With the world teetering on the brink of collapse, German deathcore force Obey The Kraken return with their aptly titled new single 'War Awaits', the third cut from their forthcoming EP Apocrypha, landing this Friday, 10th April via Seek & Strike.

Having already ripped through the gates with their opening salvo 'Betrayer', the band unveiled a deeper layer of their shadowy mythology with follow-up single 'Netherworld'. Now they escalate the assault with ‘War Awaits’, a full-scale sonic offensive where bombardment level breakdowns, frontline ferocity and scorched earth riffs detonate beneath apocalyptic, otherworldly vocals, advancing like an unstoppable war machine through the wreckage they leave behind.

Watch the video for 'War Awaits' here: https://youtu.be/3rGKpMMoGpc

Stream Apocrypha here

Emerging from Germany’s increasingly vicious extreme metal underground, Obey The Kraken have quickly built a reputation for deathcore that is as narrative driven as it is punishing. Their new EP Apocrypha continues the band’s fascination with apocalyptic storytelling, a biblical saga of fallen angels, infernal alliances and war against the heavens themselves, with each track acting as another chapter in the descent.

Nothing about this world is subtle. Every riff is a weapon. Every breakdown lands like a hammer blow. And with ‘War Awaits’, Obey The Kraken make it brutally clear that the descent has only just begun.

Commenting on the EP, Obey The Kraken said: "Apocrypha means a lot to us, especially as we hadn't planned this second EP.  After finishing our first EP (Worship The Sunken God) last year things developed naturally and we realized we had more to say within this world and sound. We consciously kept the formula of the first EP intact, so anyone who enjoyed EP1 will feel right at home with EP2. Listening back to the final masters, we’re genuinely happy with how consistent and powerful the release feels as a whole. Everything was designed to feel massive, heavy, and epic, supporting the narrative without overcomplicating the production approach.

"Lyrics play a central role for us. Our first EP told the complete story of Cthulhu and his resurrection across four songs and we wanted to apply that same conceptual approach again. On Apocrypha, the songs tell the story of an angel who is cast out of heaven, forms an alliance with hell and ultimately seeks to conquer heaven itself. Each track represents a different chapter of that narrative." 

Apocrypha tells a story in sound, an angel cast from heaven, forging an alliance with hell, returning to challenge the celestial order itself. The EP moves like the story, deliberate and immersive, pulling listeners into Obey The Kraken’s realm where narrative and brutality are inseparable. Nothing is decorative. Nothing is wasted. Every note exists to damage and leave its mark.

Whilst preserving the DNA of their debut, Obey The Kraken push further into uncharted territory.  With production carried out entirely in house, leaving the band with full control over how heavy, how clear and how oppressive they needed it to feel. The result is an EP that is heavy and unflinching, a complete assault for fans who crave deathcore that hits as hard thematically as it does musically. 

For more:
Instagram || Spotify 

Track-list:

1. Betrayer
2. Netherworld
3. War Awaits
4. Bow To Darkness

Pelagic Records today unveil the second single from their new label compilation entitled The Dungeon Tapes, featuring previously unreleased music and cover songs from a variety of album artists.

Opening Side B is a unique cover of the Massive Attack classic 'Angel' from atmospheric doom duo The Answer Lies In The Black Void.

Stream and pre-order The Dungeon Tapes here: https://orcd.co/talitbv-angel

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/-hdhXrUsXU8

Multi-instrumentalist and composer Jason Köhnen states: "Choosing this song has a very strong personal story to it. 'Angel' is dedicated to one of my musical mentors, Carlton Franklin, an 'old-school' DJ who inadvertently taught me the power of musical climaxes and of the hypnotic strength of darkness. During his lengthy DJ sets in the mid 90s he would always drop 'Angel' in the peak of his set and was able to move the audience with his shifts of moods, playing the crowds extraordinarily and creating an amazing brooding trance. Unfortunately Carlton fell (terminally) ill and a crowdfunding was started for him named 'Dead Man Sailing', as a saling man and living on his boat, this would enable him to make a final sail in his yacht across the Atlantic Ocean. A powerful statement from a man who until the last day stayed true to his character and will play with death as he played the crowds, controlling the narrative until the night is over." 

