Photo Credit: Akis Zaralis

Metal heroines NERVOSA unleash their new single 'Ghost Notes' from their upcoming album, Slave Machine, out 3rd April via Napalm Records.

Watch the video to 'Ghost Notes' here: https://youtu.be/MOy-DJ7GDj0

Pre-order Slave Machine here: https://lnk.to/Nervosa-SlaveMachine

'Ghost Notes' lets loose a storm of heavy, yet easily recognizable riffs, driven by impelling drums and the ever-so-furious vocals of Prika Amaral. Culminating in a powerful guitar solo, “Ghost Notes” shows yet another side of the versatile Brazilian thrash band. Once again working with producer Martin Furia of German legends Destruction for their upcoming release, the women bridge the gap between old-school power and critical modernity. NERVOSA are ready for a fierce new era.
 
NERVOSA commented on 'Ghost Notes': “Strong and heavy riffs with a lot of groove showing deep feelings in a very poetic way, this song is definitely special in many ways.”

NERVOSA unleashes another round of fury on their new album, Slave Machine, out 3rd April via Napalm Records. Their sixth album shows the Brazilian modern thrash metal band releasing their inner beasts at staggering speed and with formidable emphasis. Having performed at the biggest metal festivals worldwide, from Wacken to Hellfest, and making a lasting impression on fans and critics alike, NERVOSA aims to consolidate their standing as genre frontrunners. With founding guitarist Prika Amaral established as their new singer with their previous record, Jailbreak (2023), they tear through the scene with the force of a sledgehammer.
 
NERVOSA erupts as a metal volcano with their latest record. Never settling, always exploring, one staggering riff after another, Slave Machine is a crushing statement - it comes, sees, and conquers.
 
NERVOSA commment on Slave Machine: “Slave Machine is the most brutal and melodic album of NERVOSA, and we are proud to take this step further, keeping our roots.”

Twelve new songs show the five-piece exploring their crushing style in an enhanced way. Opening 'Impending Doom' builds up menacingly, using thunderous riffs and jagged drums to establish NERVOSA’s dominance in the scene.

The title track, 'Slave Machine', instantly turns up the speed and adds a surprising alternative bridge to the already catchy chorus, showing a slightly different side of the metal powerhouses. The following 'Ghost Notes' unleashes a storm of heavy, yet easily recognisable riffs, driven by impelling drums and the ever-so-furious vocals of Prika Amaral, crowned by an astounding guitar solo.

Through 'Beast Of Burden', NERVOSA shows their harshest side, while 'You Are Not A Hero' offers a grand chorus, gifting Slave Machine a true anthem. 'Hate' unfolds with raw brutality, and 'The New Empire' looks for destruction with melodic precision.'30 Seconds' rises up to new heights, while 'Crawl For Your Pride' combines NERVOSA’s trademark social criticism with gut-punching songwriting.

Throughout 'Learn Or Repeat' and 'The Call', the band once again sprinkles in some pieces of modern groove with old-school vibes before Slave Machine rears up one final time on the threateningly sinister 'Speak In Fire'.

NERVOSA are:
Prika Amaral – Vocals, Guitars
Helena Kotina – Guitars
Hel Pyre – Bass
Emmelie Herwegh – Bass
Michaela Naydenova – Drums
 
NERVOSA online:
WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
NAPALM RECORDS

Slave Machine tracklist:

1. Impending Doom
2. Slave Machine
3. Ghost Notes
4. Beast Of Burden
5. You Are Not A Hero
6. Hate
7. The New Empire
8. 30 Seconds
9. Crawling For Your Pride
10. Learn Or Repeat
11. The Call
12. Speak In Fire

Slave Machine will be available in the following formats:
- 2LP Gatefold Splatter Cristallo/Black + Black, incl. 12'' Black Vinyl + 12'' Booklet – strictly limited to 300 copies worldwide
- 1LP Gatefold Marbled Black Smoke – strictly limited to 100 copies (North America exclusive)
- 1LP Gatefold BLACK
- 1MC – strictly limited to 100 copies worldwide
- 1CD Digipak + Shirt Bundle
- 1CD Digipak
- Digital Album

Photo Credit: Zhao Lanxin

Experimental multifaceted artist Otay:onii has announced the release of her new album Love is in the Sh*t, set for release on 8th May 2026 via Pelagic Records. She has also unveiled the first single / video from the album, 'No Talent'.

