Photo Credit: Chantik Photography

Post-black metal phenomenon GAEREA will tour the UK in September, in support of their incredible upcoming album Loss (20th March, Century Media). 

Dates as follows:

11.09.26 Manchester – Club Academy
12.09.26 Nottingham – Recue Rooms
14.09.26 Glasgow – Slay
15.09.26 Leeds – Brudenell Social Club
16.09.26 Bristol – The Fleece
18.09.26 London – Islington Assembly Hall

The band comment: "This is by far one of our most anticipated runs in 2026 under the new album Loss. The UK has been a powerhouse for GAEREA since the very beginning, bringing us some of the most beautiful and intense fans we have. After such a massive reaction at Damnation Festival earlier this year, we knew we had to come back with a bigger production, bigger set and of course, with these new songs from the new era."

Watch GAEREA's most recent single 'Nomad' here: https://youtu.be/OL-aRFJohIA

GAEREA are nothing short of a beautiful enigma rooted in musical extremity and utter passion. In under a decade, the masked collective, born in the Portuguese town of Porto, have navigated countless darkened shades of metal to arrive at their fifth album and Century Media debut, Loss.

Loss is the sound of GAEREA continuing to define and redefine itself, incorporating elements of the band’s post-black metal past with the sharpened sonics and haunting melodies. It finds GAEREA emerging from creative chrysalis and bursting into something as engaging as it is unexpected: There’s singing. There are choruses as catchy and passionate as the best rock and metal songs. Yet, through the emotionally charged din, it’s unmistakably GAEREA.
 
Recent months have seen GAEREA bringing their energised and expressionistic live show to stages all over Europe, headlining to sold out crowds as well as festivals including Czech’s Brutal Assault, Belgium’s Alcatraz and Germany's Summer Breeze. 

GAEREA will perform Loss in its entirety at the following two exclusive release shows:
20 March 26 (BE) Brussels - Botanique; tickets
21 March 26 (NL) Amsterdam - Melkweg; tickets

The band are also confirmed for various festivals and shows in the summer:
12 June 26 (CZ) Hradec Králové - Rock for People
13 June 26 (DE) Munich - Technikum
14 June 26 (IT) Ferrara - Ferrara Summer Fest
15 June 26 (IT) Milan - Q-Hub
16 June 26 (CH) Aarau - Kiff
20 Jun 26 (FR) Clisson - Hellfest
21 Jun 26 (BE) Dessel - Graspop Metal Meeting
23 June 26 (DE) Cologne - Club Vola
25 June 26 (DE) Hamburg - Bahnhof Pauli
27 Jun 26 (NO) Oslo - Tons of Rock
03 Jul 26 (ES) Viveiro - Resurrection Fest
17 Jul 26 (DE) Weil am Rhein - Baden in Blut Fest
04 Aug 26 (FR) Seignosse - LE TUBE (w/ In Flames)
05 Aug 26 (ES) Pamplona - Totem Club
08 Aug 26 (ES) Devilla - Pandora
13 Aug 26 (FR) Carhaix-Plouguer - Motocultor Festival
15 Aug 26 (DE) Sulingen - Reload Festival
19 Aug 26 (NO) Bergen - USF Verfet (w/ In Flames)
20 Aug 26 (NO) Tønsberg - Foynhagen (w/ In Flames)
22 Aug 26 (SE) Göteborg - Göteborg Brinner (w/ In Flames, Avatar, Dark Tranquillity, Raised Fist, thrown, Napalm Death and more)
28 Aug 26 (ES) Fuengirola - Sun and Thunder Fest

GAEREA online:
https://www.gaerea.com/
https://www.instagram.com/gaerea_
https://www.facebook.com/gaerea/
https://www.tiktok.com/@gaereaofficial

Tracklisting:

