaborative single with Slipknot’s Corey Taylor, ‘70% Dead.’ True to form, the new tracks find the U.K. electro-punk duo — comprised to Milkie Way and Sam Matlock — in hyperkinetic, fuck-the-world form. Take in the madness via Wargasm’s new two-song music video, complete with biker gangs and desert-set rock-outs, below. “The world is apathetic and lonely, and music is our coping mechanism,” Way and Matlock commented in a joint statement. “Anger is our energy. ‘Circle Pit’ (a rework of a track our Japanese family might already know) is all about the cycle. You can’t break it, so why be part of it? Get in the pit, come out to the coast have a few laughs. ‘Bad Seed’ on the other hand… that’s for those that choose to make the cycle worse. People who waste time being small and hating when there’s so much to create. We’re going back to the start. There’s an intimate club tour coming up that craved some new riffs.” [via Revolver]

Leeds crosssover thrashers Pest Control turned a lot of heads last year with Don’t Test The Pest, a fiery debut LP that caused one reviewer to claim “not since Power Trip has the marriage of thrash and hardcore been as pertinent as it is here.” Now, the Leeds band is keeping the momentum going with a new EP, Year of the Pest, due next week (10/25) via Quality Control/Triple B. It’s got four songs, two of which are out now, and they’re both rippers. Picking up where the LP left off, it’s got fast punk energy, devil-horn-worthy riffage, and the impassioned screams of vocalist Leah Massey-Hay leading the charge. [via Brooklyn Vegan]

Brighton’s electronic post-hardcore duo fakeyourdeath have today released a brand-new A/B side – the follow up to the pairs debut EP null/void. The A/B side features the vicious new single ‘Hello, I’m Feeling Hostile’ and it’s haunting B-side ‘The Was Actually Quite Murderous’ both of which look towards the pain humans inflict on each other to serve themselves; a subject fakeyourdeath find fascinating but always unsurprising. “‘Hello, I’m Feeling Hostile’ is an important track for me both musically & emotionally”, opens fakeyourdeath vocalist Candi Underwood. “At its core, it’s the outpouring of the grief, anger and disgust you feel when those closest to you betray you. It’s unapologetic, more vulnerable than we’ve gone before and almost cruel at times. It’s ugly but I love it”

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Creative powerhouse and genre-collision experimenteer BEX is back with a new single ‘Fight’. ‘Fight’ is a rallying cry in the wake of a relationship breakdown with BEX’ signature scuzzed-up, grumbling basslines propelling a proper punchy chant. The combative track arrives as she looks towards a number of festival performances this summer, as well as a newly-announced headline date at London’s Omeara on 1st November. As BEX says, “’Fight’ is not a love song, it’s the opposite. It’s an acceptance of embarrassment. Loving someone to then have it thrown in your face is embarrassing, when you try your hardest, never fight, and you’re getting along so well, it can be so confusing to find out they were never loyal. Fight is about how blind sighted I was, for so long and the way the whole situation made me feel in the end. Truth is, you never know another person, and trust should never come easy, that’s what I have learnt – you have to let people EARN your trust. Don’t just give it away.”

Heriot have announced their debut album, Devoured by the Mouth of Hell, due September 27 via Century Media. It was recorded with Will Putney (of END, Fit For An Autopsy, Better Lovers) and Josh Middleton (Sylosis, ex-Architects), and it features recent single ‘Siege Lord’ as well as the just-released ‘Foul Void,’ which opens the album. Like the last single, it offers up a futuristic blend of metalcore, death metal, industrial, and more, and the band says it “delves into the inner struggle of an individual facing uncertainties about their faith.” [via Brooklyn Vegan]

Poppy has released an absolutely banging new single, ‘New Way Out’. The musician has followed up last year’s 4/5-rated Zig album – plus mind-blowing 2024 collabs with Bad Omens and Knocked Loose – with a brilliant new tune that leans towards the heavier end of what she’s done across her genre-defying career so far. Bonus: it also features the production work of Jordan Fish, who, since departing Bring Me The Horizon in December, has been busy in the studio with everyone from Architects to Spiritbox – and now Poppy! [via Kerrang!]