Watch the video to 'No Talent' here: https://youtu.be/6LdK5osj5cM

Stream and pre-save here: https://orcd.co/otayonii

Otay:onii’s music unfolds like a living organism - restless, curious, and constantly re-shaping itself. Her sound is driven by her enchanting voice that serves as texture, rhythm, and raw material, moving between breath, chant, incantation, and fractured lyricism. From the beginning of her work Otay:Onii has treated sound as a physical substance, sculpting it with an experimental instinct that resists genre boundaries. 

Otay:onii comments on the meaning behind the new single: ""Talent" is the familiarity and passion for a certainty, and the courage to break it upon dire straits, and the determination to receive and give love after shattering to none. Many times we have lost ourselves, however each one of us has a “Shělìzǐ舍利子”(dragon ball) inside, it never left us, we have to hold it close while navigating all excruciation."

Otay:onii’s new album Love is in the Sh*t is a deeply intimate album that reaches a striking balance between control and chaos. Harnessing her ability to move from serenity to madness, Love is in the Sh*t is an exploration in representing trialing conscious states. Drawing-in and challenging the listener, the songs play with comfort and discomfort, deliciously crafting the sonic arc of the story so that intention is undeniably felt.

Otay:onii comments on the album: "This album speaks to what we cannot escape - the noise, the weight, the mess from the world, from others, from our own minds and bodies, what is damaged is damaged, we cannot change that one bit. Yet within the agony, here comes our process to restore, and hold on to something. The burden becomes alchemy: transformed into passion, into what makes us feel alive, and living. By choosing what ignites us, we do not lose ourselves - and from that grounding, we are able to give more of ourselves to others."

Otay:onii (Lane Shi) is a multifaceted artist originally from Haining, China. Her artistic practice spans across music, performance, installation, and film composition. 

Performance works such as Unwrap! at the Ming Contemporary Art Museum exemplify her innovative concept of “bio instruments.” She has performed at Harvard University and at prestigious international festivals including SXSW, Roadburn Festival, CTM Festival, Fusion Festival, Creepy Teepee, Le Guess Who?, Fekete Zaj Festival, and Full of Lava Festival.

Otay:onii has joined the opera performance 'Sancta' by Florentina Holzinger and was selected as a featured artist by the SHAPE+ Platform for 2024 - 25. Her work moves fluidly between humour and the poignant realities of contemporary zero-generation immigrants, offering rooted Eastern perspectives to Western audiences in an effort to bridge cultural divides.

Her acclaimed albums — NAG (2018), MíngMíng ٥٥ (2021), Dream Hacker (2023) and True Faith Ain’t Blind (2024)  — defy conventional structures, foregrounding philosophies drawn from lived experience. 

She describes her process as: “Solving a puzzle with another puzzle — one that cannot be seen or touched, only felt.”

Otay’s work has received recognition and accolades, including the bronze prize for "Best Female Vocalist" from Global Music Awards, and "Best Sound" from the Audiovisual Arts Industrial Incubator Awards.

Otay:onii is:
Lane Shi - all lyrics, composition and performance

Otay:onii online:
https://www.instagram.com/laneshiotayonii
https://www.facebook.com/Laneshiotayonii

Track list:
1.    Have You Ever
2.    Love From Survivors 
3.    World Class Citizen 
4.    No Talent 
5.    The Plaice 
6.    Underdog Bark 
7.    Tears Won’t Tell 

Photo Credit: Alyssa Moreau

South Florida deathcore mainstays Bodysnatcher have revealed their latest rager, 'Violent Obsession' via MNRK Heavy.

The furious track is taken from the band's upcoming new album Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home, due for release on Friday, 10th April. Speaking about the inspiration behind the song, guitarist Kyle Carter commented: "'Violent Obsession' to me expresses hate for a person to the extreme. It’s about revenge and what you wish you could do to this person who’s abused you, or taken advantage of you. It’s about obsessively living in that headspace of hatred and wanting them to feel how they made you feel."

The full-length will be the band's latest body of new music since 2024's acclaimed EP, Vile Conduct. 

Pre-order Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home here: https://bodysnatcher.ffm.to/hihhih
Watch the video for 'Violent Obsession' here: https://youtu.be/ANUPr82EEZY
And stream here: https://bodysnatcher.ffm.to/violentobsession

The band comment: "We’re extremely excited to finally start sharing this album with everyone. We think it’s the bands strongest work. We finally accomplished the sound we’ve been aiming for from the start." 

