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Watch: ‘Obligations’ by IST IST

Posted: 9 January 2026 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
Tags: Dagger, Desperate Journalist, IST IST, Obligations, Oliver Marson, Post-Punk, Single, Stream, Tour Dates, Video

As their highly anticipated fifth album DAGGER rears into view, IST IST have shared its final pre-emptive single ‘Obligations’.

With its pulsating bassline, driving beats, and synth throbs, ‘Obligations’ is the enlivening new track from Manchester’s finest. Embodying the metamorphosis of IST IST as they gear-up for the next stage in their evolution, this latest cut is fittingly all about transformation and sacrifices that can come with it.

As vocalist Adam Houghton says:

“With ‘Obligations’, I wanted to capture the feeling of being bound to someone who represents both your salvation and your undoing. It’s about how love can feel like duty — something you can’t walk away from even when it hurts. I wanted to explore memory as something that both comforts and strangles, showing how the past can shape who we become. By the end, the narrator isn’t whole anymore, but they’ve accepted that pain and change are part of survival. It’s about transformation through loss — the quiet resilience of being altered by love.”

The new single arrives with a thought provoking official video featuring artist and longtime friend of the band Oliver Marson. Tuning into the track’s integral lyric “What is left is a different version of me”, we find Marson portraying an alternate version of the IST IST frontman.

Watch the video here:

Following a short stretch of European and UK shows this Autumn, IST IST will be hitting the road again in April this year, with upcoming shows in Norwich, Exeter, Oxford, Newcastle, Sheffield, Nottingham, Bristol, Brighton, PLUS recently added dates in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and London. These shows will pave the way towards their biggest hometown show to date, at Manchester’s Albert Hall in May. All dates are listed below, with all tickets on sale now.

In addition, IST IST are delighted to confirm a short series of intimate in-store/out-store shows as they launch their new album DAGGER. Catch them at these dates and venues:

IST IST – 2026 UK & IRELAND TOUR DATES

UK IN-STORE ALBUM LAUNCH SHOWS

Leeds – Headroom House – 07.02.26

Bury – The Met – 08.02.26

Edinburgh – The Caves – 09.02.26

Nottingham – Rough Trade – 10.02.26

London – Rough Trade East – 11.02.26

EUROPEAN SHOWS

Antwerp – Kafka Oudaan – 11.03.26

Cologne – Luxor – 12.03.26

Amsterdam – Paradiso – 14.03.26

Frankfurt – Das Bett – 15.03.26

Zurich – Werk 21 – 16.03.26

Milan – Santeria Toscana 31 – 17.03.26

Budapest – Durer Kert – 19.03.26

Bratislava – Pink Whale – 20.03.26

Krakow – Klub Zascianek – 22.03.26

Warsaw – Hydrozadka – 23.03.26

Berlin – Hole 44 – 24.03.26

Esbjerg – Tobakken – 26.03.26

Oslo – Parkteatret – 27.03.26

Stockholm – Kollektivet – 29.03.26

Hamburg – Logo – 31.03.26

UK HEADLINE SHOWS

Norwich – Waterfront – 09.04.26

London – The Garage – 10.04.26

Exeter – Phoenix – 11.04.26

Oxford – O2 Academy 2 – 12.04.26

Newcastle – The Grove – 16.04.26

Glasgow – Oran Mor – 17.04.26

Sheffield – Network – 18.04.26

Nottingham – Rescue Rooms – 23.04.26

Bristol – Thekla – 24.04.26

Brighton – Quarters – 25.04.26

Dublin – The grand Social – 28.04.26

Belfast – Ulster Sports Club – 29.04.26

Manchester – Albert Hall – 01.05.26

(w/ Support from DESPERATE JOURNALIST + THE YOUTH PLAY)

Photo by Thomas White

The Twilight Sad – Designed to Lose

Posted: 6 January 2026 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Reviews, Singles and EPs
Tags: Audio, Designed to Lose, Intense, Robert Smith, Rock Action Records, Scottish miserabalism, Single, Stream, The Cure, The Twilight Sad

The Twilight Sad seem to be one of those bands that remain niche and somewhat divisive. But those who are into them are really into them, and with good reason. They’ve been long championed by Robert Smith and have access to a huge, huge audience following epic tours supporting The Cure, but they obstinately refuse to tone down their overt Scottishness, and they stubbornly refuse to bend to any kind of commercial leanings, or to cheer the fuck up. They’re also one of the most emotionally intense bands around: their live shows are quite simply something else.

‘Designed to Lose’ is the second single from their next album, and simultaneously harks back to the blistering welter of noise that was their second album No One Can Ever Know, while pushing forward on the trajectory of their last album, It Won/t Be Like This All The Time, which was both glorious and harrowing as fuck.

