Darkwave duo, Johnathan|Christian return with ‘Where Do We Go From Here’—a brooding, cinematic post-election anthem that captures the emotional wreckage of a divided nation. The track opens in hushed reflection (90 BPM) and erupts into a 125 BPM pulse of unrest and reluctant clarity. No slogans. Just aftermath.
The video integrates footage from Maya Deren’s At Land—a woman lies on a beach, disoriented yet unbroken, before rising with quiet resolve. What begins in poetic isolation transforms into documentary collapse: flickering headlines, divided families, shuttered classrooms, and hands reaching—but not always finding. It opens with: “We Still Remain.” It ends with: “WE STILL RISE.”
“We didn’t want spectacle—we wanted aftermath,” says the band. “No fire. No fury. Just a reckoning in the ruins.”
Included in the release are: a 125 BPM DJ Edit for live mixing and DJ sets, and remixes by industrial supergroup, The Joy Thieves and Stoneburner’s Steven Archer. Also included is the track, ‘Fall from Grace’ – a short, ghostly instrumental layered with static and decay; a requiem for what was, and a reflection on what remains.
For fans of Peter Murphy, Human Drama, Laibach, New Order, and politically-driven dance stompers.
Electronic musician and vocalist Mari Kattman is known for her work as part of the electronic duo Helix as well as a solo artist in her own right. ‘Sharp Shooter’ is the second single to be teased from a new album entitled Year Of The Katt, her debut full-length solo release for Metropolis Records (and third overall), which is scheduled for release on 20th June.
“‘Sharp Shooter’ explores the theme of an intelligent soul that navigates to painful circumstances for the chance to grow. No shots missed”, states Kattman. The song follows the recent ‘Anemia’ STREAM, which drew a parallel between vampiric exploitation and the weakness often suffered by those living with the condition.
Of the new album as a whole, she explains that “finishing it was a truly herculean effort. It was an album completely recorded, composed and produced by myself, so there were a lot of learning curves and things I needed to sort out before I was truly happy with the end product. I feel relief and enormously proud that I got it done.” One of the most captivating artists on today’s electronic music scene, Kattman has been writing, recording, producing and performing since 2012. She has collaborated with the likes of Assemblage 23, Mesh, Ivardensphere, Jean-Marc Lederman, Psy’Aviah, Aesthetiche, Neuroticfish, BlackCarBurning, Cassetter, This Morn Omina, Solitary Experiments, Mephisto Walz, Aiboforcen, Interface, Comaduster and more.
Kattman’s impressive resumé of vocal contributions for these acts bely her own talents as a songwriter and producer. Singles such as ‘Fever Shakes’, ‘URGOD.AI’ and ‘Swallow’ have already demonstrated her prowess in crafting hook-laden, irresistibly catchy electronic songs tailor-made for the dance floor, where elements of Trap, Hip Hop, Electro, Ambient, EBM and Industrial music interplay with her powerfully distinctive voice.
Southern Italy’s riff-wielding power trio King Potenaz have officially signed to Majestic Mountain Records for the release of their highly anticipated sophomore album Arcane Desert Rituals Vol. 1, due out June 27th, 2025 on both vinyl and digital formats.
To mark the occasion, the band has just unleashed their blistering new single and video for ‘Rivers of Death’, a 10-minute descent into fuzzy doom, psychedelic dread, and scorched-earth riff worship.
“We’re back with a vengeance, unleashing our long-awaited second album, Arcane Desert Rituals Vol. 1! Says the band. "This is our heaviest, most intense work yet — a sonic onslaught that’ll blow your mind. We can’t wait for you to crank it up and dive into the chaos!”
With a sound steeped in the grimy tradition of Electric Wizard, Sleep, and Monster Magnet, King Potenaz blend occult doom, stoner fuzz, and eerie psychedelia into a swirling ritual of sound. “Rivers of Death” is the perfect first taste of what’s to come: hypnotic, devastating, and weird in all the right ways.
After the announcement and pre-order start of their sophomore album Waving at the Sky and the release of their first single ‘The Malevolent’ featuring Ross Jennings from Haken, Norwegian prog rockers AVKRVST reveal their second offering – ‘The Trauma’.
Simon Bergseth, vocalist, shares about ‘The Trauma’:
“‘The Trauma’ is the heart of the story— the origin of everything. A harrowing act triggered a wound that never should have been inflicted. This is where it all begins.“
The single comes with a brand-new music video in established AVKRVST aesthetics – a continuation of the story of the lonely, bleak soul in the cabin. Watch the video here:
Greek-Finnish doom metal collective Aeonian Sorrow has unveiled the official video for ‘Harbinger of Ruin’, taken from their brand-new EP From The Shadows, out now on all platforms.
‘Harbinger of Ruin’ puts the band’s signature blend of sorrowful doom and enchanting melodies on full display, a slow-burning, emotionally devastating track that channels themes of isolation and grief.
AA
Released in late March, ‘From The Shadows’ marks Aeonian Sorrow’s latest chapter, following their acclaimed debut album Into The Eternity A Moment We Are (2018) and the A Life Without EP (2020). After touring with Swallow the Sun and Oceans of Slumber, and navigating lineup changes, the band returned with renewed purpose, delivering one of their most intimate and emotionally raw works to date.
The EP sees Kill Your Boyfriend experimenting with new sounds that lean towards electronic music, creating a more rarefied space for the guitars while maintaining the dark atmospheres that distinguish them. It features 6 songs drawing inspiration from past greats such as Kraftwerk, Moroder, and New Order, while also keeping an eye on artists like the Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk, and Paul Kalkbrenner.
