Posts Tagged ‘Metropolis Records’

Watch: ‘Tosca’s Kiss’ by PIG

Posted: 9 March 2026 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
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Industrial glam kingpin Raymond Watts and his chief songwriting partner in swine Jim Davies (ex-Prodigy and Pitchshifter) are proud to announce that PIG has given birth to a healthy new album, ‘Hurt People Hurt’. Weighing in at 10 tracks, this latest addition to the PIG bloodline will be released into the wild on 22nd May 2026.

‘Tosca’s Kiss’ is out today as the album’s first single. Inspired by Watts’ well-known love of opera, it’s a song for the strong of stomach but not the faint of heart.

The album follows the dirt directly to the dustcart where misfits and reprobates can both lose and find themselves in this full fat emporium of ecstasy, naked words and momentous music. Plucked and sucked on the fruits of pain and bliss, this prime slice of PIG provides a light space for dark spirits. Enter bruised, leave changed.

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Raymond Watts has an impressive resumé. Aside from fourteen albums as PIG, he has worked with stalwarts of the global industrial scene such as Einstürzende Neubauten, Foetus and Psychic TV, in Japan with the bands Schwein and Schaft, and was a founder member of electronic rock band KMFDM with a key writing and vocal role on their best known songs of the ‘80s/’90s.

Watts has also written music for film, TV, advertising and fashion shows in Europe, Japan and America. His work in fashion includes ‘Punk: Chaos to Couture’ (Metropolitan Museum Of Art, New York) and ‘Plato’s Atlantis’ for the late fashion icon Alexander McQueen, which was reprised as ‘Savage Beauty’ (MMOA and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London).

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Listen: ‘Blood + Wine’ by SINE

Posted: 28 February 2026 in Singles and EPs, Recommended Streams and Videos
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Electronic artist SINE (aka Rona Rougeheart) has released a new single entitled ‘Blood + Wine’ on Metropolis Records. Modern and club-ready, and featuring a vocal that is playful, frenetic and seductive, it is an upbeat dance track with bold electronic basslines accented by sub-bass drops. “Creating this song was about capturing the tension of chasing something that always feels just out of reach; the feeling of an endless pursuit,” states Rougeheart.

Her first totally self-produced song, ‘Blood + Wine’ also marks a key moment in the evolution of the SINE sound. “There was little time to focus on making my new album in 2025, as I was often away on US tours with Clan of Xymox, PIG and Nitzer Ebb,” she explains. “However, being around them taught me a lot. Once home, I started applying the knowledge I had absorbed, which led to this new track. It became a first real test of self-producing, and I was genuinely happy with the result. I’m really proud of the progress I’ve made.”

Mastered by Mark Pistel (Meat Beat Manifesto, Consolidated), ‘Blood + Wine’ remains true to SINE’s self-described ‘electronic boom’ style.

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Originally from New York but based in Austin, Texas, Rona Rougeheart blends dance beats, sub-bass, rhythmic synths and industrial elements. Her live show as SINE blends high-fashion aesthetics with synths, drumming and vocals, led by a strong female-fronted presence and cinematic visuals that entertain and empower.

She has collaborated with Adrian Sherwood, Meat Beat Manifesto, Clan of Xymox, Chris Connelly (Pigface, Revolting Cocks), Mark Pistel (Consolidated), Andee Blacksugar (KMFDM, Blondie), Xiu Xiu and the late Mark Stewart (The Pop Group).

A multi-instrumentalist, Rougeheart has been endorsed by Gretsch Drums, Gibraltar hardware and Roland.

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SINE | Rona Rougeheart photo by Bobby Talamine

Listen: ‘Viral Decay’ by Dawn of Ashes

Posted: 27 February 2026 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
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The dark electronic/aggrotech act Dawn Of Ashes (DOA) have released a new single entitled ‘Viral Decay’ today. The second track to be issued from forthcoming new album Anatomy Of Suffering, it captures the ugliness, exhaustion and isolation of inner decay while fully embracing the classic DOA sound – harsh synths, aggressive rhythms and oppressive atmospheres – and paying homage to their genre’s old-school brutality.

“‘Viral Decay’ is a confrontation with inner darkness; not a glorification of death, but a sonic descent into mental corrosion,” explains DOA founder and frontman Kristof Bathory. “It explores the slow mental collapse caused by overwhelming despair and suicidal ideation. Through visceral imagery and repetition, it portrays a mind infected by hopelessness, emotional numbness and self-destruction, exposing the brutal reality of living inside a breaking mind.”