Drenched in the crushing weight of doom, with elements of ambience, electronica is backed-up by the gradual rise of wailing distortion, The Answer Lies In The Black Void create a suffocating density and fragile openness that expands this slow-burning revelation outward into a vast, transcendental soundscape.

Jason continues: "The challenge was to keep the same hypnotic drive as the original, but to add our own doomy and post-rock-esque climactic explosions as the song progresses. For the videoclip we interpreted the original story to our slightly more gothic version, but with the same storyline as the original placed in our own setting. Martina stayed close to Horace Andy's beautiful vocal lines adapting them to her own siren's call."
 
Also appearing on The Dungeon Tapes are such esteemed groups as Psychonaut, Lost In Kiev, Pothamus, Gösta Berlings Saga, Telepathy, and Spook The Horses. 

The Dungeon Tapes also will feature a stunning My Bloody Valentine cover recorded by members of Spotlights, Rosetta, Failure, Shy Low and Hiroe, appearing under the name Pelagic United.

The Dungeon Tapes will be released in physical (28th August) and digital (18th September) format.

Pelagic Records online:
Instagram | Facebook | Website

Photo Credit: Camilo Báez

Colombian quartet Argovia (Presagio Records), one of the most distinctive voices in Latin American progressive rock, have unveiled their newest single 'Unstoppable'.

'Unstoppable' is the final glimpse of the band's new album Primal Repetition, due tomorrow 10th April, marking a bold step forward in their evolving sonic identity.

Watch the video for 'Unstoppable': https://youtu.be/tbxJCk51Sdg

Primal Repetition digital and physical pre-orders: https://argovia.bandcamp.com/album/primal-repetition
Streaming and digital pre-save: https://music.argoviaband.com/primal-repetition

Blending cinematic atmospheres, Latin American rhythmic influences and emotionally driven songwriting, Primal Repetition positions Argovia as one of the most distinctive emerging voices in the contemporary prog scene.

At its core, the album explores the tension between what we try to leave behind and what inevitably returns. Moving through themes of life, loss, healing and emotional memory, Primal Repetition questions whether we are capable of breaking the cycles that define us — or whether repetition itself becomes a form of reconstruction.

The album was developed over an 18-month production process, with key recording sessions taking place at Sandlane Recording Facilities in the Netherlands — known for its work with artists such as Epica, Ayreon, Anneke van Giersbergen and Floor Jansen — alongside additional production in Bogotá and Santiago.

Founded in 2013 by multi-instrumentalist Ani Guillén (guitars, drums, bass, vocals) and keyboardist/music producer Carlos Arminio, Argovia are a progressive rock band from Bogotá, Colombia. Hailed as one of the most promising acts in Latin American prog, they are poised to make their mark on the international scene.

The band released their debut EP Lost Letters (2014), which earned them a nomination for EP of the Year at the Unión Rock Show awards. Three years later came their first full-length album Distant Present (2017), mastered by Tony Lindgren (Fascination Street Studios, Opeth, Leprous, Katatonia, and more). The record led them to tour several Colombian cities, including Cali and Medellín, and secured their participation in Prog in Motion 2017, the country’s only progressive rock festival.

In 2024, they released the EP Who We Are, which was mixed by Alejandro Londoño (Cultura Tres, Delain, Sepultura), mastered by Steve Kitch (The Pineapple Thief), and featuring drums by Felipe Candia (Aisles). With this release, the band moved away from symphonic and digital sounds, embracing a heavier, rawer, and more mature style, drawing inspiration from Riverside, The Gathering, VOLA, Steven Wilson, and Karnivool. The EP earned them an invitation to open for Norwegian band Circus Maximus during their Bogotá show in September 2024. In addition, vocalist Ani Gillénparticipated in the choral recording of the song 'Faceless' for Leprous, included in their album Melodies of Atonement.

The current lineup features Ani Guillén, Carlos Arminio, Mauricio Sanabria (drums), and Nicolás Paredes (bass).
 
Follow Argovia on: 
INSTAGRAM | SPOTIFY | YOUTUBE

Photo Credit: Patric Ullaeus

Swedish progressive metal masterminds EVERGREY share another single from their new album, Architects Of A New Weave, out June 5, 2026 via Napalm Records.

Full of regret, 'The World Is On Fire' stages personal emotions as global pain, the apology reverberating, resonating. Enormous, cinematic melodies pull the listener upward, driven by riffs with genuine weight and bite, while vocals dripping with raw, unflinching truth give voice to a deep, aching sense of longing. 