1. Luminary
2. Submerged
3. Hellbound
4. Uncontrolled
5. Phoenix
6. Cyclone
7. LBRNTH
8. Nomad
9. Stardust

Loss will be available in the following formats:
Ltd. CD Digipak in O-Card
black LP
Ltd. pink LP (300x) available from EMP, Supreme Chaos, Portuguese retailers, UK Indie Stores
Ltd. deep blood red LP (400x) available in France, from EMP, Evil Greed, Impericon, Supreme Chaos
Ltd. Side A/B split (yellow & red) LP (500x) available from gaerea.com
Ltd. transp. sun yellow LP (300x) available from GAEREA live
trans. orange crush LP (US version)
Ltd. red smoke LP (US version) (500x) available from US Indie Retailers
Ltd. gold black ice LP (US version) (500x) available from IndieMerchstore
Digital album
Digital album (Dolby Atmos)

Photo Credit: Long Branch Records

S8NT ELEKTRIC announce their debut album OFF THE EDGE, due out 20th March via Long Branch Records. Along with the announcement comes a brand new single called 'HOW 2 FEEL'.

Stream the single and pre-order the album here: https://s8ntelektric.lnk.to/offtheedge

S8NT ELEKTRIC have quickly become a force in the heavy music scene for their colourful and adrenaline-fuelled approach to the genre. They combine the upbeat, catchy melodies of pop music with brutal riffs and emotional guitar solos found in metal. S8NT ELEKTRIC are one of the few bands who blur the line between a band and a lifestyle brand. Known for pulling off insane stunts like truck surfing, skydiving, being circled by drift cars, and fire-spitting, their message OFF THE EDGE, has spread like wildfire. Their mission is to inspire people to live a life of adventure and to reject the age-old rock n’ roll cliche 'living on the edge.' Their goal is to be the band that glorifies growth instead of destruction and courage instead of comfort.

"'HOW 2 FEEL' is the first song that has really shown exactly what pop-metal is," say the band. "It’s the first song we’ve incorporated screaming as well, which really added to the track. The song is about who we are when things are not going our way. Who are we when life is giving us its worst? We all feel like this is where our sound was headed and we just made the mark. We’re so proud and excited to share this with everybody!"

S8NT ELEKTRIC are a unique band who felt totally out of place, with a message and sound doesn’t fit into the era in which they were born, or any era of the past. However this has become their strength, attracting an audience of misfits who value them much more than just artists; S8NT ELEKTRIC have become their way of live.

Founded by frontwoman and powerful lead singer Bri Carbajal, and guitarist, songwriter, producer Niko Tsangaris, the band have toured Europe every summer, opening for artists like Wolfmother, Mammoth WVH, MC5, Dirty Honey, and WARGASM, as well as playing huge festivals such as Bottlerock, Rockville, Prague Rocks, and Azkena Rocks.

S8NT ELEKTRIC are:
Bri Carbajal - Vocals
Niko Tsangaris - Guitar
Trey Baker - Drums
Sinner - Guitar
Harrison Forsythe - Bass

S8NT ELEKTRIC online:
https://s8ntelektric.band
https://www.instagram.com/s8ntelektric
https://www.tiktok.com/@s8ntelektric
https://www.youtube.com/@s8ntelektric

Track list:

1. OFF THE EDGE
2. CATACOMBS
3. HOW 2 FEEL
4. PEACE OF MYSELF
5. UNDER THAT SMILE
6. MIRROR_IMAGE
7. XTC
8. TAR
9. SEASONS OF YESTERDAY
10. THE RIVER
11. N.E.T.N. 

Louder Than Life returns to the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, 17-20th September 2026 for its 12th edition, delivering the largest lineup in the festival’s history and the biggest bill ever assembled by producer Danny Wimmer Presents. 

TOOL and Limp Bizkit join previously announced headliners My Chemical Romance and Iron Maiden for an incredible four days of music at Louder Than Life 2026.

America’s Largest Rock & Metal Festival will feature nearly 200 bands spanning all rock genres across seven stages, topped by:

Thursday, 17th September: Iron Maiden, Pantera, Megadeth
Friday, 18th September: My Chemical Romance, Pierce The Veil, A Day to Remember
Saturday, 19th September: Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach, Sublime
Sunday, 20th September: TOOL, Gojira, Danny Elfman

Saturday, 19th September will also feature one of the most prominent female-dominated stage lineups assembled at a major U.S. rock festival. The stage lineup will feature Halestorm, In This Moment, Lindsey Stirling, Orianthi, Icon For Hire, Kami Kehoe, and Diamante.