After wrapping up a triumphant Australian tour this past weekend with Fit For An Autopsy, Bodysnatcher will next kick off their Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home EU/UK headliner tomorrow with Ingested, Psycho-Frame and Big Ass Truck in support. The band will then bring the heat to the Chaos & Carnage 2026 tour across North America alongside Thy Art Is Murder, Carnifex, 200 Stab Wounds, Ingested, Gates To Hell, and Bodybox.

UK dates: 

04.03.26: Southampton @ Engine Rooms
05.03.26: Bristol @ The Fleece
06.03.26: Manchester @ Club Academy
07.03.26: Glasgow @ Slay
09.03.26: Belfast @ Limelight 2
10.03.26: Dublin @ Whelans
11.03.26: Leeds @ The Key Club
12.03.26: Nottingham @ Rescue Rooms
13.03.26: Birmingham @ Asylum
14.03.26: Plymouth @ The Depo
15.03.26: London @ The Garage

About Bodysnatcher:

There are many clichés about battling adversity. That if you fall down, you get back up again. That what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. That it’s the journey that’s important, not the end result. That the struggle is worth it, that you need to suffer to make great art. It’s not always true, of course, but Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home certainly makes a strong case for that argument. The fourth full-length from Melbourne, FL deathcore outfit Bodysnatcher, it follows 2024’s brutal Will Putney-produced EP, Vile Conduct and serves up another powerful barrage of uncompromising deathcore across 10 incredible tracks that see the four piece - Kyle Medina (vocals), Kyle Carter (guitar), Kyle Shope (bass) and Chris Whited (drums) - turn the catharsis up as loud and as visceral as it will go. 

Of course, that’s nothing new for the band. If you’ve heard Vile Conduct, or any of the three albums that preceded it - 2017’s Death of Me, 2020’s The Heavy Void or 2022’s Bleed-Abide - you’ll know this is a band who have always pitted themselves against personal tragedy, who have fought on individual levels against the dark depths of a despair (often inspired by their own experiences of death). Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home is no less harrowing. 

"The band has always had roots lyrically in themes of betrayal, overcoming hardship, and moving on from things that happen in life and how to cope with them,” explains Medina. “Ever since the inception of Bodysnatcher, that was the theme. I do think, though, as the band has matured and we as people have grown, so have the ways to dig into the themes more. With more life experience there are more things to draw from.” Yet while this is still a viciously personal record, Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home is also a dark reflection of the world at large, and its current dystopia. It doesn’t just dwell on what’s happening, though. It lashes out at the way things are with a terrible, violent rage. 

That manifests itself from the very beginning of this record, from opener 'The Maker' on. A sheer assault of rage, noise and skullcrushing riffs, it multiplies Bodysnatcher’s intensity to a degree that, even by their already intense standards, is off the charts. 

That direct darkness continues throughout the entirety of the next nine songs, from the unforgiving vengeance of 'Writhe And Coil' and 'Violent Obsession' through to the blistering defiance of 'Blade Between The Teeth' and 'Survive Or Die'. The latter features vocals from Scott Vogel, the frontman of hardcore legends Terror, a band very close to Bodysnatcher’s blackened heart. It follows the previous impressive cameo on Vile Conduct by Hatebreed’s Jamey Jasta. 

Vogel’s appearance shows just how much of a mark Bodysnatcher have made on the scene. But it’s not distracting them from their intent and purpose. In fact, that only seems to have been refined as time has passed. The band are full of rage with a purpose, rage full of intention, rage with hope still attached to it. Because even though it was born out of incredibly difficult circumstances, both personal and universal, Bodysnatcher’s hope is that people listening to it can find some kind of solace in it alongside all the anger and the rage. 

Bodysnatcher are:
Kyle Medina – vocals
Kyle Carter – guitar
Kyle Shope – bass
Chris Whited – drums

Bodysnatcher online:
http://www.facebook.com/BODYSNATCHERfl
http://twitter.com/BODYSNATCHERfl
http://www.instagram.com/BODYSNATCHERfl

http://www.mnrkheavy.com
http://www.facebook.com/MNRKHeavy
http://www.twitter.com/MNRKHeavy
http://www.instagram.com/MNRK_heavy

Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home tracklist:
 
1. The Maker
2. Writhe And Coil
3. Plague Of Flies
4. May Your Memory Rot
5. Violent Obsession
6. No Savior
7. Blade Between The Teeth
8. Two Empty Caskets
9. Survive Or Die
10. Hell Is Home

Photo Credit: Yngwie Vanhoucke

Belgian mathcore heavyweights BEAR have announced their new EP Anhedonia, to be released 22nd May via Pelagic Records.

