Canadian electronic music artist NEOKOSMOS is excited to drop a new single, entitled ‘My Heart Is A Wasteland’ via Portal label.
The Montréal-based artist comes back with an absolute wall of sound for the 4th single from this Full Moon series. This time, the project mastermind Aeon takes us through a journey of ethereal soundscapes that then lead to total chaos and destruction in a roaring chant of synthesizers. Filled with madness, this is an experimental industrial piece that leaves nothing in its wake.
Watch the official video here:
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NEOKOSMOS is the long-time coming audiovisual project of multi-instrumentalist and visual artist Aeon. For almost 15 years, he has obsessively put together the pieces one by one, exploring sound, image and scenography in a unique way that gives life to this vision of mystery and grandeur that is NEOKOSMOS. It is now time: enter the gateways to the ethereal, and experience the world of NEOKOSMOS.
‘Eddy Derecho’ is the first single from Chicago-based sonic collective Evidence of a Struggle’s second album, Eddy Derecho, which will be released in the spring of 2025.
W P C Simmons V (Rev. Billy), Matt Walker, Alan Berliant, Solomon Walker, and John Airo have worked for most of 2024 weaving a dense tapestry of sonic, musical, lyrical, and visual observations of what’s happening in our world now, what’s happened in the past and what may happen in the future.
Rev. Billy says, ”The music and videos we’ve created for this record have really helped us make sense personally, and as a collective of what’s going on in our world, how it’s effecting and affecting everyone regardless of their race, religion, color, ability, or socioeconomic standing. Maybe our music can help us recognize a better way to approach the idiocy happening in this world. The wars, inequity, inequality, pain, suffering, anger… maybe it can help everyone else really look at themselves a little closer and not become part of the problem.”
mclusky, masters of razor-sharp wit, jagged riffs and unrelenting energy, return with their first new album in 20 years: the world is still here and so are we (may 9, ipecac recordings).
today, mclusky previews the 13-song album with a two-song digital single: “way of the exploding dickhead” and “unpopular parts of a pig.” a cheeky video for “way of the exploding dickhead” directed by remy lamont, was released simultaneously. with a blistering mix of tightly wound aggression and wry humour, mclusky’s edge is as sharp as ever.
andrew falkous: "with a title modelled on/ripped off a formative video game (‘the way of the exploding fist’ on the zx spectrum), and lyrics inspired by the huge excitement caused by the surge pricing on tickets to see a band play well in the distance, ‘way of the exploding dickhead’ is a modern parable, without the parable bit.”
it’s important to state that the world is still here and so are we is the fourth mclusky album (no qualification being needed). they had an asterisk next to the name for a bit – out of respect for past band members and the precious memorial glue of teenage musical crushes – but fuck that, in for a penny, in for a pound. lyrically it touches on subjects as rich and as varied as work-it-out-yourself and impenetrable-inside-joke-for-the-band, but one thing is clear, all of the songs have different words. all hilarious joking aside, the best songs are about things without being precisely about them. mclusky endorse this sentiment. they positively insist on it.
Gothic Rock / Darkwave act THE AWAKENING presents ‘Haunting’, the latest taster of their eponymous album, out now on vinyl, CD, digitally and various limited-edition formats via Intervention Arts. With a music video in classic black-and-white format, ‘Haunting’ follows ‘Mirror Midnight’, which has amassed over 1.1 million views, establishing The Awakening’s return to its dark roots.
Now US-based, The Awakening was formed in Johannesburg, South Africa in the late ’90s as the creative expression of vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter ASHTON NYTE, anointed as ‘Johannesburg’s Bowie’ for his widely varying musical styles and theatrical performances. He calls this single “a celebration of old-school Gothic Rock, with a suitable dose of Post-Punk swagger and a wink at the camera. It’s probably the most whimsical song on the album. I wanted the video to capture some campy Horror B-Movie goodness, and I am very happy with the result”.
Canadian blackgaze solo-project UNREQVITED unveils the acclaimed new seventh full-length A Pathway to the Moon in full.