In addition, a Mystery Guest band will make their live debut at Louder Than Life and a Very Special Guest - one of the biggest heavy bands of the modern era - will be announced at a later date.

The full lineup for Louder Than Life is as follows (subject to change): My Chemical Romance, Iron Maiden, TOOL, Limp Bizkit, Pantera, Pierce The Veil, Gojira, Danny Elfman, The Prodigy, Sublime, Papa Roach, A Day To Remember, BABYMETAL, Megadeth, Danzig, Halestorm, Rise Against, Alice Cooper, Circa Survive, Ice Nine Kills, Jimmy Eat World, The Mars Volta, Mastodon, The Used, Bilmuri, Sabaton, Coheed and Cambria, The Pretty Reckless, Hot Mulligan, Taking Back Sunday, Sleeping With Sirens, In This Moment, Dance Gavin Dance, Chiodos, Black Label Society, Killswitch Engage, Anthrax, Ministry, CAVALERA (exclusive performance of the iconic Sepultura album Roots live for the first time in nearly a decade), Skillet, The Warning, Nothing More, Tom Morello, Lindsey Stirling, Dethklok, Black Veil Brides, Kublai Khan TX, Underoath, Alkaline Trio, Machine Head, Suicidal Tendencies, Chad Gray: Voice of Mudvayne & HELLYEAH – 30 Years of Madness, Starset, Badflower, Alexisonfire, Animals As Leaders, Thrice, LOATHE, Coal Chamber, P.O.D., The Home Team, Bowling For Soup, Thursday, We The Kings, From Ashes To New, Fit For A King, Sleep Theory, President, GWAR, Palaye Royale, L.S. Dunes, Atreyu, Lit, Get Scared, Set It Off, Blood For Blood, Sunami, Filter, Alissa White-Gluz, Soulfly, Between The Buried And Me, ERRA, Chelsea Grin, After The Burial, Lacey Sturm: The Voice of FLYLEAF, Toadies, Currents, Orianthi, Boundaries, Make Them Suffer, Metal Church, The Acacia Strain, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Holding Absence, HAYWIRE, Spite, Agnostic Front, Escape The Fate, Jutes, Emmure, ivri, Alien Ant Farm, Bodysnatcher, Scene Queen, Caskets, Rain City Drive, The Funeral Portrait, PeelingFlesh, Haste The Day, Holywatr, Locked Shut, Hail The Sun, Madball, I See Stars, Mushroomhead, Angel Du$t, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, The Word Alive, Jeff Hardy, Mac Sabbath, The Ataris, The Rasmus, Volumes, Wind Walkers, Twitching Tongues, Powerman 5000, The Barbarians of California, Emery, Maylene & The Sons of Disaster, Born of Osiris, H2O, Red, Josey Scott: The Original Voice of SALIVA, Adelitas Way, Thousand Below, Soil, Arrows in Action, Chained Saint, Zero 9:36, Elijah, Holy Wars, Butcher Babies, Nevertel, Dry Kill Logic, Icon For Hire, Kami Kehoe, Codefendants, Texas Hippie Coalition, Austin Carlile: The Original Voice of Of Mice & Men, The Pretty Wild, End It, Vana, Rivers of Nihil, Like Moths To Flames, Signs of the Swarm, Archers, KOYO, Primer 55, Emarosa, Gemini Syndrome, Shaman's Harvest, 200 Stab Wounds, 156/Silence, Missing Link, Fox Lake, sace6, Greyhaven, King 810, Many Eyes, Tantric, The Violent Hour, Dark Divine, Sent By Ravens, Showing Teeth, Earshot, TX2, Diamante, OTHERWISE, Doobie, He Is Legend, Aviana, vianova, Future Palace, Cane Hill, Corpse Pile, 40 Below Summer, Heavy//Hitter, Bodybox, Boltcutter, Resolve, Dreamwake, Gates To Hell, Death Valley Dreams, Set For Tomorrow, and Billy McNicol.

