Living Dead Girl — the pop-metal project helmed by powerhouse vocalist-bandleader Molly Rennick — are about to kick off a big North American tour, and on the eve of the first date, they teamed with Revolver to premiere the new video for their biting March single ‘Ugly.’ Rennick previously described Living Dead Girl as representing the two sides of her split personality — “one wears baby pink and Hello Kitty and listens to pop music, and the other a goth girl in fishnet stockings” — and the ‘Ugly’ video follows suit. It’s at once silly and violent, cutesy and incisive, delivering its social commentary in a fun, splatstick package. “‘Ugly’ is a song I wrote from a place of frustration, knowing many fellow women could relate,” Rennick tells Revolver. “It’s about wanting to be taken seriously for your contributions and skills without being objectified or undermined in any profession or passion. When it came to making a music video, we wanted to bring that idea to life, but in true Living Dead Girl form, it still needed to have an element of fun and humor. Even with a serious message, we still are a band that likes to have fun in everything we do. I paid some subtle homage to The Powerpuff Girls and their message of girl power and empowerment, while playing into the aesthetic of a campy horror movie. All while tying it into a gym setting: the place in which every woman just wants to be left alone!” [via Revolver]

New England extreme-metal faction Escuela Grind have officially confirmed a full-length is likewise hitting us later this fall. The band’s Dreams on Algorithms is due out October 18, but they’re previewing it ahead of time with a fittingly disorienting single called ‘Turbulence.’ ‘Turbulence’ shakes things up a bit for Escuela Grind, marking the first time Economou has brought clean singing into the band’s discography. Then again, after a brief bit of Alice in Chains-esque doom-grungin’, the song incorporates a more shrieked and grind-blitzed pace. “It will be immediately obvious when you first hear this song that it is a departure for us,” the vocalist added. “We wanted to take a risk with ‘Turbulence,’ and after performing so many live shows over the last year we were ready to compile all that influence. The clean singing may take some people off-guard coming from a grind/hardcore band, but after touring with Napalm Death, we realized we wanted to incorporate that aspect into our music in a similar way. We definitely wanted a grungy, catchy chorus to sing at all of our upcoming festival appearances, and I hope the fans like the song as much as we do.” [via Revolver]

Entheos released their second full-length album Time Will Take Us All in 2023 and they’re already back with a brand new EP! Entheos will release An End To Everything on October 25 and is now streaming the single ‘All For Nothing’ alongside a music video directed by David Brodsky for My Good Eye: Music Visuals. [via Metal Injection]

Astonishing singer-songwriter CHARLOTTE WESSELS (ex-DELAIN) has joined forces with Simone Simons of Epica for her mesmerizing new single entitled ‘Dopamine.’ This track is part of Wessels’ first traditional full-length, full-band solo album, The Obsession, set to be released on September 20 via Napalm Records. Promising a deeply immersive and evocative experience, the two Dutch symphonic metal legends guide listeners through the emotional landscape of SSRI-induced numbness. The Obsession showcases WESSELS’ most mature work to date, blending progressive and heavier soundscapes with catchy elements. CHARLOTTE WESSELS on ‘Dopamine’: “Lyrically, ´Dopamine´ deals with SSRI induced numbness that I experienced a few years ago when I was on Sertraline, a type of antidepressant. While the medication was really helpful, there were so many side effects that I’d never heard of. This song deals with some of them, and while it feels vulnerable to expose the experience, I hope it helps in breaking down the shame and taboo around the topic. Simone reached out to me as I was first opening up about this in an interview, and when the first version of ´Dopamine´ dropped on Patreon (because of course we’re each other’s patrons) she texted how much she liked the song. So when we were working on the album version it only made sense to ask if she’d sing along on the track. I am so happy she agreed and after all of the shared introspection, it was great fun to let loose wearing pink wigs in ball pits and marshmallow pools for the video recordings. Musically, out of the entire new album, ´Dopamine´ went through the biggest transformation. What started out as an EDM demo for a collaboration with a dance duo that never happened, became an acoustic Song Of The Month on Patreon, which then had a massive overhaul when rearranging it with Timo. The new band version is an absolute banger, and the beautiful guest vocals by Simone complete the song.” [via Outburn]

ENEMY INSIDE have released a new music video. The new music video, for the track ‘What We Used To Be’, is the brand new single from the German alternative/symphonic metal band and marks their first new music since 2021’s Seven. Speaking about the new song, vocalist Nastassja Giulia says, “’What We Used To Be’ deals with the topic of a relationship growing apart: whether it’s a romantic relationship, a friendship, or the relationship with yourself. It’s about realising and accepting that situations and people, even yourself, change, and there is no other way than to move on.” Filmed by Jonas Sommer, the music video’s script and story was written by the front-woman herself. She adds, “we were aiming for a cinematic look. We wanted a video that looked more like a movie than a music video and we are really proud how the song and the video turned out.” [via Distorted Sound]