That longing finds its most intimate expression in the dead of night - when you pull your loved one close, just to feel them breathe - and are confronted with a devastating realization: the promise of a safe tomorrow is a lie you can no longer keep.

'The World Is On Fire' comes with an official music video and also marks the official introduction of guitarist Stephen Platt (Scar Symmetry), who had already been touring with EVERGREY as a live guitarist in 2025. He now officially joins as a full-time band member.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/u8dEggZPzSQ

Pre-order Architects Of A New Weave here: https://lnk.to/Evergrey-ArchitectsoftheNewWeave/napalmrecords

Evergrey comment: "We played a lot of shows with Stephen Platt already, he’s an incredibly lovely human being on top of being a brilliant guitar player, we couldn’t be happier to have him join us for real!"

Stephen Platt reflects: "I'm so happy to become the new guitarist of EVERGREY. I’ve been a fan of the band for a long time now and am extremely honored to have been asked by this group of incredible musicians and people. Looking forward to seeing what the future holds!"

Tom S. Englund about the new single 'The World Is On Fire': "‘The World Is On Fire’ was one of those rare songs that reached inside me and articulated feelings I hadn't even fully recognized yet. Once again, our timing, just as with the song ‘Save Us’ is both haunting and profound. To me, this isn’t just a lament—it’s an uprising. It’s a defiant stand against the forces that thrive on chaos, fear, and silence. They want us scared, quiet, and compliant. But all we want is to raise free-spirited, free-thinking, and independent children who can help build a better world—for us, for them, and for everyone. The devastating lack of compassion and humanity is at the root of everything we see around us. This song isn’t passive acceptance or mere description of our broken reality. It’s us boldly painting a picture of the world we refuse to accept."

Once again, Gothenburg’s finest export proves its unmatched ability to craft timeless melodies, powerful riffs, and gripping lyrics, while continuing to surprise their devoted fans with an innovative approach, even after more than 30 years of existence.

The album arrives just days before EVERGREY take the stage as special guest to the undisputed kings of heavy metal, Iron Maiden, for two shows on their Run For Your Lives World Tour.
 
This is the wake-up call you didn’t know you needed: a plunge into thinning air, burning worlds, and lingering guilt—only to break free with fierce momentum. The album refuses to wallow. It ascends—fast, heavy, and cinematic. But it refuses to hide in the dark. It rises: quick, fierce, and utterly transformative.

Dive into Architects Of A New Weave’s standout tracks like 'The World is on Fire', 'Leaving The Emptiness', 'Heaven', and 'The Prophecy', and the breathtaking title anthem 'Architects Of The New Weave'. Their choruses break through like sunlight piercing storm clouds: enormous, cinematic melodies that pull you upward, riffs with genuine weight and bite, and vocals dripping with raw, unflinching truth. In one breath, you’re shouldering buried longing; in the next, you’re weightless, fearless, endless. Scars transform into badges of survival, fractures fuel reinvention. In the second half of the album, fellow Gothenburg icon Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquillity, The Halo Effect, Grand Cadaver, Cemetery Skyline) joins Tom S. Englund in vocal duties for 'A Burning Flame', the voices of the two scene legends intertwined compellingly.

Architects Of A New Weave was produced by Tom S. Englund and Vikram Shankar, with a stellar mix by Adam "Nolly" Getgood.
 
Among other exclusive formats, Architects Of A New Weave comes with a bonus album, containing bonus tracks 'Heights' and 'One Heart', as well as an album mix of the previously released standalone single 'OXYGEN!' (2025). Additionally, it features a demo version of 'Longing', instrumental tracks of 'Leaving The Emptiness', both new songs, as well as a live version of 'Falling From The Sun', the hit single from the previous record, Theories of Emptiness (2024) and continuation of 'Ominous' from A Heartless Portrait (The Orphean Testament) (2022).