Some of the special appearances and reunions at Louder Than Life 2026 will include:
Pantera’s only U.S. show of 2026
Danny Elfman’s first show in the Eastern half of the U.S. in nearly a decade
One of Megadeth’s final farewell performances
Reunion sets from Circa Survive, Get Scared, Blood For Blood, Metal Church, Primer 55, Sent By Ravens and 40 Below Summer
Jimmy Eat World celebrating the 25th anniversary of Bleed American
Sleeping With Sirens celebrating the 15th anniversary of Let’s Cheers To This
Cavalera with an exclusive performance of the iconic Sepultura album Roots live for the first time in nearly a decade
A special pyrotechnic performance from Skillet
Chad Gray, the voice of Mudvayne and Hellyeah in a “30 Years of Madness” solo performance
Loathe in an exclusive Midwest performance
Alissa White-Gluz, the former voice of Arch Enemy & The Agonist in a debut show with her all-new band 
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus celebrating the 20th anniversary of Don’t You Fake It
Alien Ant Farm celebrating the 25th anniversary of ANThology
Red celebrating the 20th anniversary of End of Silence
Rare sets from Dry Kill Logic and Earshot
A comeback set from Gemini Syndrome
Hometown shows from Emarosa, Greyhaven, Tantric, Showing Teeth, Gates To Hell and Billy McNicol

“Last year, we took over Kentucky Kingdom and broke rock festival records. This year, we’re back to deliver the ultimate rock escape,” says Danny Wimmer of DWP. “Louder Than Life is your playground — ride the coasters, catch legendary and emerging bands, enjoy incredible food and bourbon, and dive headfirst into the rock experience you’ve been waiting for. It’s time to let loose and have fun. We’ll see you soon.”

In addition to the music, all Louder Than Life passholders will have FREE access to select amusement rides inside Kentucky Kingdom, which will be open exclusively to festival attendees.

New this year, Danny Wimmer Presents is also organizing the Louder Than Life Battle for the Big Stage competition, kicking off on 1st March, 2026. Bands can submit entries through 31st March using the link HERE. Leading up to the festival, viewers will be able to vote for who they want to see play Louder Than Life during Sunday episodes of the Space Zebra Show, airing at 6:30 PM ET / 3:30 PM PT on the DWP Twitch channel.

Fans in the Louisville area can celebrate the Louder Than Life lineup at the Official Lineup Announcement Party on Monday, 23rd February from 5PM-9PM at The Fox Den. Presented by Blackcraft and hosted by Bobby Schubenski and Josh Balz of Space Zebra, the event will feature live sets by SoulKiller, Nailwound, Actus Reus, and Wave Painter, custom cocktails, photo opps, vintage merch, giveaways and service fee free passes. All who attend will have a chance to win two GA passes.
 
Passes are on sale now at https://louderthanlifefestival.com/passes starting at $1 down. Options include:

4-Day GA 
4-Day VIP
4-Day Angel’s Envy Top Shelf VIP
Single Day GA
Single Day VIP
Single Day Angel’s Envy Top Shelf VIP
 
A very limited supply of Single and 4-Day Angel’s Envy Top Shelf VIP passes are also available for the most exclusive access and rockstar luxury amenities. And for fans who want to celebrate the biggest eight days of music in the United States, an Exacta Pass offers entry to back-to-back weekends in Louisville at both Louder Than Life and Bourbon & Beyond. Starting at $700 plus fees, an Exacta Pass is less than $88 per festival day. Find more info here.

Also new this year is the LoudINK Pass offering entry to both Louder Than Life in Louisville and Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival in Mansfield, Ohio 17-19th July, 2026. Find more details here.

And for fans that want the most music ever, there’s the new Traveler’s Pass that offers entry to Louder Than Life, Inkcarceration and Sonic Temple Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival in Columbus, Ohio 14-17th May, 2026. Find more details here.
 
For a fully immersive weekend experience, fans are encouraged to explore the Louder Than Life Home Bass Tent and RV glamping options; regular Car + Tent and RV camping passes are currently on a waitlist. Onsite parking for Louder Than Life at Kentucky Exposition Center will be available for purchase in advance of the festival.
 
