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.
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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!”
Canadian dark electro artist S1R1N has unveiled the new single and video, ‘Voodoo Doll’.
‘Voodoo Doll’ is, at its core, a song about self-destruction and destructive relationships. The lyrics describe an effigy, a doll that the protagonist has created. This doll is the most precious thing in their world, as they love it with abandon, but it also becomes the target of their anger and rage and destructive behavior. As it often is in life, people hurt those whom they love the most, and it is no different in the relationship with the self.
The story also serves as a metaphor for the artistic process, as the journey of creation involves placing one’s heart and soul into something, all of the love and positive emotions that one feels, as well as all of the suffering and pain . The sound palette used to create the song calls to mind a creepy yet melodic aesthetic reminiscent of horror film soundtracks.
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The music video for ‘Voodoo Doll’ was very much inspired by the surreal yet gritty aesthetic of the music videos of the late 90’s and early 00’s. It was filmed in several abandoned buildings including a Victorian Insane Asylum and a Tuberculosis Sanatorium. The symbolism of these places, as well as the imagery of dolls and the bloody white clothes worn by Morgan in the video call to mind themes of lost innocence, and the corruption of the inner child. This is especially exemplified by the scenes in the video where dolls are destroyed. Both the song and video are intended as a cathartic experience for both the artist and audience.
French black/death metal entity Bliss of Flesh has dropped the ‘The Awakening,’ accompanied by a gripping music video, as the first preview from their forthcoming fifth record, Metempsychosis — Life or the Pact with Death (EN). The most introspective entry in Bliss of Flesh’s discography, this album, scheduled for 17 October 2025 via Black Lion Records on CD, vinyl, and digital, continues the band’s tradition of weaving music into vast conceptual frameworks. Metempsychosis is defined as the transmigration of the soul after death from one body to another.
Of ‘The Awakening,’ Bliss of Flesh explains: “This piece expresses the moment when the individual becomes aware of their state and the new environment revealed to them, imbued with decrepitude and fatalism. ‘The Awakening’ is an introspective monologue between the individual and the inner forces that drive and consume them, allowing them to transcend themselves and finally overcome the fatality that gnaws at them, to bargain and seal the pact that will allow them to regain control of their existence at the twilight of this new life.”
UPCOMING LIVE APPEARANCES Gorgoroth “33-Year Anniversary Tour 2025 Part II” – Northern Europe w/ Carved Memories, Shemhamforash 16.10.2025 – Roskilde, DEN / Gimle 17.10.2025 – Flensburg, GER / Roxy Concerts 18.10.2025 – Malmö, SWE / Plan B 19.10.2025 – Göteborg, SWE / Monument 20.10.2025 – Stockholm, SWE / Kollektivet Livet 22.10.2025 – Jyväskylä, FIN / Lutakko 23.10.2025 – Helsinki, FIN / Anniwalli 25.10.2025 – Tallinn, EST / Tapper Club 26.10.2025 – Riga, LAT / Melna Piektdiena
Festival Appearances: 14.11.2025 – Metal Earth Fest, Brest, FR 07.02.2026 – Douceur Noire Fest, Crosne, FR
HOWLING GIANT reveal the video clip ‘Beholder I: Downfall’ as the next single from the cosmic stoner metal outfit’s forthcoming album Crucible & Ruin. The third full-length by the Nashville, Tennessee band has been slated for release on October 31, 2025.
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HOWLING GIANT comment: “Our current single ‘Beholder 1: Downfall’ is a riff-driven heavy hitter, and in my opinion is one of the heaviest songs on the record”, bass player and co-vocalist Sebastian Baltes states. “It was a pleasure to collaborate with Jerry Roe again on the video, having previously worked with him on the clip for ‘Glass Future’. It has been particularly exciting for me to follow the journey of this song from its inception with a simple riff to a full blown song and the making of the video. I can hardly wait for you all to hear this track live!”
Skål! German death metal militants SCALPTURE unleash the new video clip ‘Schwedentrunk’ in the wake of the release of their new full-length Landkrieg (‘Land Warfare’), which hit the world hard on March 7, 2025.