‘Viral Decay’ follows the recent ‘Penumbra (feat. Suicide Commando)’, a powerful collaboration with the veteran Belgian artist Johan Van Roy. Both songs are available on ‘Anatomy Of Suffering’, a new album by DOA out on 20th March. A darker, heavier, and more focused chapter in the group’s evolution, it brings together raw atmosphere with precision production and features some notable collaborations.

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Watch: ‘Wishing Well’ by Magic Wands

Posted: 21 February 2026 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
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US dream-pop duo Magic Wands have released a brand new single, ‘Wishing Well’. With an insistent rhythm and swirling guitars, plus a vocal that adds to its hazy atmosphere, the song sounds like an immediate post-punk meets shoegaze classic.

“The lyric came to me when I was a guest of a guest at a wedding one summer,” explains vocalist Dexy Valentine. “There was an obvious sense of excitement at the event, but I didn’t really know anyone there so I snuck off outside and sat by a wishing well fountain and started writing on a napkin. When we came up with the music for this song I thought these words would fit perfectly.”

Co-written and produced by Dexy with her partner Chris Valentine, ‘Wishing Well’ is the title song of an EP scheduled for late April. It follows the January release of ‘Sacred Mirrors’, a collaborative single with Psychedelic Furs guitarist John Ashton.

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MAGIC WANDS | photograph by John Charter

Watch: ‘Rock Me Amadeus’ by Love Ghost

Posted: 13 February 2026 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
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Founded by vocalist/guitarist Finnegan Bell, Love Ghost is an enigmatic Los Angeles-based act known for its distinctive blend of grunge, indie/alt-rock, emo, metal and trap rock coupled with mature, poetic lyrics. Their raw, energetic sound has earned numerous plaudits, while a series of collaborations with a wide variety of other artists have broadened the group’s cross-genre appeal.

Their version of ‘Rock Me Amadeus’, a global smash hit in 1986 for the Austrian musician Falco, is available as a single now. Turning the classic yet fun song into something darker with an industrial rock flair while preserving the pop brilliance of the original version, it is a must hear for any fan of Rammstein or Marilyn Manson.

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Founded by vocalist/guitarist Finnegan Bell, Love Ghost is an enigmatic Los Angeles-based act known for its distinctive blend of grunge, indie/alt-rock, emo, metal and trap rock coupled with mature, poetic lyrics. Their raw, energetic sound has earned numerous plaudits, while a series of collaborations with a wide variety of other artists have broadened the group’s cross-genre appeal.

The song is the second to be lifted from ‘Anarchy and Ashes’, a new EP out on 27th March. It follows ‘Vengeance’, an uptempo hard rock track with an anthemic quality released in mid-January, the music video for which has already racked up almost 300,000 YouTube plays.

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Listen: ‘Lighthouse’ by Hunter As a Horse

Posted: 31 January 2026 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
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Hunter As a Horse (HAAH) is the South African musician and vocalist Mia van Wyk. Based in the Western Cape, she has spent the last few years self-releasing a diverse series of singles and EPs that combine electronically-focused songs with intense, melancholic lyrics that are given a darkly cinematic production.

Having recently signed to Metropolis Records, the first HAAH single for the label is ’Lighthouse’, an extremely personal song that weaves together mythology and psychology. Inspired by Carl Jung and ‘shadow work’, it is about how only the broken can truly understand each other. “But, one who was broken and is now healed has greater power to lead the broken through the dark night of the soul because they know the territory,” explains van Wyk. “It’s like if someone who died came back to guide the lost back home. I’m ignoring every warning about how you can’t save someone and declaring that I can. It’s about fearlessly challenging somebody else’s demons.”

Seamlessly genre-hopping between alternative, indie, electronic and dream-pop, with diversions into alternative dance and even nu-goth, the songs of HAAH have been described as mysterious, apocalyptic soundtracks for the strange happenings of our time, with the UK newspaper The Guardian commenting: “Brings to mind the mesmerising atmospherics of Lamb and Zero 7. Dark and very lovely indeed.”

The song lyrics of van Wyk are a mystical ride through her strange and synchronicitous life. Deeply authentic, they are inspired by death, addiction, astral visions, CPTSD, melancholia, nostalgia and magical thinking.

Hear ‘Lighthouse’ here:

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HUNTER AS A HORSE | Mia van Wyk

Listen: ‘Rage’ by Damage Control with Leæther Strip

Posted: 30 January 2026 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
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Damage Control is an electro-industrial music project centred around its current core members Bill Barsby, Richard Thacker and Alex Wise, who are all based in Australia, plus Markus App from Germany. Both Barsby and Thacker are originally from Birmingham, England.