All details on festival passes, including Jampack hotel packages, camping and parking passes can be found here.
 
Service fees on all pass purchases include a charity fee for the DWP Foundation, which will be supporting the following nonprofits in 2026: Dare to Care and Preston Area Business Alliance, plus more to be announced.
 
Louder Than Life draws fans from every state and many countries around the world, and passes sell out well in advance, so fans are encouraged to buy early to reserve their spot. The 11th edition of Louder Than Life in 2025 brought together over 240,000 fans and continues to retain its title of America’s Largest Rock & Metal Festival more than a decade after debuting in Louisville in 2014, marking a dedicated and ongoing partnership between the city and festival producer Danny Wimmer Presents.
 
Los Angeles-based Danny Wimmer Presents, one of the largest independent producers of destination music festivals in America produces Louder Than Life.
 
Louder Than Life is teaming up with an incredible lineup of partners for 2026 including Angel's Envy, Beatbox, Bud Light, Cutwater, Jack Daniel's, Old Forester, Red Bull, Tito's Handmade Vodka, and White Claw. Stay tuned for additional partners to be announced!

Louder Than Life’s Community Partners include Crowne Plaza, Galt House Hotel, Kentucky Proud, Kentucky Venues, Louisville Metro, Louisville Tourism, Louisville Marriott Downtown, and Team Kentucky.
 
To learn more about Louder Than Life, please visit:
Website: https://louderthanlifefestival.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/louderthanlifefestival
Twitter: https://x.com/LTLFest 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louderthanlifefest
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@louderthanlifefestival
#LouderThanLife

Photo Credit: Charlotte Alana Wool

Amulets, created by Portland-based audio/visual artist Randall Taylor, has unveiled their new single 'Black Sheep', the first taken from new EP Rem(a)inders, out 10th April via Pelagic Records.

Stream and pre-order here: https://orcd.co/amulets-blacksheep

Against a hazy analogue backdrop, ambient guitars reverberate and echo through the sonic landscape, creating a sensation of weightlessness that is both calming and unsettling. Melancholic and soaring, ‘Black Sheep’ evokes a presence of isolation and longing in the emptiness. Through patient unfolding, this minimalist, poignant atmosphere raises in intensity, deliberate in its unhurried movement, leaving room for each sound to breathe, evolve, and fade into the next.

Amulets’ new album Rem(a)inders marks his debut on Pelagic Records, a fitting home for a record that thrives in the liminal space between heaviness and fragility. Deeply immersive, the album navigates the dreamy boundaries between the tangible and the ethereal, where sound behaves as memory itself: unstable, layered, and quietly transformative. 

Randall Taylor's work uses analog tape and its imperfections to explore themes like degradation and nostalgia and their relationship to technology and to the self. By constructing and modifying tape loops and repurposing antiquated cassette players, Taylor creates dense, never-ending, looping soundscapes for both his live performances and sculptural sound art installations.

Known for his ability to weave soundscapes that evoke powerful emotions with minimalistic instrumentation, Taylor’s newest project is a masterful exploration of mood, atmosphere, and texture.

Taylor commented: “Rema(i)nders started as a fragmented collection of songs, memories, ideas, and feelings that I wanted to mash and warp together beyond recognition. What I ended up creating was a beautiful mosaic of texture and light in this darkening world. To remain is to remind. To remind is to remain."

Amulets online:
https://www.instagram.com/amuletsmusic
https://www.facebook.com/amuletsamulets

Track list:

01 - Paths of Acceptance
02 - Former Shells    
03 - Coiled (ft. Patrick Shiroishi)   
04 - Black Sheep  
05 - Slow Motion_Somnia
06 - RemainRemind

Photo Credit: Lina Glasir

While modern progressive metal force of nature JINJER are currently headlining some of Europe’s biggest venues on their first European and UK headline tour in six years, the Ukrainian four-piece today drops another massive announcement, further underlining their status as one of the hardest-working live bands out there.