It Won/t Be Like This All The Time was released in 2019, so it’s been a long wait for new material. Oh, but this is worth it. The Twilight Sad aren’t a band to rush-release something sub-par, and ‘Designed to Lose’ is classic Sad on first listen, and just gives more with each play.

Watch: ‘The Wonderment’ by Gong

Posted: 6 January 2026 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
Tags: analogue, Bright Spirit, Gong, kaleidoscopic, KScope, Official Video, Psychedelic, single stream, The Wonderment, Tour Dates, TRippy

Psychedelic institution Gong have announced their new album Bright Spirit today, set for release on 13th March on the Kscope label. The news comes alongside a new single and video for the track ‘The Wonderment’. Speaking on the announcement, frontman Kavus Torabi shared –

“Structured around modulating glissando guitar and a pulsating analogue synth sequence, The Wonderment finds Gong in deeply meditative form. A mystical and explorative journey both inwards and outwards. Timeless and expansive, The Wonderment is another piece of the kaleidoscopic puzzle that makes up Bright Spirit. A healing charge of cosmic rays beamed out from deepest space. All is sound, all is love. Gong is one and one is you.”

GONG TOUR DATES

Mar 19 – Brighton, UK – Gong & Henge
Mar 20 – Canterbury, UK – Gong & Henge
Mar 21 – Swansea, UK – Gong & Henge
Mar 25 – Birmingham, UK
Mar 26 – Lincoln, UK – Gong & Henge
Mar 27 – Manchester, UK – Gong & Henge
Mar 28 – Liverpool, UK – Gong & Henge

Apr 09 – Pordenone, Italy
Apr 10 – Livorno, Italy
Apr 11 – Borgomanero, Italy
Apr 14 – Jena, Germany
Apr 15 – Karlsruhe, Germany
Apr 16 – Rüsselsheim am Main, Germany
Apr 17 – Antwerp, Belgium
Apr 18 – Oslo, Norway
Apr 19 – Zoetermeer, Netherlands

Jul 07 – Balma, France – Gong & Blood Incantation
Jul 08 – Aix-en-Provence, France – Gong & Blood Incantation

Jul 25 – Teramo, Italy – MoonJune Festival
Jul 26 – Treviso, Italy – Prog Event: Treviso

Aug 09 – Builth Wells, UK – Kozfest 2026
Aug 23 – Hernhill, UK – A New Day Festival 2026

Photo: Sam Huddleston

Watch: ‘Lost in Nights’ lyrics video by HamaSaari

Posted: 6 January 2026 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
Tags: Festival dates, HamaSaari, Klonosphere, Lost in nights, Lyrics video, Pictures, progressive rock, Single, Stream, Tour Dates

French progressive rock collective HamaSaari today unveil a brand-new lyric video for ‘Lost in Nights,’ another evocative chapter taken from their forthcoming album Pictures, out January 23rd via Klonosphere.

Following the recent release of lead single ‘Frames’ (featuring guest vocals from Christelle Ratri), ‘Lost in Nights’ dives even deeper into the album’s introspective essence. The track unfolds slowly and deliberately, guided by HamaSaari’s signature balance of cinematic build-up, emotional restraint, and expansive release, a nocturnal journey through doubt, memory, and inner landscapes.

Rooted in modern progressive rock and drawing inspiration from the likes of Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree, and Karnivool, HamaSaari craft music that is rich in atmosphere, emotional depth, and cinematic movement. Born from the ashes of their former project Shuffle, the band embraced a more serene and melancholic identity, allowing their sound to unfold like a stormy ritual, dark clouds, falling rain, and slowly emerging light.

Their 2023 debut album Ineffable introduced this balance with striking clarity: delicate yet powerful compositions flowing through shifting shades of darkness and color, built on organic interplay between polyrhythmic bass and drums, reverb-soaked guitars, and a clear, expressive vocal presence.

Now, nearly three years later, Pictures picks up where that journey left off and expands it into a fully realized conceptual statement. The album explores images, paintings, and dimensions, what we choose to frame, conceal, or confront. Inspired by myths, ancient civilizations, dreams, reality, and fiction, Pictures reflects on belief systems, fears, desires, and the fundamental questions that shape the human experience.

Following the release of Pictures, HamaSaari will take the album to the stage with an extensive European tour throughout spring and summer 2026. The tour will see the band bringing their captivating, emotionally charged live show to clubs and festivals across France, Germany, Spain, and the UK, culminating in major festival appearances later in the year.