UNREQVITED comment: “This album represents the most significant sonic evolution in my journey thus far”, mastermind 鬼 writes. “With A Pathway to the Moon, I have embarked on a daring and novel exploration into a predominantly lyrical realm, diverging from the traditional Unreqvited sound. As we evolve into a touring band, this album was carefully crafted with the live performance in mind. These new compositions further elevate Unreqvited’s expansive soundscape, infusing it with grandiose anthemic refrains and vibrant, expressive lyricism.”
Finnish stoner rock titans KAISER have just released another thunderous new single from their forthcoming second album 2nd Sound, which is set to be released on March 7, via Majestic Mountain Records.
Titled ‘Awaken Monster,’ this new track premiered at Decibel Magazine, who praised the track stating: “With a sound that stands tall and proud in the center of the sun-baked desert fuzz/soulful British electric blues/thunderous doom thrash Venn diagram, the trio from Helsinki come out swinging with their latest work.”
The band had this to say about the track: “This song was crafted in the wake of the world reopening after the long, isolating shadow of the Covid era. It captures the essence of reclaiming all that was lost or deferred during those times. More than just a song, it’s an anthem about awakening from a state akin to death, to truly live once more. It’s about the rebirth of experiences, the joy of connection, and the triumphant return to life’s vibrancy that we feared might be gone forever.”
Formed in 2013, the band — Otu (guitar/vocals), RiQ (drums), and Pex (bass) — has steadily carved their own path through the Finnish rock scene with their signature sound, influenced by the likes of Kyuss, Sleep, and High on Fire.
European post-punk stalwarts Pink Turns Blue present their new single ‘Dancing With Ghosts’ and accompanying video, confronting the agonizing reality of toxic relationships, those soul-draining connections we often share with the people closest to us. It’s a raw exploration of the struggle to escape the "ghosts" of the past and the arduous, but ultimately liberating, journey toward self-preservation.
This is the third offering from their forthcoming album Black Swan, a term used for an unexpected event that, in retrospect, is rationalized as if one could have prepared for it. This record is set for release on limited edition vinyl, CD and digitally via Orden Records on February 28.
Earlier, the band shared ‘Stay For The Night’, a celebration of the postpunk – goth rock – darkwave community, and the lead track ‘Black Swan (But I Know There Is More to Life)’, the album’s only ballad, which delves into profound questions about existence, life’s purpose and the beauty of the world.
Today made up of Mic Jogwer (vocals, guitar), Paul Richter (drums) and Luca Sammuri (bass), Pink Turns Blue – named after a Hüsker Dü song – emerged in 1985 in the first generation of gothic rock. Their debut album If Two Worlds Kiss advanced the darkwave sub-genre while becoming a seminal post-punk album. Emerging from the fear and uncertainty of a divided Cold War Germany and inspired by Joy Division, The Sound and The Chameleons, they have since released a dozen full-length LPs and have become known for their trademark blend of post-punk, alternative rock and new wave.
Mic Jogwer shares, “An exclamation to escape a complicated relationship, ‘Dancing With Ghosts’ is a song about our difficulty of breaking out of an unhealthy bond. Some last a lifetime – and are not good for us at all. They suck all our energy, never give, always take. And whatever we do, it’s never right and never good enough. And since it’s often our best friend, mother, or sister, it feels like we owe them something, but every time we try to do something good for them, we just feel miserable and used. There is no easy way out, because whatever we do, we lose. These spirits will haunt us forever unless we challenge them and eventually manage to leave them behind. We’re Dancing With Ghosts.”
Watch the video for ‘Dancing With Ghosts’ here:
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TOUR DATES
Apr 04 Hamburg, Germany @ Fabrik Apr 05 Münster, Germany @ Gleis 22 Apr 11 Leipzig, Germany @ Moritzbastei Apr 12 Cologne, Germany @ GEBÄUDE 9 Apr 25 Stuttgart, Germany @ clubCANN Apr 26 Hannover, Germany @ Musikzentrum Hannover May 09 Rüsselsheim, Germany @ Das Rind May 10 Bochum, Germany @ Bahnhof Langendreer May 16 Bremen, Germany @ Tower Musikclub May 17 Berlin, Germany @ Lido May 23 Nuremberg, Germany @ Club Stereo May 24 Munich, Germany @ Hansa 39, Feirwerk Jun 28 Izegem, Belgium @ Cultuurhuis De Leest Aug 28 – Philadelphia PA @ Milkboy Aug 29 – Brooklyn NY @ AMOC – Brooklyn Made Aug 30 – Boston MA @ Sonia Aug 31 – Montreal QC @ Casa Del Popolo Sept 4 – Toronto ON @ Baby G Sept 5 – Detroit MI @ Smalls Sept 6 – Chicago IL @ Bottom Lounge Sept 7 – Columbus OH @ Rumba Sept 10 – Nashville TN @ East Room Sept 11 – Atlanta GA @ The Masquerade Sept 12 – Charlotte NC @ Snug Harbor Sept 13 – Orlando FL @ Conduit Sept 14 – Miami FL @ Gramps Oct 31 Whitby, UK – Whitby Pavilion Theatre
The final pieces are slowly unveiling: Italian metal band Benthos are releasing their third single “As A Cordyceps” while revealing details for their upcoming sophomore album From Nothing, which will be released April 11th, 2025, via InsideOutMusic.