EVERGREY are:
Tom S. Englund - Vocals, Guitar
Henrik Danhage - Guitar
Rikard Zander - Keyboard
Simen Sandnes - Drums
Johan Niemann - Bass

EVERGREY online:
Website
Facebook
Instagram
Napalm Records

Tracklisting:

1. Welcome To The Pattern
2. The Shadow Self
3. Architects Of The New Weave
4. The World Is On Fire
5. Heaven
6. The Script
7. Leaving The Emptiness
8. Longing
9. A Burning Flame
10. Call Off Your Lions
11. Chains Of Shame
12. The Prophecy

Architects Of A New Weave will be available in the following formats:
2-LP Gatefold Deluxe Edition (incl. Bonus LP, LP-Sized 16p Booklet) – Napalm Records Mailorder Exclusive (strictly limited)
2-LP Gatefold White Label Edition (incl. Bonus LP/White Packaging, Covercard [hand-numbered], LP-sized Booklet [16p]) – Napalm Records Mailorder Exclusive (strictly limited)
2-CD Digipack 24p (incl. 6 Tracks Bonus Album)
1-CD Jewel Case
1-LP Gatefold
Digital Album Deluxe (incl. 6 Tracks Bonus Album)
Digital Album

Photo Credit: Gregory Perrochon

French post-rock collective HANRY previously announced their debut album What Came From Silence, arriving 29th May via Pelagic Records. The band have now unveiled the second single, 'Remains', offering another glimpse into their carefully sculpted world.

Watch the video for 'Remains' here: https://youtu.be/VUq70hKYT6I

Pre-order What Came From Silence here: https://orcd.co/hanry-wcfs  

The band comment: "'Remains' originated from a demo we had set aside for a long time. For months, the track resisted us, and we rewrote its opening several times without ever finding the right direction. It was only after all the album demos were completed that we returned to it one last time. At that point, something clicked in a clear, almost instinctive way, and the track finally revealed itself as it was meant to be. That was the moment 'Remains' truly came to life.

"The piece opens with an electronic and contemplative approach, written in the spirit of a post-rock track but entirely built from analog textures. The introduction unfolds through a series of raw, almost abrupt sections, with sharp transitions shaping the structure. You can hear influences from artists like Jon Hopkins, Boards of Canada, or Rival Consoles. Gradually, the band re-enters, led by a keyboard that opens a breach. Elements come together step by step until they converge into a powerful riff that suddenly shifts the track. Layers expand and the music moves into a more organic territory, somewhere between Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, and SUUNS. The track ends in a complete collapse, a massive wall of sound with no rhythmic anchor, a final wave where everything dissolves.

"'Remains' explores this constant tension between two states, a fragile balance that, after many transformations, eventually found its final form."

Marking a defining moment in the band’s evolution, the new record captures HANRY at their most expansive and self assured, a sweeping, cinematic body of work where delicate restraint gradually gives way to towering crescendos and luminous emotional release.

Formed in 2022, HANRY have quickly developed a reputation for expansive compositions that balance atmosphere with weight. Built around patience, texture and carefully controlled crescendos, their music moves fluidly between fragile ambient passages and towering, emotionally charged climaxes.

Written during a particularly long winter in Brittany, debut album What Came From Silence carries an atmosphere of tension and introspection across its eight immersive tracks.

Across the record, HANRY lean further into the contrast that defines their sound. Clean guitar tones shimmer before dissolving into waves of saturated distortion. Ambient passages slowly evolve into powerful, widescreen moments. Even at their most delicate, there is motion, subtle pulses and shifting textures that push the music forward. When the band unleashes its full force, the sound remains articulate; each instrument retains its identity within the surge. 

“Since the beginning of HANRY, cinematic imagery has been at the core of our artistic vision,” the band say. “We often compose from mental images, landscapes or scenes that could almost belong to a film. We wanted the album to feel like a continuous experience, something listeners can fully immerse themselves in and interpret in their own way.”

Initially composed by the core trio of Anthony Leliard (bass/guitar), Marc Mifune (keys) and Jean-Anaël Aubaux (J.A) (guitar), the album was then further developed with the full band in their own studio. With J.A. and drummer Clément Champigny both working as sound engineers, HANRY produced and mixed the record themselves at DiscoCasino Studio, ensuring complete control over its identity. It was mastered by Chab at Chab Mastering. 

'Phantom Rush', the closing track on the album features a stunning collaboration with pianist Mariposa, adding an additional layer of depth and emotional intensity to the record.

Artwork was created by French artist Aloïs Lecerf, who describes the piece as reflecting the same tension between stillness and eruption that runs through the record itself.