HamaSaari – Pictures EU Tour 2026 (selected dates):

• March 12 – Le Mans (FR) – Le Bar’ouf
• March 19 – Lyon (FR) – Rock ’n Eat
• March 21 – Stuttgart (DE) – Club Zentral
• March 22 – Munich (DE) – Substanz
• March 24 – Kronach (DE) – Kulturclub Kronach
• March 27 – Kleve (DE) – Radhaus
• April 10 – Perpignan (FR) – L’Anthropo
• April 11 – Zaragoza (ES) – Sala Creedence
• April 12 – Badalona (ES) – Estraperlo – Club del Ritme
• April 17 – Murcia (ES) – Sala Revólver
• April 18 – Málaga (ES) – ZZ Pub
• April 21 – Coslada (ES) – The RockLab
• April 22 – Ponferrada (ES) – Sala La Vaca
• April 24 – Tolosa (ES) – Bonberenea

Festival appearances:

• July 4 – Woodbunge Festival (DE)
• July 18 – Prog For Peart – Abingdon (UK)
• July 25 – Rhine Entertainment Festival – Xanten (DE)

Listen: ‘Frames’ feat. Christelle Ratri by HamaSaari –

Posted: 20 December 2025 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
Tags: epic, EU Tour dates 2026, Frames feat. Christelle Ratri, HamaSaari, Haunting, Klonosphere, Pictures, prog rock, Single, stream progressive rock, Video

Artisans of a sound that is at once massive and delicate, French prog-rock collective HamaSaari return this January with their long-awaited new album, Pictures, set to be released on January 23rd via Klonosphere.

Just recently, the band have unveiled a new video for the haunting track ‘Frames’, featuring guest vocals from Christelle Ratri, offering a first glimpse into the record’s thematic heart.

Their 2023 debut album Ineffable introduced this balance with striking clarity: delicate yet powerful compositions flowing through shifting shades of darkness and color, built on organic interplay between polyrhythmic bass and drums, reverb-soaked guitars, and a clear, expressive vocal presence.

Now, nearly three years later, Pictures picks up where that journey left off and expands it into a fully realized conceptual statement. The album explores images, paintings, and dimensions, what we choose to frame, conceal, or confront. Inspired by myths, ancient civilizations, dreams, reality, and fiction, Pictures reflects on belief systems, fears, desires, and the fundamental questions that shape the human experience.

The newly released video for ‘Frames’ (feat. Christelle Ratri) embodies this vision beautifully, pairing HamaSaari’s cinematic progression with an added layer of emotional intimacy and vulnerability.

HamaSaari – Pictures EU Tour 2026 (selected dates):

Festival appearances:

• July 4 – Woodbunge Festival (DE)
• July 18 – Prog For Peart – Abingdon (UK)
• July 25 – Rhine Entertainment Festival – Xanten (DE)

Watch: ‘Dethroned’ by Slaughterday

Posted: 19 December 2025 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
Tags: animation, Death Metal, Dethroned, Dread Emperor, hgottor, Official Lyric Video, Single, Slaughterday, Stream, Testimony Records

SLAUGHTERDAY drop the lovingly animated lyric video ‘Dethroned’ that features Pär Olofsson’s horror cover art. This heavy, groove-ladden track with a subtle punk attitude has been taken from their forthcoming new album Dread Emperor. The sixth full-length of the East Frisian death metal veterans has been chalked up for release on February, Friday the 13th, 2026.

SLAUGHTERDAY comment on ‘Dethroned’: “This track is Slaughterday at our most unusual and adventurous – an explosive collision of groove, punk energy, and death metal brutality”, axeslinger Jens Finger states. “We explore new musical territory while sticking to our roots by combining heavy grooves and infectious hooks with relentless aggression.”

Bernd Reiners continues: “Lyrically, ‘Dethroned’ is a manifesto of rebellion and resistance, a clarion call against tyranny where no gods and no masters hold sway”, the growler emphasises. “This song is catchy and ferocious as well as uncompromising, and we see it as a powerful statement of defiance and raw energy.”

Watch: ‘Kether’ by Zu

Posted: 18 December 2025 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
Tags: Experimental, Ferrum Sidereum, House of Mythology, Hybrid, Kether, official visualiser, Single, Stream, Video, Zu

Legendary Italian experimental trio Zu recently announced their return with Ferrum Sidereum (produced by Marc Urselli), a big and bold double album arriving on House of Mythology on the 9th January.

The music combines the complexity of progressive rock, the grit of industrial music, the precision of metal, the spirit and energy of punk, and the freedom of jazz. The result is a sonic journey that is as cerebral as it is visceral, defying easy categorisation while remaining unmistakably Zu.