Without Warning, a promising modern metal act from Finland has unleashed their new single ‘Pulse’ with an additional music video. The new single is infused with inspiration from the German underground rave scene, immersing the listener with a sonic landscape filled with industrial sounds and heavy rave elements. ‘Pulse’ vibrates with intensity and infectious rhythms that are a core element in the German rave scenes. The song blends the ferocity of modern metal with the hypnotic allure of underground rave culture. Without Warning invites listeners to immerse themselves in a world where man and machine collide. “The song instantly made me think of an underground rave. An experience where you fully emerge yourself in the rhythm and it becomes synchronized with your pulse, which inspired the song name. With each song we really drive into the surrounding, the emotion and story. ‘Pulse’ showcases Without Warning as a whole, who we are and what our identity is about. It is no coincidence that we wanted to include inspiration from Germany particularly. Germans have a really talented and amazing metal scene, and they have always supported Finnish metal. We’re excited to build a stronger bond with them.” Says vocalist Michaela “Micha” Tuomenoksa. At its core, ‘Pulse’ explores the enigmatic relationship between humanity and technology. Reflecting the interesting and futuristic lore Without Warning has created. ‘Pulse’ is blurring the boundaries between organic and artificial life. With the song, Without Warning aims to capture the essence of the rave experience with a cacophony of sound and intense emotion. “I had a vision about a techno infused song with an intense beat, electronic soundscape and of course a signature touch representing our style. A lot of things happen through the song and it took a while to find the balance. But with efficient teamwork among the band we produced the song as visioned and hope to see ‘Pulse’ make a strong impact on listeners.” Says guitarist and producer Juuso Javanainen. [via Click Roll Boom]

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NØ MAN and Iodine Recordings are proud to announce the new album Glitter and Spit, due out March 29. On their third full-length album, the Washington DC band affirm their essential presence as a necessary voice in modern hardcore. Singer Maha Shami has fully come into her own as a front person, snarling out the most vicious vocals of her career. As the daughter of refugees, a recent return home to Palestine included witnessing first-hand the casual atrocities inflicted on her family. Though written before the current conflict’s boiling point, Glitter and Spit synthesizes the 70+ years of systemic violence carried out against Palestine and her own lived experiences. Along with today’s album announcement, the band and Iodine Recordings share the lead single and title track ‘Glitter and Spit’. “‘​Glitter and Spit’ is about the distortion of one’s lived experience and existence, dealing with people imposing a version of you that meets the expectations of their fantasy. These attempts to shape and define your life often romanticize the idea of an angry woman until you disrupt their status quo.” says Maha Shami.

Rising from the ruins of the past few years, QUEEN LAYA is emerging into uncharted waters, defying expectations as she demonstrates a ferocious new sound. Now she has unveiled the official music video for her new single ‘RAGE’. Fusing powerhouse vocals with rocky acidity, QUEEN LAYA continues to usher in a new era of headstrong and vehement views of social issues and every day life. She shares her experiences of going through therapy in 2021 within her music and her empowering new single ‘RAGE’ is a pivotal point of this process. QUEEN LAYA delves into the context of the track, “‘RAGE’ is about suppressing your emotions so that you appear smaller to others, well behaved to others, in compliance with others, liked by others – to create a safe space within yourself, until all your thoughts and feelings are so congested that you can’t even fathom keeping in even a single ounce of these emotions within you. This intense energy eventually manifests itself into uncontrollable rage.”

Without Warning, the new promising Finnish modern metal act which opened recent live shows for Fear Of Domination among others, has released their 6th single called ‘New Order’ with a music video. The single is a provocative dive into the destruction of humanity. ‘New Order’ takes its listeners to a dystopian world where the machine pulse gets fused with heavy electronic and melodic elements. With the new single, the band also showcases their updated look in their outfits which has grown to become a noticeable element. “As I was writing the song, I wanted to support the band’s concept while showcasing our heavier and dramatic sides. With the familiar melodic elements that have become staples in our music, this song roams through chaotic atmospheres that also support the lyrical themes of the song,” says bassist and producer, Aleksi Rintala. ‘New Order’ provides a strong musical experience, but also awakens you to ponder how technology affects our society. The single can also be described as a soundtrack from an anxiety-filled future, where artificial intelligence birthed by mankind wants to create a new start by tyranny. Along with the strong lyrics, Without Warning has been able to create a unique atmosphere that sticks to the listener. “The single is a song about our concept in Without Warning, where we view the story from three different angles. We have built a fictional backstory and theme for the band where an evil artificial intelligence named Omega wants to destroy humankind to build a new future. We, the members of the band, use the term “disciples” when referring to ourselves and we are the creation of Omega. The messengers. In ‘New Order’ you can hear the desperate realization the humankind faces, Omega’s bittersweet thirst for revenge and the disciple’s final warning for what is to come,” describes the vocalist, Michaela “Micha” Tuomenoksa.