In celebration of the news, the quartet have today revealed their single 'Empty Markers'.

Watch the video for 'Empty Markers' here: https://youtu.be/PzBPakFyxIQ
Stream and pre-order Anhedonia here: https://orcd.co/bear-anhedonia

From the first ferocious moments ‘Empty Markers’ introduces BEAR’s unrestrained power and compositional ingenuity. Through each section of the song momentum is never lost, every riff lands with purpose, every rhythmic shift creating a push a pull that wrestles between melodic hook and rampaging intensity. From feral roars to whispers, from stark clarity to jarring razor sharp edges, this track ushers in the adrenaline-fueled EP with devastating effect.

BEAR’s sound is a calculated collision of technical precision and unfiltered aggression — a modern strain of European metal that balances math-inflected complexity with visceral, live-wire intensity. At the core of their identity a combination of brains and brute force.

With Anhedonia, BEAR deliver five songs of pure adrenaline and unfiltered heaviness that capture a band confronting the strange emotional vacuum that can follow trauma. Anhedonia is both a battle cry and a confession; a visceral document of resilience carved from years marked by illness, loss, uncertainty, and hard-won perseverance. 

The EP was recorded live as a full band, with no click track, no studio safety nets, no artificial alignment. What you hear are four musicians locked in, feeding off each other’s raw and volatile energy in real time.

Guitarist James Falck comments: "After writing Vanta which was written during a particularly unpleasant moment in my life (cancer, surgery, treatment, family deaths, breakups), I personally was able to exorcise a lot of demons, and since then a lot of incredible things have happened in my life. Making music has always been a big source of therapy for me, and these songs really represent this state I was in until recently; where I had a lot to be grateful for, but the trauma and pain I had experienced in the years before had created a certain level of numbness, apprehension, and indifference." 

Bassist Dries Verhaert adds: "We indeed approached this project quite differently, both creatively and in the studio. Looking back, I’m proud of what we’ve achieved. Anhedonia is BEAR at our most authentic and vulnerable. If you ever find yourself in the dark, keep pushing. Accept help from those around you, and keep moving forward. This album is proof that even in the toughest times, there’s a way through." 

BEAR are:

Maarten Albrechts - Vocals
James Falck - Guitar
Dries Verhaert - Bass
Serch Carriere – Drums

BEAR online:
https://www.bearpropaganda.com
https://www.facebook.com/bearpropaganda
https://www.instagram.com/bear.propaganda

Tracklisting:

1. Empty Markers
2. Lacerate 
3. The Smile 
4. Anhedonia 
5. Metastatic   

Photo Credit: Aaron Scott

“The most mature and technically strongest Winterfylleth album to date, awe-inspiring, suspenseful, and sublime.” - Legacy (DE)

“If melancholy would be translated in terms of music, it definitely should be called Winterfylleth.”
- Rock Tribune (BE)

With 'Echoes In The After', UK black metal legends Winterfylleth unveil the second single from their upcoming album, The Unyielding Season, out 27th March via Napalm Records. Inspired by the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree, a landmark near Hadrian’s Wall, and adapted from a poem from Sir Philip Sidney’s 16th-century epic “The Countess Of Pembroke’s Arcadia”, 'Echoes In The After' is a powerful atmospheric black metal lament to nature and social commentary in one. 

Watch 'Echoes In The After' here: https://youtu.be/CcbIHG2jgsw 

Pre-order The Unyielding Season here: https://lnk.to/Winterfylleth-TheUnyieldingSeason/napalmrecords

Winterfylleth's ninth album is a social commentary wrapped in meticulously crafted poetry and prose. Where the preceding album, The Imperious Horizon (2024), described an ominous, malevolent force lurking in the distance, The Unyielding Season now explores said threat becoming a reality.