Today they share the new single and video for ‘Kether’ – about which the band comments,

“Kether is the crown, the halo, the nimbus, the corona. Since it has been symbolically attacked, we symbolically take it back.The golden crown became the sign of kings, but it is a much older and deeper symbol, and it is at anyone’s reach to reactivate the crown.”

Photo credit: Marco Franzoni

Watch: ‘Beneath the Cross’ by Total Annihilation

Posted: 17 December 2025 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
Tags: Beneath the Cross, Death Metal, Mountains of Madness, Official music video, Single, Stream, Testimony Records, thrash metal, Total Annihilation

Swiss death & thrash metal fanatics TOTAL ANNIHILATION unveil the music video ‘Beneath the Cross’ as the final advance single taken from the forthcoming new album Mountains of Madness. Their fourth full-length is slated for release in the band’s 20th anniversary year, on January 16, 2026.

TOTAL ANNIHILATION comment on ‘Beneath the Cross’: “When we wrote this song, the topic of the lyrics was very important to me”, guitarist Jürgen Schmid states. “I felt an urgent need to put this old story back on the table again. This song deals with religions selling hope to their clients in order to manipulating them and filling up their treasuries in the basements of their temples. This one goes out to all those holier-than-thou Christians. There is no paradise! In death there is only darkness – so better take care of your own life and stop telling others what is right or wrong! As a fun fact for all music nerds: The melody that stands out in the middle of ‘Beneath the Cross’ is actually quite old. I wrote this tune at the age of twelve or thirteen and ever since I have been searching for the perfect match to put it in. Here we are – and I am very happy with the result. Hopefully, you will like it too!”

Watch: ‘the conduit, A PLACE IN TIME’ by Dhärä

Posted: 16 December 2025 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
Tags: A PLACE IN TIME, Dhärä, divided, Elemental Four, Expansive, progressive rock, Single, Stream, the conduit, the entities, Video

Progressive rock quartet Dhärä return today with their expansive new single ‘A PLACE IN TIME, (the entities, divided)’, offering the next glimpse into their forthcoming full-length album Elemental Four, arriving January 11, 2026.

Known for their immersive instrumental storytelling and dynamic compositions, Dhärä continue to push beyond strict genre boundaries on ‘A PLACE IN TIME, (the entities, divided).’ The track unfolds with patience and atmosphere before erupting into driving rhythms, soaring guitar interplay, and a powerful sense of momentum—highlighting the band’s signature balance between precision, emotion, and scale.

The band shares: “This is the opening of our concept album Elemental Four. ‘A PLACE IN TIME, (the entities, divided)’ introduces many themes that are heard throughout the album. This album is also a concert movie that features five ballerinas who perform modern lyrical dance to the music. Elemental Four is a journey of four entities whose world is shaken by a meteor which threatens their existence. They are separated by a great earthquake, and the only path to saving the planet and themselves is to unify and summon The Conduit, whose power can hopefully vanquish the threat.”

Watch the video for ‘The conduit, A PLACE IN TIME’ here:

Listen: ‘The Raven’ by Indica Blues

Posted: 15 December 2025 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
Tags: Blues, Doom, Heavy, Indica Blues, Majestic Mountain Records, Riffs, Single, Stoner Rock, Stream, The Raven, Universal Heat Death

Born in the shadow of Oxford’s dreaming spires and forged in a haze of down-tuned amplifiers, UK heavyweights Indica Blues return in 2026 with their most ambitious and apocalyptic work to date. Their long-awaited new album, Universal Heat Death, will be released on January 31 via digital platforms and CD, marking the band’s first full-length since their critically acclaimed second album We Are Doomed.

To herald the album’s arrival, Indica Blues unveil their new single ‘The Raven’, a towering slab of blues-soaked doom that captures the band at their most urgent and expansive. Driven by crushing riffs, haunting dual-guitar interplay, and a foreboding atmosphere, the track sets the tone for an album obsessed with collapse, consequence, and the slow grind toward oblivion.

Since forming in 2014, Indica Blues have carved out a formidable reputation as one of the UK’s most compelling psychedelic doom-stoner hybrids, once described as “bong-filling rock that is platinum heavy, but blessed with a melodic sensibility underneath it all.” Their sound, a molten blend of fuzz-drenched blues, doom, sludge, and psychedelic melancholy has earned them devoted fans worldwide and praise from both underground tastemakers and major publications.

Their previous album, We Are Doomed, received 4 stars in Kerrang!, reached No. 4 in the Doom Charts, and proved eerily prophetic: an apocalypse-themed record released just as the first wave of the global pandemic brought the world to a halt.

“We’re looking forward to touring Universal Heat Death*, and hope no cataclysmic world events stop us this time,” laughs bassist Andy Haines.

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