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The title ‘Schwedentrunk’ (‘Swedish Drink’) refers to a torture method, which was allegedly used at first by the troops of Gustav II Adolph, King of Sweden but got quickly adopted by all marauding troops ravaging the German lands during the 30 Years’ War (1618-1648). It was executed by forcing liquid manure and sewage down the throats of its victims.
The video clip was partially shot during SCALPTURE’s release show at Rare Guitar in Münster, Germany on March 7, and on the subsequent tour with CARNAL TOMB.
SCALPTURE comment: “The track ‘Schwedentrunk’ has quickly grown into a favourite both of the band as well as during our shows since Landkrieg was released in March”, guitarist Felix Marbach writes. “Much of the footage was shot at our release show and also during the tour with Carnal Tomb. The live video captures the raw ferocity on stage, but it is also a reminder of the intense time that we were able to share with so many of you. With some summer festivals on the horizon, we are going to pick up right there, where we left off.”
Fascinating metal innovators DORDEDUH have unveiled a new live video for the track ‘Timpul întâilor’, which was recorded during their show at the prestigious ProgPower Europe festival at the Sjiwa in Baarlo, the Netherlands in 2023.
While the Romanians were playing, their compatriot and renowned artist Costin Chioreanu created a live painting at the venue, which was directly inspired by the music. His artistic process was projected onto the backdrop behind the band.
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DORDEDUH comment: “First I need to mention that ProgPower is a very special festival with a particularly nice vibe to it”, frontman Edmond “Hupogrammos” Karban writes. “It is very intimate but feels like a big family meeting. There were great shows and great bands, but the afterparty at that castle-like hotel that accommodates both the musicians and the audience is something else entirely. We had a really great time there. Therefore, I am especially glad that we did something special there with our amazing friend of so many years now, Costin Chioreanu. Everybody involved deserves that and we are grateful for this opportunity. This kind of memory, this kind of beautiful moment will stay in our memories. Luckily, this one memory got immortalised for all to see in this video. Hopefully, you will enjoy it, too!”
The track ‘Timpul întâilor’ is taken from the album Har.
Now based in Lisbon, PIRAMID SCHEME returns with a seductive new visual for their single ‘Stains in the Sofa’, released April 17. The music video, now available on YouTube, reimagines the classic 1963 film Charade, using precision editing cuts to transform the romantic thriller into a fragmented dreamscape.
The track appears on the band’s upcoming EP, Shockwave Syndrome, out April 25 on Tall Short Records. Co-produced by the band’s lead & songwriter Lisa Said and Brazilian sound engineer Lucas Mirovski, the EP blends glam, garage, and psych rock influences with urgent lyrics and layered textures.
‘Stains in the Sofa’ leans into the cinematic through a retro-tinted lens. The video repurposes Charade (dir. Stanley Donen), a film now in the public domain, stitching together moments of tension, cheekiness, and estrangement in rhythm with the track’s infectious pull.
Shockwave Syndrome marks PIRAMID SCHEME’s third release and a bold new chapter for the band, now fronted live by Valentina Presley—the glam-charged, rock royalty performance persona of Lisa Said.
LUX INTERNA reveal the music video for the lush and warm track ‘No Arrow’ as the final advance single taken from the American dark folk innovators’ forthcoming new album New Wilderness Gospel, which is chalked up for release on May 2, 2025.
LUX INTERNA comment: “In ‘No Arrow’, a tangle of voices and moments meet, intertwine, and transform each other”, guitarist and singer Joshua Levi Ian explains on behalf of the band. “Here, it’s always 4:00 am. You’re stepping out of the roadside bar as the desert winds gently stipple flickering red neon with grains of sand, while the lights from the town in the valley shimmer below like ghosts in the darkness. Or perhaps you’re waking up in the Mojave heat and lighting a cigarette in the motel bed as you watch your sleeping lover bathed in shadows and the shards of electric light that creep in through the holes in the curtains. Or maybe you’re still driving, tired but full of flame, as the car’s headlights are continuously humbled by the vastness of a great nocturnal kingdom. Either way, you feel a mix of calm resolve and wildlife surging up inside you. Your body is awake, a beautiful animal of flesh and fire. It feels like everything that came before has intentionally led you to this moment. But you know that he’s out there, waiting and watching. And there’s a cold and calculating malice in his eyes. This thought used to terrify you. You would have done anything to shake him off your trail. But not anymore. Now you’re ready. You welcome the encounter. Now he’s the one that best beware.”