Having collaborated with a number of other like-minded musicians from all over the world on their well received 2017 debut album, Ultranoia, they have repeated the trick for its long-awaited follow-up, Oblivion Grid, a release date for which will be announced shortly. As with the first record, they have also retained the skills of Canadian producer Chris Peterson (Front Line Assembly, Noise Unit, Unit:187) and engineer Greg Reely (Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, Fear Factory).

‘Rage’ is released today as the first single from the new album and features the Danish musician Leæther Strip aka Claus Larsen on vocals. “We like working with guest singers and have always loved Leaether Strip since the early ’90s industrial and darkwave club scenes,” states Barsby. “We were curious to hear what the combination of our song, Claus’ vocal and Chris’ production would sound like.”

Peterson adds: “Ever since my first conversations with Bill Barsby over a decade ago that led to the first Damage Control album, I believed in the project and that he was making music from his heart that was something special. This is also the case the second time around and holds true with the artists we were lucky enough to have come on board; we all wanted to help and be a part of it. The result is a wonderful release with a variety of songs that is their best work yet. It is a testament to the creative spirit and joy of making and sharing music that attracted so many valuable contributors to lend their talents over the time it took to realise.”

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Listen: ‘Penumbra’ by Dawn Of Ashes featuring Suicide Commando

Posted: 23 January 2026 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
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The dark electronic acts Dawn Of Ashes and Suicide Commando have today released a collaborative single entitled ‘Penumbra’. It is the first track to be issued from a new album by the former, Anatomy Of Suffering, which is scheduled for release on 20th March via Metropolis Records.

The single arrives on the eve of an ‘Acts Of Destruction’ tour of the US west coast by Dawn Of Ashes that commences in Los Angeles, the city where the group was founded by Kristof Bathory at the turn of the millennium.

“‘Penumbra’ channels the raw intensity and atmosphere of early ‘00s dark electro-industrial music, evoking a powerful sense of nostalgia while remaining uncompromising in its aggression,” explains Bathory of his alliance with Suicide Commado (the Belgian artist Johan Van Roy). “This single sets the tone for what lies ahead and serves as a fitting prelude for the destruction yet to come.”

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

Posted: 11 January 2026 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
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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.”

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Listen: ‘OUBLIETTE’ by KMFDM

Posted: 13 December 2025 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
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Society is in a shambles, fascism is in fashion, and the Ultra Heavy Beat remains resolute and resolved to rise up and rip the system! 42 years of conceptual continuity and distinction through diversity, KMFDM are back, declaring themselves the ‘ENEMY’ with their 24th album! It is out on 6th February 2026, two weeks before the band begins a previously announced and almost sold-out European tour.

‘OUBLIETTE’ is out today (12th December) as the first single from ENEMY. From the French word ‘oublier’, meaning ‘to forget’, an oubliette is a dungeon with the only access being via a trapdoor in its ceiling. Perfect constructed from a captor’s perspective, detection and escape are more or less impossible. “A place to be forgotten,” the band simply state. “What nobody sees, nobody knows.”

Kommanded by the songwriting and vocal power of Sascha ‘Käpt’n K’ Konietzko and Lucia Cifarelli, and backed by the percussive onslaught of Andy Selway, KMFDM is now joined by London six-string slinger Tidor Nieddu bringing his own bold and vivid guitar flavours. Having hypnotised audiences on the band’s 40th anniversary tour with her rendition of ‘Professional Killer’, Annabella Konietzko also appears with her own hit-list on the explosive ‘YOÜ’, marking her songwriting debut with the group.

Never a band to take the easy path, ENEMY delivers some of KMFDM’s most stylistically challenging and politically scathing material yet; from the dance/rock melodicism of ‘OUBLIETTE’ to the darkened grooves of ‘CATCH & KILL’, the satirical brute force thrash of ‘OUTERNATIONAL INTERVENTION’ to the vicious and hyperbolic industrial metal of ‘L’ETAT’, and the funky throb of ‘VAMPYR’ to the cheeky dub of ‘STRAY BULLET 2.0’.

KMFDM keeps moving, dancing on the blood-dimmed tide, roaring as a rough beast to make noise against a world that demands the silence of ignorance. Join the Ultra Heavy Beat and make yourself the ENEMY of hypocrisy, discrimination and injustice!

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