Only a few months after hitting 31 cities across the continent, JINJER will return to Europe as a special guest to Spiritbox on their Tsunami Sea UK + EU Tour 2026. The tour spans 18 shows in total, kicking off on 12th September in Glasgow and wrapping up on 9th October in Paris. US hardcore band Dying Wish complete the bill as openers.

This isn’t just another tour announcement - this is a collision of two of modern metal’s most boundary-pushing forces. From groove-laden heaviness to soaring atmospheres and pure, unfiltered intensity, this lineup is built to shake venues to their foundations.

UK dates:
12.09.26 UK – Glasgow / SEC Centre Hall 3
14.09.26 UK – Nottingham / Motorpoint Arena
16.09.26 UK – Manchester / Co Op Live
17.09.26 UK – Cardiff / Utilita Arena
19.09.26 UK – London / OVO Arena Wembley

With Duél, JINJER cement their status as metal trailblazers, delivering one of their heaviest and most dynamic records yet. Produced by longtime collaborator Max Morton, the album has already racked up millions of views and charted internationally, including #2 US Hard Music and #7 UK Rock & Metal. Featuring standout tracks like 'Rogue', 'Green Serpent', and 'Tantrum', Duél showcases the band’s technical mastery and Tatiana Shmayluk’s unmatched vocal intensity.

JINJER are:

Tatiana Shmayluk - Vocals
Roman Ibramkhalilov - Guitars
Eugene Abdukhanov - Bass
Vlad Ulasevich - Drums

JINJER online:
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
INSTAGRAM
HOMEPAGE
NAPALM RECORDS

Duél tracklisting:

1. Tantrum
2. Hedonist
3. Rogue
4. Tumbleweed
5. Green Serpent
6. Kafka
7. Dark Bile
8. Fast Draw
9. Someone's Daughter
10. A Tongue So Sly
11. Duél

Duél is available in the following formats:
-1LP Gatefold SOLID RED BLACK SPLATTER Vinyl – strictly limited to 300 copies worldwide – Jinjer Shop exclusive
-1LP Gatefold CARTRIDGE GREY Vinyl – strictly limited to 300 copies worldwide – Jinjer Shop exclusive
-1LP Gatefold BLACK Vinyl
-CD Digisleeve + Shirt Bundle – Napalm Records Mailorder exclusive
-1CD Jewel Case
-Digital Album

The Veer Union have released their new album Reinvention today via Arising Empire.

Order/stream Reinvention here: https://arisingempire.com/theveerunion

With Reinvention, The Veer Union return sharper, louder and more focused than ever. The album doesn’t feel like a comeback, it feels like a band reconnecting with its core and pushing forward at the same time. Heavy, melodic and emotionally charged, Reinvention captures everything The Veer Union have built over years in the scene, refined into their most confident statement yet.

The album also marks the peak of an incredibly successful campaign cycle. Over the past months, The Veer Union rolled out a steady run of singles that kept momentum building, tracks like 'My Empire', 'Sea Of Fear', 'Caught In The Crossfire', 'Sunk Your Teeth In' and 'Meet Your Maker', each showing a different side of the band while staying unmistakably true to their sound. Each release pulled in more listeners, more attention, and more anticipation for what Reinvention would become.

That consistency paid off. With nearly 300,000 unique monthly listeners on Spotify, The Veer Union are proving that their reach is bigger than ever, connecting with longtime fans while constantly pulling in new ones across the global heavy scene. Reinvention isn’t about chasing trends or rewriting the past. It’s about evolution, resilience and rediscovering purpose. This is The Veer Union fully locked in and sounding stronger than ever.

Lost in Hollywood have released their new track 'Love Is Dying', taken from their upcoming self-titled album which will be out on 20th March via Arising Empire.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/hkLUaq0lN1c
Order/stream here: https://arisingempire.com/lostinhollywood

With 'Love Is Dying', Lost in Hollywood tap straight into the moment where everything starts to crack and they don’t look away. Featuring Philip Strand of Normandie, the new single blends crushing metalcore weight with a haunting melodic pull, balancing raw aggression and fragile emotion in a way that feels both intimate and explosive. It’s not a polished love song or a dramatic farewell, it’s the sound of something falling apart in real time. Philip Strand’s unmistakable voice adds a fragile contrast to the band’s relentless energy, turning the track into a tense back-and-forth between vulnerability and rage. It’s heavy, melodic, uncomfortable and exactly the kind of song that sticks with you longer than expected.