Chris Naughton about 'Echoes In The After': “The lyric for this song was written as a reaction to the cutting down of the famous 'Robin Hood' tree at Sycamore Gap on Hadrian’s Wall, in the North East of the UK. The song is about how some people seem to loathe iconic symbols of history and cultural importance that the local community share in, and hold dear. It speaks to a wayward mentality of individuals who would happily see these types of landmark destroyed, as though nothing is sacred. The lyric paints an image of the land and nature responding to the damage of the tree, almost like it is reacting to the loss of a limb or of a part of itself. It speaks about the wider area being scarred by this situation - with the lyric being written like a lament from nature to itself, condemning the demise of such an iconic symbol. A event that felt like it occurred in a cold, oddly curated and premeditated manner. It was an unsettling circumstance that resonated with us all in the band; particularly as we had used the tree as inspiration for the artwork of our 2018 album, The Hallowing of Heirdom.”

The raging wildfire to its predecessor’s calculating, icy cold, Winterfylleth's first offering for their new record label is a reflection and a rebellion against the turmoils tearing individuals apart. The Unyielding Season is a cry against the unsustainable weight of fear and pressure being pushed into the world, by the agents of an unresting, and unyielding force for evil. Where our surroundings grow more challenging every day, Winterfylleth offers a pause for respite and resistance. The world is on fire, and The Unyielding Season is a warning.

Previous single 'Heroes of a Hundred Fields' is the first revolt in their ten-song manifesto, depicting brave minds joining forces against a common oppressor in the fight for freedom. The song unfolds in marvellous grandeur as chants of “Rebellions beacons now alight”, ring out against a tide of evil. With 'Echoes In The After', Winterfylleth deliver a striking epic: adapted from a poem by Sir Philip Sidney’s late 16th-century romance “The Countess Of Pembroke’s Arcadia”, the track was written as a reaction to the felling of the famous 'Robin Hood' tree at Sycamore Gap on Hadrian’s Wall, in the North East of the UK. The following track, 'A Hollow Existence', opens up with galloping drums and explodes into equally aggressive and atmospheric black metal fireworks.

The band’s trademark sound continues throughout 'Perdition’s Flame' into the album’s title track, a powerful observation of our world’s current situation and a voice for those silenced by its hostility. Atmospheric masters Winterfylleth then pause their rage, making room for 'Unspoken Elegy', an acoustic guitar-driven instrumental enriched by equally hopeful and menacing cello melodies, a hauntingly beautiful illustration of the dichotomy within The Unyielding Season. 'In Ashen Wake' takes up the perilous undertone, taking its time before unveiling itself as another highly melodic black metal saga. 'Toward Elysium' expands on that with a strong, old-school-inspired guitar riff, thrilling and catchy. Following another instrumental, the beautifully structured 'Where Dreams Once Grew', Winterfylleth end the album running order with a bonus track, a cover of fellow Brits Paradise Lost’s 'Enchantment', originally released as the opening track on their 1995 classic Draconian Times.

Winterfylleth will bring The Unyielding Season to the stage this April, touring the UK and Ireland alongside Blackbraid and Noctem.

9.04.26 The Fleece - Bristol/UK
10.04.26 Rebellion - Manchester/UK
11.04.26 Whelan's - Dublin/IE
12.04.26 Limelight 2 - Belfast/NI
13.04.26 Slay - Glasgow/UK
14.04.26 Asylum - Birmingham/UK
15.04.26 The Garage - London/UK

Winterfylleth are:
Chris Naughton – Vocals, Guitars
Simon Lucas – Drums
Mark Doyle – Bass, Backing Vocals
Mark Deeks – Keyboard, Synth, Backing Vocals
Russell Dobson – Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals

Find out more:
Facebook || Instagram || Bandcamp

“Long at the forefront of UK black metal Winterfylleth have quite rightly become one of the most revered extreme metal bands from these isles.” - Dayal Patterson, Cult Never Dies 

“They elicit an aura of naturalistic vastness that’s worthy of Bathory.” – Metal Hammer

The Unyielding Season track list

1. Heroes of a Hundred Fields
2. Echoes In The After
3. A Hollow Existence (feat. Flagrum)
4. Perdition’s Flame
5. The Unyielding Season
6. Unspoken Elegy (feat. Arthur Thompson)
7. In Ashen Wake
8. Towards Elysium
9. Where Dreams Once Grew
10. Enchantment (Paradise Lost Cover Version - Bonus Song)

The Unyielding Season will be available in the following formats:

2LP Gatefold Marbled Orange Black Red, incl. 16pp Booklet – strictly limited to 200 copies worldwide (Napalm Mailorder exclusive)
2LP Gatefold Marbled Black Smoke, incl. lyric sheet – strictly limited to 300 copies worldwide (Napalm Mailorder exclusive)
2-LP Gatefold Solid Fuchsia, incl. lyric sheet
1-CD Digisleeve
2LP Gatefold Marbled Christallo Gold, incl. lyric sheet – strictly limited to 300 copies worldwide (band shop exclusive)
Digital Album

The award-winning, genre-busting RADAR Festival completes its 2026 line-up with four final stellar acts, joining an already stacked bill.