“It’s balanced between restraint and release. The cover evokes a presence that gradually emerges , something calm, dense, almost motionless, that eventually becomes vast and luminous. It seeks to capture that moment when silence begins to crack. Within a grainy, incandescent landscape, an immobile silhouette slowly fractures, allowing light to emerge.”

The album arrives at a pivotal moment for the band. A recent performance at the renowned Trans Musicales in Rennes was broadcast nationally to thousands, while a live session with KEXP signals growing international momentum.

With What Came From Silence, HANRY deliver a record that feels both expansive and deeply personal, a carefully constructed journey where silence, texture and atmosphere carry as much weight as the crescendos themselves.

Catch the band live at Pelagic Fest in August, with more live dates to be announced soon. 

HANRY are:
Jean-Anaël Aubaux: Guitars, Synth.
Hadrien Benazet: Guitars.
Clément Champigny: Drums.
Anthony Leliard: Bass, Guitars, Synth.
Marc Mifune  Piano, Synth, Cello

For more information:
 INSTAGRAM • FACEBOOK • BANDCAMP • PELAGIC ARTIST PAGE

What Came From Silence track list:

1. Noise Drowns Out
2. Aurora
3. Dustwake
4. Her Crown, Her Empire
5. Remains
6. Time’s Collapsing 
7. Dead Waves
8. Phantom Rush

Photo Credit: Napalm Records

Just a few days after Charlotte Wessels and her band, The Obsession, have returned from their biggest tour to date - joining Epica and Amaranthe on the Arcane Dimensions Tour and performing in arena-sized venues across Europe - the Dutch singer, songwriter, and producer shares the next highlight of her remarkable career. Charlotte Wessels will take The Obsession on their first headline tour in 2027, spanning major cities across Europe and the United Kingdom, with Melissa Bonny, vocalist of modern metal outfit AD INFINITUM, joining as support.
 
The tour will kick off on 4th February 2027, in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium, and conclude on 27th February 2027, in Charlotte’s hometown of Utrecht, the Netherlands. The full list of dates can be found below.

Tickets are now onsale here: https://charlottewessels.nl/tour/
 
CHARLOTTE WESSELS about the upcoming tour: “After the unforgettable Arcane Dimensions tour with Epica and Amaranthe, announcing our own headline tour across Europe feels surreal. It’s such an emotional next chapter. The energy we’ve shared with all of you over the past months has been incredible, and we can’t wait to take that even further, with longer sets, new songs, and deeper moments together every night. Finishing the tour in my hometown Utrecht, at TivoliVredenburg – Ronda, is something I’m especially proud of and looking forward to.”
 
UK dates: 
05.02.27 UK – London / Islington Assembly Hall
06.02.27 UK – Glasgow / Slay
07.02.27 UK – Manchester / Club Academy

Watch the video for recent single 'After Us, The Flood' here https://youtu.be/p_Lg-ZflaSY

Charlotte Wessels’ latest release, The Obsession (2024), has been widely praised for its dynamic range, artistic growth, and emotional depth. Ever Metal highlighted its “skyscraper melodies” and Wessels’ “masterful vocals,” while Blabbermouth noted the album’s impressive variety. Louder Sound described it as “an auspicious and metallicized spin on her dark fairytale aesthetic,” while Metal Sucks called it “a transcendent collection of moving yet forceful and complex compositions,” further cementing her reputation as a versatile and evolving artist.
 
In autumn 2025, Charlotte Wessels and Asger Mygind of VOLA released the song 'Backup Plan' to accompany the deluxe edition of The Obsession, followed by a brand-new single entitled “After Us, The Flood” in early 2026.

Charlotte Wessels online: 
WEBSITE
YOUTUBE
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
X
NAPALM RECORDS

Photo Credit: Alyssa Moreau

South Florida deathcore mainstays Bodysnatcher have unleashed their latest rager 'Plague Of Flies' with the official video (via MNRK Heavy).

Watch here: https://youtu.be/5YRxORbfvOQ

The track is taken from their soon-to-be-released new album Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home, out this Friday 10th April. 

Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home will be the band's fourth full-length and newest body of work since 2024's Vile Conduct, and promises to be their most furious and bloodthirsty work yet. Leading up to today, the quartet have released the singles 'Blade Between The Teeth', 'The Maker', and most recently, 'Violent Obsession'. Speaking about 'Plague Of Flies', guitarist Kyle Carter commented:

"To me, 'Plague Of Flies' is about giving in to the negativity and pain that the world brings, and becoming numb to the point where you welcome it and even add to it. This is one of the more exaggerated topics of the album. I don’t live in this headspace constantly, but there are times when I just want to say "fuck it, everyone else is an asshole, so I should be too.""  

Pre-order Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home here: https://bodysnatcher.ffm.to/hihhih

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
 
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: M. Darcy

Boston post-metal band, Junius, will release their new LP, Sotera, on 26th June via Prosthetic Records. Sotera is Junius’ first full-length LP in nearly a decade, following 2017’s Eternal Rituals for the Accretion of Light, a recording that Rolling Stone noted “takes the band’s alternately soaring and crashing sound to even more diverse places.” Produced by Junius vocalist/guitarist, Joseph E. Martinez and Tom Syrowski (Blackberry Smoke, Mastodon), Sotera, in Martinez’s words, “feels like a rebirth for the band” and “is an act of devotion as much as it is a piece of music.” 

Pre-order/save Junius' Sotera at this location.

The first track released from Sotera is the surging 'Initiatrix'. Direct and succinct, 'Initiatrix' explores the use of intentional gestures as boosters for cognitive and emotional change.

Stream the striking video for Junius' 'Initiatrix', created by Joseph E. Martinez, here: https://youtu.be/evpkeAxF8_o

“‘Initiatrix” distills the album into 3 minutes and 23 seconds, and it captures the heart of the record,” says Martinez. “It’s about willingly stepping into a ritualistic transformation, asking to be changed and accepting the consequences of that choice." 

Harmonising bright transcendence, heightened consciousness, coiled ear-worming, and emotional swell in like degree, Sotera's’ ambient shoegaze metal is expansive and deep, best experienced unhurriedly. Call it sound as relief and release; intense undercurrents of magnetic volume attached to an almost symphonic use of motion. Fully realised music as exhilarating as it is ghostly. Whereas earlier Junius records wrestled with cataclysms, escaping Samsara and what might come after death, Sotera shifts the focus toward something more immediate: restoring balance through the worship of the divine feminine.

“The word Sotera is the feminine form of saviour or protector in Greek, and it perfectly captured what the album was circling around," offers Martinez. “This album is a musical invocation that explores the divine feminine as a force of transformation and balance. Medea stands at the threshold. In Sotera we’re calling upon Hekate, her mother, to guide us in her resurrection. The Oracle as a loving but ignored prophet. Lucifera appears as the punished light-bringer. The Initiatrix is the one who begins the rite.”

Try to stick just one label, descriptor, or adjective on Junius and it won’t hold - they resist it entirely. For over twenty years, the Boston-based five-piece has moved fluidly between extremes: shouts and hushes, grit and sheen, crushing intensity and hypnotic restraint. In the process, they keep stretching and reshaping the only genre that can loosely contain them - metal - pushing past its edges. That approach often means stepping away from metal’s typical barrage of down-tuned riffs in favour of a wider palette of textures, detours, and emotional tones.

“Mythic, atmospheric, melodic post-metal?” surmises Martinez when pressed to sum up Junius’ sound. “Over the years we’ve been labelled post-punk, post-rock, and now post-metal, in that order. We’ve never really cared too much about the label, but post-metal seems to be the one people have settled on for us. We see it as heavy music that prioritises movement and melody over aggression for its own sake. What we’ve always tried to do is balance weight with emotional lift. The heaviness creates the gravity, but the melody is what carries you into the ether."

In addition to Joseph E. Martinez, Junius features Dana Filloon (drums), Eoghan Mccarthy (guitar), Matthew Vincenty (guitar), and Orion Wainer (bass). 

Find Junius online at JuniusMusic.com and follow the band on Apple Music, Bandcamp, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, YouTube, and X. 

Tracklisting:

1.) Disciple
2.) The Oracle
3.) Summon Her
4.) Initiatrix
5.) Darkwater
6.) Serpent
7.) Lucifera
8.) Scythian

Photo Credit: Rude Records

New York punk rockers I Am The Avalanche are excited to present 'I MISS CALIFORNIA AND EVERY DOG I’VE EVER MET,' the latest single to be lifted from their upcoming album THE HORROR SHOW out this Friday 10th April via Rude Records / Equal Vision Records.

