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Banned in Belarus…

Posted: 13 January 2026 in Recommended Streams and Videos
Tags: Political, Protest, oppression, banned, censorship, Dymna Lotva, Opposition, Belarus, potest, Council of the European Union, extremist matrerials, clampdown

Having previously featured DYMNA LOTVA, we feel it appropriate to share in these increasingly dark and oppressive times…

Belarus expatriates DYMNA LOTVA have learned through opposition channels that some of their music videos have meanwhile been legally categorised as ‘extremist materials’ by a court in their home country.

For those interested in the political situation in Belarus, the Council of the European Union provides an official view: www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/belarus

DYMNA LOTVA released the following statement: “On December 8, 2025, several of our music and concert videos were officially deemed ‘extremist materials’ by a court in Belarus”, vocalist Katsiaryna “Nokt Aeon” Mankevich wrote. “This means that fans from our home country, who liked, reposted or commented on these videos in the past are now facing a real risk to disappear into a prison. The rule of law does not apply in Belarus. Just one like under a video that has only now been designated as ‘extremist material’ might mean time in jail. We are obviously worried about those that we had to leave behind at home when we escaped persecution by the regime. But personally we feel honoured to be listed alongside the best of Belarusian artists, writers, and musicians. To our knowledge, our songs ‘Zhyvi’ and ‘Death Kisses Your Eyes’ are the first music videos of the metal genre to be officially deemed extremist materials in Belarus. We also like the fact that the regime appears to be disturbed by our live shows. Long live Belarus! Fuck Lukashenka! Fuck Putin! Fuck dictators!”

Martin Koller comments: “It has always been the policy of Prophecy Productions to grant full support to every band on our roster and to offer a safe environment for their art”, the label founder and owner states. “We condemn any censorship of art and music in general and against Dymna Lotva in particular. We will do everything in our power to make their songs heard everywhere. Prophecy Productions stands firmly in support of freedom of expression and freedom of art. We reject censorship and political oppression, and we will continue to support Dymna Lotva without any reservation!”

At Aural Aggravation, we also reject censorship and political oppression, and would like to think our position on political matters is fairly clear on account of previous posts (and wonder if this is why the bombardment of hits to our home page from the US is entirely coincidental). As such, want to show our solidarity with DYMNA LOTVA.

Listen: Glory Black by sunn O)))

Posted: 13 January 2026 in Singles and EPs, Recommended Streams and Videos
Tags: Doom, Drone, Glory Black, Heavy, Mark Rothko, Metal, Official Audio, Robert Macfarlane, Single, Stream, Sub Pop, Sunn O))), Tour Dates

On Friday, April 3rd, 2026, sunn O))) will release their eponymously titled first full-length album for Sub Pop.

sunn O))) was co-produced & mixed by the band and Brad Wood (Hum, Tar, Sunny Day Real Estate, Liz Phair), and was recorded at Bear Creek Studios in Woodinville, Washington, January 2025. You can now listen to the album’s closing track, ‘Glory Black.’

Framing the album visually are two paintings by the late American artist Mark Rothko – one on the front cover and one on the back cover, with the art reversed for UK & European pressings. And, within the CD and LP package are expansive liner notes by author Robert Macfarlane, whose 2025 novel Is a River Alive? is one of many sources of inspiration for the album. And, illustrations by French artist Elodie Lesourd are also featured on the inner LP sleeves and accompanying album merch.

sunn O)) will tour in support of the album. Tickets for the below shows will go on sale to the general public on Friday, January 16th at 10am (local).

Wed. Apr. 01 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren
Sat. Apr. 04 – Austin, TX – Emo’s
Sun. Apr. 05 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall
Mon. Apr. 06 – New Orleans, LA – Civic Theatre
Tue. Apr. 07 – Atlanta, GA – The Goat Farm
Thu. Apr. 09 – Columbus, OH – The Bluestone
Sat. Apr. 11 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
Mon. Apr. 13 – Montreal, QC – Le National
Tue. Apr. 14 – Toronto, ON – 131 McCormack
Thu. Apr. 16 – Chicago, IL – Salt Shed
Sat. Apr. 18 – Iowa City, IA – Englert Theatre
Sun. Apr. 19 – Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room

Watch: ‘The Last Thing’ by Look, Stranger!