Announced today are UK tech metal legends SikTh, Leprous' Einar Solberg's solo project, English alt-metallers The Hara, and alternative rockers Glass Bridges. 

Tickets are available from: www.radarfestival.co.uk/tickets

Full lineup:
Skindred
Animals As Leaders (UK festival exclusive)
Thy Art Is Murder (UK festival exclusive)
Northlane
The Pineapple Thief
Chelsea Grin (UK festival exclusive)
Protest The Hero (UK festival exclusive)
SikTh
Voyager (UK festival exclusive)
Einar Solberg
unpeople
Pintglass
Graphic Nature
Heart Of A Coward
Employed To Serve
Vianova
Ten56.
Ghost Iris
Cage Fight
Elwood Stray
Hacktivist
Black Gold
The Hara
Royal Sorrow
CLT DRP
Dali
Ihlo
Glass Bridges
Benthos
Seething Akira
Rozemary
Luna Kills
Maebe
Eville
Dacara

Co-founder and co-organiser of RADAR, Joe James, comments: 

"That’s the music lineup complete! Today, we announce the last four bands (one replacement) for the 2026 edition: SikTh, Einar Solberg, The Hara (stepping in for Siamese) and Glass Bridges.
We’ve curated three musically-connected days. Friday, the face-melting heavy day will be mosh pit followed by mosh pit on repeat. Get your stretches in, have an energy drink, as we’re going to test your endurance. The end of the day: SikTh into Hacktivist, into Chelsea Grin, into Pintglass, into Thy Art is Murder! No clashes. Good luck! 

"Well, I lied above: Saturday, with Skindred, Northlane, Protest the Hero, unpeople, Heart of a Coward and more, is going to get people moving. So, by Sunday, everyone has earned a more relaxing day of prog and progressive music, with Animals as Leaders, The Pineapple Thief, Voyager and Einar Solberg. But, I lied again, and we’ve snuck in a lot of bands to get you moving on stage two with Ten56. and Employed to Serve, guaranteed to raise your heartbeat. 

"Beyond the music, we continue to expand our Music and Gaming Market. We are putting the finishing touches on the 2026 masterclasses, and if you need a break from sweating in the crowd, the coffee area has been expanded, and we’ll be including engaging coffee shop chats. As ever, our no-clash schedule means that you don’t have to choose because you can get it all."

Alongside the acts announced, RADAR's commitment to a musical and gaming paradise continues: their music and gaming market will return. Expected to be wowed by a retro arcade, the best new instruments and music tech, and many more besides. 

Also demonstrating their commitment to new bands, RADAR will continue to donate a portion of ticket sales proceeds to Music Venue Trust and Save Our Scene's Liveline Fund, in order to support grassroots music venues.

More information on RADAR Festival:

RADAR - the UK's most exciting progressive music festival - moved to Manchester for its 2023 edition, the third iteration of the festival.

RADAR pride themselves on providing a first home for the best international artists - previous years have seen Dirty Loops' (2022) and The Callous Daoboys' (2023) first UK shows; it was also the first festival to provide a headline slot for Sleep Token (2023). 

RADAR 2025 saw a stellar headline set from darkwave heavyweight Carpenter Brut and metalcore legends UNDERØATH, alongside some of the hottest talent from the UK and further afield.

Joining this stellar list were RADAR 2024's Friday headliners - synth royalty The Midnight, making their UK festival debut. Accompanying them were Saturday headliners TesseracT, as the UK prog metal titans delivered a special War Of Being album set. Finally, closing the festival on Sunday, modern progressive titans Leprous performed a world-first live, by request fan set. 

RADAR 2023 had Friday headliners Sleep Token joining Periphery (Sunday) and Igorrr (Saturday) among a host of the best from the UK and global progressive underground.

RADAR capped their intensely impressive 2022 by winning the Best New Festival Award at the UK Festival Awards on 6th December in Manchester, and were shortlisted for Best Small Festival and Best Metropolitan Festival at 2023 and 2024's UK Festival Awards.