TAR POND are now unveiling the fierce video clip ‘BLIND’ as the first single taken from the Swiss doom visionaries’ forthcoming new album PETROL, which is scheduled for release on September 15, 2023.
TAR POND comment: “As an artist and part time filmmaker, I felt, once more, in the right place to take over the job of doing the video for ‘BLIND’, which proved to be a wise decision”, vocalist Thomas Ott writes. “Especially as there was almost zero production budget and not much time left to put something together. The result is a vibrant collage of moving or pulsing pictures. It is shot through the eye of a half blind, crazy man, running through a world you may call ‘HELL’ or simply ‘LIFE’.”
Watch the video for ‘BLIND’ here:
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Although PETROL is clearly drawing inspiration from US doom classics such as SAINT VITUS as way as going all the way back to the British roots embodied by BLACK SABBATH, there are also moments that connect TAR POND with contemporary doom acts such as ELECTRIC WIZARD and ACID BATH. At the same time, TAR POND also exemplify the stubborn streak of Swiss metal that displays a fierce individuality and creative independence as outstanding acts such as CELTIC FROST, CORONER, and ZEAL & ARDOR easily attest.
Going back to the crossroads of time, everything seemed to change when Martin Ain, bass player of the iconic CELTIC FROST and one of the founding members of TAR POND passed away in October 2017. Before this tragic day, the Swiss legend had already recorded the debut album together with the other founding members, the former CORONER drummer and lyricist Marky Edelmann, and the renowned scratchboard artist and vocalist Thomas Ott.
From Coma To Catharsis is the second full exploratory mission in the current five-piece incarnation of NYC / NJ-based instrumental ensemble, The Royal Arctic Institute.
At present, The Royal Arctic Institute comprises five musicians who have played extensively with other groups and/or as backing/session musicians: drummer Lyle Hysen (Das Damen, Arthur Lee, The Misguided), guitarists John Leon (Roky Erickson, Summer Wardrobe, Abra Moore) and Lynn Wright (And The Wiremen, Bee And Flower, Shilpa Ray), bassist David Motamed (Das Damen, Two Dollar Guitar, Arthur Lee, Townes Van Zandt), and keyboardist Carl Baggaley (Headbrain, Gramercy Arms).
What are the first things you would feel coming out of a coma? Would it be cathartic, a full release of all your emotions? What would that sound like? From Coma To Catharsis tries to capture that auditory experience replacing the steadfast emotions expressed on From Catnap to Coma with the sounds of dreaming, then awakenings.
All the pieces were created communally, deconstructing then reconstructing material mainly composed by guitarist John Leon with a couple written by other band members. McNew recorded the band in a live setting with no digital magic and minimal overdubs except for pedal steel work by John.
This record also highlights the band’s musical development after a further year of playing together. This includes songwriting contributions by Dave (‘Angleman’s Lament’), and Lynn (‘The Elated World’) as well as more input from Carl. “This is the third record I’ve played on,” explains Baggaley, “and on this one we really broke the songs down to the bones. I was able to bring in new influences like King Crimson-style mellotron and electric piano inspired by the late Billy Preston performances during the recording of the Beatles’ Let It Be album.” Besotted by 2021’s Beatles documentary series stemming from those sessions, Lyle draped his drums in tea-towels ala Ringo for the song ‘Passover Bucket.’
Regarding that same title, John says, “During the COVID lockdown, everyone’s kids were home and parents were scrambling and grasping at straws to entertain them. A Jewish friend of mine decided to celebrate Easter with her children to give them something to do. They were fascinated by the concept of Easter baskets. The following year, instead of Easter baskets, the children were given Passover Buckets to keep them quiet.”
‘K-Style Circuit’ provides a flavour of the album, and you can watch the video here:
Aural Aggravation 