Catch the band live:
20.03. Release Show, Passage Kino Hamburg

Photo Credit: Brocarde

Multi-talented artist and bridge to the ether realm Brocarde has unveiled her unhinged cover of the musical classic 'The Sound Of Music'. Famed for marrying a ghost following a near death experience, Brocarde's musical and visual work is a true reflection as as mind-bending as her life story, and this version of a cinema classic serves as the perfect introduction.

Watch the video for 'The Sound Of Music' here: https://youtu.be/MPUVfwy7OhE

Produced by Chris Collier (Korn, Whitesnake, Mick Mars), stream here:

Brocarde commented: "'The Sound of Music' is a song that means a lot to me and it’s a fundamental part of my journey. I felt like I’d reached the point in my life where I had almost become a caricature. In a world of ghosts, there was a hollowness and emptiness inside me.

"In order to move forward, I felt I had to go back to the roots of who I am as an artist, and even who I am as a person. 'The Sound of Music' was the first song I learned to sing as a child. My nan used to play the piano and I used to sing it. I had a love, hate relationship with that song. I’d hide under the piano and refuse to sing it, hiding from the happiness, the conformity, or something else altogether.

"Ironically, singing that cover made me want to have my own voice and write my own songs and share my own story, and here I am after almost coming full circle.

"When my nan passed away, it was her dying wish for me to perform it at her funeral. I was an absolute wreck. I couldn’t sing the words, I could barely speak them. A few years later, I decided it was time to honour my promise.

"At the time, it felt like I was making a rock, metal version of a classic, timeless song. Now it’s so apparent that the way I sing it has nothing to do with genre, it’s my internal grief and anger attaching to each note with confusion and rawness, a sense of what was and what now is.

"I’ve hidden the song for a while now, almost afraid to confront it. But on a recent trip to Salzburg, I had a strange epiphany. I realised that we never lose who we once were, it travels with us each day, and subconsciously and vicariously we live our lives based on the people and moments that have shaped us along the way. So The Sound of Music is a combination of who I was, who, I am and a chapter in the story of what I desire to be”.

Brocarde is the creator of an enchanting world where dark, haunting aesthetics meet passion-fuelled lyrics and design. Brocarde is a dynamic storyteller who marries both music and fashion in an orchestral explosion, designed to make the ears and eyes bleed. A onewoman horror story, if centuries aligned, Brocarde could almost be the secret lovechild of Edgar Allan Poe and Sylvia Plath.

Brocarde arrived on the music scene in 2019 presenting her debut single 'Last Supper'. She was hailed as “One to Watch” by Planet Rock Magazine, and secured airplay on Kerrang!, Planet Rock and BBC Introducing.

Since then, Brocarde has gone on to gain the praise of some of rock music’s biggest stars, with Whitesnake’s David Coverdale hailing her as an “electrifying, creative new artist” and describing her as “powerful stuff!” Brocarde’s follow-up single, 'Love Me ’Til I’m Beautiful', featured drums by Korn’s Ray Luzier described her writing as a dynamic, theatrical adventure and hailed her as a future star.

Brocarde recently experienced life outside of our dimension, when she found herself being introduced to the spirit world. One dark, stormy night when she was struggling to sleep Brocarde was visited by Edwardo, the ghost of a Victorian solider. Edwardo wooed Brocarde, and after a short whirlwind romance the couple tied the knot on Halloween 2022.

This lead to appearances on ITV’s This Morning, Say Yes To The Dress and a regular paranormal column in The Daily Star. Following their divorce six months later, she made an appearance on First Dates on Channel 4.

Last year Brocarde’s world of horror and music collided when she was invited to do a ghost hunt at Download Festival, and she travelled to Germany to conduct a special seance in memory of Lemmy of Motörhead at Wacken Open Air. 