With their mixture of international talent and confirmed homegrown success, RADAR Festival has already positioned themselves as a champion of forward-thinking, guitar-led progressive music. No genre boundaries, welcome to all, RADAR Festival was launched in 2019 to acclaim, with performances from Animals As Leaders, Agent Fresco, Rolo Tomassi, among others. Following the COVID hiatus, RADAR Festival 2022 expanded to three days with triumphant appearances from Leprous, Haken, Dirty Loops, Plini, Conjurer, Soen and more.

RADAR Festival is all about pushing boundaries - this year introducing fresh genres to the line-up and stages - and this is just the beginning. 

For more information:
Instagram: RDRfestival // Facebook: RDRfestival
Twitter: @RDRfestival // Website: www.radarfestival.co.uk

Photo Credit: Antariksh

Indian prog-fusion project Antariksh has unveiled their new single 'Naaqis' featuring guitar virtuoso Jakub Żytecki and rising star of the Hindustani instrument, the sarangi, Momin Khan. 'Naaqis' is a powerful progressive rock anthem fused with Hindustani classical elements exploring disillusionment, grit, and the cost of choosing one’s own path.

Watch the visualiser for 'Naaqis' here: https://youtu.be/uBLjdDzyVsQ

Stream here: https://hypeddit.com/antariksh/naaqis-ft-jakubzytecki-mominkhan

'Naaqis' continues the narrative arc of upcoming concept album Rehguzar, marking a pivotal moment in the album’s journey, where optimism gives way to confrontation and the weight of reality begins to settle in.

Speaking about the track, Varun Rajput, frontman and producer of Antariksh commented: “'Naaqis' represents that uncomfortable phase where the excitement fades and reality hits hard. It’s about feeling incomplete, let down, and questioning the people and choices around you, while still trying to summon the grit to push through. It exposes the cracks in the game and the vulnerability that comes with it. Collaborating with one of my favourite guitar players, Jakub Żytecki, and the incredibly talented Momin Khan has elevated the song to another level and made it truly special.”


Musically, 'Naaqis' unfolds within an expansive framework, driven by shifting time signatures, heavy guitar riffs, and dynamic song structures. The track balances intensity with introspection, weaving epic choruses with intricate arrangements. The fusion reaches its peak with a haunting sarangi solo by Momin Khan, seamlessly blending Hindustani classical elements with a modern prog landscape, followed by an explosive, technically dazzling guitar solo by Jakub Żytecki that elevates the track into truly global territory.

Antariksh, who has also previously collaborated with guitar icon Marty Friedman, will release their new album Rehguzar in 2026.

Antariksh is the sound of a new India, bold, relentless, and boundary-defying. Founded by composer-producer Varun Rajput, the band blends the raw energy of rock music with the soul of Hindustani and Carnatic music, layered with modern pop and electronic textures.


Since its inception in 2012, Antariksh has performed over 1,200 shows across India and internationally, been featured on SoundChk Season 1 & 2 by Salim-Sulaiman, and collaborated with global icons like Marty Friedman (ex-Megadeth) & Jakub Żytecki. Featured by platforms such as BBC Asian Network, MTV, Metal Injection, The Guardian, and The Hindu, the band has won multiple awards, including Best Rock Act at The Artist Aloud and The Indian Music Diaries Awards.

Antariksh online:
https://www.instagram.com/antariksh_official
https://www.facebook.com/Antariksh.Music

Photo Credit: Greg Vorobiov

Internationally acclaimed blues-rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Eric Steckel has released his brand-new single 'Back to Life' via OPEN / SPV Recordings. Equal parts soulful and high-voltage, the track captures Steckel’s signature blend of blues intensity and hard-rock power - an uplifting statement built on massive guitar tone, emotional melody, and a chorus made to pull you back from the edge.

Watch the video to 'Back To Life' here: https://youtu.be/wZA2o2_Jb4E

Stream the single here: https://ericsteckel.lnk.to/backtolife

Eric comments: "'Back to Life' is quite simply my personal tribute to the sacred art form that is music. Its restorative powers have guided me and protected me from a very young age and still do to this day. I wanted this song to resonate with anyone who shares in the appreciation of music and the resuscitation it brings us when life has us at the end of our ropes. Sometimes the only thing standing between despair and survival is a “melody that finds us in our darkest hour."