Posted: 12 January 2026 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
Tags: Broken EP, Electropop, Look Stranger!, music video, Post-Punk, Single, Sinners Music Records, The Last Thing

The original Look, Stranger!, who hailed from York called it a day in 2012, followed by silence…

The emergence of a new act called Look, Stranger! is not a continuation or a resurrection, but the debut release from a new act which sees Ian J Cole (who not so long ago departed Yorkshire to reside down south) pair up with Louisa Rose (who hails from York but also lives down south), with the name referencing the poem of the same title by WH Auden (also born in York)

‘The Last Thing’ is taken from the Broken EP out on Bandcamp via Sinners Music on 14th February.

The song brings hints of Depeche Mode but equally more vintage electronica, merged with some post-punk vibes, while the video offers dashes of James Bond and some retro-futuristic vibes. In all, it’s simple, but effective.

Listen: ‘Sacred Mirrors’ by Magic Wands with John Ashton

Posted: 11 January 2026 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
Tags: Dreampop, Electropop, John Ashton, Magic Wands, Metropolis Records, Sacred Mirrors, Shoegaze, The Psychedelic Furs

US dream-pop duo Magic Wands have released a brand new single entitled ‘Sacred Mirrors’. The song is a collaboration with guitarist John Ashton, best known as a member of the iconic post-punk rock group The Psychedelic Furs who played a key role in all seven of their album releases made between 1980 and 1991.

The group went on hiatus soon after and Ashton became a producer, working with Marianne Faithfull and The Sisters Of Mercy (he had also produced their classic 1982 single, ‘Alice’), but he remained with the Furs for another eight years following their reformation in 2000. He released the solo album Satellite Paradiso in 2016.

“I fell in love with Magic Wands via a friend who sent me some of their music,” states Ashton. “The songs immediately drew me in via the visions and emotions they imparted on my psyche. I was hooked and wanted more, finding it in songs like ‘Across The Water’ from their latest album, Cascades. To say I was inspired to write new music would be an understatement. I was recently interviewed for the Sticky Jazz podcast and mentioned that I had been listening to the new record, and it turned out the host was also a fan of the band and hooked me up! ‘Sacred Mirrors’ was inspired by their music and I am honoured to have been given the opportunity to collaborate with them on this.”

The feeling is mutual, with Magic Wands (Dexy and Chris Valentine) declaring that “we have always been fans of The Psychedelic Furs and John has a certain style of guitar playing that strikes its own emotional chord with us. We love his solo song ‘Invisible’, his production on ‘Alice’ by The Sisters of Mercy, and of course his incredible guitar work on Furs songs such as ‘Pretty in Pink’, ‘Dumb Waiters’, ‘Into You Like a Train’, ‘Heartbreak Beat’ and ‘Until She Comes’.”

Ashton sent an instrumental track already entitled ‘Sacred Mirrors’ to the band, who promptly added an additional guitar, keyboards, percussion and vocals, with Dexy adding lyrics and Chris then producing and mixing the finished song. “The song is based around John’s title but approached from a more spiritual perspective,” explains Dexy. “We are all sky gazers, so it includes imagery about the sky, sea, moon and stars. It’s a love song for outsiders about reflections and dreaming of endless possibilities. It has definitely inspired us to get back to writing from a lighter side rather than the shadow, which we dove deep into on both ‘Cascades’ and our ‘Switch’ album before that. We needed to be brought back to a more uplifting side of making music, and the DNA of John’s songwriting has helped us to do just that.”

Watch: ‘Obligations’ by IST IST

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

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

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 Singles and EPs, Recommended Streams and Videos
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.”

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