EPICA singer Simone Simons has released the official music video for her second solo single, ‘In Love We Rust’. The track is taken from her debut solo album, Vermillion, which will be made available on August 23 via Nuclear Blast Records. Simone, who has been a pioneering force within the world of metal for over two decades as part of EPICA, worked on Vermillion with her musical partner and longtime collaborator Arjen Lucassen (AYREON). Arjen is no stranger to Simone’s soaring operatic voice, one that can stir even a gargoyle’s stone heart to tears. Together they have crafted a sonic universe that befits the influential figure she is. Vermillion emerges as a gargantuan goose-bump generator, a universally touching, stellar tour de force. Simone and Arjen state about ‘In Love We Rust’: “The video was filmed in just one take to keep it as pure and raw as possible. We opted to keep it in black and white so as not to distract from the song or the performance. ‘In Love We Rust’ is quite different from our first single ‘Aeterna’, which shows how diverse this album is. This is one of our favorite songs. We hope you love this as much as we do.” [via Blabbermouth]

European quintet ANKOR have signed to UNFD, and released their first single for the independent heavy label. The band – fronted by Bristol vocalist Jessie Williams, and completed by guitarists David Romeu and Fito Martinez, and bassist Julio López, all from Spain, and drummer Eleni Nota from Athens – have joined forces with UNFD to help propel their next era, having already been building up a dedicated fanbase for the past 20 years. And that’s helped further with the release of new single and video ‘Embers’, which Jessie explains is “a song that mixes EDM with classical ANKOR melodies. A song about dealing with loss and grief. We recorded the music video in a beautiful church in London, and we believe it sends the exact message of the track. “’Embers’ is a journey through the mind of someone living an alternate reality,” she continues, going into detail about the accompanying music video. “Dreaming of what could have been… but the truth is much darker, that’s why we represented it with both dresses. It’s a ceremony of what could have been a wedding and ends up being a funeral, in which she dances alone, knowing none of it will ever happen. It can hit as a negative song, but in her sadness there is hope, as she’ll always be connected to her loss.” [via Kerrang!]

Titled Silhouettes, the sophomore album from the Newcastle-based heavy progressive band Giant Walker follows 2022’s All In Good Time and is scheduled to be released in September this year via Church Road Records. The album will feature the previously released single ‘Make Me’, as well as the newly released ‘Halcion’. Speaking about the creative process behind the new track, guitarist Jamie Southern comments, “The initial idea for the song emerged from a drum groove, although it evolved through several different iterations before culminating into its final form. Sonically, it’s quite dark and angular, and so, when it came to crafting the lyrics, the aim was to encapsulate that feeling of uneasiness that came from the music and weave it into a story. It just so happened that amidst writing the song, I ended up watching a documentary about a serial killer, which felt very fitting to the music, and so, this ultimately shaped the lyrical direction Halcion took.” [via Distorted Sound]

Sydney rebellious rockers Wicked Envy have premiered their formidable new single called ‘Final Descent’. The dominating new track commands attention, taking you on a gut-wrenching final journey through flight. “’Final Descent’ is about the fear of flying and dying in a plane crash,” explains vocalist Desiree Hancock. “I decided to write this song, cause It’s a very relatable topic, as many of my family and friends struggle with this fear of Aerophobia, especially when travelling overseas. The eerie whispering voices and haunting vocals are evident throughout the song to create a sombre feel, as if these voices are from the dead.”The thumping guitars in the main riff/ chorus and pounding drums bring out the emotional, gut-wrenching feelings like turbulence on a flight we have all been taken on. You never know when your number is up. This song is based on the movie Final Destination! As I’m a massive fan of the movie and horror films in general, I thought it would be thrilling to write about a plane crash and the audience left with one question. Will this be the end?“ [via Heavy Mag]

Hard rock band Beautiful Skeletons unveils their new music video, ‘Only Zuul.’ The track, featured on their recently released EP Temperance (Wormholedeath Records), is accompanied by a visually unsettling video experience. Produced by the one and only Hotkarlproductions Karl Whinnery and Amanda McGahey, this video will grip you with its eerie atmosphere and special effects.

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