In an era where pedal boards, laptops and samples have become commonplace, Eric Steckel goes against the grain and harkens his listeners back to the days when great guitars were played loudly through great amps. Hailed by many as the top rising star of blues/rock, Eric delivers a powerhouse performance that has left audiences in 30 countries (and counting) mesmerized.

He brings an energy and passion to the stage that never disappoints and his signature blend of blues-metal is a must see for fans of guitar-based rock. Eric has shared the stage with and/or opened for iconic legends such as Ray Charles, Steve Vai, Gregg Allman, B.B. King, John Mayall and Johnny Winter.

Eric Steckel’s momentum is also reflected online, with a rapidly growing fanbase and strong engagement across platforms - currently 149,000 followers on Instagram and 168,000 followers on Facebook.

Road-tested and seasoned from 23 years on stage and in the studio, Eric delivers his signature blend of 'blues metal' to appreciative guitar lovers worldwide.
 

Eric Steckel online:
https://www.facebook.com/ericsteckelofficial
https://www.instagram.com/ericsteckelofficial
https://www.youtube.com/@steckeltube
https://www.tiktok.com/@ericsteckel
https://ericsteckel.com/

Norna - Credit: Pelagic Records

Legbiter - Credit: Pelagic Records

Swedish noisemakers Norna have unveiled their tempestuous head-banger of a new single 'Norna 3'. This is the third single taken from their upcoming split EP with Legbiter, out 20th March via Pelagic Records.

Pre-order the split EP and stream 'Norna 3' here: https://orcd.co/legbiterxnorna

In 'Norna 3', the vocals work as a chaotic textual layer, drums resonate with physical presence, guitar and bass retain groove whilst being drenched in heaviness; working with discomfort and resonance until meaning begins to surface. Their sound is expansive and deliberate, built on massive low-end, tectonic rhythms, and an acute sense of restraint. Norna leave listeners hovering in suspension before collapsing inward or surging forward with crushing inevitability. There is a cinematic quality to their work that invokes environment, mood, and psychological immersion.

From the cold North of Sweden, Norna  and Legbiter's split EP is a six-track document of contrast, convergence, and uncompromising heavy music. Bringing together two distinct voices, the release explores the many shapes heaviness can take—stretching from crushing, slow-moving atmospheres to sharp, volatile bursts of aggression. 
 
Formed by musicians with deep roots in the European underground, Norna approach heaviness as a vehicle for emotional gravity. Their sound is expansive and deliberate, built on massive low-end, tectonic rhythms, and an acute sense of restraint. 
 
Legbiter approach heavy music as direct, confrontational, and unrelentingly physical. Rooted in hardcore and metal’s most ferocious intersections, the band thrives on immediacy and impact. Legbiter compress time, delivering short, explosive bursts that hit with the force of a live wire. Their sound is lean, aggressive, and unapologetically raw.
 
“Even though we sound very different sonically I think we all have a lot of common ground, not only in being parts of the 90’s scenes, but also musically in the somewhat dissonant and harsh guitar parts”, says Legbiter guitarist Rickard Nordström. “Personally, I love splits with bands that don't sound exactly the same, but share some common traits and vibes.” 
 
“Contrast is everything, we have always tried to flow between despair and beauty. Dynamics are important to us. This split will give you that contrast”, comments Norna guitarist and vocalist and former Breach vocalist Tomas Liljedahl.

Norna work with discomfort and resonance until meaning begins to surface. Their sound is dense, immersive and moves with deliberate weight, unfolding gradually and allowing tension to accumulate over time. Guitars loom and resonate, drums seismic, and the overall pacing encourages full absorption. There is an understanding that heaviness is as much about space, patience, and emotional depth as it is about volume or distortion. Vocals in function as another textural layer. When they surface, they do so with intent: raw, human, and confrontational. 
“These songs pretty much reflect what we do musically and sonically right now. Create as much destruction with as little means as possible, raw and true”, says Lijedahl.

Norna are:
Marc Theurillat - Drums, Samples
Christophe Macquat - Guitars, Bass
Tomas Lijedahl - Vocals, Guitar

Legbiter are:
Jonas Slove Eriksson 
Viktor Ahnfelt  
Rickard Lindblom 
Rikard Nordström  

Norna online:
https://www.instagram.com/norna_band

Legbiter online:
https://www.instagram.com/legbiter_swe

Track list:

01 Legbiter - Worms   
02 Legbiter - Speedball 
03 Legbiter - Major Motion     
04 Norna - Norna 1
05 Norna - Norna 2    
06 Norna - Norna 3