Kill Your Boyfriend have confirmed a series of European live dates in May and September this year, with more to be announced soon.
Fri 30 May - PMK – Innsbruck, Austria w./ New Candys
Sat 31 May - Rockhaus – Salzburg, Austria w./ New Candys
mclusky released their first album in 20 years, the world is still here and so are we, last week. they’re sharing another video today which is directed by remy lamont, and that’s for the track ‘autofocus on the prime directive’, which is one of the songs from that album. there are also a lot of live dates coming up which you can look at below if you like.
falco offers; “autofocus on the prime directive is a series of patently untrue statements set to music by a man who can barely dress himself. the title is not a reference to star trek in any way but if it was I hope you’d understand.”
San Francisco punk rock band M.U.T.T. has unleashed their blistering new single ‘Runnin’ with the Devil’ a snarling anthem about embracing sin, seizing chaos, and stepping into the Devil’s shoes to rule the underworld. And the band isn’t stopping there. M.U.T.T. has also announced their brand-new LP, Toughest Street In Town, dropping June 20 via Quiet Panic Records.
The new album is a love letter to the band’s gritty San Francisco neighborhood—a place many outsiders fear, but where M.U.T.T. finds their strength.
Frontman John Jr. says, “I don’t fear my neighborhood, I am inspired by it. I find myself thriving in the mayhem. I walk around the blocks at night ’cause I know I can take care of myself. You gotta have a tough presence and a tough mind in order to survive in this part of the city. Some of you couldn’t last a week on my street. Maybe that’s why I love it so much.”
‘Runnin’ with the Devil’ captures that raw energy and streetwise perspective in full force. As No Echo puts it, the song sounds “like Appetite-era Guns N’ Roses trying to channel the Circle Jerks”—a perfect storm of sleazy glam rock swagger and unfiltered punk attitude. It’s rock ‘n’ roll that doesn’t compromise your punk cred.
Formed from the remains of the critically acclaimed band Culture Abuse, M.U.T.T. includes John Jr., Matt Walker, Isa Anderson, and Shane Plitt—four ex-touring punks with empty pockets and no plans to slow down. Their debut LP Bad To The Bone made noise across underground circles and was praised for its unrelenting, four-chord punk anthems and gritty authenticity.
With Toughest Street In Town, M.U.T.T. continues their journey—hardened, loud, and fiercely loyal to the place that raised them.
NYC-based producer indie music veteran Charlie Nieland presents his new single ‘Drown’, a stunning reverb-laced offering and the first taste of his forthcoming The Ocean Understands EP, set for release on June 20. The expansive and visceral music video was directed by NYC-based multi-faceted artist Hypnodoll.
“The track ‘Drown’ was inspired by Monique Vescia’s book Hole In The Sky, which I read for the Bushwick Book Club songwriter series in 2021. It depicts a dark world, where an authoritarian won the US presidential election of 2020. So I made this mythical tale from the past, told in the future, where all the stories are jumbled up – a celebration of destruction,” says Charlie Nieland.
“Of course, it all feels quite prescient as we sift through our present wreckage, searching for grace in the violent forces underneath. It’s a white-hot psychedelic siren song with an oceanic undertow.”
It’s been four years since Nieland released his 2021 widely acclaimed Divisions with its sweeping melodies and restless rhythms. Renowned for tastefully blending post punk, dream pop and progressive rock, he has been writing, playing and producing music for decades, with a focus on the atmospheric and the imaginative. Nieland’s musical backstory is extensive, having played dream pop with Her Vanished Grace for over 20 years before establishing himself as a solo artist with a mix of nuanced songwriting and sonic exploration, initially releasing Ice Age (2014) and Hopeful Monsters (2016). He is currently half of the literature-inspired songwriting and performing duo Lusterlit with Susan Hwang and produces and participates in the podcast ‘An Embarrassment of Prog’.
Along the way, Charlie wrote and produced material with such notable artists as Debbie Harry, Rufus Wainwright, Dead Leaf Echo, Blondie and Scissor Sisters. He scored the feature film The Safety of Objects (starring Glenn Close), the pilot episode of ‘The L Word’ on Showtime and the VH-1documentary NY77: The Coolest Year in Hell. Charlie was awarded a Gold record (UK) for his production work on Blondie’s ‘Greatest Hits Sight & Sound’ and achieved a Top 10 Billboard Dance Chart Position with Debbie Harry’s single ‘Two Times Blue’, which he co-wrote and produced.
Charlie Nieland shares his impression of the accompanying video: “With its mind-melting imagery, the video for ‘Drown’, created by NYC multimedia artist Hypnodoll, is beautiful and deranged. She conjures storytelling just out or rational reach, playing tag with the ancient and futuristic in a way that perfectly compliments the song. Collaborating with her is such a thrill”.
Portuguese heavy sludge hitters Vaneno have just dropped the official video for ‘Sludgehammer’, the crushing second single from their forthcoming album Chaos, Hostility, Murder, due out May 26 on Raging Planet Records.
Shot in black and white, ‘Sludgehammer’ embodies everything Vaneno stands for: heavy, unrelenting riffs, cavernous grooves, and a primal energy that feels like it could destroy entire brick walls. The track delivers a punishing blend of sludge, stoner, and death metal, the kind of sound that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go.
Aural Aggravation 