Self-described “Harajuku-core” phenoms HANABIE. are one of the most buzzed-about metal bands in the world right now, winning cosigns from heavy-hitters like Limp Bizkit, Slash and Bring Me the Horizon, and regularly selling out shows. The Tokyo quartet’s latest single is ‘OTAKU Lovely Densetsu,’ which was released last week and hails the culture of “Otaku,” a Japanese word for people obsessed with anime, manga and video games. The single also got its music video, which matches the song’s chaotic metalcore sound with equally over-the-top visuals. Vocalist Yukina commented: “I wanted to write a song to express my gratitude to all the fans, staff, and bands that I met and played with on our world tour, and to express what I felt on the tour. One of the things I felt was ‘Japanese culture, such as anime and video games, is truly loved’! We love Japanese culture, but not only about Japanese culture, this is a chaotic and Harajuku-core-like song that makes you think it’s cool to be faithful and straight up to what you like.” Guitarist-vocalist Matsuri added, “‘OTAKU Lovely Densetsu’ is a chaotic song that focuses on anime and games that are part of Japanese culture. You shine brightest when you’re into what you love and just being Otaku. Otaku is not just in Japan but also overseas too so be confident being Otaku! This song is just freestyle and doing what we want, so please enjoy this HANABIE. world! Japan culture rocks!” [via Revolver]

Spaced have announced their debut album This Is All We Ever Get, due out this March via Revelation Records. Spaced call themselves “far out hardcore” due to their guitarist’s affinity for throwing flange and phaser effects over their traditional hardcore distortion, giving their songs a slightly psych-ier feel compared to the average hardcore band. That, combined with frontperson Lexi Reyngoudt’s electric screams, make for a pretty unique sound that fans of Turnstile, Buggin, and GEL can certainly get down with. In the video for ‘Landslide,’ the band teach a mosh aerobics class that’s styled like a vintage exercise video from the 1980s. It’s a lot of fun, and you can watch and listen above via YouTube. [via Revolver]

Four years after bringing ‘The Last Viking’ to Valhalla with their previous opus, Leaves’ Eyes resurrect with ‘Myths Of Fate’ to celebrate their 20th year of existence. With their ninth studio album, the Germany-based artists consolidate their leading position in the symphonic metal universe. Powerful, epic and impressive – Leaves’ Eyes once again merge traditional metal genres by fusing elements of folk, gothic, and classical music into a captivating sonic masterpiece. [via Metal Planet]

NUBIAN ROSE, the Melodic Rock sensation of the early 10’s, is back after a long hiatus. Their new album, AMEN, will be released on the January 26. On AMEN, Nubian Rose show a more progressive side of the band, but with their trademark foundation of strong melodies, great hooks, big guitars, and the powerful voice of Sofia Lilja. While writing AMEN, Christer and Sofia wanted to challenge themselves to take Nubian Rose to new frontiers. [via Metal Planet]

WASP MOTHER have released a music video for ‘Gravemouth’, taken from the new EP Digital Pollution which is available to stream now.

It’s exhilarating when you get to hear a band execute a style perfectly. Hand of Kalliach delivers folk-infused melodic death metal in the absolute best way possible. The band brings heavy and rich guitar tones and weaves them with a mix of harsh and melodic vocals, topped off with infectious rhythms and traditional instrumentation. It’s a fascinating combination of aggression and atmosphere — a balancing act between power and mystery that draws you into the band’s sonic realm. Out noe is the band’s new video for the song ‘Fell Reigns,’ from their upcoming album Corryvreckan, due out on February 23 via Prosthetic Records. Vocalist and bassist Sophie says: “Building upon the legend of the Cailleach, the ancient witch god of winter from Scottish Celtic mythology, with Fell Reigns, we wanted to explore her seasonal rise to power at Samhainn (the end of summer and beginning of winter) from a different perspective – that of one of her unnamed eight attendants, that assist her in ushering in winter.” [via Decibel Mag]

ALTERIUM have released a new music video. The new music video, for the track ‘Crossroads Inn,’ is taken from the Italian power metal band’s upcoming debut album, Of War And Flames, which is scheduled to be released in March this year. The new song is a metal tribute inspired by the popular medieval tavern simulator video game. In cooperation with video game creator Klabater, the following statement has been released, “welcome to Delcrys, adventurers! The doors of the fantasy tavern are now open! To celebrate the arrival of the second chapter of the iconic video game Crossroads Inn, ALTERIUM wrote and recorded a track inspired by the lore of the game. Crossroads Inn is a real-time management sim set in the immersive fantasy world of Delcrys. Players must build, manage, and expand their tavern, catering to the needs of adventurers from far and wide! The game is available on Steam, while Crossroads Inn 2 has been announced and is currently in development – you can already add it to your wishlist!” Singer and songwriter Nicoletta Rosellini adds, “I’m a huge fan of management video games, and I’ve spent hundreds of hours playing Crossroads Inn, which also features great lore that inspired me to write lyrics for this track. I believe that power metal is the perfect genre to convey the funny atmosphere of a typical night at the tavern. We also recreated the whole scenery in our new music video!” [via Distorted Sound]

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