From Nothing offers a profound reflection on the meaning of life while exploring positive and negative imprints left by mankind, and how they have shaped entire societies in various aspects – artistic, cultural, and social.
The band shares about the album:
“We’ve poured our hearts and souls into From Nothing, and we’re beyond thrilled for you to hear it and connect with it in your own way. Creating this album encouraged us to experiment with new sounds and take risks that pushed our creativity to personal new heights. It’s been a wild ride, and now we’re finally ready to share it with you.”
‘As A Cordyceps’ follows on prior released singles ‘Pure’, and ‘Fossil’ which mark the first pieces of the upcoming record. The third single shows spaces where boundaries between humanity and nature blur in a symphony of wrath. Musically exploding with intensity and chaos while captivating all the same, ‘As A Cordyceps’ reinforces what listeners can expect to hear in the new album and showcases that From Nothing will present a journey worth listening to.
LO-PAN unveil the performance video ‘Ozymandias’ as the next advance single taken from the American hard rockers’ forthcoming album Get Well Soon. The new full-length from the long-running foursome from Columbus, Ohio will hit the streets on April 4, 2025.
The title ‘Ozymandias’ refers to the Greek version of the name of the Egyptian warrior-pharaoh Ramesses II, which inspired a sonnet by English Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley as well as the mass-murdering antagonist of the acclaimed graphic novel Watchmen (1986) by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons.
LO-PAN comment: “We wrote ‘Ozymandias’ as the last song for the album and when I came up with these riffs, I immediately knew that they belonged on this record, and the rest of the guys ultimately agreed”, guitarist Chris Thompson states, while drummer Jesse Bartz explains the most striking visual aspect of the video: “Our female parental units are the true rockstars in all of our lives. This video was an amazing experience and a great opportunity to bring them all together and to celebrate our music.” Jeff Martin gets the final word: “Basically, this song is about acknowledging the impermanence of power and also the existence of objective truth”, the vocalist adds. “Just take a look around at global events, if you need examples.”
Maud the moth, the solo project of Spanish-born and Scotland-based pianist, singer and songwriter Amaya Lopez-Carromero shares ‘Exuviae’, a final preview from her forthcoming album, The Distaff, to be released via The Larvarium (digital +CD) and La Rubia Producciones (vinyl), with Woodford Halse/Fenny Compton contributing a tape release on 21st February 2025.
Amaya has long used the mantle of Maud the moth as an alter-ego, a séance-like conduit to explore themes of rootlessness, identity and trauma. The Distaff in particular refers to the stick or spindle onto which wool or flax is wound for spinning, and an object which has historically been used across multiple cultures as a symbol wielded by the “virtuous woman”, an authoritarian ideal around which much of the trauma surrounding the feminine coalesces. The album takes the form of a sort of self reflective and surreal autobiography. It was in part inspired by the poem of the same name written by the Greek poet Erinna, as she mourns her friend’s loss of individuality and agency in exchange for marriage – and therefore safety and acceptance in the eyes of society.
About the track ‘Exuviae’, Maud the moth says;
“’Exuviae’ was written at dawn, after a sleepless night where defeat felt raw and hyperreal. The summer in Scotland is strange and the sun barely sets; A soft blue glow substituting night and weighing your chest down. Through the window, I could see the sky being torn and felt myself split.
Aural Aggravation 