2026 will see the the launch of Brocarde’s debut album. After ten years in the making, she is set to share some of her most heartfelt songs, a musical story book of colourful emotions and experiences that have made her the woman she is today.

Brocarde online:
https://brocarde.com
https://www.instagram.com/brocarde
https://www.tiktok.com/@brocarde

US metalcore outfit Foreword have released their new single 'Self-Immolate' to mark the release of their EP Exposition, out today via Seek and Strike. 

Watch the video for 'Self-Immolate' here: https://youtu.be/Ph8-tOSbxeU

Listen to Exposition here. 

Blistering and unrelenting, 'Self-Immolate' captures one of the EP’s most volatile moments. Driven by punishing riffs and a suffocating atmosphere, the track confronts the destructive pull of inner turmoil, the instinct to burn everything down in an attempt to cauterise self-inflicted wounds, only to realise that once the fire starts, it can no longer be controlled.

“With ‘Self-Immolate,’ we wanted to return to an otherworldly visual space, similar to what we explored on the ‘Sandman’ video, but with significantly more heat involved,” the band explain. “The song is about giving in to the fire inside you and trying to cauterize the wounds you create, only to realize that once something is burning, it is no longer under your control. Naturally, we decided the best way to convey this was to film in a Texas warehouse with almost no ventilation.”

What unfolds on screen is as punishing as the song itself. Shot in suffocating conditions, the video captures the band performing amid oppressive heat, with the physical strain becoming part of the narrative.

“As expected, the conditions were brutal,” they continue. “The exhaustion you see on screen is completely real and no one was acting by the end of the shoot. Faces melting, patience wearing thin and the overwhelming heat all became part of the experience. In a strange way, that discomfort worked in our favor, turning the video into a very honest extension of the song’s themes and making the suffering feel earned.”

Often cited as a modern embodiment of classic early-2000s metalcore, Foreword lean into that lineage on Exposition but with sharpened edges and a wider sonic pallete. Across the EP, crushing rhythm-driven foundations collide with layered synths and cinematic atmospheres that allow the heaviness to hit harder. 

Foreword comment on the EP: "This EP carries a particularly personal weight for us as a band. It represents a moment where we allowed ourselves to fully lean into the sounds, textures and influences that have shaped us over the years, while still pushing our identity forward. A major source of inspiration came from modern gaming soundtracks, most notably titles like DOOM and Cyberpunk 2077, which encouraged us to think more cinematically and atmospherically in our writing.

“This EP means a lot to us because it feels real in a way that is sometimes scary. It captures a version of ourselves that is imperfect, searching, and still learning how to communicate honestly, both with each other and with the people listening. If someone connects with this music during a difficult moment in their own life, then the vulnerability it required was worth it.

“Thank you to everyone who gives this EP their time, their attention and their trust. We do not take that lightly, and we hope these songs meet people wherever they are and remind them they are not alone in what they are feeling.”

Exposition was recorded with producer Cory Brunnemann (Nonpoint, Upon A Burning Body, Zahna), whose collaborative approach played a key role in shaping the EP’s cohesive identity. Departing from their more prescriptive methods of the past, Foreword placed a higher level of trust in the studio process, allowing ideas to evolve organically.

“We brought Cory a wide range of ambitious and sometimes unconventional ideas,” the band explain. “His ability to translate our more chaotic and abstract concepts into something focused, impactful and consistent elevated the songs beyond what we feel we could have achieved on our own.”

Rooted in self reflection and internal conflict, Exposition documents moments of doubt, frustration, guilt and emotional tension as they were happening, rather than after resolution. The result is an immersive and deeply honest release that expands Foreword’s sound while preserving the intensity and emotion at its core.

For fans of Paleface Swiss, I Prevail and Landmvrks, Exposition marks a confident and compelling evolution.

Foreword are:
Vocals - Andy Alderson
Guitar/Vocals - Chris Se Cret
Guitar - Marco Gomez
Bass - Manny G

For more:
Instagram | Spotify

Track-list:
1. Shepard to the Black Sheep
2. Am I Dreaming (Wide-Awake)
3. Hunger Sickness
4. Read Between the Lines
5. Intimate Torment
6. Self-Immolate