Watch the music video for 'I MISS CALIFORNIA AND EVERY DOG I’VE EVER MET', directed by Jesse Korman, here: https://youtu.be/othJ2firbkU
Stream here: https://iata.lnk.to/IMISSCALIFORNIA
Pre-order the album here: https://iata.lnk.to/THEHORRORSHOW
Gold Swirl vinyl pre-order - https://www.ruderecords.com/products/the-horror-show-gold-swirl-lp
CD pre-order - https://www.ruderecords.com/products/the-horror-show-cd

“No truer statement,” frontman Vinnie Caruana says of the new single. “There are people and places in California that I think lovingly about on a daily basis. And I think about their dogs. I think about everybody’s dogs.” 

Their first full-length offering in six years - along with being the band’s most expansive and textural album to date - THE HORROR SHOW is a collection of songs forged in grief, courage, and the refusal to stand still. Written largely in the wake of frontman Vinnie Caruana’s profound personal loss, the album explores friendship, mortality, love, and resilience with a deeper emotional weight than ever before, all while embracing total creative freedom. 

I Am The Avalanche have announced a run of UK / IE tour dates, including a performance at 2000trees festival.

08 Jul — Belfast, UK — Voodoo
09 Jul — Dublin, IE — The Grand Social 
11 Jul — Cheltenham, UK — 2000 Trees Festival 
12 Jul — London, UK — New Cross Inn 
13 Jul — Manchester, UK — The Deaf Institute 
14 Jul — Leeds, UK — The Key Club
16 Jul — Glasgow, UK — Audio 

22 years into their career, I Am The Avalanche are making the most powerful music of their lives with THE HORROR SHOW, the band’s fifth full-length album. The heart of The Horror Show beats in the wake of unimaginable loss. "Experiencing ultimate loss will change you on a cellular level,” says frontman Vinnie Caruana. “About 75% of the lyrics were written after my best friend passed away suddenly and unexpectedly.”

Rebuilding from that devastation brought a new perspective. “You find courage you didn’t know you had,” he reflects. “Courage … that was his last gift to me.”

While the record confronts grief, it is not defined by it. Across 11 tracks, I Am The Avalanche explore various personal themes with the same urgency that has fuelled them since day one, but this time drawn from a deeper emotional well than ever before. It’s reflected in Caruana’s lyric writing but embraced by the whole band. “We go to a lot of new places, musically,” Caruana explains. “There are no rules or constraints. Complete freedom to create and push our music forward.”

That sense of freedom is everywhere — on the driving title track “THE HORROR SHOW,” the raw defiance of 'LAUGHING AND BLEEDING,' the fragility of '5:55,' the life-affirming radiance of 'I’M NOT DEAD…,' the punishing force of 'TRUE LEGENDS NEVER DIE,' and the shimmery glow of 'ALIVE ON 14th STREET.' It’s an album made with the visceral understanding that life can change in an instant and nothing should be left unsaid.

Out of that tribute comes a duality: The Horror Show holds grief and celebration side by side. In that, Caruana hopes this album can become a guide for anyone experiencing loss. “This record can become a lifelong companion for those who let it in,” he says. “The message is simple: You are stronger than you think you are and you are not alone.”

The Horror Show will be carried across the world as I Am The Avalanche join tours in support before heading out on their own. For fans, it’s a chance to see the band at the peak of their powers. For Caruana, it’s another step forward in the process of healing. “My only hope is that performing these songs on stage will repair the part of my soul that broke during the writing process. If that doesn’t happen, that’s okay. I achieved my mission and I’ll happily die tomorrow with a full and simultaneously broken heart,” he admits. After years of survival, I Am The Avalanche return with The Horror Show, aiming not just to endure but to thrive.

I Am The Avalanche online:

Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | Apple Music

Track list:

1. GOD'S TRAVEL PLANS
2. THE HORROR SHOW
3. LAUGHING AND BLEEDING
4. I'M NOT DEAD (I JUST BLINKED AND NEVER SAW THE LIGHT AGAIN)
5. OSPREY
6. 5:55
7. I MISS CALIFORNIA AND EVERY DOG I'VE EVER MET
8. TRUE LEGENDS NEVER DIE
9. ALIVE ON 14TH STREET
10. ROGUE KNIFE
11. TRÉBUCHET